Praise, indeed! Thank you for reminding us what front-line soldiers endure, have always endured, will always endure. Their service is an ordinary extraordinary thing: ordinary in that millions have so served, extraordinary in that their individual resolve in a perpetual life/death situation represents the best qualities we humans are capable of.
This article reminds us that the least NATO and the West (i.e. us) can do is to provide and continue to provide Ukraine with the resources it needs to defeat Russia. Even now, the vulnerability of the Ukrainian forces involved in the counteroffensive to attack from the air is a concern. (See ISW). I hope that the vacillation over the provision of effective air power to Ukraine will not prove costly.
At the outset, thanks for sharing this piece. Combat and it's impact are universal, regardless of geography or demography. I never really focused on the what if question, there never was the time, specially when in command, there's the mission and there's your team; and it's your job to get the objective without casualties, if possible. Once the actions over, you are too busy with multifarious activities such as feedback, after action review, logistics and taking care of those with you while saying goodbye to those gone ahead. Goodbyes are the hardest and dealt differently by individuals, at times there are tears, at times just an emptiness. You remember these emotions, but, at that point- there's another mission and life goes on.
Praise, indeed! Thank you for reminding us what front-line soldiers endure, have always endured, will always endure. Their service is an ordinary extraordinary thing: ordinary in that millions have so served, extraordinary in that their individual resolve in a perpetual life/death situation represents the best qualities we humans are capable of.
Thank you from someone who grew up in a Gold Star family. This is one of the best opinion pieces I have read in a long time.
You never really come home and your never really young again. Home is another planet.
This article reminds us that the least NATO and the West (i.e. us) can do is to provide and continue to provide Ukraine with the resources it needs to defeat Russia. Even now, the vulnerability of the Ukrainian forces involved in the counteroffensive to attack from the air is a concern. (See ISW). I hope that the vacillation over the provision of effective air power to Ukraine will not prove costly.
Great post. Well observed and worth saying. Are there now any British war reporters worthy of the name ?
At the outset, thanks for sharing this piece. Combat and it's impact are universal, regardless of geography or demography. I never really focused on the what if question, there never was the time, specially when in command, there's the mission and there's your team; and it's your job to get the objective without casualties, if possible. Once the actions over, you are too busy with multifarious activities such as feedback, after action review, logistics and taking care of those with you while saying goodbye to those gone ahead. Goodbyes are the hardest and dealt differently by individuals, at times there are tears, at times just an emptiness. You remember these emotions, but, at that point- there's another mission and life goes on.
Excelent article!!
Thanks Nancy. Good to hear from others out there.
Really fantastic piece, thanks.