OK, first off I want to warn everyone that I may get off subject and rant and rave a little, and that all my opinions are just that, opinions, and mine, not yours, I am not trying to impose anything upon you or change your views, simply state the way I feel.
Alright, with that out of the way we can get started. I myself am active duty military, have been for almost 4 years, plan on being for at least the full 20 to retiremet. I know its not any of you, but the way the media makes me feel is that there is no respect for the active duty military citizens. All everyone seems to care about is the guard and reservists. Everytime I turn on the 10 o' clock news I see a special on a guardsman or reservist getting activated, and going to "do their time" in the sandbox. I've been Activated for nearly four years, havn't seen my parents or extended family in three, and have spent a little over 75% of my life since enlistment TDY, away from my wife and child. Yet I am still treated like a peasant by the locals where I am stationed. The only time they are nice to me is when I am trying to buy somthung, because they know when a military member finances something the money comes out of our paychecks and goes to them before we even see it, so they know they are going to get paid. But the reservist are held on high pedastals as if they are all WAR-HEROS. I have served in IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN, TURKEY, EGYPT and SAUDI, recived several medals and decorations, but still when I stopped to pump gas on my way to work the other day, wearing DCU's for a special ceremony on post, the lady across the pump from me said, "Oh, honey your so young... are you being activated?" I explained to her that I was active duty and wearing the desert camoflage for a special ceremony, she nodded her head and said "Oh, sorry, nevermind." After getting my reciept from the pump and getting back in my car I thought to myself "NEVERMIND?" Thirty seconds earlier she was about come over and hug me and tell me how proud she was and ask how my family was, but once she found out I was active duty...
Do people think that the only people that fight in our wasr are the guard and reservists? ( I've litteraly spent years of combined time in the middle east.) Do they belive that active duty military are just here to run the state-side mission, and provide support for the guard and reservist. Do they think we are put at whatever post is close to home? (Home is some 1500 miles away) But still I turn on the news to see a line of guardsmen boarding a Delta Jet with their familys all standing around them and news reporters intervewing them and showing them wiping their tears. But when I leave, I get up at 0230 hrs. all my stuff is packed and ready to go, I kiss my wife and baby, the're still asleep, and leave. When I am bording the C-130, or C-5 I look around the tarmac, no cameras, no families, no reporters, and no knowlege of our existence. Just a bunch of tired GI's drinkng coffee. Getting ready to do what they do best.

I hope I didn't offend anyone by what I wrote, I do not have anything against guardsmen, or resevist, I have served side by side with them and they pull their weight over there just as much as any of us.

I know exactly how you feel, my friend. There's a billboard I pass on my home from work every day that the Air Force Reserve frequently uses for its "Part-time Reservist = Full-time Hero" series of ads. It just gets my goat, I tell you. The word "hero" has been so mis-used in the past decade that it basically lacks any luster, at all.

Now, I do appreciate the service Reservists provide, but I also know the average reservist's mindset, as we all trained together up to the time they got to go home and we "others" went on to our first duty station. I know very well from firsthand experience that their motives and drive for being there are usually very different from the typical AD guy/gal.

I guess the ususal civilian sympathy that is afforded the reservist is a result of the fact that they are more easily identified with by the average joe on the street. By and large, I imagine we AD folks are somewhat of an enigma to them (i.e. "Why the heck would someone want a life centered around the military???"). Well, some of us know the answer to that question, and some never will.

RSY

Keep your chin up!! Their are lots of people that know what is happening.

I too spent many years on active duty.
Back then we would get spit on by the Anti war protester. The airports were the worse.

I sure appreciate what you are doing...

Keep your head down, see everything don't miss anything.

Larry

As the father of an active duty infantryman I have to say I respect and salute you for having the gumption to serve. My son has been fortunate in the recognition he has received but I can understand the feeling. All I can say is you have chosen a profession that is honorable and of great benefit to us all. Again my thanks.

News media is just looking for tear-jerker stories for ratings.... they are morons for the most part, or skilled at manipulating people's feelings (or both) - and lots of people follow them hook, line, and sinker.

Keep your chin up!

1in7

First off let me say Thank You to you and your partners in arms for your service to our country. The job you took on is very self rewarding but little reward will come to you from those who do not know anything about what you do for your country. I know this first hand as I served 22 Yrs. AD and spent most of that time away from home and loved ones. Know that there are alot of people men and women who gave there time and life for there country. You hold a piece of our furture freedom in your hands and in your heart , don't worry about the weekend warror's you serve our country for a much deeper cause than self. My you press on with pride head high as you serve. Know what you do is for your country and in the end of your 20 years or more of service you will walk away and never wish you had'nt done this. I have never regreted serving and would go back if called to with no problem. Good luck to you and I wish you a speedy return home to your loved ones.

Hoeram :D

Walk proud trooper. Who cares what the media thinks or reports. Every American citizen who sees an American G.I. is respectful towards that uniform and the young man or woman wearing the camo. I joined the military in 1968. The Viet Nam war was raging on stronger and stronger. At that time, "the uniform" got no respect from anyone, anytime, anywhere. Times have changed and so has the enemy that threatens the world. I respect your service to America and thank you for protecting my family. Many before you wore that uniform with pride, honor, and courage. Now it's your turn to continue that tradition. Like I said, walk proud trooper.

I feel your pain friend. I think it has roots in the attitude of the surrounding communities on post. For my money, it has gotten much better, but in the cold war days the attitude was that the soldiers were on post so that the business could survive, and they would generously finance from "E-1 and up."

I know that it was worse still in the Vietnam era, but I think we old cold warriors were looked at as bilking the taxpayer out of his dollars, without any real perceived benefit.

There were a few posts that were worse than others, Phenix city comes to mind, but I have also heard that Leesburg, LA, is not the GI's friend, and never has been. All of those towns have good people, but have the pawn shops, strip clubs, bars, and used car lots to qualify it as a Post town.

The good thing about growing up in this Army, is that it has given me an internal sense of pride, that can be elevated, but not put asunder. As the savior said, "they know not what they do."

Be proud of yourself, be proud of the service that you have given to your country, and don't worry about what anybody else has to say on the subject. You are a rare breed, and this country is in real sad shape without you.

Drive on troop.

Steve

I'm a 27½ year lifer now retired. Wondering if I'll be recalled. In the meantime I work with a lot of reservists and have in the past. I think that, while it is bugging you, you're misinterpreting the situation.

Reservists are NEWS, AD folks aren't. Reservists are the closest things to community representatives with whom most people can identify. Most news organizations think of the AD people as just another government worker who volunteered to go.

Now, we here all know the truth. Everyone is making a contribution and it is a team effort. We need to do this. Everyone is suffering equally, too. That news coverage is the only benefit that the reservists are getting. The ones I know don't see it as a benefit. BTW, in some units, 50% of the unit have at least some regular AD time but more often it is about 15-30% (really depends on which area you're talking about and the economic opportunities there).

I'd like to say one more thing. In our lives we can't hope to live for others but only for ourselves. I always tried to do the very best I could because I was always worried that if I didn't somebody else would suffer for it. I think most others did the same. I can't imagine living with a better bunch of folks no matter the circumstances.

1 in 7 ! By the time you get to retirement you will have been in many OIL WARS and have a chest full of metals ! Don't worry about the GUARD getting all of the GLORY ! Most of them aren't going to RE UP when their time comes ! They just wanted the easy money of the Peace Time Years ! Remember what Rumsfeld said to the press { these are all volunteers ,why are you people worried about them ? } ! Wait until they start the DRAFT again ! Then you will see some action at home ! And YES You will all be recalled with out a DRAFT ! Some Female LT. was on the news last night crying because she got RECALLED and is leaving in a few weeks for IRAQ and hasn't fired a rifle since 1998 etc. ! **** i'm waiting to be recalled ! JAGG

JAGG:
I don't think that 1 in 7 was complaining about glory, but just common everyday respect. Weather a man or woman is regular military or reservist they deserve the same respect. I was in the guard, and also spent 26 years active duty, so I've seen it from both ends. I'm too old to get called back up, but I would expect the same respect that the Guardsman or the active duty person receives. The LT was wrong in her attitude as well she chose to serve in the reserves and collect the additional income for the peacetime service, knowing that she was elgiable for RECALL when she entered the reserves.

Lee L.

I understand how you feel, 1 in 7, but the Reserve soldiers are a lot more visible in communities in the US. The fact is that since the draft was stopped, fewer and fewer people have someone in their family who is or was in the military. My Dad says when he served in the 50s, a soldier could hitch-hike across the country in a few days, no one passed up a soldier because everyone had been in the military, or had someone in the family who was. Now the average American only has a vague idea of the kind of person who is in the Military, and yes they think the Active Duty servicemembers are simply doing the job they are paid to do. The people feel bad for the Reserve Component because "they only signed up for a weekend a month" The truth is, they signed up to serve thier country, just like us Active folks.
Andy
2 1/2 years National Guard, 16 years and counting Active Army.