Bin Laden's Death

Recent world events have caused an uproar in the world but in our world, the military community, our concerns and fears are increased. Many of us have loved ones deployed and many will have theirs deployed soon. We know that the death of our greatest enemy means the fighting will be worse until we finally destroy the terrifying beast, Al Qaeda, and we know we will because we must.

We are Americans and we never stop. But we are more than Americans, we are the American Armed Forces and the families. We go through what other families never even consider. They don't watch the news with any of our concerns. They don't worry the moment the words "Army/Marines" and "Deployment/Afghanistan" appear on the news. We are the ones who spend days attempting to keep busy and nights alone and awake, trying to fight off the empty ache of loneliness. Our joys are phone calls and letters and the ever-so rare skype dates. We are thrilled by a package arriving containing something useful instead of something sweet. We fall in love over and over with the same man, the same man who fights for all of us, even those who don't care.

Those men and women who serve our country are the only reason America still stands. Our government has failed us over the past few years, and, it seems, only gets worse as time goes by. We need to change this but in order to do that we must wait. We must be patient and we must stay united and strong. It is our jobs as the American Military and those that represent them when they are off fighting. We must be strong and we must carry on, carrying the burden of our entire country in this fight against hate, terrorism and enemies of our Men and Women. This isn't just a fight between countries anymore. It's a fight between men who have lost their brothers and friends, it's a fight that has gotten personal. We will win because we have always proven that our determination will always outlast anyone else's.

Now as the future becomes the present and our new futures are being formed in Washington even as I type this, I believe that we will survive and we will win. The women of the Armed Forces, the wives, fiances and girlfriends, are the backbone of this small percentage of Americans and it is they who shall endure the second hardest job in the Military. Some raise children alone and some are spending the happiest times of their youth waiting for their prince charming to return. We all have a role that is far too underappreciated, sometimes, even by our men who fight.

We know we do not suffer the same wounds, physically or mentally, but I believe our test is more of an endurance of mind and will. We learn to survive alone. We learn to fix the clog in the sink, fix a pipe, paint, play baseball. We learn how to be alone with children because sometimes no one can help us. Sometimes we are too far away from loved ones to have any family, so we forge friendships and bonds. We create a sisterhood that surpasses any sorority that could exist and it is us who face the media, the scruntity and the vast array of emotions that comes with our position among the waiting.

Now, Bin Laden is dead and whether or not you celebrate that fact, our lives will change. Already alert levels are raised and we find ourselves waiting and wondering "how will they get us back?" We hope that it won't happen but anyone foolish to think that isn't thinking about the situation. Islamic extremists are infuriated with the American Government and our Military. Regardless that this terrorist initiated our vengence in 1993 and furthered the cause in 1998 with the USS Cole bombing and finally attacked our Homeland on September 11th, 2001; they are angered by the death of their, for all-intents and purposes, King.

We have cut the head out of the best, let's hope it doesn't grow back too many heads and until we know what the future holds, I beg of all of you to carry yourselves with dignity and strength. Remember that you represent him and in his world, that means his career and his life. Pray for our Servicemen everywhere. Pray for our Heroes and pray for America. We are at the precipice of change. What happens now will determine everything. God Bless America and God Bless her People.