When they come home

Every now and again I come across a car or truck or someone wearing a t-shirt with the yellow ribbon on it that says "Support the Troops." It is a nice sentiment. And when I was over seas...we felt supported. Few days went by when we did not get care packages from school children, churches groups and other good hearted and thoughtful minded folks back home. In fact, around the holidays, we got so much stuff, we didn't know what to do with it. I gave a lot of my extra stuff to my soldiers and to the third-country nationals that we on the base, who really needed it. That made me feel good that we had a place to take our surplus and to provide a little help to our foreign friends who struggled day to day. I now see things from a different perspective. As a vet...running a program for homeless veterans. I am now about 3 weeks down on my new job...and it is a big challenge! But I look forward to waking up every day and doing what I can for my guys. In addition to supervising about 10 full time and part time employees, I am also responsible for the care and support of about 60 men and woman vets in our program. I am learning everyday...but there is so much more I need to learn. I have to keep telling myself to take it one day at a time. This coming week will be very big. I have an interview with the newspaper about homeless vets and what our program is doing to combat it. I am a little scared about that. Ha ha. But I guess what I am going to try to do in my new job is to remind those that say...whether as a genuine expression of support...or a convenient political slogan, that we must "support the troops" that doing so means caring for the troops when the come home as well. If we support the troops at war...but then forget them when they come home...well then...all this yellow ribbon and "support the troops" stuff really rings hollow. It is just political bullshit wrapped up in a neat pretty package. I for one....know the smell of bullshit....and I ain't afraid to point it out when I see it. So...anyway. I think I said enough for now. Later kids.