| In his commencement speech to the Naval Academy graduates, President Obama made a promise to them. He also made a promise to my son. Our President said, "as long as I am your Commander in Chief, I will only send you into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary, and with the strategy, the well-defined goals, the equipment and the support you need to get the job done."
The President clearly articulated the lessons of Vietnam. Now, it just seems like common sense. Unfortunately, too few Washington politicians-neither Democratic nor Republican-thought to apply this lesson to Iraq. It was an unnecessary war, based on a naïve strategy. Making the situation worse, our brave men and women lacked the proper body armor and armored vehicles to keep them safe.
We now know that the failure of the Bush Administration to do its homework produced chaos. Lacking a well-defined strategy, Donald Rumsfeld cut corners. He didn't trust the military and turned to outside contractors. They convinced him that torture and humiliation could win a war. They were wrong.
Even with such poor leadership, our armed forces persevered. They looked for long-destroyed Weapons of Mass Destruction. They toppled Saddam Hussein and supervised three Iraqi elections. Thankfully, President Obama is leading our troops home from Iraq.
At Annapolis the President also clearly laid out the necessary mission for our loved ones in the Armed Forces. He has ordered a "new comprehensive strategy to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its allies in Afghanistan and Pakistan." Almost eight years after the murderous attacks on America, President Obama is shifting our focus back to the villains responsible for that crime.
There will be no cutting corners this time. The President knows that our military cannot shoulder the whole burden. They need a strong diplomatic and humanitarian effort to work alongside of them. Most people in that region of the world are not our enemy. Reaching out a hand of friendship is just as important as eliminating the terrorist threat.
My dad always told me that no one hates war more than the soldier. Soldiers know that the price of glory is high. A reckless and foolish foreign policy not only wastes trillions of dollars, but more importantly, it risks the lives of our loved ones. I can think of no better way to honor my dad than to make sure his grandson doesn't die in a purposeless and fruitless war. |
