by Ashley Murphy

After reading a recent e-mail that I received and deciding on the paper's inspirational article this month, it led me to the idea of writing a little something about our troops, our soldiers, our men and women who are risking their lives everyday, so that you and I can continue to enjoy the freedoms that this great country currently allows us.

Many people in this country (and beyond) don't agree with the ongoing war America is fighting in the Middle East. I am one of those. I didn't necessarily agree when we invaded Iraq nearly a decade ago, but I also didn't agree with what was going on in that country to cause us to take action. Either way, we have our men and women, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters and husbands and wives overseas, giving their time, in some cases their lives, to protect us and our nation and to preserve our freedoms. Like the war or not, we have to support our heroes. Encourage them. Pray for them to make it home safely.

I know several people who are enlisted, or talked about enlisting, in some branch of the military, two of them I consider very close to me; the other is my brother.

An old friend of mine is currently stationed in Idaho serving in the Air Force. While he is still in America, there is that chance, at any moment, that he could be shipped off to serve overseas.

Another friend has expressed interest in serving with the Army Special Forces. He and I actually used to have several discussions about him enlisting. In this particular part of the Army, it's a lot of hands-on, up-front, direct action. In those discussions, we had factored in how it would impact his life, his family, his friends and basically anyone who cared about him. It was a big deal and it made me worry, but that's what he had his mind set on. I haven't talked to this particular person in some time, so I'm not sure if his mind has wavered from the idea any or not, but it's his decision. A decision he needs support in. Not just from everyone who cares about him, but support from all of those he would be serving.

My brother, who just turned 19, is enrolled in the Army ROTC program at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga. He recently decided that he wanted to be a combat medic in the Army. I just found out that he has also officially enlisted himself into the Army. So, if he passes all required training and tests (and this war is still happening) he will most likely be sent to serve almost immediately. The family didn't agree with his reasoning for joining the Army, but now that he has enlisted, he will find out quick that he can't back out. So, for now, we just have to support his efforts and see how it all plays out.