Don't quit now.  I'm with ya.  Goin' a little overboard never hurt nobody -- or as BB King says "Ain't gonna be no sin".

Been drinkin and wrenching all day anyway.  Amazed I can type.  

I have been one of those across the big water in harms way before, and now I have kids doing the same.  It is indeed a good time to pray for them, their safety, strength to do the fob.  Just leave the  spouse thing out of this, OK?  Life in the military is hard enough as it is...too much time away from family...hours of boredom followed by days/weeks at a time of hard fear, wondering if you will live long enough to get home.

SUPPORT THE TROOPS

"W" is doing his job.
The politicians did not start this thing, it was "Osama and his friends"...remember?  9-11, USS Cole, Mogadishu (spell check).  
Young people are usually the ones who do the job of providing security, it is by necessity a young persons job.  You cannot do that kind of thing when you get older...I know that by experience.
Yes, when a family member is gone they are missed.  But understand this, neither you, or me, or anyone else in this country can be safe without SOMEONE STANDING ON THE WALL TO STAND WATCH, MAKING SURE THAT NO ONE GETS IN WHO WOULD DO US HARM.

The questions are valid, as is your opinion, you have every right.  Other people want the same God given right to do the same.  When considering these things, I suggest that you seek out the reports of  "those who have been with the people"  in the villages and fields...our soldiers.    Virtually all that I have heard report that the people there are VERY grateful that we removed the murdering UNELECTED leaders that had been hurting them.  They do not have to chose our form of government, but it is good that they can choose, not forced by a dictator with a gun to their head.
We did (note that I said WE, since it was the leaders that we elected who made these decisions for us...that is what we elected them to do...if you do not agree with what they did then vote them out...that is your responsibility as a voting member of this country) go into these countries for the purpose of removing a threat to our country.  It is a hard thing to do, but there are times when we have to make hard decisions.  Are the Afgan and Iraqi people, in general, glad we came in?  You bet  they are!  Women are able to work, girls able to go to school, children no longer put in prison (Sadam had prisons built for the sole purpose of holding children as young as 5 years old in order to force their fathers to fight in the military), no more family members being taken in the night and never seen again.  Think about it, what would you do...how would you react if those things happened to your wife, your children, your mother or father?  If you fully take that concept into your mind the idea of it will churn your gut...a lot of people in this world live with this every day...it is heart breaking.  Yes, they want to be free too.
 
Now I have gone off on my soap box again.  The concept of REAL FREEDOM fans a fire in me.  I do not hesitate to defend my right to freedom, nor would I hesitate to risk my life for your right as well.  Without freedom, every aspect of life is negatively impacted.  Dwell on that thought for a while, and see that it is true.

On to more pleasant things.
Ride well and ride safe.
Have a wonderful day and enjoy the blessings God has given us.

I think we might need to change the title of the thread. 8)

Actually, the discussion should move to another board.  I had a couple of comments and started a reply this morning but thought better of it, deciding SuzukiSavage.com was not the appropriate venue and deleted my post.

it's time to lighten things up here.

how come we can't find a 7ft bearded man dragging a dialasis machine around (the one who actually did 9-11).
yet we feel the need to monitor matha stewarts movements 24/7  

credit jay leno.