Defense officials are trying to convince experienced troops to remain in the military by offering some of the largest re-enlistment bonuses in history. The campaign to keep service members in service has grown to a $1 billion budget. The strain of fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq coupled with the loss of troops who have decided to leave the military is pushing defense officials to offer more incentives to service members to re-enlist and most likely face another tour in combat.

In today’s society service members must be willing to make sacrifices to stay in the military. Many of our troops are being wooed away by civilian companies that pay substantially more than the military. In addition, the face operational pace of our military, repeated deployments, the stress of combat and the growing unpopularity of the wars they are fighting make the transition to civilian life look tempting. They may also have family members putting pressure on them to leave the military. Military families must also bear the burden of combat and the relentless pace of today’s military. Defense officials are doing the only thing they can to try to keep experienced service members in uniform. They are offering huge monetary bonuses to re-enlist.

These bonuses can range from a few thousand dollars to $150,000 for senior special forces troops. The most substantial increases on bonuses are being offered to National Guard members and reservists. The lure of bonuses seems to be working. The active-duty Army, National Guard and Army Reserve are all on schedule to meet their re-enlistment goals for the year. The Marine Corps is also offering higher bonuses than in the past with certain critical specialties eligible for a bonus up to $60,000.

No other industry has its pay schedule publicly debated. Pay raises or bonuses for our military is always a matter for public criticism or support and this is even more true now when the issue of military pay is intimately tied to the war. People will protest the bonuses because they want to protest the war. But do they know that we have active-duty military families on food stamps because they can’t afford the cost of living on their military salary? Do the people who would oppose offering a bonus to a service member who volunteers to go back to Iraq know that we are asking men and women to put their lives in danger to defend this country for less money than a parking lot attendant makes?

I remember the day the statue fell in Baghdad. I would find out later that day that the men who pulled it down were friends of mine. Watching the tank retrieval vehicle yank down Saddam’s monument to his own greed and arrogance, I knew I was watching something special. It felt like the end of the war. It felt like victory. But that was four long years ago and what felt like he end of the war, was really only the start of a new one.

Thousands of Iraqis marked the anniversary of that day by protesting the continuing presence of Americans in Iraq. One demonstration took place in the city of Najaf. This demonstration was ordered by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Sadr did not attend the rally and his whereabouts are unknown, but his supporters chanted his name. The demonstration ended without violence.

Many in the international media have used these demonstrations to feed their anti-war stories. They use the Iraqis protest as evidence that the war was misguided and that coalition forces should withdraw from the country. However, the world media is missing a vital point. No one is discussing the fact that these peaceful demonstrations would never have been possible under Saddam Hussein’s regime. A protest of this magnitude under Saddam would have resulted in the arrest, torture and probable deaths of the majority for the protestors and their families. The very fact that thousands of Iraqis can take to the streets without fear of reprisal or arrest is a sign that the war has succeeded in at least one mission.

The question about a withdrawal from Iraq should take these protests into consideration. Will the Iraqis be able to continue to enjoy this new freedom if we leave? Will Sadr continue to be so supportive of the right to protest if he steps into the power vacuum that will follow our withdrawal?

In the United States, we take freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the right to protest for granted. We can take to the streets whenever we feel moved to do so. We can picket outside the White House. We can set up disgusting anti-war displays outside the President’s home. The people of Iraq have finally been given those rights as well. That is a sign of success, not of failure. The fact that Iraqis can raise their voices at all is a sign that we have done something good.

While the world watched the unfolding saga of the British sailors and Marines captured by the Iranian government, the fourteen men and one woman were living a nightmare. The Iranian government may have taken perverse pride in parading the captives on international television and using them as tools in their propaganda war, but the reality was much different. The British troops are finally home and free to speak about the details of their captivity. The dichotomy between the image presented by the Iranians and the reality of the circumstances endured by the British service members is an telling and damning indictment of the way these troops were exploited by one government and effectively abandoned by another.

The British service members spent nearly two weeks in captivity. They were blindfolded, bound and subjected to constant psychological pressure. They were promised freedom if they confessed to trespassing onto Iranian waters. They faced interrogation by their Iranian captors and were forced to sleep on blankets in stone cells. They were paraded on television like circus animals and forced to give staged apologies to the Iranian people for illegally entering their waters, a claim which the troops continue to deny. Leading Seaman Faye Turney was the service member most often exploited by the Iranians on television. She was forced to wear Muslim style clothing and there were letters supposedly written by her released by the Iranians. Turney was held in solitary confinement. At one point she told that the other troops had gone home and that she was alone.

We must not lose sight of the fact that while the media was debating international relations and the price of gas and while the diplomats were meeting behind closed doors, there were fifteen service members suffering in illegal captivity. There are some in the military who have come forward to criticize the British troops for appearing to cooperate with their Iranian captors. But others have applauded the troops for acting with dignity.

There is no excuse for anyone to criticize these service members for what they did. The criticism should be directed at the governments who created this situation. Iran callously used foreign troops for a political agenda. That cannot be forgotten. Great Britain allowed their troops to be abused for nearly two weeks because the country feared a military conflict. Those are the men who deserve criticism. Those are the men who acted in cowardice and disgrace.

The surge in American troops sent to Iraq to combat sectarian violence has put severe stress on our active duty troops. Units are being sent back to Iraq much sooner than anticipated. These units are facing a quick turn around that is not allowing them the rest and training time necessary to maintain readiness. It has been a strain on our troops and on their families. With the increase in troops now being predicted to continue well into 2008, the Pentagon is being forced to look for other ways to relieve the pressure on the active-duty military.

It looks like the plan is to call on our reservists. We have already seen one of the largest call-ups of Individual Ready Reserve Marines. Those Marines are scheduled to report for screening in less than two weeks. In addition, defense department officials have recently said that they are planning to send an additional 12,000 National Guard combat troops into Iraq and Afghanistan. The Guardsmen would come from four combat brigades in different states and will be scheduled for a one year deployment to start in 2008. Some military analysts are predicting that it will require up to nine National Guard units to sustain the current level of troop deployments through 2008.

This large mobilization of reservists and members of the National Guard is certain to cause controversy within the American public and among the politicians in Washington. In spite of the recent legislation passed calling for a withdrawal date, other Senators are prepared to go even further in their anti-war campaign. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has proposed legislation that would cut off most funding for the war in 2008.

The divisive nature of the war right now is one the biggest problems our troops are facing. Imagine how difficult it will be for a member of the National Guard to receive his orders to Iraq when he is confronted nightly with an ever more acrimonious debate on the war. How will he be able to leave his family and go to combat with a sense of confidence or commitment when those qualities are lacking in the both the American public and government? We need to make a decision about the war and we need to make it quickly. We are either committed to victory or we are not. Our politicians need to stop posturing and jockeying for the upcoming election. We need a no-nonsense discussion on the war, we need a firm decision and we need to unite as a nation behind that decision and give our troops unqualified support for their mission.

The summer has just begun in Iraq and the American soldiers have started to feel the scorching heat of the sun. The weather has made the lives of the U.S. army miserable as the hot winds of the nearby Syrian Desert are having a devastating effect on their health. The average summer temperature is 32° to 35°C (90° to 95°F). It could reach a maximum of 40°C (110°F) to 50°C (120°F) on any given day. At camp Falluja, The telephone booth and the chow hall are filled with soldiers round the clock. The soldiers hear loud sirens of “Incoming! Incoming!” as and when there is a threat to their life. They start to run for the safety of their lives, ducking themselves near a concrete barrier. Once they hear “All Clear”, the soldiers pretend their conversations as if there was no life-threatening event that ever took place around them though it happened just moments ago. The sounds of the mortar bombs have started to make the soldiers flinch with fear and agony.

Many American soldiers have been maintaining a web blog to communicate with their family and friends. Blogging is having a positive impact on the morale of the soldiers in Iraq and lets them keep in touch with the outer world. As per the orders, most soldiers are maintaining web diaries anonymously or with less personal information. The U.S. soldiers posting their daily life on the blogs are citing that pentagon has not issued any policies with regards to maintaining blogs. There will be a huge outcry if the soldiers are asked to stop maintaining web blogs as blogging has become a huge morale booster and helps them remain sane by being in touch with their friends and families.

The American soldiers living in a hostile environment, far from home, seek ingenuity to cope with the new challenges experienced every moment to fight the war. The good wishes and prayers of family and friends are helping them to survive the war and hope that they will eventually return home victorious.

When we see so many stories of loss and tragedy being suffered by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, it can be hard to figure out how to take our desire to help and turn it into action. It can be overwhelming and our talents can seem so small compared to the problems our troops are facing. But one organization has shown that all we don’t always shave to do something big. Sometimes small things can make all the difference to our troops.

Sew Much Comfort is a volunteer organization that makes “adaptive clothing” for wounded service members. Sew Much Comfort seamstresses make custom clothing to fit troops who have to face new challenges due to their injuries. Often when our wounded service members leave the hospital they must continue to wear bulky and cumbersome rehabilitation devices…braces, fixators, casts or prosthetics. Some are recovering from serious burns that must be protected. It can be humiliating and frustrating for injured troops to have to face daily life with only a hospital gown to wear. Sew Much Comfort and their volunteer seamstresses provide clothing that can accommodate the needs of our wounded troops free of charge. The organization has received numerous awards for their work including Presidential Recognition and the Newman’s Own Award.

In the face of an ongoing war, divisive public debate and continuing casualties, sewing a few pairs of pants may not seem like a big deal. But to a service member who receives a gift of clothing that will cover his artificial leg, it is a big deal. Sew Much Comfort shows that even the smallest act of gratitude and support can make a world of difference. Maybe we can’t do something huge, maybe we can’t as individuals change the world, but we can change one person’s life.

Everyone has something they can do. It took an act of imagination and a willingness to help by the founder of Sew Much Comfort to get started. There was one person, one sewing machine and a sincere desire to show our troops that they are appreciated and that their sacrifices have not been forgotten. Each of us is capable of doing one small thing to help our troops and their families. We don’t have to agree with the war to support the men and women who are putting themselves in jeopardy for us. But if we value the freedom we have, we owe it to those who are fighting to defend it.

Turn on the news any night of the week and you are likely to be bombarded by story after story of the violence in Iraq. Media commentators and reporters are quick to point out the many ways the Iraqi people are still suffering. They are just as quick to blame the Unites States and the war for the troubles of the citizens of Iraq. No one wants to talk about the horrors these people endured under Saddam Hussein’s regime. And even more telling, no one wants to tall about the good that is being done in Iraq. American troops are not just waging a war to establish peace and security. They are also providing humanitarian aid in countless ways. From immunizations to blankets to food to toys for children, our troops are actively looking for ways to help the Iraqi people.

One organization that is helping provide aid to the Iraqis is Operation Iraqi Children. This organization was founded in March 2004 by Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump, CSI: New York) and Laura Hillenbrand (Seabiscuit: An American Legend). Sinise and Hillenbrand started Operation Iraqi Children after talking and visiting with American troops who were trying give school supplies to the children in the towns and villages of Iraq. American troops were stunned to see the dilapidated condition of the schools in Iraq. The schools had been horribly neglected under Saddam Hussein and Iraqi students often lacked even the most basic of school supplies. Schools were often cramped one room buildings without solid floors, fans or even toilets. Many students didn’t have access to books, paper or pencils. American troops often took it upon themselves to rebuild the squalid schools and many asked family members back home to send school supplies that they could distribute to the Iraqi children. But the need is great.

Sinise and Hillendbrand were so inspired by these stories of compassion that they wanted to find a way to help. They started Operation Iraqi Children to help send even more school supplies to our troops to distribute. Through their School Supplies Kit Program, individuals, groups, churches and schools can gather the needed school supplies and send them to the Operation Iraqi Children warehouse in Kansas where they will be boxed and sent to our troops in Iraqi who will then pass them on to the children of Iraq.

It is an important element of the Operation Iraqi Children program that the school supply kits are sent tour troops to distribute. Sinise and Hillenbrand believe that when our troops pass out the kits, they are fostering trust and understanding and making progress in their efforts to win the hearts of the Iraqi people. You can find out more by visiting their website at www.operationitaqichildren.org.

I recently shared the heartbreaking story of Marine Corporal DJ Emery. DJ was gravely wounded when a suicide bomber attacked the checkpoint he was manning. DJ’s life was saved only because of the selfless act of another Marine. This Marine saw the terrorist approaching, suspected that he was a suicide bomber and immediately put himself between the bomber and his Marines. When the bomber detonated himself this heroic Marine was killed instantly, but he saved the life of DJ Emery who is right now fighting for his life in Bethesda Naval Hospital. The Marine who saved his life was Sergeant Major Joseph Ellis.

Sergeant Major Ellis was 40 years old when he stepped in front of a terrorist. He had volunteered for three tours in Iraq because he wanted to make a difference. Joseph Ellis enlisted in the Marine Corps when he was only 17 years old. He spent 23 years in the Corps, most of it in reconnaissance units. He spent more than a year in the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm before returning to the United States. He eventually reached the Marine Corps’ highest enlisted rank and was the battalion Sergeant Major for Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 15 Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is a special operations team when he was killed. Sergeant Major Ellis had been planning to retire in May and return to North Carolina. Instead, he gave his life to protect his Marines. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

I wanted to share the name and story of this brave Marine because he is truly a hero. When he saw a terrorist approaching his Marines, he didn’t stop to consider the political ramifications of his actions, he didn’t waste precious moments while he considered the moral foundation of the war in Iraq. He saw a threat to the men he was fighting with and he stepped in front of them. He put his body between the men he had trained, the Marines he had fought with and bled with and a suicide bomber. Sergeant Major Ellis knew why he was in Iraq. He was there to fight for this country, to fight for his Marines and he made the ultimate sacrifice.

That kind of selfless devotion to this country and to one’s comrades in arms is being exemplified every day by the brave men and women who are willing to give their lives to protect each other. It is a shame that our troops cannot depend on that same kind of commitment from the politicians who sent them to Iraq in the first place.

Every day in this country, seriously wounded service members are fighting a new battle. They went to Iraq to fight for this nation and they paid a huge price for their service. There are men and women in military hospitals across the country who are fighting every day just to stay alive. They went to a dangerous land and put their lives in jeopardy because they believed in defending this country. Now that they have come home with terrible injuries and find themselves and their families facing unimaginable struggles, we must not forget them or the debt we owe them. This is the story of one of those brave men, Marine Corporal David Emery, Jr.

On February 7th, 2007 Corporal David “DJ” Emery of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines out of Camp Pendleton was manning a checkpoint when a terrorist approached the Marines. Sergeant Major Joseph Ellis suspected that it was a suicide bomber and immediately put himself between the terrorist and his Marines. The suicide bomber detonated himself and Sgt. Maj. Ellis was killed instantly. His selfless sacrifice saved DJ’s life. But DJ was gravely injured. He was hit in the abdomen, severing an artery that caused kidney failure. His legs and one arm were shattered. It was a fight to stabilize him enough to fly him to the military hospital in Germany. His young wife Leslie, who is pregnant their first baby, was flown out to Germany to meet him. DJ wasn’t stable enough for the flight back to the United States until the 18th.

DJ is being treated at Bethesda Naval Hospital. He has had a series of surgeries, but his prognosis is grim. Both of his legs have been amputated, his kidneys are not working and he continues to fight a life threatening infection. DJ and Leslie are expecting a little girl soon. A little girl who may never know her father.

This is just one story of the sacrifices our troops are making for our freedom. There are countless other men and women who are fighting terrible wounds suffered for this country. Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in the numbers of casualties and the politics of the war that even if we truly want to help, we don’t even know where to start. Here is a starting place. Open your heart to DJ and Leslie and their families. Send them your prayers, send them your support. Let them know they have not been forgotten. If you can help only one, then help one.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Wednesday that Iran would release the 15 British sailors and marines captured by the Iranian Coast Guard. The British troops had been conducting a search of vessels when they were seized by the Iranians who claimed the troops had trespassed into Iranians waters, a claim the British government fervently denies. Tensions had been high between Great Britain and Iran over the fate of the captured troops. While Britain and Iran waged a war of words over the incident, the 15 captured service members were repeatedly exploited by the Iranian government.

I can understand the hesitation a world power may feel about using military action. It is a monumental decision with enormous repercussions. However, the men and women who volunteer to serve in the militaries of powerful nations should be able to count on their governments to defend them. While British Prime Minister Tony Blair took a strong public stance against the capture of his troops, he did not back it up. While he was busy talking and wagging his finger at Iran, 15 loyal British troops were being paraded on Arab television as criminals. They were being used as tools of propaganda, they were threatened with a criminal trial and they were humiliated in front of the world. We have no way of knowing how they were treated off camera and we may never know the details of their captivity. What we do know is that Great Britain is not willing to take immediate action to free military members from a foreign government. And I am convinced that our government would take the same stance.

Our troops have volunteered to serve this country and they don’t ask fro much in return. They work long hours, spent months away from their families and put their lives in danger because they know someone has to defend the rights of the many. We should take a lesson from Israel in how to truly give our troops the security of knowing that their country will not leave them behind. Israel takes immediate and decisive action when even one member of heir military is captured. Israeli soldiers have the confidence of knowing that if they are captured, an entire country will go to war to rescue them or avenge them. How many of our service members have that kind of faith in our government? Or in the British government?

Call me a hawk if you like, it wouldn’t be the first time, but our troops fight for us every day, they deserve a government that will fight for them.