>From: LMJenks@aol.com >Reply-To: VA-Harrison-Monongalia-L@rootsweb.com >To: VA-Harrison-Monongalia-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [VA-Har-Mon] West Virginia "brat" >Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 09:52:14 EDT > >This young lady's viewpoint has to interest all with WVa roots! >****************************************************************************** > >*********** >Hannah Reger: Proud to be a 'Brat' > >The 12-year-old daughter of U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Chuck Reger >shares her thoughts on military family life in an essay written for her >class >at Buckhannon Upshur Middle School in Buckhannon, West Virginia. > >I am proud to be a military "brat". My dad is in the Air Force. I know how >going into war affects military members and their families. If our country >goes to war with Iraq, many families will be affected. Eleven years ago my >dad was in the Middle East helping to free Kuwait from Iraq's occupation. > >The families are proud that their husbands, wives, children, brothers, or >sisters are going to fight for their country but they are aware that they >might lose them. If they go into war there is no telling how long they will >be gone. It could be months and for some possibly years. This is hard >because >in that amount of time you may not get to see them or even get to talk to >them. When you do get a letter you normally can't write back because they >cannot tell you where they are stationed. > >The active duty family endures many hardships. Personnel cuts and increased >conflict in the world known as "ops tempo" cause families to be separated >all >the time. > >The reserves and national guards are members of their home community. They >are being called to duty to support the need to disarm Iraq. When they >leave, >some families experience financial debt because of the cuts in their >paychecks. > >People who are single parents many times must send their children to >grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other family members to live until their >parent's deployment is over and they can go home. > >Our military members can miss a lifetime of moments while they are >deployed. >The birth of a child, a baby's first steps, scoring in the big game, and >the >death of a grandparent are all moments that they can't be given back. But, >these are the sacrifices that each military member and their families are >willing to make. After all, we built our nation to give us the right to >choose to defend others and ourselves in need. I am proud to be a military >"brat". > > > > Hannah: Your parents must be very, very proud of you. If I were a discenter, traveling to other places to rant and rage about this Country we live in, I would be ashamed of myself. There is nowhere else in this world that a country stands for so much, as does our USA. Granted it is not perfect, but is so much more superior to other countries, that we should all get down and Thank GOD, thast we were fortunate enough to be born here, and/or live here. There is no other country so properous. So many counties do not allow the freedom of speech we have, upon penalty of death. Our Country, is the first to offer food and medicines to other Countries in their moments of need. This country is the first to Loan Hugh Amounts of Money to other countries to rebuild or to make their economy stable. Money loaned, that is rarely paid back. Thank you, Dear, for showing others, how much of this countries treasures is in our young people. Good luck to you and Yours, and GOD BLESS all our service people and our Allies, and their families who have to give up so much, in order to help others, whoever they might be. Ramonetta Phillips _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail