Troops.

(I know that not everybody that joins the military goes into combat. But still.)

Today I went to the airport with a few friends from our JROTC unit to welcome troops home from Iraq. I helped put together packages of snacks, cards, and other things together for the soldiers.

It was a really rewarding experience. When they came out of the terminal, we cheered, waved American flags, and displayed posters reading "WELCOME BACK HOME" and "WE LOVE OUR TROOPS." Two adorable little children in wee bitty baby ACU's popped up and ran towards their dad when he came out. All the women aww'd.

After the welcome was over, I couldn't stop thinking about the friends I have that plan to go to the military. The majority of people I know are from JROTC, and the majority of people in JROTC want to serve. Even though I'm not going to become a soldier myself, I'm surrounded that people that will be.

Thinking of these people running around in ACU's and in combat zones sort of froze me a little inside. War has always been a pretty distant topic to me. I know it's going on, and I update myself often with the situations in the Middle East, but for me so far it's been simply "news", or a popular memoir subject, or an analogy for something else. It's never been particularly close or real.

And in a few years, Gabriel, JL, James, and 12 other people I'm friends with will be in the military, training for combat.

I don't even know how to explain what I feel about this. I'm proud of them for wanting to serve. I'm sad that they'll be in such a dangerous and stressful and very likely lethal occupation. I'm happy they're continuing family traditions, and will get a boost in paying for college. I'm worried that they'll go through something that'll make them emotionally disturbed. It's a complicated assortment of feelings that overall, makes me kind of forlorn.

But I guess seeing and being able to welcome the troops back home today made me more aware of things. It really made me appreciate the soldiers and my corps-heading JROTC friends a whole lot more than I already do.

What I really hope is that if any of my friends go overseas, I'll be able to welcome them home too.

Holy Mother of Buddha*

*note: I have this tagged under "tragedy" for good reasons.

I was at the JROTC Cadet/NCO of the Month inspections, listening in as each cadet was being quizzed. One of the current event questions was, "Who is John McCain's vice presidential pick?" A good question, I thought, if an easy one. After all, these cadets nearly all were planning to go to the Army, so I assumed they would know some chain of command from Washington.

I also thought that given the crazy amount of press she's been given in the past few weeks, people might just know the answer to this innocent little question. You know, just maybe. I could definitely forgive them if they were asked who Sarah Palin was three months ago, and they didn't know the answer. But....she's not some hodunk conservative politician from way over in empty Alaska anymore. She's the Republican veep pick.

The answers we received:

1. Condoleeza Rice?
2. ...I have no idea.
3. Oh man, I forgot her name, but I absolutely know it begins with an M!
4. Joseph Biden.

I mustered up a weak laugh before crawling into a hole underneath the carpet.

HER NAME IS SARAH PALIN. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE HER (I'm not particularly fond of her). BUT YOU SHOULD AT LEAST KNOW WHO THE FUGGERATION SHE IS.

Pictures to prove my existence....

...though it's an interesting paradox to consider that, in some cultures, pictures take away a part of a person's soul. Or maybe it's the entire soul. I'm not entirely sure. I kind of envision it as a hand snatching a slice of pie shaped like a person.

Which make me wonder...if the pictures don't show up...does that mean I'm an empty shell of a person?

Which brings into question - if a person has gotten their picture taken enough times that they have no soul left, what happens if one more picture is taken?

Anyway...
That's the hot Cadet 2nd Lieutenant Emma B. (who took the picture) on the left, moi (also a Cadet 2nd Lieutenant) in the center, and Cadet 1st Lieutenant Geoffrey G. peeking out from behind.

I do not know the guy in the middle that's wearing a wifebeater, but trust me when I say that he had a really, really sweet bod.

I LOVE FOOTBALL GAMES!