My Daughter Megan Has Asked Our Help

Megan's husband has to pay to ship his own gear home from Iraq if he wants to get out of the army when he returns stateside. His time was up in June but since he was overseas he had to stay in. Now he will have to stay in another 2 or 3 months when he gets back to wait on his gear to be shipped back or pay to have it shipped which would be at least $400. Please US citizens write your local paper, your government officials. Read Megan's Blog to get more details. Brian has served 2 tours in Iraq and had his time extended because he was there.... he should be able to get his discharge when he returns. International friends... send emails to White House in protest of this stupid call. Bush doesn't want anymore countries hating him so maybe he will listen. Here is a letter Brandy wrote to her local paper:

Soldiers Pay to Return Home
How do we repay our soldiers for protecting our country? For giving up the comforts of home to fight a war in the desert? For risking their life? For leaving loved ones behind while they serve their country? We ask them to pay shipping.
Brian Crawford joined the Army 5 years ago. His wife Megan was already in the Army when the two married. Each has served their country with pride. They now have two children, Gabby and Quintin. When the war in Iraq began, Megan and Brian had a decision to make, who will stay and who will go? With two small children they couldn’t both go to war. It would be Brian that went. Megan regretfully ended her Army career so that she could stay with young Gabby and Quintin while Brian would deploy with the first soldiers to enter Iraq. It was a difficult choice, a family sacrifice, but Brian felt that it was his duty to protect his country. Megan supported his decision. Brian served for 7 months in Iraq before being reassigned to the United States. During this time his family dealt with life alone, without a husband, without a father. Life that included death of precious other family members while he was away. Brian looked forward to returning to his family, to his normal life. He made the decision while in Iraq that this would be his last time around. When his time was up, he would leave the Army. He didn’t want to miss any more of his children’s lives. He missed his wife. He wanted to be home, wanted to be a husband and a father. Everyone in the family waited eagerly for June 2005 when Brian would at last get to return to his family for good. Then the news came. He was being deployed, again. January 2005 his unit left for Iraq. What did this mean for Brian and his family? It was uncertain. Then word came. Brian would not be released from the Army in June as he was supposed too. Military personnel were to stay active until further notice. All discharges were suspended. Brian would be in Iraq for another year. The family was heartbroken. Brian went to Iraq and has served his country faithfully for almost 12 months this time around. He is scheduled to be shipped stateside sometime in January. His discharge from the army will come through sometime after that. There’s just one catch. How fast you get discharged depends on how much you pay. Pay? Yes, pay. It seems that soldiers must pay to have their personal and well as Army Issued equipment shipped back to the United States if they want to be released within a month after returning. If they choose not to pay, they must remain in the Army, on active duty for 2 –3 months after returning or until the ship that is carrying their belongings returns to the States. Doesn’t seem quite fair does it. Soldiers risk their lives, do without family, protect our freedoms and we expect them to pay shipping? SHAMEFUL. We should make every effort possible to reward our soldiers for their service and bravery, not charge them for it. I don’t know who made up that irrational rule, but they need to revisit it. If the military needs money they need to look elsewhere, not in the wallets of our soldiers. I urge each of you to contact your representatives and complain about the treatment our heroes are receiving. Maybe together we can make a difference in the lives of those who ensure ours.