Supporting troops means supporting their mission
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Editor,
In a recent letter to the editor Bob McClellan asked, “Why are we still in Afghanistan?” He feels we went there because of “faulty knowledge”.
We initially went into Afghanistan in response to the attack on our country on September 11, 2001 by radical Islamists. Our action was supported almost unanimously by Congress and an overwhelming majority of the American people. Our stated purpose was to destroy the terrorist training camps from which these killers operated. We remain in Afghanistan to ensure that these facilities do not rebuild.
In my opinion, our military involvement in Afghanistan was, and continues to be, a righteous mission.
My son has been a Navy Seal for 16 years. He has served multiple tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been wounded twice, in Iraq in 2007, and in Afghanistan in 2009. His current assignment is to counsel and assist fellow wounded warriors and their families as they attempt to transition to a normal life. He has told me that the one consistent desire of these people, regardless of the severity of their injuries, is to return to their unit and complete the mission.
As always, McClellan is entitled to his opinion. I believe he is sincere in his beliefs, and he certainly expresses them articulately.
I simply do not concur.
My son has assured me countless times that he and his colleagues have never been on fools’ errands, but believe their actions have protected this country. I support him and the men and women who voluntarily go on these missions. Supporting them is supporting the mission. The two are inseparable.
Jack Cummings
Polson
