Please, Come Back

“Go to war. Your country needs you.”
Robert’s Ridge, Thunder Runs, Objective Rhino
Go I did.

“Mission Accomplished.”
6 months into 12. 12 months into 15. Infants became toddlers.
Go I did.

“Walter Reed is ready to handle the burden”
Limbs, lives, minds lost in the thousands.
Go I did.

“America is strong. Go do your shopping”
Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Inherent Resolve. All the same.
Go I did.

“The Iraq War is over”
Enduring Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel. More of the same.
Go I did.

“Thank you for your service. Here is your pink slip”
30 days to redeploy. 90 days to ETS.
Leave I did.

“Come back. We are at war again. Your country needs you.”
How could you ask that? You hurt me…and yet…
Go back I will.

This first appeared in The Havok Journal on March 5, 2019.