Last year, U.S. Army Capt. Steve McAlpin came home from Afghanistan along with his Army Reserve battalion. Capt. McAlpin, who has dutifully served his country as a member of the Reserves for 25 years, was ready for his much-deserved time at home.
Eleven months later, Capt. McAlpin's battalion was called into action in Iraq. Knowing that reservists are supposed to be allowed a full year at home before getting deployed again, several members of Capt. McAlpin's battalion complained to him.
Capt. McAlpin then let his commanding officer know of the displeasure his men had expressed. Now Capt. McAlpin faces severe sanctions, perhaps even a court-martial, for his actions.
Virtually all Americans support our troops abroad. Whether they are for or against the war in Iraq, people will almost invariably express their admiration for the soldiers' bravery and resolve in trying times. Now it appears that the military bigwigs themselves are ignoring this mantra. In a time when our troops are stretched almost to their utmost capacity, reservists like Capt. McAlpin deserve the utmost respect. Reservists are willing to leave behind families, friends and careers to go overseas and risk their lives serving their country.
Already, this country is having trouble meeting its needs for troops in Iraq. A report by the United States Institute of Peace released in the buildup to the war noted that there would need to be thousands of officers to keep the peace. It recommended actual police forces, possibly from the United Nations, to help maintain order in major Iraqi cities during the immediate aftermath of the war.
Having not followed the advice of this report and countless others like it, the United States instead sent more armed forces into Iraq than would normally be deployed around the entire world. The troops are used to their utmost capacity, asked to do police work that they would not normally have to do. And even with the almost daily attacks on American soldiers and Iraqi civilians, they are doing a pretty good job.
Several prominent legislators from both sides of the political spectrum, most prominently Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and John McCain, R-Ari., have questioned the administration's decision not to send more troops. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has called the occupation of post-war Iraq a \disaster."" Even legislators traditionally against the war have their own thoughts on what we should do. Liberal Rep. Charles B. Rangel, D-N.Y., who voted against authorizing the war in the first place, proposed in committee that the United States re-implement a draft.
Meanwhile, military enlistment is at one of its lowest levels in years. A combination of apathy and people no longer feeling they can just get a free ride through college has led to fewer people wanting to join. The already- thin ranks are not getting any less thin. Reserve units are being called into action more and more frequently, including several new units from the state of Wisconsin just in the past few weeks. Which brings us back to Steve McAlpin. This is a man who has valued country as much as family and career for a quarter-century. Capt. McAlpin has stayed with the military through several wars. He was in the first Gulf War, in Kosovo, and, of course, in Afghanistan. He never expected much in return, except maybe some gratitude from his fellow citizens. Now he is facing the prospect of a criminal charge simply for taking into mind the interests of some of his subordinates.
Capt. McAlpin and his battalion deserve better. They have served their country, some for several years or even decades, and now they want to rest for the time they had been promised. Apparently even that is too much to ask.
As Americans, it is our duty to continue to support our troops overseas. We must not take for granted that they are willing to give their lives for this country, even in poorly planned operations such as the one taking place currently in Iraq. If only the government felt the same way about Capt. Steve McAlpin.
