Analysis Post

“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Can’t we all just get along? Well, if the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are an answer to this question, it would be a big, fat, no! While the initial reason for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan seemed to be very plausible and would do “good” for our country; however, the long term effects, or the “evil”, as Mahatma Gandhi stated, are permanent. These evils are present in our nation, especially within our military families and communities. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in my opinion, are extremely detrimental to these military families and communities; however, there are a substantial amount of people who beg to disagree with my assertion.

The Positive Effects of the Wars in I&A on Military Families

The biggest positive effect that comes about from these wars is the fact that it provides a stable paycheck for military families because of the military’s need for soldiers. Every single day, a huge number of citizens join the military on active duty. A majority join because this is the only option that will provide their family with stability within our nation’s recent economic shift. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=7063332 This link displays a video about the military recruitment and highlights a single mother in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, whose only option for a job in this crazy economic time is to join the military.

The effect that these wars have on the economy is the major positive for military communities and families. While these wars can be extremely costly, with almost one trillion dollars having been spent thus far, other statistic show that these wars are actually helping our nation’s economy. http://www.cfr.org/publication/15404/# This link shows both the positive and negative effects of the wars on the economy, but emphasizes the concept that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will ultimately improve our nation’s economic situation in the long run.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan provide our nation, especially military families and communities with a sense of security due to the stability that the military provides; there are still a significant amount of negative effects that have arisen due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Negative Effects of the Wars in I&A on Military Families

When evaluating the effects that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on military families and communities, the cons definitely begin to outweigh the pros on the list. Research shows that this war is extremely detrimental to military families by affecting the spouses, children, and the soldiers mentally and physically. Within a military community, these negative effects are seen practically everyday due to the rise of murder rates, the losing of loved ones overseas, and witnessing a change in mental state within military families.

One of the most highly publicized events occurred almost a year and a half ago after a pregnant soldier, Megan Touma, was found dead in a hotel room in Fayetteville, North Carolina, after her involvement with another military man. The entire military community was in distress, especially after the possibility that the soldier’s murder was deemed to be a copycat to the Zodiac Serial Killer. The link below provides the full story of the tragic death of Megan Touma, the pregnant soldier found dead in a hotel room. http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/24/pregnant.soldier.dead/index.html

Yet another instance where military interaction has turned deadly within military communities occurred when a soldier, who just returned from overseas recently, and another companion plotted to kill his wife by stabbing her several times during a walk around the neighborhood at night. These events happened within a few months of one another, and tragic events like this, and the Touma murder, have become common within military communities. This is a link to the news article about this tragic event within Fayetteville, North Carolina. Within in a military community, it is extremely easy for situations to turn deadly. http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3678679/#

With disaster such as the two previous occurring within our nation, the New York Times began to do research to show just how deadly situations can get when strains on military families begin to occur. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/15vets.html

While not every negative effect from the war has to deal with death, there are still many negative effects for military families due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Domestic abuse becomes one of the highest crimes on military bases during wartimes. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6439842 This is a link to a news story about domestic abuse within military communities.

While soldiers may seem to be “evil” because of all of the destruction that has been caused within military communities, they also struggle with many issues, especially issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Also, there is a long term physiological effect from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. http://www.killology.com/art_psych_combat.htm

http://www.killology.com/art_psych_casualties.htm Psychiatric casualties come about from the war, and lead to many detrimental issues for military spouses and children. The deployment of parents put children up for high risk psychological problems. http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/02/military.kids.stress/index.html


http://blogs.babiesonline.com/current-events/military-family-psychological-effects-on-the-children/#

http://www.psychiatricannalsonline.com/view.asp?rID=37164

The two links above coincide with the argument that military deployment can affect a child psychologically. One is an online journal and the other is a blog.

One of the biggest debates about the wars, as previously stated, is the economic situation. While yes, the war does stimulate military families, but when you take away the soldiers from the communities, business begins to go downhill. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6731808 This is a link to a news story about the economic issues within a military community and also touches on the effects of deployment on children.

Support for Military Families and Communities

There are many organizations that are designed for military families and communities that are against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two of the most prominent organizations are “Military Families Speak Out” http://www.mfso.org/ and “Families against the wars” http://militaryfamiliesagainstendlesswar.com/. These organizations are dedicated to military families and to bringing our troops home.

While these organizations are dedicated to bringing the troops back from overseas, there are those, such as First Lady Michelle Obama, who are dedicated to helping military families. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6707084 This link leads to her first visit to Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Yet another way that support for military families and communities has arisen is from blog entries of military spouses. These entries often express how much they miss their soldier, the worry they feel having their soldier overseas, witnessing their child growing up without one of their parents, and other issues. A few examples of military blogs are as followed:

http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/348/military_families_against_the_war/

http://mylifeasamilitaryspouse.blogspot.com/

http://amilitaryfamilyblog.blogspot.com/

A lot of support from other military families really begins to become apparent during initial times of deployment and withdrawal. The two links below show both scenarios within Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6708931
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6892109

What Should We Do?

After analyzing each side intensely, it seems to be that there are definitely more negative impacts that these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on military families and communities. If we realize all of these negative impacts, then why are we still overseas? We are fighting overseas, but the true issues are going on back on the home front.