It Just Can't Be

First it breaks my heart to read from the Washington Post yesterday that hundreds of soldiers who lost their homes to Katrina and the aftermath were denied leave because of "troop shortages." When found to be safe, the families of these men and women are living in shelters, often dazed, and wondering how to manage what comes next. Combat readiness becomes a real issue when you watch your home and loved ones be literally blown away.

About 600 members of the Mississippi Guard's 155th Brigade Combat Team, posted south of Baghdad in the area known as the "Triangle of Death" for the frequency of insurgent attacks there, live in the parts of southern Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana hit hardest by Katrina, Maj. Neil F. Murphy Jr., a spokesman with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, said by e-mail Saturday. The brigade is attached to the Expeditionary Force. Guard members and relatives said in e-mails or telephone interviews that virtually all of the roughly 300 soldiers of 155th Brigade's B and C companies had their homes destroyed or severely damaged in the hurricane.

Imagine those same men and women - or maybe their sons, daughters, partners or parents - having to watch as the devastation that is ripping their families to shreds is used to "sell" the Army and increase recruitment. Just when you think it can't get more despicable, this ... It just can't be!

technorati tags: War, Iraq, Recruiting