We try to remain positive here at Fort Hood, Texas with the troops returning from Iraq mostly and a few that has served their tours back from Afghanistan. It's a sorta happy occasion in one sense yet sad in other ways. The troops themselves grieve so hard because their buddies and fellow unit soldiers did not make it back alive with them. We try to think that in all wars lives are lost and it's been that way for many, many years.

It seems and feels like so much pain inside when we loose a loved one or any family member right down to our parents and grand parents. It's such a strain to lose your child so early in their lives as many of the soldiers are in their 20's! I can imagine it is so hard if you don't have God in your hearts.

OUR TROOPS ARE NOW RETURNING FOR SURE BY YEAR'S END AS PROMISED BY THE PRESIDENT. They are from all over America and other NATO countries too. I can imagine some folks are not pleased at his decision but we must remember at no time can all people be pleased. We were not pleased when the war was started on the pretense of looking for WMD that was never found by hundreds of thousands of troops in over 9 years of being killed and seriously wounded for life. I still say and pray God Bless Our Troops where ever they are!

We have a lots going on here at one of the bigger return points in the states and it brings back memories for me standing there with tears in my eyes watching the reunions of soldiers and their wives, kids and families at his time of year.

I may not get the chance to be on the message board every day for trying to be on the military post helping to welcome our troops home. We even have Santa there for the kids especially. They are very glad Santa brought dads and moms home to them. You can feel it in your heart seeing the tears of joy in their little eyes.

On the sad side is the human factors of infidelity in some wives and dads too while their married partners were away at war. No one has been killed yet and the counselors are hard at work trying to make peace and save the marriages for the kid's sake and more. The nerves of some people and it takes an act of congress to purchase a fire arm in the city and neighboring cities without proper papers and photos of each transaction.

Vehicles are searched at the gates in some cases before entering the military base if that vehicle has been photographed at a gun store recently. Perhaps many of your loved ones will be returning through this military base as many of them departed from this post going to Iraq and Afghanistan for duty. I feel the one shooting here that killed many was enough to mandate the extra security measures put in place by the Commanding General.

Everybody is cooperating in the return of our troops and doing their part to make this a season of remembering and giving THANKS! The commercial businesses are supporting the troops at every turn of making deals in the sales of their goods. Furniture, toys and new cars top the list of sales right now. The real estate market is not moving too well because many of the troops are getting out the service and returning to their home states.

Many of them are getting medical outs for their injuries and lost of limbs. Still other older soldiers are retiring from the service if they have 20 years or more service. They are telling me it's time to go home and turn this Army Aloise. Seeing all these new cars they are driving with VA disability plates like mine makes me get "New Car Fever" again. Many of them are using scooters too as they have lost limbs. Some of the female soldiers were given car seats and video units to entertain the kids on long trips to go see their grand parents soon.

Other car dealers are giving stuff like big screen TVs for one dollar more when you buy certain cars. I just bet that deal means you have already bought the TV and other stuff in the price you paid for the car. The soldiers feel it's a great deal and it may be. I'll check into it a bit farther in a few days when they open it up to veterans too. :big_grin:

Fred!