| CFGC Newsletter November 2006 |
Reflection on Afghanistan
On August 28, 2007, CH, CPT, Anthony Pantlitz wrote: All of my life, I have been trying to pay back America for giving me an education, a good job, and a wonderful life. Recently, I tried to pay back by being deployed to Afghanistan. In the last two years, I have spent over 450 days in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I don’t think I will ever be able to repay America for the opportunities it has given me. Two decades ago I joined the military because I wanted to go to war and to die for my country.
When I see the hope we give to the Afghans by providing them with the best medical treatment for free, I feel proud to be a part of this humanitarian mission. I feel proud of America, and I feel proud to be an American.
However, being away from my family is hard on me and my family. It is a sacrifice. One of the most difficult things I have had to deal with was my four-year-old daughter, Abigale, telling me that she wanted me to come home immediately because I have been gone too long. How do I explain to a four-year old that I am in the military and that I can’t come home until my mission is finished.
In retrospect, when I first arrived in Afghanistan three months ago, I did not want to be here. I felt guilty for being away from my family so soon after getting back from a year in Iraq. I had several questions. For example, is being in Afghanistan worth it? I asked myself, “When I am 70 years old and I am on my dying bed, will I regret the time I spent in Afghanistan and Iraq? Will the Afghans and the world be a safer place two decades from now because I am in Afghanistan?”
As I am preparing to leave for home in a few days, I can truly say that I believe the world will be a safer place 20 years from now because of the good work we are doing in Afghanistan. I also believe that the Afghans will have better health care, education, religious, and political systems because we were here.
I am grateful for the privilege for serving in the military. I owe my life to America. If I didn’t come to America, I believe I would have ended up homeless or on drugs. Only in America, a high school drop out like me can become a law abiding citizen and a successful professional.
I thank all of you for your prayers and support while I was deployed. God bless America. God bless you.
-– CH, CPT, Anthony Pantlitz, US Air Force
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