Why the Military will Support Ron Paul

As patriotic Americans, we all claim a desire to champion our men and women in uniform, but what does it really mean to “support the troops?” Should we show our support with a bumper sticker or a car magnet? Does it mean sending care packages to the troops who are far from home? How about buying a beer for a returning veteran? Do we call and thank them on Memorial Day or Independence Day? Does supporting the troops require us to support their mission, no matter what that mission is? Does it mean that we must not question the orders of the Commander-in-Chief?

As an Iraq War Veteran I will give you my opinion on what it means to truly support the troops.

Supporting the troops means that we keep them home until we have no other choice but to send them into harm’s way to protect the rest of us from a direct threat. Supporting the troops means that the American people force their Congress to vote to declare war when war is absolutely necessary. We must not allow Congress to pawn off its Constitutional responsibility by giving the executive a blanket use of force authorization. Supporting the troops means that we insist on a realistic battle plan, one that includes forethought on the insertion and the extraction of our troops; an entry plan and an exit plan. If Congress does declare war, it damn well better ensure our soldiers the best equipment available. Finally, supporting the troops means that we bring them back to their families as quickly as possible – declare war, win it and come home.

By this definition a great many politicians do not support the troops. The politicians that have authorized the construction of 14 “enduring bases” in Iraq (via cheap Iraqi labor) do not understand what it means to support the troops. The politicians that take an August vacation while our troops are dying in a foreign land on an ill-defined mission do not know what it means to support the troops. The politicians that continue to fund this war do not understand what it means to support the troops. The media pundits that call troops against the war “phony soldiers” do not support the troops.

Fortunately, not all politicians are the same. Ron Paul knows what it means to support the troops. When policymakers were beating the drums of war against Iraq, Congressman Paul challenged Congress to have an up or down vote on a declaration of war. He stood before Congress in 2002 and warned his colleagues of the grave dangers an invasion of Iraq would bring about. If elected, Dr. Paul will bring the troops home as quickly as safety permits. Dr. Paul will also change our foreign policy to make certain that our soldiers are used to defend this country against those who would be foolish enough to directly challenge her. No more wars of aggression to enforce UN Resolutions, no more hubristic adventures to democratize the Middle East, and no more global police actions to disarm sovereign nations.

We have already seen that Ron Paul has received more donations from members of the military than any other candidate for President. We will soon see that Ron Paul will receive more votes from members of the military than any other candidate because Ron Paul knows what it means to support the troops.