Homecoming
May 3, 2012, 3:24 AM | Updated: Jun 5, 2012, 3:27 am
As you no doubt know by now, President Obama spoke yesterday to U.S. Troops in Afghanistan after making a secret overnight flight there to sign an agreement with Afghan President Karzai.
He told them that our combat role there is winding down. I really hope so for the families of the 109,000 personnel stationed there. And my heart aches for the families of those who will never come home.
The President’s words did make me wonder though what really would happen to America and the rest of the world if they all came home – not just from an active combat zone like Afghanistan but from everywhere we have a military presence.
After all we have 205,000 deployed in more than 150 countries. I said 150 countries currently have American soldiers there. That includes 10,000 in Kuwait and 2,000 in Bahrain. Do we really still need 40,000 Americans stationed in Japan? Didn’t they surrender? Would South Korea be less safe without our 28,000 men and women in uniform?
Mussolini died in the 40’s but we still have nearly 11,000 troops in Italy and there are 56,000 in Germany and we like them now.
What if they all came home? But I guess that’s just foolish thinking, isn’t it?
I’m Pat McMahon.