Are there Coasties in Afghanistan?
If there are any USCG members in that category I apologize to them for leaving them out- they sure are well camouflaged though and even looking thru the Coast Guard's own web sites- they don't make any reference to them. The Coast Guard produces a very interesting annual document (
http://www.uscg.mil/posturestatement/docs/USCG_2012_Posture_Statement.pdf) that summarizes the last year and their budget priorities for the coming year- you look in vain for any reference to Afghanistan though. (Not surprising as it is a totally landlocked country with no navigable waterways or ports.) But if there are Coast Guardsmen in Afghanistan and the USCG doesn't publicize them on their own sites that's a pretty gross failure of their PR shop. So if there are any USCG members currently serving in Afghnistan, then I apologize for not mentioning you as a member serving in the combat area.
In a way LITS you made my point. We are in a
shooting war and there are personnel- primarily Soldiers, Marines, Navy Special Warfare personnel and USAF Aircrew and USAFSOF personnel, taking casualties every single day in the 10 year old war in Afghanistan and yet even here on a forum focusing on the military they don't get much play.
For the record-
in my opinion there is a huge difference between Service members doing their jobs in training or in peacetime missions- whatever those are and however well and professionally they do them, and Service members in a war zone. There is a similar difference IMHO between being in theater in a support role in Bagram (or even further away in Manas or Kuwait or somewhere similar) and those who are actually fighting the war and facing the daily possibility of danger from enemy action. There is a real WAR going on- not some metaphorical war on poverty, or drugs, or immigration, education etc...
and we should be thinking about people who are knowingly putting their lives on the line in the real war every day- many of whom are on their 2d, 3rd, 4th tours. My comments and thoughts and prayers are about those personnel.