<p>Rest In Peace</p>
<p>Does any one on here feel less inclined to go to WP, because of recent graduates deaths? I know about a month ago, a WP grad from Nebraska died. It seems like a lot are lately, I also saw a WP death in the NYTimes about 6months ago. I hope President Bush starts to pull troops out soon.</p>
<p>I don't know about you, but it sort of motivates me to go even more. It reminds me of the importance of the mission and of the seriousness of my decision.</p>
<p>I agree with mumford</p>
<p>Anyone who is "less inclined" should think about why they they want West Point in the first place. There are dozens of other great schools with superb academics (with generous financial aid) and countless merit-based scholarships that don't come with an 8 year military commitment. </p>
<p>And no, I hope President Bush KEEPS troops in Iraq so we don't risk losing what we've gained there already. An Iraq in all-out civil war, later ruled by a totalitarian terrorist regime is definetely going to lead to further deployments of our military and even more casualties in the future. Let's not leave the Middle East a complete mess, and finish the job that men like CPT Moshier died trying to accomplish.</p>
<p>Well I think after a few more years the Iraqi people should be able to walk on their own and provide elections, security, etc for themselves. I do hope we don't pull out early, that would put all the soldiers who died, in vain. Lastly I did not say I was more or less inclinded, but I suppose I implied that. I am more motivated too, because I see more success and good that has come from the war on terror, on the news more lately.</p>
<p>I have to end this a little abruptly because I have swim practice at 5:30AM tomorrow. </p>
<p>Peace out</p>
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<p>I couldn't agree more. Makes me focused on the mission ahead and of the responsibilities we will take on as Officers in the Army.</p>
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<p>Again, couldn't have said it better myself. Why risk losing what we've already gained by leaving preemptively just because some liberal whiners think war shouldn't involve death and destruction.</p>
<p>The reality is that if we leave now we're just gonna have to come clean up the mess again later, and by that time insurgents will have time to prepare for us. It will be a lot worse than it is now, and a lot more soldiers like CPT Moshier will die.</p>
<p>Captain, WE will never forget, even if the rest of the world does.</p>
<p>Couldn't have said it any better than that. It motivates us to stay the course and to accomplish the missions that young men like CPT Moshier had started. We should continue the Long Gray Line, finish the task at hand, and come home only when the job is done.</p>
<p>You all need to seriously look inward if you are considering coming here and realize that this is for real and it is not going anywhere any time soon. The military is not for everyone, especially not in a time of war. My class (2006) was the first to enter the Academy during a time of war since Vietnam, and we started with over 1200. In May, we will graduate under 850. A lot has changed in the world since we came here, and some people realized, for the well being of both themselves and the Army, that this is not for them. There is no shame in realizing it's not what you want to do, but if you are like most people that come here, you come to terms that it is part of the job. When you start knowing the people whose names get read over the poop deck at breakfast, it puts the world in a new perspective. You will be entering a time honored profession where people die. There is no way to sanitize that. I've lost two classmates while at the Academy, and we havent even left yet. It is a shame that some of America's best and brightest must be lost like this, at such a young age, with such promising lives and families ahead of them, but we would not have it any other way. Just think about it.</p>
<p>Here is a list of every graduate killed in action since 9/11; their stories should help provide some insight or possibly motivation.</p>
<p>May it be said Well Done, be thou at Peace...</p>
<p>ScreamingEagle: Death is a difficult thing to come to terms with no matter how, no matter when. I suspect the reality of the commitment is only fully understood after one has experienced combat and all of the horror that it entails personally.<br>
My thoughts and prayers are with the Moshier family.</p>
<p>It just comes down to the simple fact that graduates will enter the full service of the US Army and will be put into harms way. Personally, I can't wait to get out there and do whatever my country asks of me.</p>
<p>Ann, I disagree. When people you know, people you had classes with, people you lived in company with, go overseas and don't come home, it becomes pretty real. When you talk on instant messenger to friends from '04 and '05 who tell you what their platoons are experiencing in Baghdad, that commitment becomes pretty real. </p>
<p>Yes, there is no way to fully understand the realities and horror of combat until you are there, but the reality of the commitment is something very real and something that is with you each and every day.</p>
<p>If anyone took my last post as preaching, I am sorry, it was not my intention. I was simply trying to emphasize how real this all is. I just irks me that every year people come here with no commitment to the Academy or the Army (and I was not accusing anyone on this board of that) and they quit before cow year, and totally qualified candidates who would make great officers dont ever get the chance to realize their dream of coming to West Point.</p>
<p>ScreamingEagle: "the reality of the commitment is something very real and something that is with you each and every day." </p>
<p>That may be so, but your frame of reference will be forever changed when you have experienced the reality of your commitment directly. As your frame of reference changes your understanding of your commitment will change too.</p>
<p>Understood Ann, I was simply trying to emphasize the "heaviness" (to quote Back to the Future..) of the commitment to the Army and Nation that all cadets take.</p>
<p>ScreamingEagle, I agree with you. I didn't expect it--in fact, that was the most unexpected part. That feeling when you hear someone else's name called from the Poop Deck... Knowing that one day soon, it could be one of your buddies. It's a scary thing. My boyfriend is going to Iraq soon, and it scares me to death.</p>
<p>A great man once said, "The greatest love one can have is to lay down his life for a friend." I'm not sure what your outlook on life is, but that goal of selflessness is what really guides me. I don't WANT to kill people. I don't WANT to put my family through the stress of having a soldier for a son. I don't WANT to stare death in the face. (I'm not implying that any of these are your motivations either.) But what I do want, with every bone in my body, is to be where I am needed most desperately, and where I can make some kind of a positive difference. Right now that place happens to be Iraq. In a few years it could be anywhere. Let the Lord and the Army point me where to go and leave the wrangling to the politicians. Just let me do my job, let me help someone in need, and let me where the flag on my shoulder.</p>
<p>PS- That body-dragging story is atrocious, but it just cements what seperates us from them, as well as displays the kind of people we would be entrusting that country to if we were to pull out early. May God be with the Captain's family and may He have mercy on those animals' souls.</p>
<p>The only thing I see myself feeling when I kill one of these idiots is recoil.</p>
<p>Anyone considering joining the Army should see videos like that... all it should do is cement the reasons you should join in the first place.</p>
<p>On that note, it's probably not the best idea to post that video on this... family oriented site. If you want to watch these kinds of videos, they aren't hard to find.</p>
<p>yo mtv raps, tupac and company doesn't listen to yo mtv raps. everyone, including families should see videos like that. they should show them on the news.</p>
<p>"it aint all about chu or your ***** ass crew"</p>
<p>interesting.......</p>