Congress not keen on Afghan trip during Christmas
A congressman, Rep. Mark Amodei, is finding it hard to sign up colleagues for a Congressional Delegation trip to Afghanistan to visit the troops over the holidays. I guess they don’t mind having the troops deployed and away from their own families during that holiday, but can’t impose upon themselves to make a trip. From the Washington Post;
The Nevada Republican, a freshman, sent a missive looking for folks to join him to celebrate the holiday with the troops on a trip that takes off Dec.21 and doesn’t return to Washington until Dec. 29. Not that folks don’t want to visit the war zone to light the Yuletide fires, it’s just that most already have plans with their kith and kin that time of year.
It’s ten days out of your lives, folks. The troops who will be there when you arrive will still be there when you leave. Their families will have celebrated Christmas without them. And most of them probably had other plans for the holiday season before they were called. So Ranger up, assholes.
Category: Congress sucks
I’ll go, if someone will look after my cats.
No problem here–wouldn’t be my first time away from home during the holidays.
Meaning I’d have no problem volunteering if offered the opportunity.
Let me get this straight – they get a free plane ticket to go over and show their support (in person) to our troops. I’d be honored to go and see my brothers in arms, and my family would not only understand my absence, but support it…
stupid congress criters.
I’ll go, I’ll even cook for them or something, though I can’t guarantee they’d eat it… Stupid congress critters indeed.
What? You want them to leave home and be inconvenienced? During a holiday?
Sheesh. You talk like they have responsibilities or something. *eyeroll*
We have to start taking things like this into consideration when we go to the polls! I wish they would Make public a list of those invited and why or why they aren’t going to go.
I need to RTFU* and send a check in for Soldiers Angels and re-join the Legion.
I see Rep. Mark Amodei now an attorney (see there are good attorneys) was Army JAG. Way to honor your Servicemen/women!
(*Never was a Ranger, just a 98C. I don’t want to be on that Stolen Valor bracket thingy )
Hey, is that invite open to anyone? I don’t have serious Christmas plans and would be glad to go an celebrate with the cousins who are currently there. Just saying.
As a freshman he probably doesn’t realize that if he extended the trip until 1 or 2 January he would get a bunch of volunteers….2 whole months tax-free.
The election is over. They don’t need the PR now.
@2-17 Air Cav – Right on the money!
My immediate thought was the same as several others; I would go in a heartbeat. I’m not keen to go for another year, but if they call I will go. If someone is going to miss a year of their kids, I’ll take my turn.
Honestly, I was thinking the same thing while I was writing the post. Even though I don’t get around so well these days, I’d go in a heartbeat just to get an opportunity to spend the holidays with those folks. Those pussy fucks in congress have no idea what a great honor it is to get a few days with the troops and most of us would give an appendage for the chance.
In fact, I was hoping someone on Capitol hill would see it and offer me a seat on their plane.
Find me a cat sitter and I’ll pack my bags.
I can’t huff a ruck anymore but I would be more than willing to replace a warrior to stand a post for one to get some down time or quick trip home,
They can’t find a few days out of their life to visit the troops.
Fuck’em, they don’t go, don’t vote for them.
There ought to be a rotating mass of them assholes going to visit the troops.
The “ruling class” don’t give a shit about us, if they did they would make sure our votes get counted and the damn VA worked.
My passport is still good for a few more years. If Kongress is willing to fly me, I’ll go. The fam will understand. Ten minutes to pack. Meet’cha at the airport.
I’m deployed ISO OEF and celebrated my anniversary without my wife yesterday; we’re fortunate that I’ve only missed about 25% of them due to deployments, TDY, or other military duty. This year will be another Christmas without the wife and kids. I’m looking forward to retirement.
That said, while I’ve personally outgrown the desire to seek approval or recognition for my service, it is nice to see celebrities or political figures that get it, show their appreciation for the troops. So really this is disappointing but not unexpected from a congress that is nothing more than childish, petulent, and self serving. Way to go congress, way to go.
How many times has Obama gone over to see the troops on Christmas or Thanksgiving? Now, how many times did the last veteran President (Bush) go over to spend time with the troops for Christmas or Thanksgiving?
I’ll go
If I was anybody they’d want to see, I’d go.
I’d go and work mess, if it meant some of them could get some time off and get catered to for a change.
I’d go and stand a post, man a gun, walk a post if it’d buy someone two weeks home.
I’m old (well past the enlistment age), my eyes are shot, and my uniforms…they…uh…shrunk ’round the middle a couple of inches. Maybe four.