When the Mission Ends, the Impact Doesn’t
This morning in my yoga class, my teacher posed a simple but profound question:
“What do you stand for and who do you stand with?”
Many of us have immediate, knee jerk responses. But sit with it for a moment and it becomes something much bigger. It forces you to examine what you believe, what you value, who and what shaped you and who you’ve stood beside – and what you are willing to stand for when the questions and answers aren’t so simple.
I’ve had several conversations with Veterans this week about current events, and this morning my mind went to them.
Five years following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the final U.S. troops and personnel have now left Iraq. For the first time in more than two decades, the two countries most closely associated with the Global War on Terrorism era are now without U.S. forces.
And what does that mean for those who served there? And how does it make them feel?
There is no single or simple answer.
For many Veterans, the formal end of America’s military presence in Iraq is not simply a geopolitical event or another news headline. It is deeply personal. It can bring back memories, raise more questions, bring needed closure – or even make closure feel further away.
In my conversations this week, I’ve heard frustration, grief, relief, elation, confusion, worry, melancholy, remembrance and even, healing. Here’s what some Veterans had to say:
“I am glad that that chapter is closing but am concerned if we are really safe? Will history repeat itself? If I could rewind the clock of time, I would go again. The sacrifice of our military with blood, sweat, tears and trauma of war as well as the preparation for war is a necessary evil. I will never be that naive young man again; the empty void and pain from war will always be there. But, I can be a better man, husband, father and grandfather. I am the blessed one to come home.”
“For most Americans, Iraq was someone else’s problem, out of sight and out of mind but the war there was waged at extraordinary cost in American lives, with incalculable long term impacts to the Veterans and families who endured its burden. While I’m deeply grateful for the service, bravery, and patriotism of every American who volunteered to serve and deploy to Iraq, I’m hopeful that someday our country will be more discerning with the wars we choose to wage.”
“I served in Iraq, and I wasn’t prepared for how deeply it would affect me to hear that our troops were leaving. It has been more than twenty years since I was there, but news like this has a way of closing that distance very quickly. Things I haven’t thought about in years suddenly don’t feel twenty years old. For me, this feels like more than the end of a military mission.”
“The soldier, the Marine, the sailor, and the airman went where their country sent them and did what their country asked. They did it with courage. They did it with esprit de corps. They were also held to account. Let a private lose a piece of gear, and he answered for it. Let a sergeant make a bad call, and he answered for it. That is as it should be. But who in Washington ever answered for Iraq?”
What I want Americans to remember as they watch the news, see the headlines or scroll through social media is this:
Behind every deployment statistic is a person.
Behind every pair of boots worn on foreign soil is someone who stood somewhere, beside someone, for something they believed mattered.
Behind every withdrawal is a story.
And while history, politicians and news pundits will continue to debate the decisions, outcomes and consequences of these wars, we should never lose sight of the people who carry their weight.
So I keep coming back to the question from my yoga class this morning:
What do you stand for – and who do you stand with?
For me, one answer is clear: I stand with those who served, those who sacrificed, those who came home carrying more than anyone could see, and those who never came home at all.
Moments like this are an important reminder that the end of a military mission does not always mean the end of its impact on the individuals who served. As one Veteran shared, “We came home from Iraq and went on with our lives. You don’t think about it every day, but then news like this comes along and suddenly something that felt very far away doesn’t feel so far away anymore. There are a lot of Iraq Veterans, like me, who may be feeling things they didn’t expect to feel right now. If someone cares and reaches out, it doesn’t have to be profound. Sometimes just knowing somebody remembers you can change a moment for us.”
The stories of those who served in Iraq deserve to be remembered. Their service deserves to be honored. All of us at Boot Campaign want Veterans to know that we stand with them. We want them to hear, feel and never forget: You matter.
If you are struggling, reach out to those you served with or someone close to you to talk about your feelings. If that is not you, check in and be the friend who lends a listening ear. It is okay to feel these emotions. You Matter. If you need additional support, contact the Veteran Crisis Line 24/7 to speak with a caring, qualified responder right now. Call 800-273-8255 and press 1, chat online at VETERANSCRISISLINE.NET/CHAT or text to 838255.
