37 Years And 7 Tours In The Military, And All We Get Is Our President Calling Us Extremist Fascists?

My husband and I consider ourselves ordinary people. We rent a 3 bedroom town home and pay our taxes. We raise our children as best we can, and my husband homeschools our 6-year-old daughter. My husband is an artist, and I am a writer and content creator. 

What makes us extraordinary is the cumulative 37 years of service to our nation. My husband was in the Air Force for 17 years, and I retired last year from the Air Force after 20 years and 8 months of service.

We both deployed numerous times to various locations, including Afghanistan.

We both saw varying levels of combat, including gunfights, explosions, enemy detention facility riots, and death on a scale that words cannot do justice.

And for all that sacrifice, we were treated to our President calling us extremists. 

How Could You?

My husband and I often joke that if it wasn’t for the defense issues, we’d probably be Libertarians versus Republicans. We believe that government rarely fixes anything and that government should stay out of social issues and trust in the people to innovate and know what is best for themselves and their families.

We voted for Donald Trump both times. The first time I voted for him was because there was absolutely no way I could vote for Hillary Clinton. Still, for the sake of word count and my editor’s sanity, I’ll just drop one big reason: Benghazi.

I voted for Trump the second time because while I didn’t care for the tweets, and I personally think he often lacks class, I do believe that President Trump had done wonders for the economy pre-COVID, and I liked his fresh take on Foreign Policy.

Besides, Joe Biden is an establishment politician who I believe is disingenuous. I feared he would bend to the will of his more dare I say it… extreme left members of his party.

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How Dare You

So we voted for Trump twice. Does that make us “MAGA Republicans?” I don’t think so because, personally, I think the term is stupid.

We are Republicans. I think the President believes, along with the elite members of his party who like to tout inclusion and civility, that we are too dumb to know that when they say MAGA Republicans, they really mean all Republicans.

I was still in uniform when January 6th happened. I was so upset by what I saw on TV; I felt like the air had been sucked out of my chest. I would only feel this sick feeling one other time while watching the botched withdrawal in Afghanistan.

My husband and I spent large chunks of our young adult lives in Afghanistan. We were lucky; we came back alive with all our appendages. But, unfortunately, many of our friends didn’t come back or left parts of themselves behind. 

Are we extremists? No. We know what an extremist looks like. We are well acquainted with what an extremist is capable of. We didn’t leave parts of our bodies in Afghanistan, but parts of our minds will never leave. 

Men and women like us have PTSD at various levels thanks to the extremism we witnessed at the behest of politicians. How dare you, Mr. President, call us extremists.

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With Honor and Distinction

My husband and I are ordinary people who sacrificed our young adult lives in an extraordinary act by swearing an oath and wearing the uniform with pride. We served with honor and distinction, following lawful orders of those appointed over us and representing the best of what our country has to offer.

When you deploy to a war zone, you put your life on hold. Relationships and family plans get put on pause, your education goals often get put on hiatus, and no one who hasn’t done it can ever fully understand what you miss when you are away from home for so long. 

For the families we leave behind; the wives, husbands, and children – their lives must continue without you. They have to learn to live day-to-day events without your presence. And when we return, they have to relearn how to live with you back in their lives. 

My husband and I aren’t the only veterans who voted for Donald Trump. We aren’t the only veterans that the Commander-in-Chief called extremists last night. 

Shame on you, Mr. President.

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The Truth

I didn’t want to just say what I believe in this piece. While I’m the writer in my family, my husband is also a veteran and had some thoughts about last night.

We both acknowledge that there are bad actors who are Republicans who are extremists. Just as there are bad cops, bad teachers, bad soldiers, there are bad Republicans. 

But my husband said to me last night while we were watching our President call us extremists:

“What about the extremists in his party? Will he call them out too?”

What is my husband referring to? The Democrats who advocate for abortion up to birth. The Democrats who advocate for parents to be cut out of the education of their children. Democrats who advocate for violence against Supreme Court Justices. Democrats who celebrated the Summer 2020 BLM riots. 

That is who my husband is referring to. My husband and I don’t believe all Democrats are extremists, evil, fascists, or any other terrible blanket moniker floating around. But not calling out both sides makes you a hypocrite, Mr. President, and is part of why we didn’t vote for you.

Who We Are

My husband and I are ordinary people. We love our country, we love our family, and we believe in something greater than ourselves. 

We are two people that want to raise our kids in peace, teach them to be critical thinkers who contribute to society, and perhaps serve in some way as service to something greater than yourself teaches you about sacrifice, duty, and resilience.

We are two people who have had family members disown us because of our political beliefs. Yet, we are two people who spent decades sweating, bleeding, and crying with one of the best families you can ever sign onto…our brothers and sisters in arms.

We are Republicans. We are Americans. We are Patriots. 

And you, Mr. President, should be ashamed of yourself.