Who is the soldier's guardian?

I am an American Soldier.

I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier

"I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life" it says, but what does this mean when their way of life has been disregarded? When the nation forgets that too often they need us standing behind them when they come home? How is any of this right when they have to figure out what to do to make it one day to the next? We do a great job of saying they matter to us but if you watch the national news you may have noticed something missing. Them.

"I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough" which is part of the problem for them because they think being changed by combat makes them weak in some way or they did not "train" their brain good enough. They don't understand just how tough they really are as well as committed to the brothers they serve with. How else could they endure what they go through and still manage to face it day after day until the risk of combat has ended for them? Most carry on while deployed yet it is not until they return home and the reality sinks in the war came back with them. They carry on despite the emotional pain, physical pain and hardship. What else could they be besides mentally tough?

They confuse feeling deeply with being weak yet it is out of the same depth of their soul to feel they were willing to risk their lives in the first place. Maybe the military would have a better chance of reaching them to prevent suicides if they began to understand them first and appreciate just how different these men and women really are.

They put the mission first, they would not quit and they did not leave one of their own behind. It's time they had more guardians in this country for them to be ready when they need us.