Doomed soldier's letter changed Congressman's mind on Afghan withdrawal

[tsai3904]

Letter from doomed soldier helped change congressman's mind on Afghan withdrawal date

Sarah Sitton knew her husband Matt, an Army staff sergeant, was upset he and his men were forced to trudge through fields laden with improvised explosive devices.

She knew he was so concerned he wrote a letter essentially predicting his own death to U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, who attended the same Largo church as the Sittons.

What surprised her was how much impact the letter would have.

Young this week reversed his position on Afghanistan, a change of heart he says came in part because of Sitton's letter. In a position opposite that held by most leaders of his party, the influential Republican is now calling for U.S. troops to leave the country ahead of the 2014 deadline called for by President Barack Obama.

He also has called a hearing for 10 a.m. Thursday to ask the agency in charge of protecting troops against IEDs to explain why so many are still dying and suffering horrific injuries despite an annual budget of nearly $3 billion.

Sitton was killed Aug. 2 by an IED in the same field he had complained about in his letter. He was 26.

"I don't feel Matt's service was in vain," said Sarah Sitton, who now is raising the couple's 10-month-old son, Brodey, on her own. "Because with him leaving that letter behind to the Congressman, I hope that it saves others that may come in the future."

Young, the senior Republican in the House of Representatives and the chairman of the influential House Appropriations Committee Defense Subcommittee, said he has "always supported the war efforts."

But Young said two issues – troops like Sitton killed and maimed by IEDs, and the growing number of troops killed by Afghan forces they are training – moved him to waver from his commitment not to second-guess military leaders.

He said he had been "reluctant" to call for an early withdrawal.

"I have been very careful not to substitute my judgment for that of military leaders in the field managing the mission," he said Wednesday. "I really believe that. But I also believe that we are not carrying out our commitment to protect our troops the best we can."

"I don't think we should put our soldiers at risk any longer," he said. "The president wants to bring them out piecemeal by 2014. Logistically, I am not sure how long it would take, but I think we should start moving them out quickly and safely and leave a combat force that has authority to use whatever force they need."

Sitton's death, said Young, was a catalyst in changing his mind.

More:
http://www.stripes.com/news/us/lett...man-s-mind-on-afghan-withdrawal-date-1.190070

 

[phill4paul]

Keep 'em coming. Slowly. Some are waking up.

 

[Anti Federalist]

Reminded me of this:



Wonder what Sullivan would think of his cause today?

 

[coastie]

Keep 'em coming. Slowly. Some are waking up.

Just not fast enough...Today, I did a job at an older woman's house. She was so proud of her three sons in the Marines-only 2 of which are still alive today, the two remaining are in Afghanistan right now, where their brother died earlier this year...

SHe went on and on about how they were defending freedom, etc. Since I'm averaging one small job every two weeks now, work is definitely not a time for political debate, esp with a mother who lost her son and is using the reason we were given on 9/11 as the justification of her sons death.

3 hour job took me 4 1/2 after that, this shit really breaks my heart and gets me depressed.

 

[donnay]

I think they need to lift the media blackout of flagged-draped coffins coming home--so people can see the real price of war!

Vietnam, was the media's war. Televised broadcasts of the wounded and dead, and embedded journalists who reported back the horrors helped turn public opinion against the conflict. Do not think for a second that the PTB didn't know what they were doing to order blackout imagines of our present conflicts. Out of sight - out of mind.

 

[cjm]

this shit really breaks my heart and gets me depressed.

I'm sorry coastie. I tried coming up with some words of encouragement but I don't have any right now. Hang in there.

 

[Nirvikalpa]

26, leaves a wife with a baby...

Ugh, tears at my heartstrings.

 

[sanssq]

Similar thing happened with Walter Jones. Only Jones caught on right away. He voted for the Iraq authorization and 6 months later came public saying he had made a mistake. Due to a death of one of his constituents he thought about it. He is often overlooked, but he has a great heart and took a courageous position. Few politicians will admit when they have been wrong on an issue.

 

[jmdrake]

Let's see. We go into Afghanistan to get Osama Bin Laden. We let him escape into Pakistan. We invade Iran (nothing to do with 9/11), bumble around in both countries for years, finally leave Iraq when the Iraqi government forces us to leave, supposedly kill OBL, and then stay in Afghanistan because.....?

 

[James Madison]

Let's see. We go into Afghanistan to get Osama Bin Laden. We let him escape into Pakistan. We invade Iran (nothing to do with 9/11), bumble around in both countries for years, finally leave Iraq when the Iraqi government forces us to leave, supposedly kill OBL, and then stay in Afghanistan because.....?

I really hope that was a Freudian slip...

 

[donnay]

Similar thing happened with Walter Jones. Only Jones caught on right away. He voted for the Iraq authorization and 6 months later came public saying he had made a mistake. Due to a death of one of his constituents he thought about it. He is often overlooked, but he has a great heart and took a courageous position. Few politicians will admit when they have been wrong on an issue.

I truly like Walter Jones. I believe he is a sincere and humble man. He reminds me of Dr. Paul.

 

[donnay]

Let's see. We go into Afghanistan to get Osama Bin Laden. We let him escape into Pakistan. We invade Iran (nothing to do with 9/11), bumble around in both countries for years, finally leave Iraq when the Iraqi government forces us to leave, supposedly kill OBL, and then stay in Afghanistan because.....?

To guard the poppy fields from the Taliban who is now our enemy again.

 

[thehungarian]

It's sad that it takes the death of someone you may know(even at a passing glance on Sundays) to change your opinion, but kudos to the congressman regardless.

 

[LibertyEagle]

I think they need to lift the media blackout of flagged-draped coffins coming home--so people can see the real price of war!

Yeah and that's the reason they don't.