Daily Loaf

[Editor's Note: Jennifer Huntsman is a US Army Reserve Signal Captain stationed at MacDill Air Force Base with Joint Communication Support Element (JCSE). She is currently deployed in Qatar. Jenny will be writing for The Daily Loaf about life in the military.]

There are moments in a day where it is clear why we are deployed in the Middle East.  I personally do not go through town with my rifle looking for the Taliban, but my small footprint does make a difference.  The monstrosities that take place in the desert are too hard to be ignored.  I have not been brain washed to believe this to be true.  I believe in my heart that there are acts of hatred out here in the desert that need be stopped, and we are here to help.

My Dad moved around a lot when he was younger.  He was born in Berkeley California, and went to high school in Silicon Valley.  Most of my Dad’s side of the family resides in the San Jose area.  I went to high school in the suburbs of Seattle and claim the Emerald City as my hometown.  My parents will strongly disagree, but from my west coast roots I was raised to be a peace loving, recycling, liberal, blue state loving girl.  On the other hand I am an Army Brat.  Born ready and trained.  My Dad was in the Army when I was younger.  I was born on an Army base and raised in many towns across the United States. My friends were in disbelief after I signed my contract to be property of Uncle Sam.  Not many people from Seattle join the military, but my friends quickly forget that my Boeing Dad is a retired Army soldier.  Being raised in the military you may expect for me to be a “don’t mess with America,” strong religious ties, conservative, red state loving girl.  As an Army Captain my political views are irrelevant.  My point is that I was raised with both eyes open to the big red, white, and blue picture.  There has been no brain washing in my world.  My views of this Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), or President Obama’s Struggle Against Violent Extremism (SAVE), are based off of what I have read, what I have seen, and what I have heard.

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