Home > My Son, a United States Marine
By: Della T. Austin, Harrisburg, NC
I am writing this in hope that it will open some eyes, enrage, and disgust everyone that reads it. I am a PROUD mother of a U.S. Marine. My eyes have been opened and I am now enraged and disgusted with “OUR GOVERNMENT! My son is now in Iraq. Before he left Camp LeJuene, my side of the family and his wife had to get money together because my son had to spend over $300 to buy things he was “REQUIRED” to have in his gear. If he were missing one thing, he would not have been allowed to come home on his Block Leave to see his family before being deployed to Iraq! Almost $100 of this money had to be spent on a third set of “new and improved” Digital Cammies. He was lucky! He had been issued one set and had already bought a second set. Some of the Marines were not even issued one set so they spent almost $300 on just their Cammies. Money is being deducted from their pay for “equipment”. My son has never really been sure WHAT equipment, but he paid for it.
I was enraged when I found out that the Flack Jacket (their bullet proof vests) were the woodland version, the ones that are supposed to blend in with TREES! No one in Sierra Battery was issued Desert Flack Jackets! These marines will look like a group of trees in the middle of the desert!
Soon after my son arrived in Kuwait, his eyes were hurting so bad from the dust and sand in the air that he could hardly stand to blink. He noticed some Marines were wearing eye-protectors. He asked where they had gotten them. A Marine told him that he was “ISSUED” a pair. Sierra Battery was NOT issued any! My son had to spend another $100 at the PX to buy himself a pair TO PROTECT HIS EYES!! Wouldn’t you think that if the soldiers need their eyes protected in the environment our government is sending them into, that the military would make sure to issue a pair to every single soldier?! HOW DARE THEY!!!
President Bush said we “must support our military personnel.” I did not know he meant literally! Support with money to buy equipment they MUST have because it is required or needed to protect their health, eyes, and for their VERY LIVES!! What in the hell is $137 BILLION paying for? The new rifles they were supposed to be issued were not. Some military personnel do have the new rifles that have been modified for the desert conditions. NOT MY SON! How many of our sons, daughters, husbands, and wives are in this situation? Do we need to buy their rifles also??
Support our Military? Why is the government not fully supporting and protecting our Military? Issue everything they need or do not send them until they have it! I was not fortunate enough to have been born RICH. I have to scrounge to help my son. My family, his wife, and her family got together to help my son purchase everything he was “required” to have. I have met other Marines and their families who are in the same situation. Apparently our “Commander and Chief” meant SEND YOUR MONEY TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILDREN AND RELATIVES, because the government is unable to do so. This administration is NOT PUTTING THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS!!
This is just one reason why I will vote for Senator Kerry! I believe that under his command, all or our Military personnel will be treated fairly and equally. I also believe that he will have a PLAN to bring ALL our children home! I also support Senator Kerry because I believe if the need arises to call again on our Military, President Kerry will not send our children into situations without everything they need to protect themselves and their lives!
I sent my letter to John Kerry but I also sent it to the following people. President George W. Bush, Representative Robert S. Rangel/Committee on Armed Services, Senator John Warner/Committee on Armed Services, Representative Robin Hayes, and Senator Elizabeth Dole. The only people who cared enough to read my letter and respond was John Kerry’s office. I wonder why no one else cared!
Della T. Austin
(PMM) Proud Marine MOM of:
Lance Corporal Moore
2nd Marine Division
Forum posts
11 October 2004, 03:56
A letter of this nature demonstrated the administration is lying; consequently, your son may suffer for this. This is not an administration that likes opposition, nor to be challenged. I wish your son the best .
12 October 2004, 18:22
My son is a United States Marine and is currently deployed in Iraq. Before his deployment he was given a list of things he had to purchase and have "squared away" before his pre-deployment leave inspection. One of these items that needed to be "squared away" were 3 pairs of "in commission utilities", they’re not referred to as "cammies" in the Marine Corps maam, that would be an Army term. The new digital utilities were issued last Fall I believe, to replace the old style utilities. This created a back-up, back-order status for alot of Marines..ALL Marines were issued at least one pair of the new digital utilities, the Marines that said they didn’t were either passing scuttlebutt or their Supply Sgt is doing a poor job. And it is the responsibility of the Marine to make sure he/she has the standard issued mandatory equipment at all times, not the US government presidential administration. Unfortunately in any armed service there is theft that goes on while the military personnel is in schooling/soi/itb/temporary barracks. There is also the lack of responsibility on the military personnels part..both of these create the loss of standard issued mandatory equipment and the Marine doesn’t follow through with replacing the item/s lost/stolen until an inspection is at hand.
Each Marine is given an "equipment allowance/uniform allowance" which is very generous. This is to be used to replace/acquire the needed standard issued/mandatory equipment/uniforms. Unfortunately a few Marines choose to use this allowance on other things then what it is meant for. Again, this is not the responsibility of the government presidential admistration to oversee how the Marine chooses to spend this allowance.
Other than the standard issued mandatory items that were required for the pre-deployment inspection, the rest was hygeine products. So many razors, so much toothpaste, wet-wipes, soap, etc. I have the list from when my son deployed if you would like a copy to show that there was nothing of an unusual/outrageous request.
As far as the flak jacket being of the woodland version, how do you know that where your son is deployed that this is not the best version for his safety? The Marine Corps takes great pride in the safety of each and every Marine and that cannot be argued. Each and every Marine is of a family and this is what separates the Marine Corps from the rest of the armed services. Re the reason that the Marine Corps only serves 7 month rotations vs the Army of 12 month rotations...The Marine Corps puts safety first among their men and realizes that 7 month rotations is the point where military personnel becomes ineffective after this point.
The eye protectors, if there were other Marines issued these maam, that should tell you that they are standard issued and your son should have spoken to his command and the supply Sgt to receive his. Again it is the responsibility of the Marine to ensure he has all the standard issued mandatory equipment not the government presidential administration.
The rifles are standard issued and new/old style, they do the same job. It is not as if the Marine Corps sent your son and his unit to fight a war with non commissioned rifles, now if that were the case you would have something to get riled up about, THAT is NOT the case though. Your son’s rifle works and serves the purpose that it is supposed to.
While I support and empathize with you that this is a very difficult time for all families of Service Men and Women who are currently deployed in harms way, we must support their mission at hand and encourage and support them 110%. This is what is going to bring your son home...NOT a different administration, NOT a different version flak jacket, NOT a new rifle and certainly NOT writing letters of your nature to your elected officials. Support, encouragement and alot of prayers, that is what is going to keep our Troops morale high and bring them home! Your son believes in the Marine Corps or he wouldn’t have chosen that armed force, it is time YOU believe in the Marine Corps also and have faith that they will bring your son home to you.
May I suggest that there are alot of support groups for Marine Moms on the internet, you can google them and find one that you are comfortable with. You are not alone with your sons deployment, there are ALOT of Marine Parents whose sons/daughters are currently deployed. Why not take advantage of this resource, there is support in numbers and you don’t have to go through it alone.
God Bless and I will pray for your son and all of the other Troops in harms way on this day.
One of Many Marine Moms