RENWL

Sgt. Brian Keith spends time with his wife, Sara, and their son, Stephen, 6 months, before Keith is deployed to Afghanistan with other troops from Fort Drum, New York, March 29, 2010.

For the next year, the First Battalion, 87th Infantry of the 10th Mountain Division will be in Afghanistan, part of the additional 30,000 troops at the backbone of President Barack Obama’s plan for ending the war.  The New York Times (NYT) will be following the 10th Mountain Division the entire year recording their experiences while they are in Afghanistan.

NYT started this project earlier this year.  Watching it so far has been the most moving experience we’ve had in relationship to the United States and our military. It certainly makes us forget about ourselves when watching it and some time afterwards. So much energy in the LGBT community these days has been put into the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. In truth so much of our concern has been exclusively about LGBT concerns. This is understandable and we’re certainly not posting this to admonish our community for fighting for what is right.

However, we wanted to take the time to stop a moment and put our politics, equality concerns and disagreements—- put all that aside, for right now. And take a look at these people and how war is reshaping their lives forever.  Collectively, whether straight, gay, black or white, we are Americans. And our fellow Americans whatever their sexuality, are going far far away to places unknown—-separating themselves from their families, spouses, infants—everything they know. Some of them will not be coming back.

This amazing project by the New York Times brings it all home. It puts humans to the faces of soldiers. To listen to many of them talk about their fears, concerns about coming back changed people, talking about how they will missing children’s first birthdays—–it is humanity that speaks when they share of themselves as they prepare to go to war. Humanity talks the entire time—there are no differences in terms of identity or sexuality. It is only humanity speaking through these soldiers words.  And the heart, at least ours, seems to want to listen.

We highly recommend everyone watch this series if they haven’t started already.  It puts a whole lot of things into a much different perspective.