Since September 11, 2001 our country has been at war. Thousands of people have lost their lives, and the military men and women as well as the Country as a whole understand the dangers in the Middle East. What many don't often realize is how dangerous the military's job is even when they're stateside.
According to this article, early last night four Army helicopter aviators died during a training exercise near Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington State.
They weren't inside some Middle Eastern country, they were within the borders of our own.
Yes, I'm sure they knew the dangers of their job each time they set foot on a helicopter, and though I didn't know them personally, I've known many like them. They did what they did each day, and loved it. It was who they were.
That doesn't make the loss any less severe for the families and friends of the four pilots, or the family and friends of any person who dies unexpectedly.
I wish more than anything there was a way to guarantee the safety of our men and women during training, but there's not.
This holiday season while everyone celebrates the joy of being together, we should all take a moment to realize how short life truly is.
Take a moment and thank those military men and women you know, not just for the sacrifices they've already made, but for the ones they could make.
My heart goes out to their families and friends.
May the aviators rest in peace.
R.S.
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