Dr. Sylvester Caraway Jr.’s Post

HOW WE TELL, OR WRITE, A WAR STORY As Remembrance Day approaches, our honour, gratitude and respect for those who fought for all of us erupts in a huge surge of love. By capturing our ancestor’s war experiences – or someone who is still alive today – we help to breathe life into history texts, and we put a face to those who suffered through conflict: from coast guards, to air force recruits, to military forces. We may be walking through a minefield here as we endeavour to write these stories, but we handle the stories carefully, in order to do our soldier a great honour. Read more https://lnkd.in/gKKsg257

Public service announcement! Think twice before you wish others a "Happy" Memorial Day, as the holiday was created to honor the fallen. As we approach some of the most popular Military Holidays, here's a handy guide to telling the difference. Read more about what to say during specific Military holidays ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Uhx9bs

Here's your weekend read: 'Two Wars, Two Veterans and Donald Trump', my latest substack piece, prompted by the tycoon-turned-politician's latest dust-up with the military -- with this compilation of what two US veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq told me. Please comment, share and subscribe https://lnkd.in/gVW99_M5

In the Crucible of Decision: Judgment is the Ultimate Virtue Although the Founding Fathers were concerned about the dangers posed by a standing army, they would recognize the necessity of having one in today’s complex global environment. They would also insist that the military reflect and uphold the Constitution's core values. Like the government it serves, the U.S. military must be bound by ethical standards that promote the greatest good for all and are consistent with virtuous action. As long as the U.S. remains a democracy, the military must maintain the profession's highest ethical and legal standards to protect and defend the Constitution, the Republic, and the American way of life. https://lnkd.in/eBiRaPS2

“Trump is the first American president to overtly surrender to an adversary during a period of conflict.‼️ They seem ignorant of the facts that form the basis of the Doha Agreement that Trump had Zal Khalilzad negotiate with the Taliban on his behalf. Betraying our Afghan allies, Trump’s negotiators entered the discussions without including the very people who would have to carry on with the governance of the country. The agreement signed in Doha, Qatar, was if U.S. forces stopped attacking the Taliban, they would not attack our troops. It also included a departure date by which all U.S. and NATO forces would be out of the country. That was/is in effect, surrender. The comprehensive title of the documents was “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan which is not recognized by the United States as a state and is known as the Taliban and the United States of America.” Bringing peace to Afghanistan: what a joke. Just ask all of the women and girls in Afghanistan how much “peace” they are enjoying today. 🔥Signed on 29 February 2020, the agreement required all allied forces to be out of Afghanistan in 14 months, a date that insured the next U.S. President would have to deal with the outcome.‼️ As stated in Part One of the Agreement states, “The United States and its allies will refrain from the threat or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan or intervening in its domestic affairs.” In other words, “We surrender.” Those are the terms that Donald Trump agreed to. This also meant ending all of the technical support to Afghan forces. Critically, it removed the maintenance support that was keeping aircraft in the air, thus depriving ground forces of much needed air cover and resupply capabilities. 🔥After surrendering Trump even agreed to rebuild the country.‼️ Part Three of the Agreement states, “The United States will seek economic cooperation for reconstruction with the new post-settlement Afghan Islamic government as determined by the intra-Afghan dialogue and negotiations, and will not intervene in its internal affairs.” To be clear, both the U.S. negotiators, and the Taliban knew who would constitute the following government. They knew it would not be the allies they left so conspicuously out of the talks as they gave the country away. To be clear, not only did Trump agree to surrender, but he also agreed to pay for restoration.” 👺AND DON’T FORGET TRUMP AGREED TO RELEASE 5000 TALIBAN PRISONERS AS PART OF THE DEAL☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

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Today is Military Spouse Day or Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Let's be sure to show our military spouses how much we love and appreciate all they do for our service members. Souses are the backbone of our military. Take time today to acknowledge the significant contributions, support, and sacrifices of spouses of our Armed Forces. #MilitaryAppreciation #thankyou #appreciation #militaryspousesappreciationday

If you are a Gray Area retiree, what are some of the things you need to remember to do when you are getting close to age 60? Making sure you actually request your military retired pay is a big one. Learn some more must-dos in this article from Military.com: https://lnkd.in/eRE5VxpG. #SoldierForLife #USArmySFL #GrayAreaSoldier

A well delivered insight into the dire state of our military , this has been the same since I joined in 1994 - https://lnkd.in/dGVyGWB7