Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"September 27, 2002
Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"
September
27, 2002
|
"There's no place like home."
Dorothy, "Wizard of Oz"
As I was touching down at Newark two weeks ago, returning from my deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of joy being back in the United States. I thought about the differences we -- American soldiers and civilians -- are making there and in Afghanistan.
As part of Stabilization Force 11, we teamed up with other NATO countries to maintain the peace in Bosnia.
NATO’s arrival in 1995 ended a four-year war that killed more than 200,000 people and left approximately 6 million people homeless.
Americans became involved following the worst massacre in Europe since WWII, with approximately 20,000 Bosnians, mostly of Muslim faith, being ethnically cleansed by the Bosnian Serb Army.
American troops played a vital role in this NATO mission. We stepped up to the plate and hit a homerun with some impressive numbers.
The Active Harvest program teamed with local police and often went door-to-door to collect illegal weapons, grenades and other munitions. In six months, the effort equaled the disarmament of an entire division’s weapons. Additionally, more than 2,400 families in the sector returned to their pre-war homes and the task force cleared mines out of an additional 300,000 square meters of land.
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, military members are successfully helping the people liberated from the Taliban.
Children are being vaccinated for the first time, saving the lives of 35,000 Afghan children this year alone, according to Nicholas Kristof’s article in the New York Times. Also, 20,000 new teachers and numerous new schools have resulted in more than 1.5 million Afghan children attending elementary school, more than double the amount a year ago.
As soldiers and civilians, we continually answer our country’s call. We set new goals for each new challenge. Let me propose one now -- become an organ donor.
Organ donation
Each year in America alone, 6,000 people die because they are waiting for an
organ.
If you’ve ever watched the movie "John Q," you get a glimpse of the heartbreak one family goes through while waiting. Currently, 82,250 Americans are waiting for a kidney or another organ.
While many people now sign up to donate at the time of their death, more are needed. And it only takes four easy steps to begin down the road to possibly saving the life of someone:
First, get an organ donation card by calling 800-DONORS-1.
Second, request to be an organ donor when renewing your driver’s license.
Third, inform your family and friends of your wishes. This step is very important, because if your family doesn’t know, they may rescind your wish to become an organ donor.
Lastly, express your wishes through a legal document, such as a health care proxy, living will or durable power of attorney. This can be done by calling the high-speed legal assistance office at 938-4541 and making an appointment.
Through donation, each of us can help at least 50 others in need. There is absolutely no cost to anyone, no age limit for donations and you can specify which organs or tissues are donated through a will. Also, donation is a routine surgical procedure which does not interfere with funeral arrangements, such as open-casket viewing.
Part of a soldier’s military duty is to give selfless service to our country. What better way to reinforce your legacy than to take the time to make this additional sacrifice for those in need?
Conclusion
While the numbers above are quite impressive, so are the numbers Donovan McNabb
and the Philadelphia Eagles offense are putting up in blowout wins against the
Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys this season.
It looks like the Eagles are gelling into a championship-caliber team focused on one mission -- the Super Bowl in San Diego. Its great to cheer for this tough, blue-collar team, each player averaging $1.1 million in salary, especially compared to the team payrolls of the $125 million Yankees or the $102 million Denver Broncos.
By the way, aren’t those Jim Fox’s two favorite teams? Is a coincidence that they are also the two highest paid teams in their sport? I guess for some, its all in the numbers.
