Editor, I have a few questions for you and your readers. Do you still get goose bumps when you hear the Star Spangled Banner? Do you get that knot in your stomach — pride and sorrow — when you hear of a soldier giving the ultimate sacrifice for your freedom? As a former military police officer at Fort Stewart the oath I took to protect and serve still follows me today in another uniform. But the pride I feel when I see a member of our armed services is still overwhelming and cannot be described. I ask you all, why does their safety seem to mean so much less to us when they are home?
I had a flight to catch out of Savannah and I knew that there could be exercises being conducted on base. I planned for the extra time. It was over an hour to cut through base. Yes, there are other routes. This is the one I feel most comfortable with. The exercises our soldiers perform do not just help improve their skills, but the time together helps them become one and work as a team to help them return to us safely.
The speed limit is posted very plain for all to see. I was passed more times than I care to mention. I watched as a car turned to follow 144 and the driver never paid attention to the fact that there were soldiers on foot. I remember my heart stopping and instantly praying that he would see them in enough time. He did, thank God.
Now, when you travel through construction zones the fines are doubled and in some states it is posted if you hit a worker then the fines are much higher (I do not recall the amounts off hand). My recommendation to the company commanders as well as the base command unit: You need to do sometime before a soldier is one of those statistics that everyone forgets about on the highways. How about making the fines somewhere around $700 for each offense with progressively higher amounts for repeat offenders. Take this money and put it toward extra police patrols during maneuvers, have check points, do whatever is necessary to prevent the unthinkable from happening. A soldier will gladly give his life for the protection of another. It is our duty as American citizens to protect them whenever we can by any means possible.
Give them a break, plan ahead and drive as if it was your son, daughter, sister, brother or friend involved in those exercises.
The flag these soldiers wear on their uniforms represents what they stand for and who they are protecting — you.
I had a flight to catch out of Savannah and I knew that there could be exercises being conducted on base. I planned for the extra time. It was over an hour to cut through base. Yes, there are other routes. This is the one I feel most comfortable with. The exercises our soldiers perform do not just help improve their skills, but the time together helps them become one and work as a team to help them return to us safely.
The speed limit is posted very plain for all to see. I was passed more times than I care to mention. I watched as a car turned to follow 144 and the driver never paid attention to the fact that there were soldiers on foot. I remember my heart stopping and instantly praying that he would see them in enough time. He did, thank God.
Now, when you travel through construction zones the fines are doubled and in some states it is posted if you hit a worker then the fines are much higher (I do not recall the amounts off hand). My recommendation to the company commanders as well as the base command unit: You need to do sometime before a soldier is one of those statistics that everyone forgets about on the highways. How about making the fines somewhere around $700 for each offense with progressively higher amounts for repeat offenders. Take this money and put it toward extra police patrols during maneuvers, have check points, do whatever is necessary to prevent the unthinkable from happening. A soldier will gladly give his life for the protection of another. It is our duty as American citizens to protect them whenever we can by any means possible.
Give them a break, plan ahead and drive as if it was your son, daughter, sister, brother or friend involved in those exercises.
The flag these soldiers wear on their uniforms represents what they stand for and who they are protecting — you.
Kimberly Yanover