Military Families Brace for What’s Next In Syria

It has been less than 24 hours since President Trump ordered an airstrike on a Syrian airbase, and military families are watching intently. According to news sources, almost 100 innocent Syrian civilians—including children and even babies—died from the effects of the recent chemical weapons attack and many others continue to suffer.

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In his press conference, President Trump called on all civilized nations “to end the bloodshed in Syria and end terrorism of all kinds and of all types.”

The Syrian government reportedly has one of the largest stockpiles of chemical weapons, including the world’s most potent chemical warfare agent, VX. So, on April 6, the U.S. launched 50 Tomahawk missiles from Navy Destroyers in the Mediterranean, targeting Shayrat Airbase, where the chemical weapons are stored.

“I’m concerned about how this will play out going forward,” military spouse Adrianna Domingos-Lupher shared. She and other military families know this action could lead to more deployments and more boots-on-the-ground missions. They worry about the safety of U.S. troops supporting rebel fighters in Syria, especially after this latest chemical attack.

Randi Cairns, whose four kids see their dad serve in the Army National Guard, says she’s worried for the children—theirs, and ours.

“Those [children] in places where bombs fall in the night. And those of the men and women sent to yet another place in the world to fight,” she wrote in a recent Facebook post. “I wish we'd remember that they're ALL our children.”

Military families, like all Americans, will debate on whether the U.S. airstrike was an impulsive action or an appropriate response. But, because their loved ones could be called upon as part of a further response, military families feel more stress than their civilian neighbors.

Lyndy Rohe, an Air Force spouse, worries about the unthinkable happening.

“The worst feelings are the selfish thoughts you have,” she explained. “Where you just hope and pray it isn’t your service member who won’t return.”

As the families of the greatest military in the world know, this could be only the beginning.

“The players and scenery may change, but the impact on military families is the same as they try to understand what might happen next.” said NMFA Executive Director Joyce Raezer. “We remain ready to support our families every step of the way and to communicate to our fellow citizens and our nation’s leaders about how they can stand by our troops and their families.”

To read more, please visit: http://www.militaryfamily.org/featured-news/military-familie...