Enough people in real life have asked my opinion about what's going on in Afghanistan that I figured I'd write an article about it. You may wonder why people ask my opinion. After all, I'm just some mom. I'm not a vet.

Afghanistan has dominated my adult life.  

I was in college on September 11, 2001. Within the week, my brother, closest in age to me, had enlisted. Not long after, my best friend from high school enlisted. I started dating a National Guardsman in the fall of 2002. For the rest of 2003 and 2004, he kept getting called up to go to Afghanistan. Then the orders would get canceled-it was nerve-wracking. 

Even though we were kids and hadn't known each other for more than a year and a half, we decided to get married. We figured we could use the BAH, and we could move in together whenever he got back.  

My husband never got sent overseas, but my brother and friend did. 

My husband just did training in the States for 15 months. It was disruptive but could have been worse. I had a good job working in oil and gas. We decided to start a family because the threat of going overseas was always hanging over our heads.