Editor:

We are currently witnessing a chapter in our country’s history that is filled with great tragedy, pain and sorrow, especially with the recent shootings at Fort Hood, Texas. Our focus and attention these past several years has been on the bloodshed taking place in our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to bring an end to terrorism.

None of us imagined that a psychiatrist in American military service would be so mentally unbalanced that he would go on a shooting spree on our largest Army base that left 13 dead, and nearly 30 others wounded. The psychiatrist is a Muslim that had connections with fanatical Muslims, according to news reports. We need to remind ourselves that not all Muslims are extremists.  I have met moderate Muslims over the years, and they are peace-loving people. The role of a military psychiatrist is to bring mental and emotional healing to returning service men and women from the battlefield.

The families of our veterans and military service men and women also have made great sacrifices, and are making great sacrifices for our country.  We owe them a great debt of gratitude. You have a right to be against the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we must never be against our warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A couple months ago, over 700 Wyoming Army National Guard Soldiers were departed from training in Fort Hood to begin their year-long deployment in Kuwait and Iraq. Among the dead and wounded at the Fort Hood shootings, some could have been friends of Wyoming soldiers. Of these 700 soldiers, 150 are single. Often times, single soldiers deploy without a strong support network which potentially leaves them without folks at home to send cards, letters, e-mails, and care packages.

Would you be interested in "adopting" a single Wyoming soldier who has answered our nation’s call of duty over the next year? Your commitment to sponsorship may include: regular communication through letters, cards, notes, e-mails, care packages, and/or anything else you care to do to support these single soldiers. If you are willing to show support, please feel free to contact the Wyoming Army National Guard’s Yellow Ribbon staff: Tyler Stone at tyler.w.stone@us.army.mil or Tiffany Thomson at tiffany.thomson@us.army.mil or call: 1-866-992-7641, ext. 5457.

FATHER HUGO L. BLOTSKY, Thermopolis

St. Francis Catholic Church