On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, Gov. Mark Gordon spoke at deployment ceremonies all over the State of Wyoming.
As he has always done throughout his term as governor, he has spoken at all the ceremonies where Wyoming National Guard members are deployed to advance the mission of the United States military.
For the first time since the Korean War, the entire 2-300 Field Artillery Brigade is being deployed overseas.
Young soldiers from all over the State of Wyoming will leave their families and their jobs, and spend the next year in the middle east, conducting missions in harm's way in one of the hotbeds of military action in the world.
The young soldiers, and their families, sat in ceremonies all over the state. They were told of the importance of this mission.
They were told their sacrifices were important. And they were assured that if anything came up for the families while the soldiers were deployed, there would be help available.
As these soldiers take the next year of our lives, leaving their jobs, their families and their lives, to protect our freedoms, we, here at home, must do those things to ensure we deserve their service.
First, we must make sure, under any circumstances, their families do not suffer in any way as a result of the soldier’s service to our country.
These young families are proud independent people, and in many cases, they may not ask for help. So, we all have the obligation to step up and help, if we see the opportunity.
We can do things as simple babysitting children so a spouse with kids can go to the grocery store; mowing the law of a deployed solder, shoveling a sidewalk or cooking a meal every now and then.
These soldiers are making a huge sacrifice and are prepared to sacrifice everything for our freedoms. We have to assist and honor that sacrifice.
Second, this election, we need to elect capable leaders who are worthy of leading a state where so many of its young solders are deployed.
Gov. Gordon is a fine example of a leader who takes the burden of leadership very seriously.
In this age of fake mailers, out of state black money, phony rating sites with predetermined outcomes, out-of-state door to door activists who push prepackaged messages, we all have an obligation to cut through the crap, to do our own due diligence, and to select leaders who understand the sacrifices for our freedom and the things necessary to protect our freedoms at home.
Oftentimes, the candidate worthy of our support is not the biggest blowhard, who spouts all kinds of patriotic drivel, but the one who has the skills or the ability to do the work of a leader.
It’s easy for a candidate to label oneself a patriot, a freedom fighter or a warrior for the people. It takes another skill set, other than being a blowhard, to get the job done.
To deserve their service, we need to elect thoughtful leaders who are willing to buckle down and do the actual work of being a leader, to think thing through, to do the research necessary, to take the time to analyze situations and to develop cogent policy for our communities and our state.
We, as voters, need to take the time to review the materials, to cut through the propaganda crap, and to truly think about who the best person for the job is.
To do our jobs as voters correctly, we need to pay attention to who the candidates are, what their positions are, what skill sets they bring to the table and what commitments they make to the future.
We cannot rely on simple labels and campaign slogans. As citizens who are receiving the benefit of the sacrifice of these soldiers, we are obligated to make an effort and to participate in our government.
We have to get off our fannies, come in from the lake, put down the remote control and do our homework on who to elect. We need to ask these candidates the hard questions – even if it means calling them on the phone.
We cannot let rating sites, mailers, social media or pundits make our decisions for us. We have to do the work.
Most of all, we have to make informed votes.
These obligations are ours as citizens all the time. The service of the entire 2-300 Field Artillery Brigade, of the Wyoming National Guard, who are spending the next year of their lives overseas, away from their jobs and families, reminds of the seriousness of these obligations.
We need to do our duty as well. Let’s all commit to making extra effort during this deployment to fulfilling our obligations to these young soldiers.
Tom Lubnau served in the Wyoming Legislature from 2005 - 2015 and is a former Speaker of the House.
He can be reached at: YourInputAppreciated@gmail.com
