In response to the March 24 letter “One team, one fight, one scale,” regarding Michael G. Cummings’ thoughts on monetary benefits based on location within theater (“On 2nd deployment, I didn’t deserve combat pay,” column, March 21): I honestly believe the letter writer has little to no grasp of what really goes on.

His response and argument were somewhat solid, until he started talking about his luxuries and the “possibility” of receiving accurate indirect fire on his B-Hut (living quarters that are strategically placed so as to avoid such “possibilities”). His last paragraph is where I lost all respect for his argument.

Like he said, he’s in one of the safer zones — if not the safest in Afghanistan. He also thinks that, because he works in the Tactical Operations Center (TOC), he sees “every aspect of the fight” and knows “exactly what our brothers-in-arms go through.”

The letter writer has no idea what they go through and, from personal experience, the only people who really have full situational awareness are the guys in the fight. Also, he has no idea what his fellow soldiers are going through. Has he experienced the adrenaline rush of a firefight or the feeling of grief of losing a fellow soldier while in that fight? Being at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, I think it’s safe to say, he has not.

Enjoy the luxuries.

Sgt. William Marble

Camp Clark, Afghanistan

Migrated