...getting information out on the table isn't the only thing 10 Excellent Reasons Not to Join the Military does; it also implicitly advocates the end of America's role as a force to be reckoned with abroad, and, as a means to that end, the undoing of the U.S. military itself. The book's authors hold certain ideas above all others: that war is hell, fighting is mean, and dying is sad. These things are true, of course. But you do not have to believe dulce et decorum est pro patria mori to view American might as a necessity. In fact, if liberals believe the military is a troubled institution, which 10 Excellent Reasons Not to Join the Military does successfully illustrate, then it should behoove us to embrace the armed forces, not reject them. How else will our military transform into the force America desperately needs it to become? As threats to liberal society grow more emboldened every day, the imperative to fix the military, not destroy it, becomes stronger...

...To this group of authors, news of our military's difficulties is good news, for the United States and its military represent some of the most serious problems facing the world today. If the Pentagon, Albright, Perry, and Casey are to be believed, the military is in serious trouble. The authors admit this; Louis and Marti Hiken write, "The military is having a tough time meeting its recruitment goals. There are not enough troops available to send to Iraq." And a sentence later, here is the advice they offer young Americans: "The best advice we can give is not to join in the first place." Paul Rockwell argues that "[r]efusing to enlist is more than a career decision. It is a moral and political act, a contribution to the burgeoning, international movement for a better, more peaceful world." Not only that, but joining the military is unpatriotic, writes Rae Abileah of the antiwar women's group Code Pink: "[I]t takes more honor and courage to dedicate one's life to working for social change. Teachers, community organizers, activists, engineers, public defense attorneys, lobbyists, and artists are the true patriots." (The true patriots? Lobbyists?) The explicit argument is clear: No one should enlist in the military. Left unsaid is that if no one enlisted, America would have no military at all. Presumably, this is what the authors want...

...How does Sheehan propose America face its increasing national security threats? "We need to demand that our leaders use their words to solve problems. We need to demand that other nations use their words, too." It's a point that strikes at the heart of the book's fatal flaw--and at the fatal flaw with liberal anti-military sentiment: Sure, it'd be nice if we could "demand" that world leaders use words "to solve problems." But if the Sudanese government were so enthralled with diplomacy, would it be slowly obliterating an entire portion of its own population? And if the president of Iran valued words above all else, would he be so worried about building a nuclear arsenal?...

Active-duty statistics for March reflect continued across-the-board success for the 10th consecutive month, Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a Pentagon spokesman, told American Forces Press Service...

...More than 13,000 people joined the active services during March alone, almost 5,400 of them in the Army, the service with the most members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, retention remains high among troops already serving who choose to re-enlist in the active as well as reserve force, Krenke said...

When my husband and I heard that our son Forest was going to Iraq, we were concerned - like any parents would be whose son was going into harm's way.

But we knew that Forest believed in the mission. In fact, he signed up for active duty after the September 11, 2001 attacks because he wanted to defend our country from terrorists.

Tragically, Forest was killed on a volunteer mission - with Cindy Sheehan's son Casey - to set up a medical evacuation point for fellow soldiers wounded and trapped in an abandoned building.

I will never forget the day we received the news that Forest had given his life for his country.

Unlike Cindy Sheehan, however, my family determined that we would continue the fight against terror that our son gave his life for.

That is why we joined Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission.

As someone who has personally borne the costs of this war, we know the loss; we know the grief.

We just wish the media would give half as much attention to the accomplishments.

Please join my family in asking the national media to recognize Iraqi Liberation Week on April 9th through the 15th. Don't let them ignore this milestone!...