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Sean Parnell, an Afghanistan struggle veteran and writer, says Congress ought to rigorously take into account what preventing in a struggle abroad means to households in america earlier than getting tangled in new conflicts.

Lawmakers who’ve accepted billions of {dollars} value of navy help to assist Ukraine fend of Russia’s invasion or would possibly need to get entangled in a future struggle between China and Taiwan, ought to mirror extra on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq earlier than leaping into one other overseas wrestle that isn’t a direct assault on america, Parnell advised journalist Lisa Boothe.

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“It looks like you’ve gotten members of Congress on either side of the aisle within the Home and within the Senate which are clamoring to go proper again into the struggle in Ukraine, which from a geopolitical standpoint is simply … It’s miles extra difficult than Afghanistan,” Parnell stated on an episode of the The Reality with Lisa Boothe podcast, set to premiere on Memorial Day.

“With out even taking a breath after the Afghan struggle and saying, ‘Wait, is that this actually value it? Ought to we take time to hit the reset button as a rustic and work out if this struggle is value Individuals dying for? As a result of that is the query that American mothers and dads have to ask themselves, Lisa, ‘Is Ukraine so vital that you’re prepared to sacrifice your son or daughter for that?’ If the reply to that query is, ‘no,’ then we should not be doing something for Ukraine,” he added.

A part of the issue with politicians desirous to ship troops abroad stemmed from the big tradition hole between civilians and those that fought in a fight zone post-9/11, Parnell stated.

“You solely have 0.4% of the individuals on this nation who served this nation throughout Iraq and Afghanistan, so 20 years of struggle, longest interval of struggle in American Historical past, solely 0.4% of the nation truly skilled what it means to guard and defend freedom,” Parnell stated. “And so I feel consequently, you’ve gotten most of America, 99% of America who get pleasure from freedom on a day-to-day foundation on this nation, and you’ve got lower than half of 1% who defend it, there is a important hole between these two teams and I feel that is a part of the explanation why you’ve gotten politicians who’ve actually by no means served something however themselves for almost all of their lives discuss so callously about sending American little kids into the struggle. The fact is that they have no actual understanding of what meaning for American households who’re truly doing the preventing.”

Parnell determined to turn out to be an Military officer after the terrorist assaults on Sept. 11, 2001. He grew to become a captain within the Military Rangers and was awarded two Bronze Stars, together with one for valor, and a Purple Coronary heart after getting shrapnel in his leg and a traumatic mind harm.

The psychological results of struggle don’t finish for the troopers after they go away the navy, Parnell stated.

“In my small unit, we have misplaced extra individuals to suicide than now we have to fight. What does that let you know about the way in which wherein we deal with our troopers or our women and men who serve this nation right here at house?” Parnell requested. “Not that the VA is not wonderful, I am grateful and glad that now we have the VA, however the issues that we face listed here are far better than perhaps going to see a physician or being given some medicine in a paper bag and, hey, despatched in your means on behalf of a grateful nation. The issues that veterans face right here at house are largely existential issues, cultural issues that I feel America as a rustic must face.”

One answer Parnell steered was inviting troopers to speak about their struggle experiences to highschool college students so they may perceive the adverse results of a struggle in addition to the heroic.

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Since getting back from Afghanistan, Parnell has written 4 novels about serving within the navy, and one non-fiction memoir referred to as Outlaw Platoon which targeted on his expertise as a platoon chief on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Parnell, who has additionally targeted on serving to troopers thrive in civilian life after preventing in a struggle, ran a short 2022 GOP marketing campaign for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania earlier than ending it final 12 months amid a toddler custody dispute together with his estranged spouse.

Different matters mentioned in podcast, which was obtained early by the Washington Examiner, contains Parnell’s time in Afghanistan, the present state of the U.S. navy, former President Donald Trump’s relationship with the navy, and the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. The total interview might be out there Monday morning.