Dear Mr. Walker,

Firstly, thank you for your letter regarding the Iowa State College Republicans drive to collect goods for care packages for me and my fellow soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan. Secondly, when I originally enlisted and subsequently took the oath of office as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, I swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America and all of its amendments, including freedom of speech and the press. I am honored to have had a small part in allowing you to publicize your ignorance and intolerance toward those who do not share your political ideology.

Yes, the Army does provide its soldiers overseas with nearly everything they need. However, Mr. Walker, let me remind you that we volunteered to leave our loved ones and come to Afghanistan not because of selfish desires but for the men and women on our left and right. Every single one of us would selflessly give their life so that their buddy can make it home to their family. While you sit in your comfortably appointed, taxpaye-funded faculty lounge, members of ISAF, alongside our Afghan partners, patrol every day among some of the most destitute, impoverished people on the planet.

As for those care packages you so viciously belittle with your high-brow big words no one else uses, those items often do not get consumed by the soldiers, airmen, Marines, and sailors who they are addressed to. In fact, we routinely bring bags of candy, decks of cards and many other items to Afghan children who most of the time have even less than the poorest Americans. These children sleep on dirt floors in homes made of dirt. They drink dirty water and eat dirty food. When they get sick, their families bring their children to us and we gladly treat them. Often, we request one of our expensive MEDEVAC helicopters to transport sick and injured Afghans to our state of the art medical facilities. We are training and empowering local leaders to provide security, enforce the rule of law and create economic development. In other words, we are making Afghanistan a better place to live and raise a family.

But I guess we aren’t doing anything over here besides creating more terrorists, right, Mr. Walker?