Military men and women of N.C. National Guard’s 105th Military Police Battalion based in Asheville to deploy in 2010

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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I hope everyone has a happy and celebratory New Year’s Eve tonight. I’m excited about seeing friends and some music tonight, and I’m optimistic about the year ahead.

But my heart is also heavy. We are at war in the world. That means the chances are good that your friends, neighbors, sons, daughters, husbands, wives or fellow community members may well be in harm’s way. 

We are at war, and despite what the politicians say, I see no end in sight. I’ve covered war as a reporter, both on the home front and in Europe as a reporter for Stars & Stripes newspaper. It’s an eye-opening experience. While I understand the (sometimes) justifiable reasons for, and politics behind, war, what I’ve come to know for certain is this: war truly is hell. It is death and pain and sorrow, plain and simple. 

My most memorable holiday was the time I spent in Bosnia with my fellow Stripes photographer Tim Baker. It was 1998, and we were sent to a remote U.S. Army outpost to report about the ongoing American military presence in that war-torn part of the globe. On Christmas Eve, I walked a midnight patrol with 20-something guys in the cold and snow, pining for family and home. And on that New Year’s Eve, I covered a sober celebration with the G.I.s there. (See photo above.) It was sober, emotionally and literally. The military men and women were bonded in their experience, but any “party” atmosphere felt a little forced to me. I’ll never forget it.

So while everyone is out and about having a good time tonight, I hope you’ll take a minute to remember our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who are still at war. Early next year, Asheville will see another deployment of the National Guard’s Asheville-based 105th Military Police Battalion. The unit has been deployed to this war before, and now they’re going back.

Please say a prayer for our men and women in the military. Even if you don’t like the politics involved, thank them for what they do. Support a family member left at home to worry and wait. Send a letter, a care package. Do what you can, and keep them in your thoughts. We wouldn’t have what we’ve got if not for them.