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News Topical, Digital Desk : After the US attack on Iranian nuclear plants, Tehran has also retaliated. This has increased anxiety at US military bases. It was an anxious day for some families gathered this weekend at Fort Benning in Georgia.
Some service members who completed military training on Friday and their loved ones expressed concern about the future. "People could die, so I'm worried," said Michelle Bixby, 24, of New York. Her brother recently completed training.
However, he said this is what he wanted to do. In fact, a day after the Trump administration announced air strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran, people around military bases on American soil ranged from strong support to disagreement.
Anxiety seen in people
One sentiment that was common, though, was concern for the safety of American troops everywhere. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted Sunday that the administration does not seek an open war, but Iranian leaders have vowed retaliation. That reality, and the potential impact on the military force, was on the minds of many around military bases.
However, military members have accepted this reality as part of the job. Many families are realizing that this is a real threat. Meghan Giles, with the military family, said that this is something we should be concerned about.
Blake Carlson, a 23-year-old Army National Guard combat medic at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, said he could be deployed. “This is what I signed up for. If I have to, I will.” But his mother and brother expressed hope the country would not be drawn into the growing conflict in the Middle East.
Some people supported Trump
Some supported Trump and agreed with his claim that the targeted bombing was unlikely to lead to a wider conflict. Carlson's mother, Tonya Carlson, said she hoped the attack would force Iran to negotiate with the United States.
Others backed Trump's statement that Iran was an immediate threat, a point that contradicted recent national security assessments, said Tony Saluzzo, 72, a former combat engineer. Iran "certainly doesn't need nuclear weapons." James Arthur, a Florida resident visiting the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Base, said air strikes on Iran were nearly two decades too late.
Criticized for bombing without congressional approval
Other military veterans criticized Trump for bombing Iran without congressional approval. Paul Oyler, a Navy veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said the framers of the Constitution included this language to ensure that war would not be entered hastily.
He said he would agree with air strikes if there was an imminent threat in the region, but there was no reason to believe Iran actually possessed nuclear weapons. Denver Thierry, 30, who works on military maintenance contracts, said he would support Trump. But he also acknowledged it was hard to know what capabilities Iran actually has. I don't know what's going on. I don't know if they actually have nuclear warheads.
'I learned from my time that war is devastating'
Giles, a reservist, was upset by the decision to take the country to war at a time when the government is cutting funding for veterans. Her father is a retired soldier and her husband is a current soldier.
However, he said that if the current conflict escalates, they will put aside their disagreements about Trump and support each other. But one former soldier regretted this. Oyler said that I learned from my time that war is destructive.
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