Thanking Our Military

Memorial Day is a perfect opportunity to remember those who have served and are currently serving. One of the best ways to do that is to really try to understand more of what soldiers and their families go through. It can be hard, especially for someone who doesn't know a military family.

Both of my brothers were deployed overseas, one in an extended tour in Iraq, and one in both Iraq and Afghanistan. It was difficult to really feel understood, and I was just the sister - I can't imagine what it's like for military parents or spouses.

Robert Cunningham has tried to show people the experiences of the military, particularly in Afghanistan, in his debut photography book Afghanistan: On the Bounce. The book contains writings by Steven Hartov to bring to life the soldiers' experiences, day-to-day life, patrol, religious services, and more. There's a brilliant essay at BookTrib called Thanking the Mothers Who Serve that sheds even more light on the experiences of that particularly group as well. 

If you know a military member, at the very least, be supportive of their choice, whether or not you agree with military action. These families sacrifice so much and ask for so little, and deserve to be treated with respect.

 

 

Robert Cunningham is a photographer whose art is a permanent feature in the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, He has photographed the five living United States presidents, nine heads of state, 12 prime ministers, numerous astronauts, celebrities, and Fortune 500 CEOs, and spent in the war-torn country of Afghanistan as an embedded Photographer.