Brenda Valentine recently returned from a tour to meet our women and men in service in Afghanistan. Officially on an “Outdoor Legends Tour,” along with other notable legends in the industry, she journaled her experience and shares it with us here at The WON.
As a mom of an Army platoon leader, I am delighted that people like Brenda and the crew went and hugged the troops. (We know she hugged them, because Brenda is a) a mom and b) a hugger.)
We’ll be featuring Brenda’s journey and journal notes here during the next week, but here’s what you’ll get to read. It’s almost like being with Brenda on the trip.
Having never served in the military, I’m not exactly sure of what I expected camp atmosphere to be. The truth is, things were way different than what I thought they might be … in a very good way. It occurred to me early the first morning when I followed my nose to the nearest coffee pot how courteous everyone was. Not only to me but to each other, be they military, civilian contractors, or local workers. Early morning joggers exchanged warm greetings, food servers smiled sincerely, pleasantries were exchanged between every rank and station. It was not just the greetings that caught my attention but the manners and respect that is often lacking in our society.Small gestures such as holding doors open and addressing others with Sir or Ma’am. It was so uplifting to see and feel this wonderful attitude. I can truthfully say that I saw not one act of rudeness during the entire tour. I’m sure I will talk more on this later simply because I was so impressed.
There’s Brenda in the middle! What a formidable trio! Photo courtesy of Brenda Valentine
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
Eagerly awaiting more news about Brenda’s journey, and journal. Great photo!