I am becoming somewhat frustrated with the increasing public outcry for U.S. intervention in Bosnia. People seem content to loudly demand U.S. troops to be sent without realizing that those "U.S. troops" are made up of real people, with real families and real concerns of their own.

Why should they be called upon to go into battle and endanger, and in some cases, sacrifice their lives for a country to which they have no connection? Those men and women in uniform are fulfilling their commitments to their country, our country, which is the only commitment they have.My husband is serving in the Navy. At the present time, he is stationed in Japan. We have been married for nearly nine months, yet have spent only six weeks together. Another man at the same base as my husband hasn't seen his wife for two years. There are many similar stories.

My husband and I have dreams of life after the military. We would like to have a real family, with a mom and dad and kids all living together in our own home. We want to share the same breakfast table and hang our clothes in the same closet. We want to watch our children grow together.

I cannot speak for all the other military spouses who have dreams of their own, but for myself, I am not about to give up all that my family's future holds for someone else's cause.

To those who would demand something be done for Bosnia, I say this: Send your own husbands. Send your fathers and your brothers and your sons. Sacrifice everything you have and everyone you love for your own cause. But leave my family out of it.

Connie Nitzel

Salt Lake City

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