Brian Jones: “I am once again on the floor of the House with a picture of children who have lost a loved one in Afghanistan. Eden and…”

“I am once again on the floor of the House with a picture of children who have lost a loved one in Afghanistan. Eden and Stephanie Balduf, shown here at Arlington Cemetery, lost their father, Sergeant Kevin Balduf, on May 12 of this year. Sergeant Balduf, who was stationed at Camp Lejeune Marine Base, and Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Palmer, stationed at Cherry Point Marine Base, were sent with the mission to train Afghan citizens to become police. The men had just sat down to dinner when a rogue trainee opened fire, killing both men. In an e-mail to his wife the day before he died, Sergeant Balduf said: ``I don't trust them. I don't trust them for anything, not for anything at all.'' This brings me to a quote from AC Snow's recent column in the Raleigh News and Observer, titled, ``Time to Bring Them Home. Let Them Live.'' Mr. Snow is a well-known and respected correspondent in North Carolina. ``It seems we never run out of wars. It is as if one small country after another sends out engraved invitations reading: `We're having a war. Please come.' ``And Uncle Sam goes, lugging borrowed billions and thousands of young men and women to sacrifice on the altar of so-called `freedom' or `nation-building.' '' Mr. Speaker, I go back to the two little girls in this picture. How many more children will be at the graveside of a loved one? How many more will have to know the pain of war?…”