Verified answer

Thanks for caring for him, that means a great deal and no doubt comes through in your letters/emails to him. 1st-keep writing to him. Let him know how proud you are of him. 2nd-don't expect him to share his experiences with you. If he does just listen and don't feel like you have to say anything. 3rd-send him care packages -they are good for morale. 4th-If you are a person of faith let him know you are praying for him everyday, and get others to pray for him. 5th-Let him know that there are plenty of Americans, West & East Europeans that appreciate what soldiers like him are doing in Iraq, the media just ignores them. 6th-when he gets home, make a big homecoming for him and welcome him home. But afterward just let him do what he wants. 7th-Encourage him to talk to someone about his experiences and grief over losing friends, such as a chaplain, or close friend. He has to chose the person, no volunteers to help him heal.

I hope this helps. Keep on caring for him, and just ignore the bonehead answers that I read on this site.

The best advice I can give is to somehow get in touch with the families of his friends. When your cousin gets home, invite the other family over and have a memorial in the fallen hero's honor. It helps add closure when he may not have had time to mourn.

As an officer, he is obligated to "suck it up and drive on" in front of his troops. Once he's home, I'm sure that period of mourning time will greatly benefit him.

Tell him you miss him and let him know what is going on at home (that is positive), so he has something to look forward to when he gets back! Daily routine at home would probably be a welcome distraction for someone in Iraq. Especially one who has experienced a lot of change with the death of his friends.

p.s. Please tell him that I say thank you and job well done! People survive a lot of trauma in war, and that is to be appreciated just like any other loss. For that matter, tell him that I believe in this mission and I know that they are directly protecting us by fighting these extremists over there, instead of over here. Tell him that I also know the United States Military never loses, therefore I know they will succeed in Iraq!

We should love and encourage all of our soldiers and give them the support that they need. Try to write and email (if possible) and send care packages! Allow him to express himself when he needs to through whatever channels of communication you have! Let him know that there are people here who are proud of them for their honor and commitment to this country!! I would avoid asking him questions about things that might make him uncomfortable share stories about things he is familiar with i.e. family, friends. Send pics also to remind him of the good times and what he has to look forward to!! God Bless

We can encourage him to take a hard look at what he is doing and determind if what he is doing is compatable with or a violation of his moral/ethical code/principles.

If he is a Christian you can remind him that all mainstream Christian Churches (including Buish's own Methodist Church) have declared the Iraqi war which is illegal and based upon a pack of un-Christian lies, ANTI-CHRISTIAN period.

You can ask him if putting patriotism and country before his faith based moral/ethical code is the right thing to do.I suspect God does not buy "I was only following orders".

In respect to the death of his friends,he should ask himself WHY DID THEY DIE? We now know that in fact hard as it is to face,they died for a pack of Bush's LIES .They didn't die for liberty,freedom and democracy.they died for oil period .

No doubt you are probably irate about my answer but my answer is based in reality and facts and most important of all

my moral obligation is TO STOP THE SLAUGHTER OF OVER 400,000 INNOCENT IRAQI MEN,WOMEN,and CHILDREN that Bush's crime against humanity has spawned.

Maybe YOU should show as much caring/love/compassion for these 400,000 innocent slaughtered Iraqis as you have for your cousin and his killed friends.

Send care packages at least once a week. Send things that remind him of home like cup of noodles, spam, vienna sausages, tang, crystal light, cookies and candies. Send notes in the box that express how much he means to you and how much his effort and sacrifices mean to you as well. Tell him that you love him and that he inspires you. Tell him to stay strong!!!!!!

Please ignore the foolish responses from the "Doom & Gloom" crowd, above!

The best way to encourage your cousin is to tell him of the huge amount of people who are VERY!,VERY! proud of him and his fellow soldiers. Tell him not to buy in to the BS being spouted on most of the media outlets, that MOST Americans are behind Our troops 100%!!

Tell him that while we can never know the horrors of war, We understand that he and his fellow troops, are fighting the good fight! That we are all eternally indebted to all of them for their sacrifice.....and that we will all celebrate the day that they all return home to the hero's welcome that they deserve!

Please wish him all the best from all of Us who support him & His fellow solders in there effort to protect us, and bring the good fight to the bad guys.

T.S.

just talk to him about whatever he wants to talk about and dont push the issue if he is not ready or willing to talk about the actions and circumstances of iraq. send him letters and pictures and make sure he knows u think he is special and stand behind him 100 pct.

when he comes home just be there for him and if he wnats to talk about it then do it like my uncle was in vietnam for a while and if he wants to talk about it he does cause everytime he goes to sleep he has a nightmare about it we can hear him screaming in his sleep its so sad an di felel bad for him but just be there for him

Send him some Playboy magazines.