Mr. President, are you listening?

From our "stories you don't often get from the mainstream media" file...

Still Waiting

As the war in Iraq rages on with no end in sight, Sarah Kuebler waits with frustration for her father to finally return.

by Brian D. Johnson, The Minnesota State University, Mankato, Reporter

When Sarah Kuebler graduates from Minnesota State in May her father won't be home to celebrate with her as planned.

Kuebler, a mass communications major, said she hasn't seen her father, Sgt. Gary Kuebler of the Minnesota National Guard, since he left for his second stint in Iraq nearly 18 months ago. She said he was scheduled to return home to Sleepy Eye, Minn., in March, but found out three weeks ago he would be staying in Iraq until August or September or possibly longer.

"It's ridiculous," Kuebler said. "My dad says it's pointless for the troops to be over there now because they don't really do anything helpful anymore. He's pissed, but he's the type of guy who wants to stay until the job is done."

Kuebler said her father seems discouraged because he doesn't know exactly what the job is and those in command rarely answer his questions. Several of his fellow Minnesota First Brigade Combat Team soldiers didn't know they would be in Iraq longer than expected until they were told by family members who heard it through the media, she said.

"I support the troops 100 percent and they shouldn't be risking their lives every day for a stupid war," Kuebler said. "They should at least be given answers about what's going on."

Sgt. Kuebler will have his tour of duty extended to accommodate President Bush's war plan to raise troop levels by 21,500 in Iraq. Already more than 3,000 American soldiers have died since the U.S.-led invasion nearly four years ago.

(The rest is here.)