Received the email below this morning. Mom is asking for some assistance, and as I told her in my reply, I'm not the one to answer. Please use the comments section if you're a military family member, or a service member.

My response to Mom was as follows:

Hi J---------
I have to say, I think that believing that the Air Force is "safe" in peacetime is a little misguided. The military can be a dangerous job, peace or war, and joining up believing you'll never be at risk would be misguided. I'll bet your son knows that there's always a risk.

As far as casualties go, please bear in mind that the "body count" is not the disaster the U.S. Media often makes it out to be. Not much comfort to the families, I know, but this is not a bloodbath.

For some hard numbers:
18 full-time Airmen have been killed in Iraq to date. 11 of those were non-hostile causes, including vehicle crashes, ordinance accidents, etc.

1 member of the U.S. Air National Guard has died in Iraq; the cause is listed as homicide.

Beyond that, I'm not the one to answer your question. But I'm posting it on the blog, to see if you can get some comments from families, current servicemembers, and others who are more informed about serving...

So now it's up to you all....

Only one rule I have to insist on:
Please DO NOT bash Mom. She's honestly asking for information, and she deserves honest, respectful answers. Any abusive comments will be deleted.

My son is being heavily recruited by the U.S. Airforce to join and possibly be deployed in Iraq. While I will support him in whatever he decides to do, I WANT MORE INFORMATION as to what he might be up against. We all know that Iraq is a dangerous place.

I feel strongly that he needs to weigh his options. I have the upmost respect for our military, but feel strongly that our Commander in Chief and his cronies have told some serious lies to the American people as to why he sent our men and women there to a begin with.

My son is floundering and in peacetime I would have no problem with it. The self discipline, respect, teamwork, self-reliance, opportunity and probably a whole lot more, would be extremely beneficial to him. But the possibility is there that he would come home seriously injured, possibly missing limbs, deaf, blind or even to come home in a pine box. I’m a single mother and he’s all I have.

So please don’t try blowing sunshine up my ass. What is the role of the Airforce in Iraq? What are the statistics for airmen coming home alive from that godforsaken place.

Your not my only source. I will find out absolutely as much as I can about this and try to present both sides to him. So please tell me the truth.

I’d be proud to have my son serve in the airforce. And mad as hornet if I lost him because of it.

Please respond! I need both sides of the story, especially from people who have been there.

Thank You

J.S.