I would like to express some thoughts and feelings about the change in the Midway route. First of all, I love all you guys even if I don’t like you. I started riding with the RFTW back in 2008 and have ridden at least part way with Central, southern and Midway. My first participation ride was from Missouri to Dc and my experience with Rainelle was awesome, rode many times from Missouri. I have also ridden all the way with central and all the way with Midway twice now. I love what the rftw stands for. Now for the bad and I mean this in Love, just expressing my feeling about the future of rftw. Three years ago, while going all the way on central, I have never experience so much negative towards Midway route and so much negative comments about them going to 11 days instead of 10. I personally didn’t think I would like it either, but after riding all the way with Midway last Year, I do like it. The very people that said we shouldn’t be changing from 10 to 11 are the very people that are totally changing a route that possibly some involved in the decision, have never ridden. I also was treated in a disrespectful way on central route that caused me to decide to not ever ride on central again, again I’m trying to say this in love to help not hurt the rftw. Some of the things that I saw, in ways took all the fun out of the mission. I know it is a mission not a vacation, but the mission can continue and be fun also. I know there are rules and things that have to be done, and I totally respect that. It’s not a party; therefore, the main leadership might want to cut back on the partying at night and maybe not show up in the mornings smelling strongly of alcohol to lead us across the country. I have nothing against someone relaxing and having a few, but the public sees overindulging also and that doesn’t represent the mission well. Now one other thing is the fact that central won’t change because of rainelle and I understand that. I have been there even when they were in the old school building and some of the small children that I met back then are now teachers but last year at Wilson elementary, on the Midway Route, was just as moving and emotional as Rainelle to me and I’m sure many others and many other stops. I’m an Army veteran of 28 years and I have friends on the mecw also but, to take away from what the midway has spent 10 years building is a hard thing to take. I will not post anything negative about rftw on public fb, that’s why I’m here. Some people might only want to go to the middle east conflict wall and can do that now already. You say the numbers are going down, that might be true, but I don’t believe the number of patriots and veterans that ride is going down. I do believe there are fewer people wanting to ride with the rftw but are still riding. Rftw is not the only veteran-based ride that crosses the country to Dc. The National Veterans Awareness Organization also does a 13-day ride from I believe Sacramento to Dc, stopping at veterans’ homes and schools all across the country, I haven’t ridden with them but have heard that they have hundreds of bikes. There are also small groups that ride to the wall. Maybe instead of trying to kill something that means so much to so many people, schools, children’s homes AND the Midway riders, we should relook at making the rftw something that so many of the riders choosing not to go with the rftw will want to ride with us. Leave no one behind we say but I saw Central leave an entire family behind because they would not go back a few miles a pick someone up that got stranded beside the road and the standard was not even talked about what do if you break down beside the road that morning or hardly any morning because he was too busy trying to be a first Sargent in basic training and wasn’t even ever in the military, very bad attitude. I talked to those people later and tried to convince them that rftw is a great thing, but they are fully convinced that rftw is horrible and will never support it again or tell anyone anything good about it. Yes, I put this in the AAR not on fb. Again, I say none of these things to hurt any part of rftw and only to bring light to how I see some things. I have been doing this mission for a long time and am now 59 years old and up to this point, I have said I will continue to do this ride until I am 80 years old and then I will look at retiring from it, but seeing the way things are going I’m not sure the rftw will still be going, I’m confident it can be, but the change needs to take place in some of the Leadership, sorry I don’t mean to offend anyone but that’s how I see things. I love you guys and gals; brothers and sisters and I love the rftw and may God bless each and every one of you, but we can’t be pushing people away, we need to be bringing them in. It’s my way or the highway doesn’t work in this kind of a thing, we all volunteer to do this, why volunteer and be treated bad? People can get to each wall, other ways and will, if it comes down to that. I understand the BOD is looking at the future but I’m not sure their lenses are clear at this point. Just my opinion but I truly believe doing this drastic of a change to midway route is not the correct decision. I believe if we want to attract more riders, we can, but we won’t be by making changes like this in the way that it was done. I will continue to support the rftw and will continue to pray for the leadership and for success of the run, even with the change that was made. If I have offended anyone, that is not my goal, but I do hope I have challenged some of you all’s thoughts and beliefs on what to do now and in the future. If you are part of making this decision and have never ridden the midway route, I challenge you to go on Midway and talk to those little children at Wilson elementary and all the other stops and tell them why we won’t be back. It’s not too late. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.