How do american soldiers really feel about the war??

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

My wife usualy posts on these boards, this is my first time on here. And no I am not a veteran. I am a federal correctional officer in the penitentiary, so i hope this is not a ploy to attack me, because I dedicate my life to american's safety every day.

Rock on. I was just establishing a baseline.

[nunyab 0]

I have served for in the Army Reserves 11 yrs called up all over the world... my father did his time, uncles in vietnam, my grandparents in WWII, and their parents.. we have all been in every war back to the Battle of Bull Run. Am I proud? Of course I have lost a large portion of my hearing many nights waking in a cold sweat and fearful of loud noises to my "time" and being that I was in MI at the TOC have first hand knowledge of what our men do say feel.. as I was right there. This can never be debated in a forum like this. I appreciate all the concerns but really it is a very difficult topic to tackle, when we are "abroad" we have a new family our brothers and sisters we work along side of we have our mission to fulfill and our families back home. Many different forces pull at a soilder.... just my 2 cents. When it comes down to it though we need to support our men and women in uniform and their families at all costs....

[Thai family 0]

How do you know the soldiers are posting these videos? They could very well have been posted by our friend Osama Bin Laden in order to undermine morale, which is a powerful weapon, benefitting the terrorists' agenda to destroy civilization as we know it (read: 9/11, plus multiple incidents worldwide over a period of decades). Such videos also encourage brutal dictators, who are empowered by cowardice. Honorable and intelligent soldiers do not post such videos, as they know more people will eventually die because of them.

Please thank our men and women in uniform and veterans for serving. It is much harder on them and their families when everyone is telling them their mission was not worth it. It is so easy to sit in computer chairs and gripe. Study the history of al Qeda in depth instead.

There are a fair amount of military families on VJ. Please show them the respect they deserve.

[Welshcookie 17]

How do you know the soldiers are posting these videos? They could very well have been posted by our friend Osama Bin Laden in order to undermine morale, which is a powerful weapon, benefitting the terrorists' agenda to destroy civilization as we know it (read: 9/11, plus multiple incidents worldwide over a period of decades). Such videos also encourage brutal dictators, who are empowered by cowardice. Honorable and intelligent soldiers do not post such videos, as they know more people will eventually die because of them.

Please thank our men and women in uniform and veterans for serving. It is much harder on them and their families when everyone is telling them their mission was not worth it. It is so easy to sit in computer chairs and gripe. Study the history of al Qeda in depth instead.

There are a fair amount of military families on VJ. Please show them the respect they deserve.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I disagree with the war in Iraq - however I disagree even more with "moral objectors" fleeing to Canada when its a volunteer army. There is no requirement to sign up and when Uncle Sam calls for his pound of flesh, it should be given - reasons for the war or not.

I have to agree - its not like Vietnam where you had the draft and essentially no choice to serve.

[HAL 9000 96]

Strange to say that I agree with our typical neo-con posters on this one:

If they enlisted after 2003, they should have assumed that they'd see combat at some point. If they developed a conscience in the interim, great... but they did agree to follow orders, as insane and ridiculous as they are.

Now as for the illegality of the orders, there is room to challenge there, however improbable that they be granted an audience in that instance.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Anyone who wishes to join a branch of the military and thinks they'll never have to engage in battle should seriously look at another line of work. The armed forces exist for combat (offensive or defensive), so anyone signing up in an all-volunteer military shouldn't be too surprised at one day having to fight.

From what I've heard, being a soldier isn't easy -- the pay is lousy, the food stinks, you're away from your family for long periods of time, there's a strict chain-of-command to follow, and sometimes people are shooting at you! Aside from potential college benefits, the only reason people go into the military is to defend their country. As outlined before, there are far better paying jobs with much better benefits to them, all of which keep you out of an enemy's targeting reticle.

Do our soldiers like this war? I doubt it. Nobody, including soldiers, like war. You'd have to be insane to like or enjoy war. But that doesn't mean they necessarily feel what they're doing is "wrong" either. Sometimes doing the "right thing" isn't always something you particularly like, want or care for at the time. Soldiers are often presented with this situation in wartime and must learn to deal with it.

[morocco4ever 63]

It really is a shame that these wonderful soldier can't trust the government to send them into a war based on fact rather than lies.

[nana_356 0]

It really is a shame that these wonderful soldier can't trust the government to send them into a war based on fact rather than lies.

That is all my husband was saying, but it seems that whome ever is not in the militiary cannot address these issues.

[DeadPoolX 9]

It really is a shame that these wonderful soldier can't trust the government to send them into a war based on fact rather than lies.

To be perfectly fair, the American people (including the rank-and-file soldier) has never been privy to the entire truth during wartime. Even during so-called "good wars," such as World War I and World War II, most information was considered classified and whatever the public got was censored.

Our romanticized notions of WWII (for instance) are generally due to old patriotic movies, recruitment posters and propaganda reels. If television and the Internet had been around then, presenting news coverage on a live minute-to-minute basis, I have a feeling people wouldn't have been nearly as supportive of the war. It may be difficult to imagine, but in some WWII battles, American losses totaled as much as every soldier who has died so far in the War in Iraq. So I find it hard to believe that Americans "back home" would've been quite as gung-go about the situation, had they known the whole truth back then as well.

[Thai family 0]

Would we be speaking German or Japanese? How many more thousands of people would have died if we hadn't given our all? War is awful, but sometimes the alternatives are worse. If Chamberlain hadn't been so squishy, a lot of suffering could have been prevented.

[Cassie 8]

Would we be speaking German or Japanese? How many more thousands of people would have died if we hadn't given our all? War is awful, but sometimes the alternatives are worse. If Chamberlain hadn't been so squishy, a lot of suffering could have been prevented.

*biting tongue*

[HAL 9000 96]

Would we be speaking German or Japanese? How many more thousands of people would have died if we hadn't given our all? War is awful, but sometimes the alternatives are worse. If Chamberlain hadn't been so squishy, a lot of suffering could have been prevented.

*biting tongue*

konichiwa, Cassie-chan!

[kalapino 0]

Ok,

so if you are going to defend this Iraq war I assume you are brave enough to run over to the recruiters office and enlist. If you are not willing to do that than you have absolutely no right defending this colonization of the middle east.

secondly, most kids join the military at 18. what did you do when you were 18? did you always make the right choices? did you know what you were getting yourself into?

third, questioning the wisdom of our leaders is the right and resposibilty of a prudent citizen. following them blindly is promoting tryanny.

and final - putting a stupid yellow magnet on your car is not really supporting anyone, except the person you bought the stupid ribbon from in the first place.

if you really want to support and respect the soldiers, don't send them on a stupid quest thousands of miles from home to die for ####### cheneys bank account.

yes, i am a vet and a federal employee.

don't be stupid

[SaadBell 0]

Ok,

so if you are going to defend this Iraq war I assume you are brave enough to run over to the recruiters office and enlist. If you are not willing to do that than you have absolutely no right defending this colonization of the middle east.

secondly, most kids join the military at 18. what did you do when you were 18? did you always make the right choices? did you know what you were getting yourself into?

third, questioning the wisdom of our leaders is the right and resposibilty of a prudent citizen. following them blindly is promoting tryanny.

and final - putting a stupid yellow magnet on your car is not really supporting anyone, except the person you bought the stupid ribbon from in the first place.

if you really want to support and respect the soldiers, don't send them on a stupid quest thousands of miles from home to die for ####### cheneys bank account.

yes, i am a vet and a federal employee.

Wow a voice of reason