"I'd like to punch Rumsfeld in the Gut" Digusted Extended NCO in Iraq

[RamboLiberal]

This is about that Stryker Brigade Unit and their families from Alaska that was scheduled to come home but was extended to Baghdad indefinitely. Snippets from page 2 and 3.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14757928/site/newsweek/

The Stryker teams are supposed to hold the line. They spend their days searching bad neighborhoods for weapons and evidence of death-squad activities. But Baghdad, like much of Iraq, is suffering from "whack-a-mole" syndrome. The militias keep popping up elsewhere. "With two Stryker brigades, one on the east side, one on the west side, we could secure Baghdad," says a 172nd officer, who asks not to be named disputing Coalition strategy. Even then, he adds, it would take more than four months to finish the job. As things stand, many 4-23 members say the sweeps are no more than a temporary fix. Some argue that the aim is only to make Iraq look good before the Nov. 7 U.S. elections—"fighting for the House of Representatives," as Sgt. Brian Patton describes it.

Meanwhile, families are falling apart. Back in Alaska, one 4-23 wife has a suicidal child in the hospital; another suffered an ectopic pregnancy and had to beg her husband's commander to let him come home to care for her. Another wife attempted suicide. Her husband was sent home, but his career, the other wives say, is over. Gossip is running wild: who drinks too much, who has a compulsive-gambling problem, whose kids are left untended.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld got a taste of this rage and frustration in August when he met with family members of the 172nd at Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks, Alaska. In a video of the meeting obtained by NEWSWEEK, one woman asked him why the 172nd was spending most of its time clearing houses, instead of patrolling the streets in the relative safety of the big armored vehicles. "My husband hasn't set foot in his Stryker since he arrived in Baghdad," she said. "Over 90 percent of the house clearings are being handled by the Iraqis," Rumsfeld responded, whereupon women in the audience began shouting "No!" and "That's not true!" Flummoxed, Rumsfeld shot back, "No? What do you mean? Don't say 'No,' that's what I've been told. It's the task of the Iraqis to go through the buildings."

The 4-23's soldiers say they, not the Iraqis, do 95 percent of the searches. "I'd like to punch in the gut," says one seasoned NCO on his second Iraq tour. "He treats us like we're not human. He acts like he's not destroying families."

[Solly Mack]

1. I have such utter contempt for Rumsfeld

[FightingIrish]

2. For one, the extension was a death sentence.

Staff Sergeant Eugene Alex of the 172nd Stryker Brigade died in Landstuhl, Germany on September 2, from small arms fire wounds, no doubt received on foot patrol and not in the safety of his armored vehicle. Bastards

[genie_weenie]

3. Sorry. America doesn't care.

After you watch this, you're gonna go get your popcorn out of the microwave and talk about what I said, and you'll forget me by the end of this. Sgt Beatty, Gunner Palace

[genie_weenie]

5. kick

Too bad this thread is vying against the Path to 9/11...

[JohnyCanuck]

4. And then kick him in the nuts. n/t

[hvn_nbr_2]

7. I'd replace "kick...in" with "hang...by" nt

[Joey Liberal]

6. Most of the 172 probably voted for Bush

They are just getting what they voted for.

[struggle4progress]

10. Have any evidence for that assertion?

[roguevalley]

11. EXCUSE ME. YOU assume that they voted for Bush. On what

evidence? I suppose there are entire professions that you look at that you make the same assumption. These people are suffering because nutwads are in charge of a great professional army that they never
were a part of and could NEVER understand. They are dying, suffering and their families are too. I cannot express here the anger in Alaska over this. They GETTING WHAT THEY VOTED FOR!?!?!?!? For god sake.

[Joey Liberal]

15. Sad, but true

They GETTING WHAT THEY VOTED FOR!?!?!?!?

[newspeak]

20. do we really know who the military voted for this last time

the last time I heard, we were still trying to get the numbers. My daughters in the military and I take insult that someone would think she'd lockstep to these sociopathic greedheads. I sure didn't see the neo-cons doing front page ads on how the military was supporting them.

[Joey Liberal]

28. You are easily insulted

My daughters in the military and I take insult that someone would think she'd lockstep to these sociopathic greedheads.
===============
You can take comfort in the fact that your daughter is serving with, and being led by, lot's of right wingers. If that's insulting, then call Dr. Phil.

[roguevalley]

26. Gosh, I wish I was omnipotent like you so that I coudl KNOW everything

everyone I didn't know thought and did. Must be nice to be god.

[Joey Liberal]

27. Thanks!

Must be nice to be god.
--------------
Nah, I'm just Joey Liberal, but thanks for asking!

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

12. Thank you for your concern. I'll pass it along to my friend in the 172nd.

Oh and for the record, he's never voted Republican in his life. Like many of our soldiers today, he signed up for the army because he needed the money. He graduated college and couldn't find a job that paid enough to live off of and pay back his student loans. That is why he's in the army and thus in Iraq.

He never voted for this shit.

[magellan]

13. Handsome guy

I'm sorry your friend and the others are being screwed by BushCo, desperately sorry. I don't personally know anyone in Iraq, but the son of a British friend of ours is flying Hercs in Afghanistan. The welfare of them all is always on my mind. Would that every last one could come home safe and sound, the sooner the better.

As for Rummy, he lies as badly as the rest of them do. I don't like to use this word but I'm coming around to it -- he's EVIL for arguing with a soldier's wife about what her husband is really doing over there. She knows the truth and so does this rotten cabal!!

[Joey Liberal]

14. The military vote helped to re-elect Bush

That's my point here. I work for the military. You want to see shit loads of cars with "W" stickers? Just go on the nearest military installation.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

21. You know what? Fuck you, Joey Liberal.

Not all of them voted for Bush and more and more of them are turning against Bush by the day. And to think that someone, who is stuck in a situation where they might lose their life for no real purpose, deserves what they get...well, that just takes a SICK person.

You work for the military? Wow, I guess you must be a Republican and deserve bad crap to happen to you. Oh wait, that's a really stupid heartless thing to say? Hmm...yeah, it is. It's disgusting that you feel that way.

[Joey Liberal]

22. Chill out haruka

I'm no republican. I'm just saying that the military votes republican. So get life. I didn't know you were so hateful.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

24. Alright, everybody calm down.

Let's agree to compromise.

The ones that voted for Bush get what they've got coming.

The ones that didn't vote for Bush are shit out of luck.

[Joey Liberal]

25. That's fair

Let me give you an example of the right wing culture in the military; on the military installation where I work, all TV's in waiting rooms are set on one channel - Fox News. Most of the military retirees are republicans too. That's just the way it is.

[BreweryYardRat]

19. Christ Almighty.

Fuck you.

People can change a lot in a short time, man. I used to be a Repub. That allegiance went out the window over the course of late 2003-July 2004. For you to say they deserved it just because they POSSIBLY voted for Spanky McFucksock, not even considering that they might have been misled into making a mistake, is loathsome, obscene, and strikes me as, well...

*smashes alert button*

[Joey Liberal]

23. Back at ya:)...........

[cassiepriam]

8. The biggest Bush supporters seem to be the hardest hit?

One by one, the military, the south, older people with Medicare and social security being targeted. Etc.

[sandnsea]

9. Can we help these families?

I live in bumfuck nowhere and I know people have an enormous amount on their plates with Katrina and elections and the environment and all - but is there any way we can get some support to these families? I have a feeling that the "compassionate conservatives" aren't exactly what is needed - maybe some old-fashioned non-partisan hand-holding, babysitting, fundraising and what not?? Anybody?

[lebkuchen]

16. Rummy told the families that he wasn't Santa Claus

so couldn't promise that their loved ones would be sent home before XMAS, which would make their extension longer than 4 months.

Note that Rummy et al expect Americans to be their Santa Claus, considering the billions taxpayers have doled out to these welfare thugs.

[BrotherBuzz]

17. Welcome to the real world, Sarge...

This dumb draftee wised up to Rummy's ways when he said that draftees added "no value, no advantage, really, to the United States Armed Services over any sustained period of time."

[warrens]

18. Charge a buck a punch

Wipe out the entire national debt in a day or two.