A Letter From The Troops

[Sapphire Blue]

A Letter From The Troops
By James Zogby, TomPaine.com. Posted March 1, 2006.

In wars of America's century just past, we have sent our soldiers to far-off fields of battle and were left to wonder about their opinions of the life-and-death conflicts in which they were involved.

Letters home, and more recently telephone calls and emails, would give us a peek into their states of mind. Some who returned would regale friends and family with tales from the front lines.

Times have now changed. A first-ever survey of U.S. troops on the ground fighting in Iraq was released February 28, 2006. The findings are surprising, particularly the fact that an overwhelming majority of 72 percent of American troops in Iraq think the U.S. should exit the country within the next year. Further, the new Le Moyne College/Zogby International survey shows that more than one in four (29 percent) thought the U.S. should pull its troops immediately.

(snip)

The survey included 944 military respondents interviewed at several undisclosed locations throughout Iraq. The names of the specific locations and specific personnel who conducted the survey are being withheld for security purposes. Surveys were conducted face-to-face using random sampling techniques. The margin of error for the survey, conducted Jan. 18 through Feb. 14, 2006, is +/- 3.3 percentage points.

In other words, the poll is a sound, scientific measurement of what is going through the minds of our front-line warriors. It's no letter home, but it's still good to hear from them.

http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/32950/

[cdsilv]

1. I remember watching the fall of Saigon as a teenager.....

...I predict we'll be watching the 'fall of Baghdad' before November of this year.

Damn shame we had to kill our young for Bush to prove he has big balls.

My neighbors, Naval Air Training Center instructors have been told they are headed for Iraq May first. These guys are trainers (teachers), and techies and they are being sent to work in 'Fort Suzie' (my translation), which will be holding the prisoners from Abu Ghraib, which is to be closed.

I don't know if they're going to be MP's or what - I don't think they're trained for it.

Damn shame. Bush should be drawn and quartered in Iraq by speeding camels...

[AwakeAtLast]

2. I agree. My husband should be out in May and that is not soon enough!

I have posted this many times: many in his unit are getting out becuause of this.
People with 10-15 years of experience and could retire with full benefits are still
getting out. If they are already thinking about it now, how can they really support
their mission? I think most of them are biding their time and trying to stay alive,
and not much more.

[w8liftinglady]

4. I will pray for him (and you)...

:hug:

[AwakeAtLast]

5. Thanks so much!

This has been the longest year of my life, to say the least. Right now
I am counting down to his 15 day leave. He should be here on the 14th!!!

Needless to say I can't think of much else right now, LOL!

It's great to have support here on DU! :pals:

[w8liftinglady]

3. I know-they did that to my kid

trained as a mechanic-went to fallujah for 2 weeks to do something he will only descibe as "awful and intense."No wonder 1 in 3 soldiers are being treated for ptsd.