It is true alot of us can not relate to the heartache, so many are feeling, I do believe there are time many do forget, we tend to get busy with everyday things in life, but it is time for so many to wake up and see that the men and women who have served and are serving and will serve are making it possible for us to live our lives FREE.

NMGrolnic you hit the nail on the head.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But unless you listen to the Flag Officers; nothing will happen. Remember it's elected officials that authorize their promotions. Listen to Commanders, not emotions, or politions reading opinion polls about a majority that trully doesn't understand. By the way, as for the comment about McCain; I beleive he spent 7 as a POW. I think he understands.

My son is currently serving in the Army.  This is not easy, the wondering, worrying and so on.  Words can not describe how we at home feel.  Fortunately, I do have a strong Faith and this alone is sustaining me, the caring and compassion from others is as well.  Others just don't understand this unless they live it daily.  Something just has to give in this world, it is a mess... I support our troops 100%, however, I do Not Understand what on earth goes on in the Political Arena & Washington, there must be a solution other than this ongoing mess.  I realize that this world today is a dangerous place, I am not that naive, but for crying out loud.  If I am not mistaken Senator Obama has said why not sit down and try to work through this.  That would be a start.  Excuse me if this is a tad hard to read, this mother is exhausted and it is very late.  My prayers go out for all in this unfortunate situation as well as the recent victims of these disasters that appear to be happening more frequently.  What a mess worldwide...

The Air Force has now increased their deployments to 15 month minimums. I miss my husband. Our daughters miss their daddy. I know this is what he has to do...but it doesn't make it easier.

My first trip was 17 months, my second was only 7 months, There is a huge difference in the stress level. The army is trying to change but in a business that has around 1 million employees (just green suits) it takes a long time. It will come around. To my brothers and sisters downrange, Keep your head on a swivel and come home safe. To the rest of you, please support our troops. You may not know them but they are someone's son or daughter, brother or sister, mother or father. They sacrifice their family life that you may have yours.

My Husband is deployed to Iraq and Yes I take offence to what I hear alot of people say. They are there to do their Jobs just like bill collectors,reatil,fast food and everyone else. I put those people there cause I have heard alot of them get killed doing their jobs. I want my husband home but not at the cost of innocent lives.My husband says if they come home, the terror will come with them. Yes we are all passed stress but we honor our country...USA... and we understand the sacrifice.

I agree with James, the first time my husband deployed he mentioned that they take all of their equipment with them. I asked, "why not just leave it there for the next people? wouldn't that save time and money?" Of, course it would he said but that was just the Army way of doing things. He did a year, then was home but constantly in the field for three weeks at a time. NTC, 12 hours days, it was almost worse than when he was gone, like he was home but I couldn't have him. Now he is about 12 months into his 15 month deployment. Can't wait to put my arms around him again. Thanks for your comments James.

These soldiers have voluntarily enlisted in the military.  The country has spent a lot of money training them to do exactly what they are doing.  I’m sure it is difficult to be away from family but these are the crosses they voluntarily took on.  The military has never been a social program, they train you to shoot and get shot at.  We all complain about how bad we have it but in reality we wouldn’t have it any other way or we would change it.
Justa thought

How long has the war been going on and they are just NOW realizing this? If the govt would have given a second thought to the soldiers welfare, and that of their families beforehand, maybe some of those suicides would've been prevented. I am the proud wife of an army soldier who has been deployed 3 times to the middle east. He has always gone without question or complaint, but I think the government needs to step up and take care of our soldiers and their families a little bit better.

Military job specialty also makes a HUGE difference in stress. 15 months away from your family living on a hot base as a finance clerk or mechanic is not the same as 15 months away from your family picking up your brother's body parts and killing men as infantry or other combat arms. Fought for 27 months in Iraq and I would have given my right eye for the cushy conditions some troops enjoyed.

i am currently seving in iraq 7 more months to go out of 15, ler me tell it really does suck, this is no place to spend 15 months, i have a 6 month old son back home, that will tell you i have been here since he was born. so until you have been here or plan on being here, keep ur opinions to your self

i am currently seving in iraq 7 more months to go out of 15, ler me tell it really does suck, this is no place to spend 15 months, i have a 6 month old son back home, that will tell you i have been here since he was born. so until you have been here or plan on being here, keep ur opinions to your self

I am proud of our soldiers- I too served 22 years in the military as active duty and reservist- its  voluntary- and thank God we have people stepping up to the plate, this is what soldiers do- combat.  This being said 15 months is too long.  As far as McCain, I'm a Dem, but I'm proud that McCain served his country.  He was a POW in a conflict that made no sense.  I would dispute being in Iraq any lnoger than we need to (the time is now to get out) but he does understand what the trooops go thru and he understands what a sacrifice it is.  

God Bless the troops! But you have to remember also that these men and woman where not drafted into the army, they enlisted on there own free will. Its a job just like everything else and when this country needs protecting then they are put to work. The men and woman that make it are the ones you want protecting this country. Be proud of that.
If you can't handle your job then find another one and quite your whinning.

I'll tell you what a long tour is, "Duration plus six months" I think the Nips were as touch an opponent as the Islam bastards

Well, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that war is stressful.  Just because we are proud Americans and want to be supportive of our troops doesn't mean that what they are going through shouldn't effect us.  Those that are over there are soldiers, they did sign up for this.  However, they are human beings.  They are husbands, sons, brothers, fathers, mothers, sisters, daughters, wives.  They have families that they care about and that care about them.  They are missed. They are worried about.  They are loved.  If you have anyone you care about in this world, you can see how the people who care about these soldiers want them home.  Safe.  Alive.

These soldiers aren't just doing 12 months & 15 months.  Some are doing even more.  My fiance went for a 12 month and did 18 months instead.  It happens.  He was home 6 months and is already back for another year...maybe...maybe more.  And this is Round 3.  He is over there for all of us here.  He is human.  He is tired.  He would like to come back back home and see his children...spend a birthday...a Christmas...a Father's Day.  He doesn't complain.  He just does it.  But, we love him, and wish more for him.  All we seem to do is wake up every morning and pray.  That is not being weak...its human.  Try it sometime.

The above post about having a logistical footprint in theater is spot on. After 18 months in county there is no reason the Army should not be able to rotate people in and out with equipment staying in county and be replenished as needed.  Moreover, I agree with the above posters that tours need to be shortened. IMO tours should not exceed 6 to 9 months. Unlike many civilians that need an inordinate amount of time to adapt to new jobs/environments, military personnel are accustomed to hitting the ground running.

My husband is currently in Qatar serving now 6 months of his 18 month tour. We have 3 children aged 10,6 and 2. My 2 year old adores his father, a typical boy he likes to jump and run and wrestle. Well, his father is his world and for the first two weeks after my husband deployed my baby would look at our family portrait and asked with his hands up and a shoulders hunched, "where daddy go?" It broke my heart because he wasn't really verbal the first time he noticed my husbands absence. But he knew enough of the english language to convey to me, he missed his Dad and he knew he had been gone a while.

Now, he won't even talk to my husband on the phone, he shouts and cries when I try to hand him the receiver during my husband 15 minute restrictive calls. We all try to say as much as possible to him within the 4.5 minutes we each divide between ourselves. My 10 year old has grown so much in the past 6 months that it is unfair to him as a child. He has taken on the responsibility of the man in the house. I never demanded this or expected this of him, he just made up his mind and it is so amazing to see that type of growth in a child that only really paid attention to books, cartoons, and gaming systems before. My 6 year old daughter, croons to her dad whenever he is on the phone. Typical daddies girl, she misses jumping on his strong back and shoulders and being able to ride all around. She says "Daddy, I miss you so much, will you be home for my birthday?" and he says, "no baby, but I will try to send you something and call you on your special day." She says, " Oh, daddy! I really do want you to call me, I miss you so much, it would make me so happy to hear your voice on my birthday!" I think to myself, "she's 6?" Me on the other hand I have to be two parents, I was never meant to be two parents so I find the job a very difficult challenge, I am typically soft spoken and attentive, a very nuturing mother. But of late, I have been yelling and short with my children, I don't want to be but six months alone with 3 children is a stressful as can be. Not to mention my husband could be killed and I am stuck at this single parent job for life. As a woman I need my husbands support and love. It is not normal or practical to say pull up the straps on your boots and dig in, you are strong this wont last forever. Bull crap. I am human, I miss the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and this is your advice? Yeah, the argument of this is a volunteer Army and young people today are babies and when I served in WWII or Vietnam we didn't have all of these amenities. Bullcrap. What does that have to do with anything?
What has that to do with the current situation? What does that have to do with families in this generation? Huh? Hypocrities all of them. They want to pretend like they didn't complain when their toes were frozen off in WWII or when they were starving or when they had incompetent leadership, like they just took it all an ran, they had to, they probably would have been shot in the head by their own command if they didn't. Vietnam vets had opium and a mileau of narcotics to numb them from the activities. Sex all over the place and yeah, it sucked to watch people get blown to pieces and maimed for nothing. But don't get on any high horses to look down on the current soldiers serving our beautiful America. Different time calls for different soldiers. Soldiers today are much smarter than those of the past, technical field abound in enlisted ranks that would have been reserved for officers. Soldiers are better fit mentally, socially, economically, emotionally than ever before. But I feel the military recognizes this and pushes beyond their limits.
Don't put down a young man or woman serving in Uniform simply because they didn't go through your particular hardships, the times have changed and still will change so a soldier in 2008 will not have the same hardships in 2038 we move forward not back.

18 month tours are the worst idea that an administration has come up with since the draft. 18 months? I have already changed. I am not the same woman my husband left 6 months ago, this has been the hardest and the worst deployment of our 11 years married together. The absolute worst. I miss him until I can hear my heart breaking. But he is a beautiful soldier, he loves his America, his country, he wears that uniform with the pride and honor it deserves. He prays that he will never have to harm or kill another human being but he knows he will not hesitate if there is a choice between his life or theirs. I pray our marraige will last this 18 month tour, but I don't think it will. I can't handle this bull anymore.

I agree with Jorge. How do we win against someone who isn't afraid to die, and are willing to use their own selves as weapons?

This is For Jack War is not Good for children & other living things.

We all need to pray for all our troops, My son is leaving next friday to rejoin his unit in Iraq.this will finish his second time over. They went over last sept and he was hurt when his truck was blown up the first of Nov.by a double stack IED. It tore all the musles and nerves and everything else away from the bone. They had to put 4 anchors in to hold everything in place,and now he has 95% usage of the arm so he is going back.. He lives loves and breaths the Army and I'm very Proud of him. I'm a true Army Mom. I have yellow ribbons on my trees and things on my mail box and a light in my front window,and it will be there untill they All come home. Yes there is a lot of stress and our men and women dont get the time off they need to come apart form it before they come apart.Their mental welfare should come in to play some where. When 911 happened  the troops at Ft Lee Va
went to the pentagon to recover bodies, my son was part of that job. When it was finished the troops should have had some couseling but it was not offered. They need it also when they come back form combat. I feel that they are not being taken care of they way they should be. They see a lot and have to do a lot .they need a better surport system. Please keep them in your prayers daily   Thank you

thanks to everyone who has ever served in the united states fine military, and may god bless you and keep you safe.  

thanks to everyone who has ever served in the united states fine military, and may god bless you and keep you safe.  

john mccain  was a prisioner of war for god sakes!!!

what are you guys talkin about he doesnt know what the tropps are going through?

Dear Silicon Valley Engineer: Why don't you take yourself back to whatever Al-Qaida hole you crawled out of? If you don't like OUR country and Our government, then please exercise the right to LEAVE.
Like so many others, I have spent 19 years and two wars in the US Army. I am not from TX, or any other PODUNK state, nor am I religeous. Hell, I'm not even a guy. But I am an American soldier, and while I agree that my 15 months in Iraq was a lifetime, I would never trade my time in service to my country for all the terrorist money that you have behind you.

Our son has been in Iraq since 11-28-07, he joined the Army in March 07. He was told he would be on a 15 month tour, then told us they shortened it to 12 months. Now they have changed it back to 15 months. He gets on the web cam and talks to us, I cried the first time I saw him because I am his Mother, I can see the tiredness and stress on his face. We miss him as do many families. God Bless all the soldiers and their families, may he comfort us all. He will be coming home for a 17 day break in Nov (if they do not change it again). We know there are soldiers out there with no one and if I knew who they were I would sign them up for Soldier's Angels. This group checks to make sure there is really a soldier and they are very well cared for with letters and goodies they may never otherwise get.

Our son has been in Iraq since 11-28-07, he joined the Army in March 07. He was told he would be on a 15 month tour, then told us they shortened it to 12 months. Now they have changed it back to 15 months. He gets on the web cam and talks to us, I cried the first time I saw him because I am his Mother, I can see the tiredness and stress on his face. We miss him as do many families. God Bless all the soldiers and their families, may he comfort us all. He will be coming home for a 17 day break in Nov (if they do not change it again). We know there are soldiers out there with no one and if I knew who they were I would sign them up for Soldier's Angels. This group checks to make sure there is really a soldier and they are very well cared for with letters and goodies they may never otherwise get.

Our son has been in Iraq since 11-28-07, he joined the Army in March 07. He was told he would be on a 15 month tour, then told us they shortened it to 12 months. Now they have changed it back to 15 months. He gets on the web cam and talks to us, I cried the first time I saw him because I am his Mother, I can see the tiredness and stress on his face. We miss him as do many other families miss their child in the service. God Bless all the soldiers and their families, may he comfort us all. Our son will be coming home for a 17 day break in Nov (if they do not change it again). We know there are soldiers out there with no one and if I knew who they were I would sign them up for Soldier's Angels. This group checks to make sure there is really a soldier and they are very well cared for with letters and goodies they may never otherwise get. I cannot wait until we get our family group hug once again...I miss him so much.

Quit whinning people.
There are a few factor that sorteh the lenght of wsr.
Death
Destrusction
Heartbreak
and grief
If you eliminate those then war becomes easy comfortable and a thing that no longer needs to be avoided. My father fought in the Marine Corps during WWII and Korea. In WWII he was deployed for 3 and a half years. In Korea For 28 months sure he got RR but he did not come home. For a week of RR by the time he got half way home he would need to return to report. I did 3 tours of Nam first 12 months second 18 third 10. War is not fun and it should not be. Video games weekly morale calls semi-reliable mail Ims and cell phones. Crap does anyone remember WWII korea or Nam. Quit pissin and start killin.

From the bottom of my heart, a huge thank you to the men and women who serve (and have served) our country. I'm grateful that you and your families are willing to sacrifice so much for this country. Please know that you are constantly in my prayers. God Bless you and keep you safe.

I would first like to start out by saying I spent 13 months in Afghanistan and 16 months in Iraq with the 34th Infantry Division, Iowa National Guard. I am a weekend warrior who will be honored to serve as many tours as neccessary to give the Iraqi and Afghan people a better life. I agree that if you have never served in combat you have no idea what goes on and yes long tours are terrible and now that troop levels are dropping so are deployment lenghts (this is war). I would also like to state that the national guard is over strength in many states and has to turn away men and women who would like to deploy for a second and third time.

I support America, I suport our military men. I was raised a "Marine brat", married my husband who was in the Air Force and have an Army son in Iraq for the 3rd time. Difference? None. My Dad went to Vietnam 3 times while I was young and thankfully came home every time. Came home but a little more remote feeling each time. Maybe it was just because we were young and he was gone sooo long. My son has a 2 year old son now. His wife is also in the Army on her 1st tour. They've een seperate by deployments or training more than they've been together their married life. Result, they are devorcing when they rotate back home. I have their son with us. He is the casulty of this. He has been with me and my husband more than his parents. That was the kids choice and they will have to live with it. But I do agree that the long deployments and all the training they go thru when they are home is not helping to keep the families together and that's wrong. The soldiers may be home but they are never with their families long enough to mend anything.

To Amy Anderson: Yes, we joined. Yes, we raised our hand in a time of war, knowing very well that it could cost us our lives, and yes, we joined knowing the toll that it would take on our personal lives. BUT, I tell you this, knowing what the toll is does not prepare you for the toll that it takes on you and your family. As many have said on here, unless you have gone through it, sit back in your comfortable chair and shut your mouth. We have earned the right to complain, even if we chose the life.
To Network Engineer in Silicon Valley: You can say what you want about the military, many men and women have fought and died to give you that very right, and many more stand in harms way protecting you and your rights EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR!!!! Remember that as you say "Do not support our troops". It is our sense of honor and duty that prevent us from succumbing to such weakness as "deserting our posts". Real soldiers stand ready all the time and DO NOT and WILL NOT desert their posts, for if they were to do just that, then it would open the door for every extremist, terrorist and enemies of the country to come in and kill everyone you know, including yourself. So remember the sacrifices of those who have served, are serving and will serve in the future before you decide to open your mouth and spout ignorant jibberish.

My wish is for people like "Network Engineer in Silicon Valley" to work on their perspective.  I understand Network Engineer's argument for separation of church and state, but by calling our service men and women "idiots" and telling people not to support the troops, he's taking a perfectly valid point and poisoning it with his negativity.  There are too many Americans who are overly eager to point fingers and play blame-games... Rosie O'Donnell... but in all honesty, as long as people continue to create this type of useless noise, we're NEVER going to pull ourselves out of the rut we've dug ourselves into.  YES this war is bull, YES the economy sucks, YES this election is a joke because there's NO ONE to vote for... but if half the country would stop complaining and start being PROACTIVE we could actually get something accomplished!!  Imagine what we could do if EVERYONE started looking at the big picture and not only what they want to see?!  Gosh... we might even be able to fix our broken system and avoid situations like this in the first place!  

Dad of a Soldier Son.

We teach our kids as much as we can to prepare them for life. Little things really.  "Stand up son, do what's right son, protect those around you."
There is a little blur of school, baseball and birthdays and my son has arrived at the threshold of manhood. He tells me that he has joined the Army. The first tour goes pretty well, your hopes that he will not have to see anything horrible seems to have been realized. Afghanistan was not so bad. I get used to the fact that after protecting him and clearing the rocks from his path all his life, I am no longer allowed this role. He protects his fellow soldiers now, and they protect him.

A second enlistment, a second tour, this time Bagdad.   His little family struggles with his deployments, and things change. I hear little bits of what is happening, an IED, snipers, a fellow soldier's death. Daily patrols with a squad,  driving relentlessly down hot streets. I pray for his safety and tell myself that if there was any way to help him shoulder the burden, take the pain, absorb the danger I would.  He sounds a little different on the phone. More man now, with parts of him that I cannot see.

His family continues to struggle, the light of infidelity glows at home during his absence. My wife and I take his wife and kids into our home to remove some of the pressure, some of the burden from our son so his eyes can clear and he can avoid danger and protect himself and his fellow soldiers. "Step up to the plate" I tell my self, "I am doing the right thing".

His leave comes, I get to see my son. He has lost 40 pounds,  his eyes look a little different. He is afraid of concrete. His wife pops bubble wrap behind his head and bolts upright, looking around for something familiar. I can only imagine that  he seeks his kevlar and M-16. My son has been changed forever and tears fill my eyes.

I hear the door at 6:00 am, I know where he has been. There just isn't enough dirt for him to bury the things that haunt him, so he turns to other things. He pleads with his wife, she yells and yells at him. He has no green zone, no DMZ. He snaps and starts yelling back. I know I need to keep this from escalating so I go downstairs to calm him. It really is not going to be, he looks scared, confused and angry. He takes a first roundhouse swing, glancing off of my forearm.  Here it comes, I have been waiting for this. You see, I did not teach him the words to express what he is feeling lately. He is trying to say something, a left / right combination of fear , anger and helplessness come my way and I decide to absorb his pain. I had prayed that I could take some of his pain, so I step up to the plate and take it all in. The weight of what we are asking him to do is overbearing him, the sand under his feet is shifting, and I am glad to become the wall that he is stumbling against as he tries to keep his balance. I love you son.


Ed from Oroville, Father of a US Army Soldier.

The Vets complain about how hard they had it and how easy the troops have it now. Times have changed, but war is war no matter when it happens. Wether it was 40 years ago or yesterday. It has to be mentally, physically and emotionally tough on everyone. Lets support our troops and stop complaining about how rough you had it 40 years ago. Bring the brave, brave soldiers home already.

I served 3 years in the regular army but saw no combat. My eldest son was in the National Guard but he was lucky enough to get out well before this idiot from Crawford got into the White House. I believe in service to your country, and I do appreciate what these guys in Iraq are going through. I value them enough to feel damned angry that Bush sent them into harm's way for no valid reason. They're not in Iraq defending our country, since Iraq posed no threat to us. They are serving our country, but not defending it or defending our freedom. They're there because "God told Bush to invade Iraq" and he did. And we belittle the idiots who strap bombs to their body and yell "God is great" before they blow themselves to pieces while killing people they don't even know.

Yes, support the troops, and not just by BS talk and waving little flags, but supporting the troops doesn't  mean we have to support this war criminal of a president who sent them to the meat-grinder of Iraq. Nor do we have to support the war. The best way to support our guys is to get them out of that hell-hole and promise never to sacrifice them for the aims of a religious ideologue who is Commander-in-Chief.

John McCain must have gone through his own personal hell as a POW in North Vietnam. I give credit where it's due. But let's keep things in perspective. He was not a war hero who risked his life as a grunt to save some buddies. Those are the real heroes. He flew an airplane that dropped bombs and he got shot down. And his experience as a POW has nothing to do with serving in Iraq where you can get your head disintegrated by a sniper's bullet, or your lower body blown off by a roadside bomb. Let's just remember that, and don't give John "Little Bush" McCain credit he hasn't earned. He speaks glibly of staying there for 100 years, and what sane person who has compassion for our troops would make statements like that?

This was a war America never had to fight, this invasion of Iraq. And McCain supported it from the beginning. There were some 23 US Senators who voted against the Iraq initiative in Congress, and Ted Kennedy spoke for reason (not hysteria) when he said,
"This is the wrong war, at the wrong time." Now the majority of Americans are finally realizing the truth of those words. We should have finished the job in Afghanistan instead of settling a personal vendetta with Saddam Hussein with the hope of getting our own oil spigot that would never be turned off.

I once liked McCain because I thought he was a maverick, but after he supported the war in Iraq and campaigned for Bush in '04, he lost all credibility as  an independent politician. He's just another right-wing political hack, and haven't we had our fill of them in the past 8 years?

John McCain must have gone through his own personal hell as a POW in North Vietnam. I give credit where it's due. But let's keep things in perspective. He was not a war hero who risked his life as a grunt to save some buddies. Those are the real heroes. He flew an airplane that dropped bombs and he got shot down. And his experience as a POW has nothing to do with serving in Iraq where you can get your head disintegrated by a sniper's bullet, or your lower body blown off by a roadside bomb. Let's just remember that, and don't give John "Little Bush" McCain credit he hasn't earned. He speaks glibly of staying there for 100 years, and what sane person who has compassion for our troops would make statements like that?

This was a war America never had to fight, this invasion of Iraq. And McCain supported it from the beginning. There were some 23 US Senators who voted against the Iraq initiative in Congress, and Ted Kennedy spoke for reason (not hysteria) when he said,
"This is the wrong war, at the wrong time." Now the majority of Americans are finally realizing the truth of those words. We should have finished the job in Afghanistan instead of settling a personal vendetta with Saddam Hussein with the hope of getting our own oil spigot that would never be turned off.

I once liked McCain because I thought he was a maverick, but after he supported the war in Iraq and campaigned for Bush in '04, he lost all credibility as  an independent politician. He's just another right-wing political hack, and haven't we had our fill of them in the past 8 years?

I can't begin to understand what Soldiers & their families go thru. BUT I can say that I have been raised to HONOR & RESPECT those who serve in our Country. I can offer my Prayers & I make a point to address a Soldier that I run into that I DEEPLY appreciate the sacrifices He or She makes to maintain the freedoms that we do have. I pray this war ends soon & I pray the people will pray before they vote. Things are so hard, & it helps me to remember what the Lord says, "Look up, my time draws near"..............

I support our troops my fiance has been over there on his four tour in the special forces for 17yrs (full active duty).  His tour is still current going on 15 months without any leave as of yet still pending his orderas on when that may be, very hard to hear the people you care about tired and the lack of other special forces to back up the current ones.  The Army would have less stress on it's units if they went back to 12 month tours limiting the number of consecutive tours one service person has to be required to make 3 or 4 tours are too many for anyone. My hat is off to all the military soldiers and their families.  Bush should learned from his father long ago about how to end a war.  We used our airpower to take control of Desert Storm, that war was truly over in 3 days...Saddam did not want to push us and he knew it then.  He was not the target. And if Saddam did have any nuclear weapons we gave them to him way back to keep a strong hold on Iran if we needed our so called "friend-Saddam" to call on if needed against Iran with those weapons of mass destruction we gave him back in the 80's...this is not new news people go back to Regan years and learn how and what we have given to countries that later turn on us using what we provide them...it's that what Bin Laden did he was one of our informants' gone wrong.  Going back to this war more and more information is coming out and will cont. after Bush is out of office on how this war has gone wrong.  We went straight into Baghdad and did not set up our forces on the outside of the country but announced we were going after Saddam so this gave them the heads up to flee to surrounding countries, then were in the middle of this country and now we are trying to gain control going from the inside out...what the hell kind of strategy is this, uniformed, political, definitely not the way to gain control of a country that is willing to send women & children to bomb our troops.  General Powell told Bush he did not feel we need to go into Iraq at that time our focus and forces needed to be looking for Bin Laden, then when Bush made it clear he was going for Iraq Powell resigned.  Bush felt as if we could gain oil and control of Iraq, for it's oil so that we wouldn't be limited to the Saudi's and so that we could keep a closer eye on Iran.  Doesn't that mean we lost focus on Bin Laden why.  Not to mention were is NATO in all of this, were are the other countries that are over there besides Britain, we are in this fight alone due to the lack of evidence we had on the "Weapons of Mass Destruction".  We have lost the respect of the other countries that felt our losses on 911 and supported us in the beginning of the Iraq war but we have been left thanks to the President holding the chicken as fools.  We need our allies going forward we need to regain their support we can not fight everyone's war we need to send our troops back from Iraq so that they may have a break and start our rotations with Afghanistan's US Troops so that we can weed out the one whom is responsible for 911 after all this was the agenda but has been forgot.  

I support our troops my fiance has been over there on his four tour in the special forces for 17yrs (full active duty).  His tour is still current going on 15 months without any leave as of yet still pending his orderas on when that may be, very hard to hear the people you care about tired and the lack of other special forces to back up the current ones.  The Army would have less stress on it's units if they went back to 12 month tours limiting the number of consecutive tours one service person has to be required to make 3 or 4 tours are too many for anyone. My hat is off to all the military soldiers and their families.  Bush should learned from his father long ago about how to end a war.  We used our airpower to take control of Desert Storm, that war was truly over in 3 days...Saddam did not want to push us and he knew it then.  He was not the target. And if Saddam did have any nuclear weapons we gave them to him way back to keep a strong hold on Iran if we needed our so called "friend-Saddam" to call on if needed against Iran with those weapons of mass destruction we gave him back in the 80's...this is not new news people go back to Regan years and learn how and what we have given to countries that later turn on us using what we provide them...it's that what Bin Laden did he was one of our informants' gone wrong.  Going back to this war more and more information is coming out and will cont. after Bush is out of office on how this war has gone wrong.  We went straight into Baghdad and did not set up our forces on the outside of the country but announced we were going after Saddam so this gave them the heads up to flee to surrounding countries, then were in the middle of this country and now we are trying to gain control going from the inside out...what the hell kind of strategy is this, uniformed, political, definitely not the way to gain control of a country that is willing to send women & children to bomb our troops.  General Powell told Bush he did not feel we need to go into Iraq at that time our focus and forces needed to be looking for Bin Laden, then when Bush made it clear he was going for Iraq Powell resigned.  Bush felt as if we could gain oil and control of Iraq, for it's oil so that we wouldn't be limited to the Saudi's and so that we could keep a closer eye on Iran.  Doesn't that mean we lost focus on Bin Laden why.  Not to mention were is NATO in all of this, were are the other countries that are over there besides Britain, we are in this fight alone due to the lack of evidence we had on the "Weapons of Mass Destruction".  We have lost the respect of the other countries that felt our losses on 911 and supported us in the beginning of the Iraq war but we have been left thanks to the President holding the chicken as fools.  We need our allies going forward we need to regain their support we can not fight everyone's war we need to send our troops back from Iraq so that they may have a break and start our rotations with Afghanistan's US Troops so that we can weed out the one whom is responsible for 911 after all this was the agenda but has been forgot.  

Thank you
Mr. Bush
You took out two of the three axis of evils in our world. Mr. Hussien would not adhere to the confirmation of no weapons of mass destruction since desert storm when he took Kuwait  like the chemicals he used and the world OK'd to go in cause we gave him enough rope and he hanged himself....sorry.....
We with our brilliant military will be ready to leave a more peacefull place with Iraqi and Afganistany military installed that we taught.
And the other guy came true.
Thank You Buddy

I see the pattern of demise and how some of the elite veiw us as "their expenditures".  I have PTSD as well in domestic violence not millitary (all of which in my opinion is the same).  I praise hope and many countless prayers of appritation to those that serve and thank many that gives a voice of experiance in the event.  Your professionalism is astonishing and I hope in the event of all that is sacraficed is peace to all nations.  

Our prayers are all the same regardless of religous status.  "We all want peace and our God to be of one God for all of us" not a genocide that is iditoid/idology and irrationality system.  It is my belief that a 4-6 month cycle would relive most symptoms of PTSD and at the same time give our troops the committment they need to carry out their mission with a more focused attitude toward thier mission for us and Iraq.  

We went into this emotionally...all guity parties are accountable, which means all of us are in this together to win-win a situation that has over 5-6 thousand years of warring over a politisize God.  I can't thank enough everyday what you men/women are doing and I am blessed of how humans can overcome through communication to solve mistakes/fortune to solve these errors "of mass" distruction.  

It is my beleif that our idiology gets less political and more in focus to reality and apprication to unity and peace.  The artical on the "save our children" and the abuse that is happening is a real dead liner vision of how one views in sociaty that a meals for sex is not a dateline martyingship that either of our denominations needs to idolize or scrutinize as a way of making us win (not a war) a peace agreement.  To be a humanitarian you have to consider all involved.  It's our world;))...not a one world mapping process of thinking.  

Thank you for being the hero...thank you for thinking of someone other than yourself...thank you families that consider others as an equal and gifted society...Thank you for being my purple heart for my children who dosent understand the value of humen sacrafice because their father was a coward incapable of knowing what a sacrafice meant.

My Dad alays said that war story's (AMC holloywood) a woman was always in the movies to sham her as the caues of all wars...I think differently, we'er the reason to end all wars.  

Good luck boys and girls...keep it simple to stay focused and please don't consturde the peaples mission.

You guys and gals are wounderful...eps of your mission to freedom which cost "T" dollors.    

I see the pattern of demise and how some of the elite veiw us as "their expenditures".  I have PTSD as well in domestic violence not millitary (all of which in my opinion is the same).  I praise hope and many countless prayers of appritation to those that serve and thank many that gives a voice of experiance in the event.  Your professionalism is astonishing and I hope in the event of all that is sacraficed is peace to all nations.  

Our prayers are all the same regardless of religous status.  "We all want peace and our God to be of one God for all of us" not a genocide that is iditoid/idology and irrationality system.  It is my belief that a 4-6 month cycle would relive most symptoms of PTSD and at the same time give our troops the committment they need to carry out their mission with a more focused attitude toward thier mission for us and Iraq.  

We went into this emotionally...all guity parties are accountable, which means all of us are in this together to win-win a situation that has over 5-6 thousand years of warring over a politisize God.  I can't thank enough everyday what you men/women are doing and I am blessed of how humans can overcome through communication to solve mistakes/fortune to solve these errors "of mass" distruction.  

It is my beleif that our idiology gets less political and more in focus to reality and apprication to unity and peace.  The artical on the "save our children" and the abuse that is happening is a real dead liner vision of how one views in sociaty that a meals for sex is not a dateline martyingship that either of our denominations needs to idolize or scrutinize as a way of making us win (not a war) a peace agreement.  To be a humanitarian you have to consider all involved.  It's our world;))...not a one world mapping process of thinking.  

Thank you for being the hero...thank you for thinking of someone other than yourself...thank you families that consider others as an equal and gifted society...Thank you for being my purple heart for my children who dosent understand the value of humen sacrafice because their father was a coward incapable of knowing what a sacrafice meant.

My Dad alays said that war story's (AMC holloywood) a woman was always in the movies to sham her as the caues of all wars...I think differently, we'er the reason to end all wars.  

Good luck boys and girls...keep it simple to stay focused and please don't consturde the peaples mission.

You guys and gals are wounderful...eps of your mission to freedom which cost "T" dollors.    

You know, it really doesn't matter what anyone's view of the current situation is. The only way anything will change is by taking ACTION. No complaining, whining, or playing the "I have it worse" game. If the proper decision are not being made at the highest levels, this situation will continue for a long time. Start writing your congressmen/women, Senators, and Congress leaders to bring all your issues to them. Complaining to a news blog isn't going to bear much fruit.

I am a contractor attached to the 1 MEF in Anbar Praovince, recently re- assigned to Fallujah.  I left behind a lucrative position to do something for my country AFTER serving in the Marine Corps over fifteen years ago.  I work side by side with these young Marines, and lucky for me and every other contractor here they do not gripe and moan the way we hear so many arm chair warriors back home.  Actually they display a sense of pride in their job and yes they do get tired and fed up with the heat and dust, they STILL don't whine like you safe folks.
The Dems talk about the numbers we have lost here.  How many have we lost on the streets in the last four years due to senseless violence.  And if the Dems do succeed in putting an end to this and leave this country in chaos, what do they propose to do with the hundreds of thousands of contractors who left good jobs and those jobs or others are now hard to find?  
If you don't stand behind our troops then stand in front of them!

"did they find those WMD's yet?"

LOL...talk about irrelevant.  just what we need as Soldiers is the same tired ass rhetoric from people who whine about politicians using it too much.  and for your information you mindless turd:  we liberated a country from genocide.  saddam just did a better job of hiding it.  grow a sack and get in 2008, it might help you get past tardism.  

Just to remind you all, we signed up for it, and it sucks, but long deployments are what they are.  War is war, so stop kidding yourselves.  to those whove never been and see these people on here crying about "oh, they work every day for six weeks...etc," keep in mind that the "majority" of people forward deployed would rather work than be bored and start thinking about the obvious things you would think about in a war zone.  

As far as making it smarter, yes, there are plenty of people i think should get together and work at it, but in the meantime, i have to deal with how it is, because i chose the hard lifestyle i find myself in.  sorry, but thats the simple truth of it.

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