NationStates Jolt Archive

"Mark" wrote:Hi everyone,

It's been a few months since I stopped in. Since then I have become a
father. I was actually able to hear the birth on the phone. Good Schtuff! Our tour is almost up here so we'll be heading back to [ our base in the US ] or what's left after the hurricane season.

It's one LONG deployment but word is year long deployments are coming to an end. Had Mr Clinton not cut our military in half these lengthy and multiple deployments would not even be necessary but enough about that.

Be carefull what you watch or "beleive" on the news. The media would have you believe that all is lost and there is nothing but car bombings happening on a daily basis here. NOT TRUE! They conveniently leave out how many schools are rebuilt and improved (no dirt floors for starters), how many hospitals are built, how many people have indoor plumbing for the first time EVER. Remember: If it bleeds, it leads! THink about that the next time you turn on CNN. They also don't tell you that we are fighting more Iranians than Iraqi's but then again that's not very news worthy is it!?

The media also doesn't do well in the area of broadcasting public support for the troops. I know this first hand after coming back off leave. About 300 of us were leaving the USO lounge in route to our departure gate in [ a large Southeastern city ]. We were collectively walking through an open area with shops, restaurants and very crowded seating. Suddenly the entire place just stood up and starting whistling, cheering and applauding. Felt pretty darned good even for a soldier who took a [ very long ] break after returning from Desert Storm.

The fight goes on and so shall we!

Although I applaud your efforts at trying to assist your side in this issue, the only thing it's going to result in is a million flames from NWV's new nation and the same old debates we've gone over millions of times before.

"Mark" is a good friend of you, or a relative, I suppose?

C'mon, that's one of the most crappiest pieces of propaganda I have ever seen.

"Mark" is a good friend of you, or a relative, I suppose?

C'mon, that's one of the most crappiest pieces of propaganda I have ever seen.

No, he wrote the letter to a newsgroup to which I belong. And that's not the first one like that, either. It's not propaganda. It's a real, live, honest-to-goodness American soldier in Iraq.

I think it's wonderful if what he says is true. I hope Iraq has a bright future ahead of it, but this does not underscore the bottom line, which is that we have no business rebuilding Iraq when so much is going wrong here at home.

Each day in America, healthcare suffers, jobs are lost to outsourcing, the deficit balloons like looming stormclouds, illiteracy is on the rise, and our borders and planes are STILL not safe.

Pardon me if I say screw Iraq right now, let's concentrate on America.

No, he wrote the letter to a newsgroup to which I belong. And that's not the first one like that, either. It's not propaganda. It's a real, live, honest-to-goodness American soldier in Iraq.
Funny. I know a real, live, honest-to-goodness American soldier who was in Iraq too. He has QUITE a different view of things. Tell me, where was "Mark" stationed in Iraq? My friend Aron was in Sadr City in the middle of the uprising. Everything is NOT wonderful over there. Yes, our boys and girls are fighting more foreign terrorists than Iraqis, and that is BECAUSE OF POOR PLANNING, and I think it's fairly common knowledge at this point. And talking about how our military is stretched so thin? Maybe if we had stayed in Afghanistan and concentrated our efforts there instead of all but pulling out of there and going to Iraq, we wouldn't be stretched thin! And to think, recruitment numbers are down....who would have thought!
P.S. - Aron was in the National Guard. He wasn't even in the regular Army. Yet, his unit still got sent to Iraq without the proper training. At least they were lucky enough to have up-armored Humvees. And how did he get paid for being in that "hellhole" (his words)? He was paid in Iraqi dinars. You try going to a supermarket anywhere in America and trying to buy groceries with Iraqi dinars. They're pretty much worthless anyway, but at least he's trying to keep upbeat that they'll increase in value. That remains to be seen.

jobs are lost to outsourcing

Yeah that sucks, but I don't blame the companies for it. I mean, come on, if you own a business, and I apply and say "I'll do this for $7.50 an hour", and then Opal Isle applies saying "I'll do this for $3.50 an hour", there's really no choice at all for the business. They'd be stupid to hire me, and if the trend of dumb decisions continues, they'll be out of business real soon.

I wonder if they'd post the letter that says "My buddy John died the other day. I'm sick of this. I'm sick of ALL of this. This war is stupid, it makes no sense-WHY ARE WE HERE?! Remember us when you vote. Remember who sent us here to die"

Funny. I know a real, live, honest-to-goodness American soldier who was in Iraq too. He has QUITE a different view of things. Tell me, where was "Mark" stationed in Iraq? My friend Aron was in Sadr City in the middle of the uprising. Everything is NOT wonderful over there. Yes, our boys and girls are fighting more foreign terrorists than Iraqis, and that is BECAUSE OF POOR PLANNING, and I think it's fairly common knowledge at this point. And talking about how our military is stretched so thin? Maybe if we had stayed in Afghanistan and concentrated our efforts there instead of all but pulling out of there and going to Iraq, we wouldn't be stretched thin! And to think, recruitment numbers are down....who would have thought!
P.S. - Aron was in the National Guard. He wasn't even in the regular Army. Yet, his unit still got sent to Iraq without the proper training. At least they were lucky enough to have up-armored Humvees. And how did he get paid for being in that "hellhole" (his words)? He was paid in Iraqi dinars. You try going to a supermarket anywhere in America and trying to buy groceries with Iraqi dinars. They're pretty much worthless anyway, but at least he's trying to keep upbeat that they'll increase in value. That remains to be seen.

Let me get this straight ... an American soldier was paid in Iraqi dinars??? He may have received a small portion of his pay in dinars to spend on the local market, but it's for damned sure that the bulk of his pay was deposited in American dollars in an American bank. This is standard operating procedure for American soldiers in a combat zone.

No, he wrote the letter to a newsgroup to which I belong. And that's not the first one like that, either. It's not propaganda. It's a real, live, honest-to-goodness American soldier in Iraq.

That letter echos what most of the people that I know that went over there are saying. Despite everything, things are getting better.

My dad will be going over there again! When he came back the first time, he told me of times when he was in Baghdad and from soldiers that he was flying around to various areas. They were all saying that the nation is rebuilding and that things are getting better.

Thanks for the reading and May whatever God you worship bless you for it.

I wonder if they'd post the letter that says "My buddy John died the other day. I'm sick of this. I'm sick of ALL of this. This war is stupid, it makes no sense-WHY ARE WE HERE?! Remember us when you vote. Remember who sent us here to die"

Fox News has interviewed soldiers that have had friends that died. Yes it hurts those that knew him in the combat zone but they all agreed that they know that this could very well happen to them. They mourn the loss of a comrade but they move on with the mission.

Funny. I know a real, live, honest-to-goodness American soldier who was in Iraq too. He has QUITE a different view of things. Tell me, where was "Mark" stationed in Iraq? My friend Aron was in Sadr City in the middle of the uprising. Everything is NOT wonderful over there. Yes, our boys and girls are fighting more foreign terrorists than Iraqis, and that is BECAUSE OF POOR PLANNING, and I think it's fairly common knowledge at this point. And talking about how our military is stretched so thin? Maybe if we had stayed in Afghanistan and concentrated our efforts there instead of all but pulling out of there and going to Iraq, we wouldn't be stretched thin! And to think, recruitment numbers are down....who would have thought!
P.S. - Aron was in the National Guard. He wasn't even in the regular Army. Yet, his unit still got sent to Iraq without the proper training. At least they were lucky enough to have up-armored Humvees. And how did he get paid for being in that "hellhole" (his words)? He was paid in Iraqi dinars. You try going to a supermarket anywhere in America and trying to buy groceries with Iraqi dinars. They're pretty much worthless anyway, but at least he's trying to keep upbeat that they'll increase in value. That remains to be seen.

well wah wah wah, oh no a National guardsmen didnt get proper training, well thats the army for you, shoulda joined a better service :rolleyes:

Fox News has interviewed soldiers that have died. Yes it hurts those that knew him in the combat zone but they all agreed that they know that this could very well happen to them. They mourn the loss of a comrade but they move on with the mission.
How do you interview people who are dead? I thought you lose the ability to speak...

How do you interview people who are dead? I thought you lose the ability to speak...

Bah! I hate it when brain works faster than my fingers :p Thanks for pointing that out. I'll fix it.

Hmph is Karl Rove on vacation?

This is not up to his usual standards! ;)

I wouldn't doubt the letter is authentic, but even if it is made up, I'm sure there are letters like that for real.

Naturally there are also letters from soldiers with very very different positions...

Soldiers are much like everyone else, it's just they might feel more personally involved. There will still be people who support, peopel who oppose, people who aren't sure either way....

It's a real, live, honest-to-goodness American soldier in Iraq.

I gave DR. RAYMOND OHIO your email...he says he will bw writting you very soon

It's too convienent that he included a bash of Clinton in a supposed letter home. I don't buy it.

let me tell you about my friend julio he is from mexico he wanted to be an american soooo bad he loves the u s. he wanted to a u s citezen soo bad he was will to kill or be killed for it. the government told him if he joined the military he would be given citezenship, and they would pay for college, all the usual brainwash junk. well despite mine and his family's pleas julio joined the army and he was off to iraq. well let me tell you what he got his dream julio is now an american citizen. whats the point of the story? he got his citizenship in exchange for his life! he dosn't get to enjoy being a citizen or go to college and vote and all the privelages living u s citizens get. he got a casket and a piece of paper so an iraqi can have "freedom". WAR IS NOT HEALTHY FOR HUMANS OR THE EARTH. only time it can be justified is when it is defending your own rights and freedoms. iraqi's need to fight for themselves. u s soldiers need to come home and work on defending their own country.

well wah wah wah, oh no a National guardsmen didnt get proper training, well thats the army for you, shoulda joined a better service :rolleyes:

Are not the National Guard supposed to be stationed, well, in the States? Considering they don't get the same training and only are active (or supposed to be active) weekends and a few weeks at a time, don't you think sending them overseas into combat is pretty stupid?

Are not the National Guard supposed to be stationed, well, in the States? And are not, in fact, in the Army?

ARMY national guard. Its a state thing but the President of the United States can call them up and ship out. Where I live we have the USAFR and the Air National Guard. The Guard got their marching orders to help with various missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and here in the states.

Guard Units are state runned but they are actually part of the army just not under the command of active duty personnel.

It's too convienent that he included a bash of Clinton in a supposed letter home. I don't buy it.

Yeah...he talks more about clinton than his newborn baby...
:D