Reply #11: Back in 2002 and early 2003 [View All]

Almost everyone was "eager to go to war in Iraq." Weren't the polls showing over 80%? I don't think you can blame the soldiers, NCOs and officers for being eager. They believed what they were told about WMD, links to al Qaeda, that it would be a "cakewalk," that we'd be fighting them there so we don't have to fight them here. Hell, some of 'em still believe that last one.

As a vet, you should know it's hard, especially for military leaders at all levels (the "grunts" are usually smarter), not to believe in what they're doing. How could you live with yourself sending young American men and women to die, causing the deaths of God knows how many Iraqis, if you couldn't convince yourself there was a purpose? There have actually been suicides by officers and NCOs; they don't get much media coverage.

Military people are just as subject to believing what they choose to believe as anybody else. How much more likely when their psychological health or even life depends on it?

I've been dissappointed more of the very senior officers, esp the guys in the Pentagon, didn't resign early on when it became clear the troops were being used and abused. Of course, now we know a few did; they just didn't go public with it. But more of them should have.

But on the other hand, there's a very long-standing tradition that the civilians tell the military where to fight. It's a good tradition. Critical even, to our system of government. As a retired officer myself, it's hard for me to judge the generals in charge too harshly for sticking to that tradition.