Shadow's Taxi reports (short one): Brainwashing in Basic [View All]

Meeting a quite a few soldiers fresh out of basic getting deployed here just in time to deploy in either late June or August. Two in particular I met were very gung ho. The one kid I fished for some political leanings by telling him the story of the one Vet who was freaking out on Bush while in my cab. He quickly piped in saying "I think Bush is a great President, I don't care what anyone says. We're doing good things over there". I thought I was listening to a recording. He was deploying in August and admitted to being a little scared but on the surface was trying to also seem very gung ho. Now the catch. He also made mention though that he was out of the army 6 months after he gets back from his year tour. So I guess he doesn't believe in the cause all that much. He says he has assurances that he probably won't be stop lossed when he tries to leave. I said nothing but silently pitied this poor gullible kid.

The second one I talked to was just making easy conversation. Also right out of basic. Mentioned he had his 21st BDay while in training. Deploying in June or August to Iraq supposedly but again he said the deployment might be canceled. i told him of recent deployments I'd heard about from kuwait and Germany. he said he didn't know anything about it and I have no reason to disbelieve him. I also made mention that a lot of the soldiers I meet have made indications that we're going to Iran soon. He blurted right out that he hoped so. I asked him if he didn't think we had enough on our plate already? He replied hell no, As long as the UN is behind it(he seems to think they will be)it will be "Easy". After 2600 deaths in Iraq they have these kids thinking it will be a cakewalk. He said the only thing we have to stay away from is their submarines which have anti ship missles. I concurred I had heard about that. So I think we can draw the conclusion that despite the diplomacy rhetoric again someone is giving some of these green recruits very theater specific training. As well as filling their minds with the usual "American invincibility" dreams instead of giving them a healthy sense of the true face of war. Just my thoughts. Back into the cab tonight. Should be interesting seeing the troops in a post Zarquawi mood. I'll fish as much as I can.
Shadow