I support the troops, I was once a Marine, but I think it is time to formulate a plan to bring them home in the middle of an impending civil war. Vietnam was a civil war where I saw fellow marines lose their lives for nothing.
199720
Active Army Enlisted, OIF II Veteran.  Despite what is commonly seen in the press and the news networks, the country is steadily improving.  To date, there have been multiple, successful elections, constant improved infrastructure (schools, hospitals, roadways, pipelines, etc.) and a better trained, better supplied military (to include APCs and transport aircraft).\n\nOf course, starting from nothing after the invasion, to it's expected goal, will obviously take a long time.  However, the US must accept the direction Iraq wishes to take with its newfound democracy.  This is a double edge sword that can result in not only a free and successful Iraq, but also a fundamentalist nation, not to far from similar states such as Iran or Palestine.\n\nOne thing that must be remembered that in order to prevent further instability, the US and UK must not force a stable democracy to fast in Iraq.  As it has been seen is many other nations such as Rwanda in the 1990s, when foreign governments intervene with the good intention to produce a stable nation before sed nation is ready to embrace a "mature democracy", the result is further instability and therefore, in the case of Iraq, the increased continued presence of US troops in Iraq.\n\nCase in point, the US was not considered a mature democracy, recognizable to the rest of the world as a first world, influential nation till about 1940 to 1960, around to 180 years after the nation was founded.  As stated before, Iraq needs time and the freedom to set its own government at its own pace.
667341
I agree on some points and disagree on some others. I'm an Army Officer and I have lead soldiers at the platoon level and looking forward to the company level. I agree with you about the media. It is very one sided. Soldiers on the other hand...a few soldiers with bad leadership screwed up how the Army looks in the media but for the majority of our fighting force I would say, especially my soldiers, that they are still the most outstanding force in the world. These are not people who have been destroyed by our society but rather seek to better it and themselves. I'm proud to be a soldier and I'm proud of the Army as a whole. Hoooah!
62006
Yes.   I've seen that video lots of times, and the Marines are yelling at people to not move.    They also had an interpreter telling people to remain still.   When your ass is on the line, you should NOT continue to give people the benefit of a doubt because you'll end up dead.\n\nOur military is ALL VOLUNTEER.   Members know the risk when they sign up.   I know this because I have several family members who served in different branches of the military.\n\nWhether or not you agree with how/why our troops ended up in harm's way, you should consider it your civic duty to publicly support our troops.   To do anything less would be an act of ungratefulness.
352131
The Marines are the only fighting unit we have left.  Though I was in the Army I was in charge of two Marine platoons at Fort Lee and was impressed, hell no I was in awe!  A Afro American who was either a civilian or a member of the Army asked  another Afro American (Marine) how many brothers were in his company ending it with brother.  The Marine said we don't have any blacks and I am not your damn brother, they are motioning to a gaggle of Marines who could have been a poster for the UN, (white, yellow, brown).  The questioner looked as if someone slapped him silly I know as I looked the same.  It was so hot we went to a heat warning to unblouse our boots and walk not run or march.  They ran for three blocks before I caught them.  The mess Sergeant told the E-1 and 2's they could only have one glass of milk and the gunny ripped the screen door off and chased him down the street. A Army company marched through a Stop sign  and even though we had right-away I ordered a halt and they halted but when the Army marched by the Marines beat the shit out of them.  When the MPs came I told them my version which made the Marine adopt me.  No, not brained washed TRAINED and Motivated.  That is why they get more kills with less casualties.  Airborne!!\n\nGod Bless You and The Southern People.
143139
Thats a loaded question ;) \n\nI think that we now must stay and finish the reconstruction and occupation of Iraq to avoid a messy withdrawl that will lead to a power vacuum and civil war in the heart of the middle east. Regardless of how you feel about the war before hand, It's important to realize that a US defeat or withdrawl could have dramatic and long lasting negative effects on the US.\n\nThe Vietnam comparison doesn't hold too much water for two reasons, 1) The US withdrawl from South Vietnam was followed by the North overruning the South. This prevented a power struggle or civil war and was, ironically, able to provide some order to a chaotic situation. 2) A large component of the insurgency (An estimated 1/3 ) is now Al Qaeda, I'm not saying that they were there before I'm simply saying they are there now and are working to force an American withdrawl. They even boast about this on propoganda tapes. They are, unlike the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army, an organization that is actively at war with the United States (was before the war in Iraq and will be after) and would like nothing better then to send a middle eastern nation into chaos so they can use it as a place to retrain, refurbish and catch their breath after losing a similiar base in Afghanistan that they had before the Taliban lost power.\n\nI personally think we need to establish a table for leaving Iraq based not on chronological deadlines (a poor plan that is inviting disaster the moment the deadline passes and US Troops leave) but instead on tangible results. Like for every 3 Iraqi Army Battalions to reach full operational ability we should withdrawl 1 US Battalion. \n\nThis avoids the dilemna of just saying "lets stay until we're through" which opens the door to a endless occupation but also makes success in Iraq a tangible thing that can be monitored and achieved in due time.
615837
I think that it is disgraceful, especially since there are a lot of good Marines that want to be with their sick/dying family and they cannot because they have Commands that say they are too valuable to spare, or they know it is their duty to be there for their brothers and sisters (fellow Marines) in this time of war.  It would be one thing if he was actually taking care of business and being there for his father, but he isn't.  If he isn't man enough to represent the Corps the way it should be then he needs to have his ass kicked by someone (figuratively or literally), I am sure his father isn't proud of the fact that his son is a dirtbag (unless his is one too, but I am going on the assumption he is not).  In my opinion, the military can do without people like him.
578429
The liberal media will never be satisfied. They hate our country too much to care what happens to innocent Marines. They've already tried and hung them. They're not going to say I'm sorry and be all apologetic. They're going to bring up something else that they think is wrong with the military or the Bush Administration, and keep those Marines in jail even longer. They have such an intense hatred of anything Bush or anything that's right, that they couldn't imagine supporting the military. My brother's a Marine, in the same division. He knows the corpsman. The corpsman told Tim (my brother) that they weren't even close to the place where that incident happened. It's an outrage that someone could be so unAmerican.
390879
I've been to Iraq and am currently in Afghanistan. Moral is a lot higher than you think. Soldiers are trained to do a job and trained very well. The moral comes from brigade, battalion, company, platoon, squad, team and individual esprite de corps. Almost all of us would rather be home with out loved ones but that doesn't change out effectiveness or morale much. Our job is here or there, its simple, we go and do. Our morale isn't dictated to us by political leaders or the general public. We all joined knowing this is what we were trained for and could end up doing.
244975
I've thanked those I can. My grandpa was a decorated Army vetran who died 2 years ago. My Father is a retired Marine Vet from the Vietnam era, and my brother is in the army, having been to Iraq twice already and getting ready to go back for a third time. My thoguhts and prayers are with all of our vets who fight heroicly for us, and for those who selfishly have given their lives for us. Today I will be spending my day proudly beside my father at the Marine Corps Memorial in Colorado.
357814
I have served in the Marine Corps through both afghanistan and iraq. I will tell you honestly, We had to go there. We had to fight. There are two points that the military is instructed to carry out 1)Defend the Constitution against enemies foreign and domestic. 2) Defend those who cannot defend themselves. Now if your asking if we should still be there, I believe we should be there as an advisor role only. We should no longer be patroling those roads and streets that I had to when the wars originally started. Its been over 3 years since the start of Iraq and almost 5 since the start of Afghanistan. We should be pulling out faster and letting them decide how they wish to live just as we did after the revolutionary war.
609459
IT'S BECAUSE WE ALLOW THE LIBERAL BIASED MEDIA TO REPORT THE WAR AND I DO NOT BELIEVE HALF OF WHAT I HEAR FROM THEM.  OUR MARINES HAVE COME UNDER FIRE FROM OUR OWN ELECTED LEADERS LIKE MURTHA AND IT'S A DISGRACE AND A SHAME.  THE AMERICAN MILITARY JUST NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT IS NEEDED.  WE ARE NOT THUGS, WE ARE SOLDIERS AND MARINES FIGHTING AND RISKING OUR LIVES SOMETIMES TO AN UNGRATEFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO SEEM TO WANT US TO LOSE.  IT IS DISGUSTING.
229556
It is sad that the good people of the armed forces are losing their lives for a political war, it is about one thing, then another, guy above me is a neo-con operitive, it was never about freeing the people of Iraq from anything. It was all about greed, you can see that everytime that you fill your tank. Not one life is worth it, not one.
340721
I'm against the war in Iraq because the reason we went in has proven to be false.  I'm against the war in Iraq because 100(!) young brave American soldiers were killed just this past October.  I'm against the war in Iraq because like it or not it's becoming another Vietnam.  We should be putting our time and energy into protecting the borders of America.  By putting those billions of dollars into our transportation systems, our school systems, our cities and States.  And our brave soldiers should be here at home where we need them.  We've done all we can in Iraq.  It's time to come home.
305390
Been there, done that, Viet Nam.  The extreme right thinks you can do no wrong and the extremem left thinks you can do no right.  As I looked over the answeres here, just like in American society the majority of people will support you.  A soldier does not have a blank check to do what he wants during a war and is always responsible for what he does.  You state your feelings excellently and it is impossible for those who have never been through a combat experience to know what you are going through in your thoughts and in the actions you have to perfrom during combat.  You must  live with your experiences the rest of your life.  No, it is not easy being a soldier and I pray that you have made the right decisions in your experiences.  I would never judge you and neither should anyone else except God. You sound like the kind of soldier that all of America can be proud of.  Always do the right thing and don't worry about people that want to condemn you, they don't really count.
74997
I am in the Marine corps and I am his supporter.  You cry baby libral hippies dont know jack.  Iraq is 200% better now and we have bush to thank for that.  he has his down falls but so does everyone, INCLUDING YOU.  stop being a cry baby and do something about it if you think something is wrong.  what do you do?  work your dead end job and get on here and cry?  get a life loser
158025
Yes, I support the troops, I used to be one. Blaming soldiers for going where the elected leaders send them is ridiculous. Blaming the Soldiers is the easy way out, if someone disapproves of what the soldiers are doing they should address the issue with their elected leaders, that’s the way this country works.
654771
I don't like the idea of war but who are we to say anything about it.\n\n The brave men and women who are there or who was there are the only ones who should have a voice in it.  And sir my son was one of them Marines over there and he was hurt But he wants to go back cause he says the people over there needs them so I stand behind our military not our government or any bleeding heart person who wasn't there!!!!