Supporting the Troops

The length of tours in Iraq have been extended from 1-year to 15 months. I understand that given the current situation and the overstretch of our arm forces, Secretary of Defence, Robert M. Gates, has no choice but to extend the length of active duty tours. This is not his fault and he should not get the blame for doing his job. This is not a result of a lack of recruitment or retention which have both been high. Our troops are the best in the world, they are the best trained, have the best weaponry, and they have some of the best military leaders (or at least had before some of them were pushed out by an administration that turned a deaf ear to any military advice that wasn't in line with their vision).

What they lack however is an administration that honors their sacrifice by only using them when absolutely necessary. The administration did not realistically understand how many troops would be required in Iraq and for how long. This war, unlike WWII which had longer tours, was a war of choice. Arguably if we had gotten this bogged down in Afghanistan it would be understandable and the administration would not be to blame for the high burden on the military. Iraq however was not necessary, even before the lack of WMDs became so painfully realized, we understood this was a war of choice.

I was against the war before we went in, but even I did not think we would lose this many men and women and I had no conception that the War would take this long. My ignorance and mistake, however, does not justify the same mistake by the administration. Disregarding the advice of generals that tell you we would need to double the size of the invasionary force to effectively prevent an insurgency is unforgivable. Declaring victory as a publicity stunt is unforgivable. Getting us involved in nation building in a country we don't understand is unforgivable (especially after making campaign promises that we would not get involved in nation building and attacking Gore for his role in nation building done under Clinton). Destroying our image in the world is unforgivable. Destroying our soft power in favor of hard power which is over committed to Iraq and therefore not even a plausible threat to other "rogue states" is unforgivable.

I am lucky, I never needed to consider the military because I grew up in a good neighborhood, went to a good high school, and my parents paid for college. I am almost to old to be drafted, so even if this war leads to the demise of the All Volunteer Force, it is unlikely that I will ever serve. The 1902 soldiers my age and younger who have died in Iraq, and the countless other who have been psychological and physically scarred, were not as lucky, their children, both those alive now and those that will never be born, are not as lucky. It is likely that many of them did not have the options I had in my life, I'm sure a large number served because of their sense of duty and their love of America. I respect their ultimate sacrifice, but i regret that they were sacrificed on an alter to a false god. Their deaths have not made America safer. Their deaths have not made America better. I have sympathy for their grieving friends and family, their blood is on the hands of the political leadership in this country and I hope the Neo-Cons understand what their philosophy has cost in lives and limbs.

I don't know if we should pull out, maybe staying will give some meaning to the loss of lives, both American Military and Iraqi civilian. The failure was made when the choice was made to enter this war. I hope that we can heal the scars we have torn in the fabric that is Humankind, I fear we cannot.

~Jefferson