Military Personnel Losing Faith In Iraq Mission
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Iraq, Military, War
We’re not just losing their hearts and minds, we’re losing our hearts and minds.
BAGHDAD � Staff Sgt. David Safstrom does not regret his previous tours in Iraq, not even a difficult second stint when two comrades were killed while trying to capture insurgents.“In Mosul, in 2003, it felt like we were making the city a better place,� he said. “There was no sectarian violence, Saddam was gone, we were tracking down the bad guys. It felt awesome.�
But now on his third deployment in Iraq, he is no longer a believer in the mission. The pivotal moment came, he says, this February when soldiers killed a man setting a roadside bomb. When they searched the bomber’s body, they found identification showing him to be a sergeant in the Iraqi Army.
“I thought: ‘What are we doing here? Why are we still here?’ � said Sergeant Safstrom, a member of Delta Company of the First Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division. “We’re helping guys that are trying to kill us. We help them in the day. They turn around at night and try to kill us.�
His views are echoed by most of his fellow soldiers in Delta Company, renowned for its aggressiveness.
I’ve said it before, but I will stress it again that we can’t forget that this is an all-volunteer military and we can’t lose their confidence in our leaders. Of course they must do what Bush says, but they can always choose not to reenlist. That’s why it’s essential to have a clear mission that makes sense. Iraq doesn’t, and it hasn’t since no WMDs were found.
That opinion is mirrored in the shifting opinions of our personnel…
“In 2003, 2004, 100 percent of the soldiers wanted to be here, to fight this war,� said Sgt. First Class David Moore, a self-described “conservative Texas Republican� and platoon sergeant who strongly advocates an American withdrawal. “Now, 95 percent of my platoon agrees with me.�
Of course, this is ancedotal, but I think we can agree it’s telling…especially given who these guys are.
We ignore their opinions at our own peril.
This entry was posted on Monday, May 28th, 2007 and is filed under Iraq, Military, War. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
