Its good to know the soldiers arent buying into the crap that being anti war is being anti troops.

 

Vets see protests as attack on policy

Rallies not taken as personal slight

 

Troy Moon

@PensacolaNewsJournal.com

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If there's growing sentiment against the war in Iraq, many area veterans of the fight aren't taking it personally.

 

Vets see the opposition as a protest against policy, not them or their service.

 

During the Vietnam War, many returning U.S. troops felt taunted, humiliated and treated with little or no respect. In contrast, today's veterans say they don't encounter animosity from people who don't agree with the U.S. military presence in Iraq.

 

"I have run into people who don't support the president's views on Iraq or our objectives, but I haven't run into a single person who said (he or she) doesn't support the troops," said Jason Crawford, a Purple Heart recipient who was shot in the face by opposition forces in December 2003 while in Iraq. "I think our society learned from Vietnam that it's not the men and women who sacrifice their lives and signed on the dotted lines who make up the plans and objectives. I think pretty much everyone supports the troops."

 

That's even if they don't approve of the U.S. involvement in Iraq that began in March 2003.

 

The latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll, released earlier this month, showed 56 percent of Americans believe things are going "badly" for the United States in Iraq. And 54 percent of people say the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq.

 

"I didn't believe we should have gone in there in the first place, and I'm still against the war," said David Howell, 24, of Pensacola. "But I respect anyone over there trying to do their job. It's not the troops' fault, it's the administration. (The troops are) a lot braver than me."

 

While many troops wish more Americans would support the war effort, some said it's heartening to know the folks back home wish them nothing but the best.

 

"They might not agree with (the war)," said Marine Corps Sgt. Ryan Bentele, 29, who returned from Iraq in May. "But they show us respect."

 

It's Vietnam veterans who are most appreciative, he said.

 

"They thank us the most," he said. "They had a hard time coming back and are truly appreciative of the job we're doing."

 

John Pritchard, president of the Vietnam Veterans Wall South Foundation and past commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 706 in Pensacola, said any anti-war sentiment today pales compared to the heated demonstrations and protests of the 1960s.

 

"I don't think you're ever going to see street demonstrations like you did in the '60s," said Pritchard, 58. "Let's face it, anyone who was an anti-war demonstrator during Vietnam is in their 50s or 60s now. It could be their grandchildren over there. I don't think you'll see the protests like we did then."

 

The most publicized recent protest is led by Cindy Sheehan of Vacaville, Calif., who has camped near President George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, since Aug. 6. Her son, Casey Sheehan, was killed five days after he arrived in Iraq last year.

 

Seeking a meeting with Bush, Sheehan earlier vowed to remain outside the ranch until the president returns to Washington on Sept. 3. She was forced to leave "Camp Casey" on Thursday night after her 74-year-old mother suffered a stroke. But she said she would return to the vigil at the ranch if possible.

 

Bentele said he feels for Cindy Sheehan but said she doesn't speak for all soldiers' families.

 

"There are a lot of moms who lost kids," he said.

 

Army Reserves Lt. Col. Alice Bell, 46, who spent 10 months in Kuwait in support of the Iraq invasion, said she has heard nothing but praise since returning home.

 

"It's not like in Vietnam, when they spat on troops coming back," she said. "Some people don't agree with the mission itself. But even if they're against the war effort, they're for the troops. They realize we're doing what we have to do, what we've been ordered to do, whether we agree with it or not."

 

Army National Guard Sgt. Shelton Johnson spent nearly a year in Iraq in 2003 and 2004. When he's in uniform, people often stop to offer him a verbal salute, he said.

 

"In Wal-Mart, customers come over and say 'Thank you,' " said Johnson, manager at the Kentucky Fried Chicken in Milton. "Most people are just real appreciative toward the soldiers."

 

Crawford, who now works for a health-care company, said he's not hurt by anti-war protests. On the contrary, he feels protests are a vital part of American democracy.

 

"As long as they're not defiant against the troops or the president, then I think it's actually healthy for our society and government," he said.

 

But Crawford and others believe there would be fewer protests and more support for military operations in Iraq if Americans had a clearer picture of what's going on there.

 

"We really made a difference in the lives of the Iraqis, and we're still making a difference," he said. "We're making progress. We're going to continue to face resistance, but we have to work through that. We can have liberty, freedom and democracy in that region.

 

"It puts a smile on my face knowing that the things we did there didn't happen in vain."

 

 

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/p.../508210332/1006

Thanks for clarifying something most of America already knows. :thumbup

Thanks for clarifying something most of America already knows. :thumbup

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You couldn't tell if you listened to most conservative pundits. :mischief

There have been anti-war and anti-troop protests at the funeral's of almost every Marine and soldier who were killed, so to put a blanket statement over this is just the wrong thing to do. These few people who were interviewed in the article may have never experienced any of it, but you go to ANY funeral for a soldier or Marine and you'll find anti-war/troop protesters there. It's sickening.

 

Should have put this part in bold as well...

 

But Crawford and others believe there would be fewer protests and more support for military operations in Iraq if Americans had a clearer picture of what's going on there.

 

"We really made a difference in the lives of the Iraqis, and we're still making a difference," he said. "We're making progress. We're going to continue to face resistance, but we have to work through that. We can have liberty, freedom and democracy in that region.

 

"It puts a smile on my face knowing that the things we did there didn't happen in vain."

Thanks for clarifying something most of America already knows. :thumbup

911429[/snapback]

You couldn't tell if you listened to most conservative pundits. :mischief

911780[/snapback]

 

Well most conservative pundits like most of the liberal pundits are Kool Aid drinking a**holes.

Thanks for clarifying something most of America already knows. :thumbup

911429[/snapback]

You couldn't tell if you listened to most conservative pundits. :mischief

911780[/snapback]

 

Well most conservative pundits like most of the liberal pundits are Kool Aid drinking a**holes.

911840[/snapback]

No argument.

 

Accord proves my point though. He labels anti-war protests as anti-troop. Someone's gotta cut his Limbaugh feeder tube.

Good read, and I agree.

 

In a lot of ways I see Anti-War protests as Pro-Troops.

 

I don't agree with them all exactly, but protesters are in no way not supporting the people actually doing the fighting (although I know there are some extremists who don't support the troops either in some cases).

I'm glad that veterans aren't falling for the crap that some people have been spinning about anti-war protesters.

 

One comment: A lot of the troops coming back believe that they are helping the Iraqis, and things are improving. However, the majority of the people that say this are common soldiers with no real view of the overall picture. They just saw one portion of the war. Members of Congress and former/current high ranking military officers would have more reliable views, IMHO.

Good read, and I agree.

 

In a lot of ways I see Anti-War protests as Pro-Troops.

 

I don't agree with them all exactly, but protesters are in no way not supporting the people actually doing the fighting (although I know there are some extremists who don't support the troops either in some cases).

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I can agree with that. I won't deny that a miniscule fringe probably is anti-troop. It's certainly a mistake to then label the entire anti-war crowd (ain't sayin im one) as anti-troop, however.

I think alot of people in this country aren't against war but against THIS war. I think that is an important distinction alot of supporters of the current operation in Iraq don't bother with.

 

I'm in a lonely boat, I'm conservative and I don't fully support this war yet I have really noone to relate to on either side of the argument. I find anti-war people too radical and pro-war people too complient. Both sides are usually pretty uneducated about the region and matters of war.

Thanks for clarifying something most of America already knows. :thumbup

911429[/snapback]

You couldn't tell if you listened to most conservative pundits. :mischief

911780[/snapback]

 

Well most conservative pundits like most of the liberal pundits are Kool Aid drinking a**holes.

911840[/snapback]

No argument.

 

Accord proves my point though. He labels anti-war protests as anti-troop. Someone's gotta cut his Limbaugh feeder tube.

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Did you not see where I clearly stated "so to put a blanket statement over this is just the wrong thing to do." To say ALL anti-war protesters are one thing or another is wrong, plain and simple. It's a fact that some, not all, anti-war protesters are anti-troop and they make this very clear at the funerals of every single American killed in Iraq.

A lot of the troops coming back believe that they are helping the Iraqis, and things are improving. However, the majority of the people that say this are common soldiers with no real view of the overall picture. They just saw one portion of the war. Members of Congress and former/current high ranking military officers would have more reliable views, IMHO.

911862[/snapback]

What an ignorant statement, you're on a roll this week.

 

The majority of people? Who the f*** are these people? Show me these people.

 

Yes - Let's take the word of a politician with his own agenda over the word of the countless MEN actually over there fighting this war interacting with the Iraqi people on a daily basis.

 

"common soldiers", shut the f*** up.

A lot of the troops coming back believe that they are helping the Iraqis, and things are improving. However, the majority of the people that say this are common soldiers with no real view of the overall picture. They just saw one portion of the war. Members of Congress and former/current high ranking military officers would have more reliable views, IMHO.

911862[/snapback]

What an ignorant statement, you're on a roll this week.

 

The majority of people? Who the f*** are these people? Show me these people.

 

Yes - Let's take the word of a politician with his own agenda over the word of the countless MEN actually over there fighting this war interacting with the Iraqi people on a daily basis.

 

"common soldiers", shut the f*** up.

911936[/snapback]

If you had paid attention, I said members of Congress AND former or current high ranking military officers. They are the ones who are in change of the whole operation, and can give a more accurate view of the overall picture.

A lot of the troops coming back believe that they are helping the Iraqis, and things are improving. However, the majority of the people that say this are common soldiers with no real view of the overall picture. They just saw one portion of the war. Members of Congress and former/current high ranking military officers would have more reliable views, IMHO.

911862[/snapback]

What an ignorant statement, you're on a roll this week.

 

The majority of people? Who the f*** are these people? Show me these people.

 

Yes - Let's take the word of a politician with his own agenda over the word of the countless MEN actually over there fighting this war interacting with the Iraqi people on a daily basis.

 

"common soldiers", shut the f*** up.

911936[/snapback]

Relax accord. Geez. You dont think the average solider gets briefed on the motives of every single military or political move do you? Yeah they may know a lot about whats going on on the ground, but that doesnt mean every intelligence and paramilitary report says everything is perfect for the future.

 

If you think that its more important to know the everyday lives of Iraqis is going well, as coming from the troops, then thats your opinion. But dont blast everyone for being troop haters. There are factors that go on outside of the everyday lives of Iraqis too you know.

A lot of the troops coming back believe that they are helping the Iraqis, and things are improving. However, the majority of the people that say this are common soldiers with no real view of the overall picture. They just saw one portion of the war. Members of Congress and former/current high ranking military officers would have more reliable views, IMHO.

911862[/snapback]

What an ignorant statement, you're on a roll this week.

 

The majority of people? Who the f*** are these people? Show me these people.

 

Yes - Let's take the word of a politician with his own agenda over the word of the countless MEN actually over there fighting this war interacting with the Iraqi people on a daily basis.

 

"common soldiers", shut the f*** up.

911936[/snapback]

If you had paid attention, I said members of Congress AND former or current high ranking military officers. They are the ones who are in change of the whole operation, and can give a more accurate view of the overall picture.

911964[/snapback]

 

You will find very few, if ANY, high ranking general officers who are saying negative things about the war or saying that things are bad.

 

Soldiers and Marines returning from Iraq are reporting how things are going well and THEY'RE OVER THERE EXPERIENCING IT FIRST HAND, but the libs on the board just write off anything they say as rubbish and how they're "common soldiers" so what they experienced and witnessed first hand is irrelevant. What a f***ing joke.

 

Some of you libs on this board are incredible. I'm sure if these soldiers and Marines were over there and then came back saying how bad everything was, you guys would be ALL over it posting articles out of your asses faster than you can move your mouse. And don't accuse me of playing the "partisan card," because what I just stated here in this very paragraph is the god's honest truth and you know it.

I said, "The majority of people who say that we are winning the war are only foot-soldiers". That's what i'm talking about.

 

My point is, I don't dismiss what the regular soldiers say, but I find it more interesting when a higher-ranking official does an interview about the status of the war. Members of the Senate Arms Services Committee get to review the real intelligence that we have on the war, and the status of rebel groups in the country. It's much harder to get an overall picture of the war, being just one person. That's all I'm saying.

I said, "The majority of people who say that we are winning the war are only foot-soldiers". That's what i'm talking about.

 

My point is, I don't dismiss what the regular soldiers say, but I find it more interesting when a higher-ranking official does an interview about the status of the war. Members of the Senate Arms Services Committee get to review the real intelligence that we have on the war, and the status of rebel groups in the country. It's much harder to get an overall picture of the war, being just one person. That's all I'm saying.

911998[/snapback]

 

Whats the point of giving an articulate rational response as above? Youre a LIB!

Oh cmon now. Cite one, ONE, high ranking (active) officer who has said that the war isn't going well and I'll side with you on this. For now, I'm with Accord. Ever read any of the news on the DoD website? Reading those articles doesn't really give me the feeling that the war is a bust.

I said, "The majority of people who say that we are winning the war are only foot-soldiers". That's what i'm talking about.

 

My point is, I don't dismiss what the regular soldiers say, but I find it more interesting when a higher-ranking official does an interview about the status of the war. Members of the Senate Arms Services Committee get to review the real intelligence that we have on the war, and the status of rebel groups in the country. It's much harder to get an overall picture of the war, being just one person. That's all I'm saying.

911998[/snapback]

 

Whats the point of giving an articulate rational response as above? Youre a LIB!

912060[/snapback]

Yeah, you're right, I should just accept the fact that I'm liberal scum. :whistle

From www.dod.gov:

 

Joint Chiefs Chairman Says Expectations Not Lowered in Iraq

By John D. Banusiewicz

American Forces Press Service

 

 

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2005 ? The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today dismissed rhetoric that the United States has lowered its expectations in Iraq.

Speaking with Matt Lauer in Baghdad, Iraq, on NBC's "Today" program, Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers blamed the rhetoric on people hoping to expose a rift between military leaders in Iraq and officials in Washington.

 

Emphasizing that plans in Iraq are "on track," the United States' top military officer said those who say otherwise are "are trying to find some divide between the military leadership over here and the folks back in Washington and so forth." "I can guarantee you there is none," Myers said.

The chairman acknowledged that not every initial expectation came to pass in Iraq. "Before all this started, we had academic experts from all over the world explain to us what we were going to find after major combat," he said. "Sometimes they were right (and) we found what they said. And other times we didn't find what they predicted."

 

He attributed that to the nature of the conflict. "This is a different kind of war," he said, "and it's the nature (of it) that this enemy keeps adapting."

 

Still, the general said, progress has gone forward in Iraq by every measure. "In every sphere, whether it's security, whether it's economic progress or political progress, you know, we're pretty much proceeding along the plan to an end state where you have a self-reliant Iraq that has a constitution, that has an election under that constitution," he said.

The progress shows that despite continued violence, terrorists have been unable to stop the march toward achieving the goals of a new Iraq, Myers said, nor will they succeed in doing so.

 

"Nobody's taken us off that path," he said. "The insurgency that we fight day in and day out, as challenging as it is, can't sway us off that path. They cannot be victorious."

 

Myers said the American troops in Iraq are a big part of the reason he's optimistic about success. They know their mission and they want to accomplish it, he said, in part because of the Iraqi people they've come to know.

 

"They didn't know them before they came," he said. "Now they know them, and they understand that people all around the world have the same aspirations. They want a better life for their children and their grandchildren. They're going to try to help make that happen."

 

Myers also noted that Iraqis continue to step up for their country. "I think, as you talk to Iraqis, you see their courage in stepping forward," he said. "Whether it's the political sphere or in the security sphere, they step forward and they're wanting to put their lives on the line for this new Iraq."

 

Again, the chairman disputed any notion that expectations have been lowered. "I was in Crawford (Texas) last week with the president, with the secretary of defense, with the secretary of state," he said. "We all know where we're going. I know what they expect of the United States military, and we're executing those plans, and there's not lowered expectations.

 

"There are very high expectations" that progress will continue through a constitutional referendum and national elections, Myers said. He said he also expects "that the Iraqi people will have a chance for hope and freedom that they haven't had for decades."

Here's another one, to balance out the negativity we get on this board:

 

Chairman Encouraged by Meetings with Troops, Iraqis

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

 

 

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 17, 2005 ? The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was encouraged following meetings with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari and President Jalal Talibani here today.

Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers is in the midst of a 10-day tour to assess U.S. troop morale. As part of this, he brought a USO troupe to Forward Operating Base Speicher near Tikrit, to Camp Liberty in Baghdad, and to Al Asad Air Base in Iraq's Anbar province.

 

The chairman met with Talibani and Jaafari at their offices in Baghdad. He said both men were tired, but confident that the Iraqi constitution will be finished "fairly shortly." The Iraqi National Assembly voted Aug. 15 to extend the deadline for writing the document by one week. The constitution is expected to be unveiled Aug. 22.

 

The chairman also participated in a broadcast of NBC's "Today" program from the Tigerland dining facility here. Matt Lauer interviewed soldiers about their lives in Iraq and also questioned Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the commander of the Multinational Force Iraq, and Myers.

 

Myers said the whole day served to cement his belief that the effort in Iraq is "in good hands, because the troops know what it's all about."

 

He told of a young National Guard woman who came up to him after a USO show and "before I could thank her for her service, she said to me, 'Well, thank you for the opportunity to come over here and serve and make a difference.'"

 

The chairman said the troops understand what is a stake in Iraq. They know they can make a difference in the country. He tells them that in 20 years they can tell their children of grandchildren that they helped change the world. "They are out here making a difference," he said. "They know we can do this."

 

The chairman commented on a barbaric attack earlier in the day. Terrorists struck a busload of civilians, then attacked ambulances, firefighters and police who responded, and then attacked the hospital where rescuers brought the victims. "There is no excuse for that," Myers said. "I do think that in a war like this ... there is a large element of this that is our will vs. the adversary's will. Our will is for tolerance and building. It means freedom and hope. And the will of the adversary lets them bomb a bus and attack a hospital."

 

Myers said militarily United States military cannot be beaten by such attacks. But these attacks are not aimed at a military victory, he noted, but to sap the wills of people in Iraq and around the world. "It's not going to shake anybody's will," the general said. "Yes, I think most of the world is impatient. We like to fix things and get on with it. But what you can be proud of is our men and women in uniform. They get it, and every day they're doing what they are asked to do, and do it in a marvelous way."

A lot of the troops coming back believe that they are helping the Iraqis, and things are improving. However, the majority of the people that say this are common soldiers with no real view of the overall picture. They just saw one portion of the war. Members of Congress and former/current high ranking military officers would have more reliable views, IMHO.

911862[/snapback]

What an ignorant statement, you're on a roll this week.

 

The majority of people? Who the f*** are these people? Show me these people.

 

Yes - Let's take the word of a politician with his own agenda over the word of the countless MEN actually over there fighting this war interacting with the Iraqi people on a daily basis.

 

"common soldiers", shut the f*** up.

911936[/snapback]

 

 

Here's the scenario that I believe to be true. An Iraqi neighborhood, similar to anytown USA prior to the war suffers from missile strikes targeting nearby military targets. A couple of schools are destroyed. US soldiers eventually arrive and help to rebuild the schools. The soldiers come home thinking that they've "made a difference"...but have they? It depends on under what context: compared to the pre-war situation, no - but compared to the post-war situation, yes.

I said, "The majority of people who say that we are winning the war are only foot-soldiers". That's what i'm talking about.

 

My point is, I don't dismiss what the regular soldiers say, but I find it more interesting when a higher-ranking official does an interview about the status of the war. Members of the Senate Arms Services Committee get to review the real intelligence that we have on the war, and the status of rebel groups in the country. It's much harder to get an overall picture of the war, being just one person. That's all I'm saying.

911998[/snapback]

 

Whats the point of giving an articulate rational response as above? Youre a LIB!

912060[/snapback]

Yeah, you're right, I should just accept the fact that I'm liberal scum. :whistle

912065[/snapback]

 

F_M, shamrock, and a few of the other libs on the board that I always disagree with at least make replies worthy of discussion and can support their claims and counter any argument brought against them, but you... you just distort the truth and make mindless ignorant posts on a daily saying things that do not exist and are the complete opposite from reality.

 

Just because CNN tells you the war is going bad, doesn't mean the war is going bad.

Soa democrat is automatically a liberal? Hmmm interesting.

I said, "The majority of people who say that we are winning the war are only foot-soldiers". That's what i'm talking about.

 

My point is, I don't dismiss what the regular soldiers say, but I find it more interesting when a higher-ranking official does an interview about the status of the war. Members of the Senate Arms Services Committee get to review the real intelligence that we have on the war, and the status of rebel groups in the country. It's much harder to get an overall picture of the war, being just one person. That's all I'm saying.

911998[/snapback]

 

Whats the point of giving an articulate rational response as above? Youre a LIB!

912060[/snapback]

Yeah, you're right, I should just accept the fact that I'm liberal scum. :whistle

912065[/snapback]

 

F_M, shamrock, and a few of the other libs on the board that I always disagree with at least make replies worthy of discussion and can support their claims and counter any argument brought against them, but you... you just distort the truth and make mindless ignorant posts on a daily saying things that do not exist and are the complete opposite from reality.

 

Just because CNN tells you the war is going bad, doesn't mean the war is going bad.

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Sorry, but I don't distort the truth. You just think I do.