I am in the process of enlisting and my parents are doing everything they can to stop me and they had two guys call me with their view of what is going on over there.  One is in the Army and the other is a Marine. They both were saying that they can't see any good in what we are doing over there and it isn't helping the war on terror at all. I'm guessing these two were a small minority, but I just wanted to hear other soldier's opinions on how things are going in the sandbox. Thanks

nope, i hear it from alot.
Go to college get some education then if you really want to join, join the army as a E4 or do ROTC.

Thats what I would recomend you dont want to join the military and then when you get out you can't even find a job.

It IS the central battleground on the GWOT. Terrorists are entering the country to kill Americans. Thankfully, we are going on the offensive in places like Fallujah and killing them over there instead of over here.

Quoted: It IS the central battleground on the GWOT. Terrorists are entering the country to kill Americans. Thankfully, we are going on the offensive in places like Fallujah and killing them over there instead of over here.

First off I am voting for W cause he is honest and he cares about people.

heres my little opinion about the whole arab country thing, Arabs are fucked in the mind, they are also crazy and want to die, they all live in a shithole. mix this together and you have a bunch of people who want to blow themselves up.

That being said trying to bring them any type of democracy is a bad idea. They need to be under a dictatorship where someone keeps them in check by ruthless violence. (ex. you fuck with me we torture your family burn your house)

we wont do this, we play fair they dont.

its a fucking mess over there and everyone knows it.

What we are doing is denying terrorists one more haven to live/train/and get supplies and backing from.  Iraq will never be an American style democracy, and that is not the goal.  The goal is to make Iraq a stable, non-hostile nation, which will stabalize the entire mid-east as a result.

Plus there is the humanitarian issue of helping an oppressed people, if anyone cares.  I can tell, outside of the cities, these people don't know enough to be political and really like raising sheep.  That is all.

Plus, we helped out the Kurds (who are a seperate ethnic group from Arabs).  These are the people Saddam gassed and practiced genocide on.  They are worth helping.  Their cities are cleaner than any other part of Iraq, and their military is far more motivated and aggressive than the arabs.  They successfully defended their part of Iraq from Saddam for 10 years, with the help of the no fly zone in N. Iraq.

It is not a mess, it is a war.  America has always successfully stood nations back on their feet.  Only a small majority of Iraqis are terrorists, along with foreign infiltrators.  

Serving your country is worthwhile, and the mission in Iraq is in the best interests of America.  That is my humble opinion.  

BTW, I was there during the invasion, and spent a year over there.

Quoted: That being said trying to bring them any type of democracy is a bad idea. They need to be under a dictatorship where someone keeps them in check by ruthless violence. (ex. you fuck with me we torture your family burn your house) we wont do this, we play fair they dont. its a fucking mess over there and everyone knows it.

We are not bringing them democracy like you know it.  Read above post.  We are stabilizing their nation with their people in charge.  

It is not a fucking mess, and if you believe that, you need to turn off CNN.  The terrorists are getting their asses kicked.

The Soldier and Marine you talked to - what were their duty positions?

I haven't made it there yet - I was in Korea when this all kicked off and in schools since.  Hopefuly I'll make the next rotation.  Nobody that I know who has been there wasn't glad we finally went after that guy.

I can vouch for the fact that the Arab mindset is fucked up - I have been to the middle east, just not recently.  However, I don't support the racist belief that the culture cannot be changed.  It is not easy to do so - but 11 Sep 01 showed us that we HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE.  We are already having an impact - if not, the Syrians and Iranians would not be so committed to our leaving.

A friend of mine is a Company Comander with the Marines and he just returned from Iraq at the beginning of October.


He believes 100% in the mission and said the Marines is his company's morale was over the top.   As far as helping the war on terror, he said we can fight and kill them over there, or here.  American needs to make a choice.

Once we get Iraq squared away, (and we will) that will be the catalyst for major change in the Arab world.  We are succeeding in Afganistan  and will again in Iraq.  

Iraq is a jumping off point IMO.  

On edit, he said that as a Marine he was in his words "being treated like a fucking rock star" by the American public when he  returned. He also mentioned that Marines from past conflicts from WWII up to Vietnam were sending the marines old photos of them selves during their service with notes supporting them.  

He also mentioned that women were sending tons of letters with pictures and contact notes.  

Quoted: Quoted: That being said trying to bring them any type of democracy is a bad idea. They need to be under a dictatorship where someone keeps them in check by ruthless violence. (ex. you fuck with me we torture your family burn your house) we wont do this, we play fair they dont. its a fucking mess over there and everyone knows it. We are not bringing them democracy like you know it.  Read above post.  We are stabilizing their nation with their people in charge.   It is not a fucking mess, and if you believe that, you need to turn off CNN.  The terrorists are getting their asses kicked.

They are getting their asses handed to them, but this mosque bullshit and letting them re group is just fucked up. Our guys are coming back missing limbs and everyday I read about this marines (kids) who are getting blown up by IED's. It doesn't seem to be getting better either we are having more problems now than a few months back.

Quoted: They both were saying that they can't see any good in what we are doing over there

Just look at the pics in this thread here

I like this one here

Quoted: The Soldier and Marine you talked to - what were their duty positions? I haven't made it there yet - I was in Korea when this all kicked off and in schools since.  Hopefuly I'll make the next rotation.  Nobody that I know who has been there wasn't glad we finally went after that guy. I can vouch for the fact that the Arab mindset is fucked up - I have been to the middle east, just not recently.  However, I don't support the racist belief that the culture cannot be changed.  It is not easy to do so - but 11 Sep 01 showed us that we HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE.  We are already having an impact - if not, the Syrians and Iranians would not be so committed to our leaving.

The Marine was 0311. He was saying how the Marine officers didn't really care about their men and would send them on suicide missions and that we weren't doing anything beneficial other than getting people killed. The Army guy had something to do with infantry support. I'm not familiar with Army MOS.

Quoted: Quoted: They both were saying that they can't see any good in what we are doing over there Just look at the pics in this thread here I like this one here

I agree, I don't see how we shouldn't be over there, but I just wanted to get the perspective of the soldiers that had witnessed that kind of thing first hand. Thanks for the replies!

Quoted: Thats what I would recomend you dont want to join the military and then when you get out you can't even find a job.

Uhm....false. Its not hard to find a job when you get out, even if you are a dirty infantryman. The hardest thing about getting out is committing to the decision to actually leave.

ETA: My only regret is not acquiring at least an Associates Degree prior to going in (or completing one while on AD for that matter). If you have the chance to complete some school get it before you go in. Going to school at night while being the single source of income for my family is the sux0rs.

Just so you know I'm not over there yet but soon will be.

A big +1 on the college thing though.

Quoted: They are getting their asses handed to them, but this mosque bullshit and letting them re group is just fucked up. Our guys are coming back missing limbs and everyday I read about this marines (kids) who are getting blown up by IED's. It doesn't seem to be getting better either we are having more problems now than a few months back.

Mosques have not been off limits for a while.  If a mosque is suspected of harboring terrorists, Iraqi soldiers supported by US Forces take it down.  If soldies are fired at from the mosque, the mosque gets nailed.  Were talking rockets up their ass here.

Believe me, American soldiers are NEVER denied the right of self-defense.  Any terrorists firing from a mosque will find that out real quick.

Quoted: Quoted: It IS the central battleground on the GWOT. Terrorists are entering the country to kill Americans. Thankfully, we are going on the offensive in places like Fallujah and killing them over there instead of over here. First off I am voting for W cause he is honest and he cares about people. heres my little opinion about the whole arab country thing, Arabs are fucked in the mind, they are also crazy and want to die, they all live in a shithole. mix this together and you have a bunch of people who want to blow themselves up. That being said trying to bring them any type of democracy is a bad idea. They need to be under a dictatorship where someone keeps them in check by ruthless violence. (ex. you fuck with me we torture your family burn your house) we wont do this, we play fair they dont. its a fucking mess over there and everyone knows it.

You quote me then don't address my point.
I never said anything about democracy. I simply said the radical islamists are pouring into Iraq making it a the central point for killing said radical islamists. Better there than here.

He was saying how the Marine officers didn't really care about their men and would send them on suicide missions

Read This

An associates degree is a good idea, it opens doors.

As far as the nay sayers, nobody who goes into combat is going to recommend it to anybody. If you know in your heart you need to do it, then do it. Your parents need to let go, they're worried about themselves.

Quoted: He was saying how the Marine officers didn't really care about their men and would send them on suicide missions Read This

That's a good article, thanks.

Quoted: Just so you know I'm not over there yet but soon will be. A big +1 on the college thing though.

Well I'm a junior at KU right now and if I enlist now I would finish my degree once I got out.