Have you heard what's been happening to the US military?

Most people have heard that more than 2,000 American G.I.’s have been killed in the nonstop meat grinder of Iraq. There was a flurry of stories about that grim milestone in the last week of October. (Since then the official number of American deaths has jumped to at least 2,055, and it continues to climb steadily.) More than 15,000 have been wounded in action.

But the problems of the military go far beyond the casualty figures coming out of the war zone. The Army, for example, has been stretched so taut since the Sept. 11 attacks, especially by the fiasco in Iraq, that it’s become like a rubber band that may snap at any moment.

President Bush and Donald Rumsfeld convinced themselves that they could win the war in Iraq on the cheap. They never sent enough troops to do the job. Now the burden of trying to fight a long and bitter war with too few troops is taking a terrible toll on the men and women in uniform.

Last December, the top general in the Army Reserve warned that his organization was “rapidly degenerating into a ‘broken’ force” because of the Pentagon’s “dysfunctional” policies and demands placed on the Reserve by the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

As one of my colleagues at The Times, David Unger of the editorial board, wrote, “The Army’s commitments have dangerously and rapidly expanded, while recruitment has plunged.”

The Washington Post, in a lengthy article last week, noted:
”As sustained combat in Iraq makes it harder than ever to fill the ranks of the all-volunteer force, newly released Pentagon demographic data show that the military is leaning heavily for recruits on economically depressed, rural areas where youths’ need for jobs may outweigh the risks of going to war.”

Divorce rates have gone way up, nearly doubling over the past four years. Long deployments – and, especially, repeated deployments – can take a vicious toll on personal relationships.

Chaplains, psychologists and others have long been aware of the many dangerous factors that accompany wartime deployment: loneliness, financial problems, drug or alcohol abuse, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, the problems faced by the parent left at home to care for children, the enormous problem of adjusting to the devastation of wartime injuries, and so on.

Beyond that, he said, “Guys are not going to stay in the Army when their wives are leaving them.”
From the perspective of the troops, he said, the situation in Iraq is perverse.

“You go to war,” he said, “and you could lose your heart, your mind, your arms, your legs – but you cannot win. The soldiers don’t win.”

Source:
New York Times or GNN.TV

Bottom line is, that War in Iraq is not coming to and End Soon. The End of Middle East Crisis, is not Ending either, with the bombings in Jordan, crisis with Syria and Iran - and it looks like that US Army is here to Stay for a Long time.

But it is easy for the General to order the Departure of tens of thousands troops to Battlefield - they have to go there and fight it out. They are going to pay the price of the war, and they might loose their EVERYTHING in there.

Their Mind.

Their Heart.

Their Arms.

Their Legs.

Their Soul.

They will pay for the Price of War.

When is BUSH going to pay for ANYHING?

Are you playing the old song?

"What will the men in power pay?"

Originally posted by devilwasp
Are you playing the old song?

"What will the men in power pay?"

Well, cant you see that the only ones paying the price are the Young Men and Women that are right now in downtown Baghdad - and the CIVILANS ofcourse, who pay the Ultimate Price in Wars everytime...

Bush&Co. created this War - and Recruits coming from the economically depressed areas, are fighting it out.

Originally posted by Souljah
Well, cant you see that the only ones paying the price are the Young Men and Women that are right now in downtown Baghdad - and the CIVILANS ofcourse, who pay the Ultimate Price in Wars everytime...

And thier families at home are not?

Bush&Co. created this War - and Recruits coming from the economically depressed areas, are fighting it out.

Right....now we getting into opinion.

I agree with you completely souljah. Its the ones who orchestrated the war that should be paying the price, not the ones they manipulate into fighting their wars for them.

Originally posted by devilwasp
Are you playing the old song?

"What will the men in power pay?"

I think I like Black Sabbath's War Pig better.

Originally posted by Souljah

Originally posted by devilwasp
Are you playing the old song?

"What will the men in power pay?"

Well, cant you see that the only ones paying the price are the Young Men and Women that are right now in downtown Baghdad - and the CIVILANS ofcourse, who pay the Ultimate Price in Wars everytime...

Bush&Co. created this War - and Recruits coming from the economically depressed areas, are fighting it out.

You really need to stop posting this opinionated dribble as fact. Me and my two brothers all came from upper middle class white families. All 3 of us have served in Iraq very proudly. We are 3 of 20+ soldiers from our midwest city. I can ssure you that even though Michel Moore will tell you differently, they arent all poor people.

It seems that Abu stepped in doggy-doo with his murderous antics against his own people.

He is, you know, a born Jordanian, yet he plans and orchestrates murder to happen at their weddings.

Even Jordanians who still supported him have turned their back against him.

The crowds in Jordan are now taking to the street, chanting "Burn in hell, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi!"

He just peed in his own nest. What a dork!

Originally posted by devilwasp
And thier families at home are not?

Hmmm....

Divorce rates have gone way up, nearly doubling over the past four years. Long deployments – and, especially, repeated deployments – can take a vicious toll on personal relationships.

Originally posted by 27jd

Originally posted by devilwasp
Are you playing the old song?

"What will the men in power pay?"

I think I like Black Sabbath's War Pig better.

Or WAR ENSEMBLE by Slayer!

:headbang:



[edit on 10/11/05 by Souljah]

Originally posted by Souljah
Hmmm....

Divorce rates have gone way up, nearly doubling over the past four years. Long deployments – and, especially, repeated deployments – can take a vicious toll on personal relationships.

Right..
So onnly wives count right..

Originally posted by Dronetek
You really need to stop posting this opinionated dribble as fact. Me and my two brothers all came from upper middle class white families. All 3 of us have served in Iraq very proudly. We are 3 of 20+ soldiers from our midwest city. I can ssure you that even though Michel Moore will tell you differently, they arent all poor people.

I quotes Washington post on that one - from the Article:

The Washington Post, in a lengthy article last week, noted:
”As sustained combat in Iraq makes it harder than ever to fill the ranks of the all-volunteer force, newly released Pentagon demographic data show that the military is leaning heavily for recruits on economically depressed, rural areas where youths’ need for jobs may outweigh the risks of going to war.”

I guess there are Guys like you, but the BULK of the US Army is formed by these people and the Army is Leaning Heavily on them, since they are - how can I say - Easier "Prey" for them.

Do I get an answer?

Or am I to be forgotten?
AGAIN...

Nice anti-war propoganda piece. Better yet, nice slap in the face to those who are being wounded and dying in Iraq.

The American Army is all volunteer. No-one twisted their arms to join the military. Even a 5 year old boy would understand that ' hey, I'm a soldier; hey, I fight in wars!'. That's their job, that's what they get paid to do.

Instead of pointing out the horrors of war, maybe what those men and women need is a little more support, and little less debate on whether or not what they are doing there is wrong. They are they, at least for the time being. Let them do wehat they have to do, and when they all come back home, let the debates begin.

At least give them that much

Originally posted by devilwasp
Do I get an answer?

Or am I to be forgotten?
AGAIN...

Oh, you feel Lonely without me?



Just Kidding!

Anyway, I think its pretty BAD that when you come back Home, your Partner is not there anymore...

“Guys are not going to stay in the Army when their wives are leaving them.”

I know the Familiy is "There for You" - but, in the end, it is YOU who will end up Alone...

Originally posted by Souljah
Oh, you feel Lonely without me?

Well...it does get lonely in those ponchos...

Anyway, I think its pretty BAD that when you come back Home, your Partner is not there anymore...

“Guys are not going to stay in the Army when their wives are leaving them.”

I know the Familiy is "There for You" - but, in the end, it is YOU who will end up Alone...

Well its more than "the other half"..what about the rest?

Originally posted by devilwasp
Well...it does get lonely in those ponchos...

I dig ya...

Well its more than "the other half"..what about the rest?

OK - youre in the merchant navy right? Imagine that you go on a 9 month cruise, and when you come home, your girlfriend is gone and in the bed with your best friend, who is at home "comforting her". Not good...

[edit on 10/11/05 by Souljah]

Originally posted by Souljah
OK - youre in the merchant navy right? Imagine that you go on a 9 month cruise, and when you come home, your girlfriend is gone and in the bed with your best friend, who is at home "confroting her". Not good...
[edit on 10/11/05 by Souljah]

Mate, my mates have been there, my PO had it done 2 him.
Its # but its life.

Originally posted by jsobecky
It seems that Abu stepped in doggy-doo with his murderous antics against his own people.

Errr...what does that have to do with the TOPIC?

Originally posted by Souljah
But the problems of the military go far beyond the casualty figures coming out of the war zone. The Army, for example, has been stretched so taut since the Sept. 11 attacks, especially by the fiasco in Iraq, that it’s become like a rubber band that may snap at any moment.

Excellent post souljah, I agree wholeheartedly. I often wonder if Bush or any of these "officials" who call for wars and send off the young men and women of their country actually think about what they are asking of them. And yes I understand it is voluntary, but I will bet everything I own that most don't want to fight this particular war.
When it is a war that should not even exist.

I have alot of friends in the US military and from what they tell me alot of them are getting tired of it (that lifestyle), to put it bluntly (I am not at liberty to disclose anything more personal) but alot are not re-enlisting when their time is up and alot are experiencing some form of emotional/mental depression or trauma.
Alot of them don't want to be there, some do. I would not be surprised to find the odds of more men and women being as eager pre-Iraq to join the armed forces are alot slimmer today.
And I don't blame them a bit, to my knowledge (and please do advise ifc I am wrong) there is no substantial counceling post-war to help soldiers deal with getting back into the swing of normal life, the stories I have heard are horrifying, of men killing their wives and children, sometimes themselves, because they cannot live with the trauma of being involved directly in a war of this magnitude (it will only get worse IMO).

I know of one man who still to this day, after Vietnam, can't sleep, he is scared to fall asleep because he has vivid recollections of being in combat and actually shouts orders in his sleep. His wife left him, he has nothing now, he is a broken man, no medications are helping him ... what do U even say to that to try at least provide some comfort ?

It's heartbreaking. I am at least a little more fortunate that my partner is in the Navy, and won't ever really be involved in front-line battle in his line of work, but it is so sad to hear of those who simply do not enjoy their work anymore ... and who can blame them ?
At the end of the day, it either works for U or not, and I think we will see more of a decline in numbers of people who think this will be a good lifestyle choice ... unless of course they are certifiable or just gun-happy



[edit on 10-11-2005 by ImJaded]

[edit on 10-11-2005 by ImJaded]