How Did You Sleep Last Night?

Originally posted by an3rkist3. And lastly, you can talk all you want about how these soldiers are making voluntary sacrifices to "defend our country". Can I ask you how in the world you call what we are doing in Iraq "defending our country". As a soldier in the United States Army, I think I have somewhat of a better idea than some of you of what soldiers think. And when their laying in those hasty positions or sleeping on the cement or trying their damndest to fall asleep in knee-deep mud, I'm betting their thinking the same thing I think when I'm doing similar things in Korea: "What the hell are we doing here? How is what we're doing here defending the United States?" I hesitated to speculate what they're thinking, but I think I'm in a fair position to do so.

[edit on 6-12-2004 by an3rkist]

That was beautifully put, an3rkist. I just wanted to let you know that...

How is it defending our country?

Did you see the american civilians getting their heads cut off? Just because they're not attacking our soil, does not mean they're not attacking our people (among people from other countries as well). We're not only defending america/americans, we're defending other countries and their people as well.

Granted, that's not the main reason we're there, but we are tracking down those people doing nutty stuff like that, and I, for one, believe that to be a worthy cause, even if it's not the MAIN cause.

Originally posted by Jaruseleh
Did you see the american civilians getting their heads cut off? Just because they're not attacking our soil, does not mean they're not attacking our people (among people from other countries as well).

Would they be cutting American's heads off if we weren't over there? It's speculation, but I doubt it. I'm not denying that they're over there defending the lives of Americans, but they're defending the lives of Americans because we put the lives of those Americans in danger ourselves.

yeah an3rcist,

I remember when I was like 11 or 12...(about 12 years ago) My sister was being targeted by a recruiter. She would have only been around 16 or 17.

This serviceman would come knocking at our door, asking to speak with my sister...and if she wasnt home he would talk to me in the same way. I saw how singleminded this guy was even though I was only 12 or 13.
Much like Grady.

How do I sleep knowing what it must be like, fighting over in Irag?
No sweat off my ass!

I did'nt ask anyone to go to war for me, nobody made those men and women join the military. Looking at those pics I'm sure most of the poeple in them are thinking "what the hell was i thinking". For that reason I can feel some compassion...
But all of my best friends are dead already, and they died here, in our own country, at very young ages. no war involved

I use to be in paving and excavating (only 4 years) so I know what its like to be in 3 feet of mud on a daily basis, 0 degree weather tryng to do your job.
dripping with sweat standing on 300 degree asphalt.

So what do they really have to endure? Looks like they lay around, then jump in the humv, take a ride, maybe get shot at...harass or kill a few civillians. Being away from their homes and families is the only thing I respect them for.

Oh and where was the main man this past thanksgiving??? He was there last year?

Originally posted by an3rkist

Originally posted by Jaruseleh
Did you see the american civilians getting their heads cut off? Just because they're not attacking our soil, does not mean they're not attacking our people (among people from other countries as well).

Would they be cutting American's heads off if we weren't over there? It's speculation, but I doubt it. I'm not denying that they're over there defending the lives of Americans, but they're defending the lives of Americans because we put the lives of those Americans in danger ourselves.

Peoples heads being severed is nothing new over there. This has been happening for years, however, it is getting a lot more publicity now due to the war. So yes, this was happening before, and will continue to happen unless these people are brought to justice.

Originally posted by Qlone


I use to be in paving and excavating (only 4 years) so I know what its like to be in 3 feet of mud on a daily basis, 0 degree weather tryng to do your job.
dripping with sweat standing on 300 degree asphalt.

Okay, sounds fair. Now add, 'doing all this while dodging bullets and bombs and watching my coworkers limbs get blown off' and you may come close to what they endure day by day, minute by minute.

Brings back memories........

I remeber that despire how uncomfortable that looks, after 24-48 hours of no sleep and chaos, those little mud and sand trenches dug out are actually welcome relief.

Everytime I see them on TV I remeber how sucky life can be under such circumstances.

Originally posted by jsobecky

curme
If so, I think it's a bit callous for you to be so nonchalant about this, almost like you're taking some sort of perverse pleasure in their discomfort.

The Air Force isn't taking prior service now
I love the troops, my heart goes out to them. I just think it's the height of hypocrisy to support this occupation and the troops. I don't understand the thinking. How can you send young men and women to die for a lie, and then feign some kind of sympathy for them? If people really had such concern for our servicemen and women, they would try to hold politicians accountable for such an inept failure. They would try to work to make it a success, not perpetuate a disaster.

Maybe ATS should raise money for body armor? A lot of soldiers still don't have it. Why? Take a peek at the spending bill you might have heard about in the news.

My cousin jsut went back over there.
He just had his second wedding anerversary and his daughter iusn't even a year old yet ...

Everynight I worry for him, my cousin in law and that beautiful baby .....


*Zerinity*

Reading through these 5 pages and seeing those pictures has made me feel more sympathy towards the soldiers fighting in Iraq. They are doing their best at their job in dangerous circumstances.

However, pictures like these should also serve as a warning. War is a most terrible thing that you can't begin to understand unless you are actually there. War should not be entered into lightly.

These troops should be brought home so they can spend time with their families and friends. They shouldn't even be in Iraq in the first place but they keep on doing their job to 'defend their country' anyway. I hope they can come home soon. Any people in the armed forces reading - Good work. Hope your country can withdraw its troops soon.

I remember times trying to sleep sitting up in a tank. Sometimes I woke up with 1/2 an inch of ice on the inside of my turret because we did not have heaters that worked. As much as I hated it, I think I would still prefer that to what these guys are having to sleep in. Inside a tank, though cold, wet, and freezing I still felt safe.

I probably slept alot better than this woman did last night.

Originally posted by tomcat
Inside a tank, though cold, wet, and freezing I still felt safe.

It depends on the circumstances. I have spent the night inside a 155mm howitzer (M109-SP) with far less armor, but frankly I would rather sleep on the ground than inside a tank. It only takes the one round of the right kind of ammo to turn a tank into a blast furness.

[edit on 04/12/7 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by an3rkist
And when their laying in those hasty positions or sleeping on the cement or trying their damndest to fall asleep in knee-deep mud, I'm betting they're thinking the same thing I think when I'm doing similar things in Korea: "What the hell are we doing here? How is what we're doing here defending the United States?" I hesitated to speculate what they're thinking, but I think I'm in a fair position to do so.

Trust me on this one. It's not what they are thinking now. It's what they will think of themselves ten, fifteen, and twenty years hence. My guess is that most will be damned glad they served, because they will be a brotherhood of the few and they will know that what they did helped to make a better world, even in just a very small way.

I would not have done anything differently, except perhaps tried to be a little more positive about the experience while it was going on. That's hard to do, but I'd give it better shot if I had to go back. But, as they say in the Marine Corps, "A bitchin' Marine is a happy Marine."

[edit on 04/12/7 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by duh squared
I feel the same way, but I take into account how many soldiers are just kids who had no idea what they were getting themselves into, until they were in it up to their necks. I know I made a lot of poor decisions when I was 18....

Otherwise, we are 100% on the same page here.

But still, out of all the bad decisions I made when I was a kid, I never joined the military. I agree, young adults can make some pretty sorry decisions. (My life story, actually) I think they make it abundantly clear that a decision to join could very well be a decision to go to war, for whatever reason. It's the entire basis of the military. I also think a lot of kids got the impression that it was a good way to get free education. Those days are over, and have been since the first Gulf war. Now, those who thought they'd join (before the war) just for the benefits are learning a tough lesson. It's these fascists that get me. I see more and more of them now days. They claim to be republicans, yet they pretty much have skinhead values.

These types of things always make me shake my head....who wanted this? Why are we there? Any half wit knows that there is a reason why they say war is hell.......because it IS! People die, people are tortured...innocents are killed. People act like they are so shocked that there are torture stories....helllllOOOoo...it's been going on in every war there ever was.....beheadings? Since the beginning of time it has been an execution form...where have some of you guys been hiding? How do I sleep? Not well...but not due to those pictures! I didn't send them over there, and while I support the troops, I don't support bush and our butts shouldn't even be there under the guise of terrorism.

Actually, I think more about the troops when I take a shower.

Showers are one of those simple luxuries we take for granted as civilians. I remeber going weeks without a shower. In the mud, in Germany, freezing my ass off on some cold mountaintop in Bavaria. The feelings of warm water, soap, and just feeling "human" and clean, were distant memories.

In the desert it was much worse. Not only was your skin covered in weeks worth of sweat, you were also covered in grime and grit. The heat, making your clothes stick to you. I was pretty sure the homeless people back home smelled better than us, they probably got to shower more.

We had washwater sometimes, from our canteens. In Germany, the water was ice cold. Since we didnt have heating tablets, wed often warm it up on the generator or in a truck. The heated water always smelled like diesel or burnt oil, and thats what you washed with. And you ended up smelling like a deadlined 15 KW genearator.

For the ladies: imagine not getting to shave your legs and armpits for weeks. By the time you get out of there, you can braid the hair on your knees. And when that time of the month comes around? Have fun finding privacy in which to change your napkins and wash with ice cold water.

Theres alot more that goes on than you think. Its not pleasant by anyones standards.

Grady.......Brings back fond memories though buddy.......doesn't it???

Semper Fi

Oh my god, now I've seen everything This is so surreal, it reminds me of a cartoon, particularly the Simpsons episode where Lisa tries to change the system to have a vegeterian menu at school too, so the school brings out an anti-vegeterian propoganda movie to show the kids and brainwashes them. It's absolutely hilarious that a cartoon is actualty reflecting the collective mindset of society?

I never really witnessed first hand what brainwashing was like, but the entirity of this topic, has given me a very good idea, without actually visiting a cult itself. There must be some embedded subliminal messages in the CNN recordings or something!

Not that there is any point, and I am asking this as a rhetorical question, because I do not expect an intelligent answer. but have any of you considered how the Iraqi are sleeping, after having their sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers, grandfather murdered in cold blood, and are most probably lying in the filth of rotting bodies?

I really have died and gone to hell, haven't I? This is like a bad dream!

Hey wait a second.
Where are the sleeping bags or Bivie bags?
Sure they would get roasting in day but at night they would be handy.
There is no picture of troops there sleeping in bivie bags or sleeping bags.
Sure there are non at night but hey where are they?