A friend that served under me as a young Squad Leader
 

...in the 1st Gulf War...called me this evening to inform me that after eighteen years of service he has called it quits. He got back from Iraq in April and his current enlistment was up in June. He explained that even though he is only two years from retirement...because he is married now and has children...he could not risk being sent back into combat again. He had a couple of close calls during his time in Iraq and now places more value on his life...because he has a family. He asked me if I was disappointed in him and I told him..."No...it was your decision to make." Though I did not tell him this...it was also the best decision for the men serving with...and under him...because with his attitude it could get men killed.

Absolutely. You have to be a mindless emotionless drone to be in the army.

It takes a "special" person to do it.

fascinating

Those guys are heroes. But they're also human beings with families.

It's so sad to see the government use lies for all that shit and corruption.

Good thing ... cauz this whole war was a big scam ... he would have risked his life over nothing

kind of a drag to lose all that retirement money though

The war was/is not a scam. The WMD's/WMD materials were only used as a selling point for public support...because it was believed by our Intel agencies...as well as British...French and German intel agencies that Iraq did indeed possess WMD's/WMD materials...but it was never the most important reason...out of a list of reasons for the war.

Kind of a drag to die in iraq. I'd gladly trade any amount of money for my life. :thumbsup

Yeah, killing muslims was the reason and increasing terrorism.

There is not...and never was...a singular reason.

A Kissinger quote, the current admin probably shares the same view.

"Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy"

Yeah I already know that there are many crazy reasons.
Best of luck to your friend though.

He can always return to active duty when and if things settle down. There is a ten year limit on returning to active duty. That way he only has to put in the two years and he will get his benefits. I have spent sometime in the Marine Corps and know exactly how he feels. I would love to go back but with a kid on the way it's to much to risk for a war that's not even sanctioned by the U.N.


Best Regards,

J.Lond

This idiot has it in his head that he knows the reasons. Fool posted them way back as they begin to look more and more stupid it's satisfying to see he no longer bores us with them.

theidiot or pooffinder do you really think Bush gives a fuck about what you think?

http://www.paulmarkham.com/temp/theking.jpg

I will be seeing a guy who fought inside Iraq before the invasion, he's with the Specail Services, he's convinced the top brass KNEW their was nothing to resist them.

In the Gulf war Saddam had an army and equipment, they were bombed into oblivion before the troops moved. This time the troops went straight in. What does that tell you?

If Saddam had of been as dangerous as they were playing it, there wouldn't have been enough body bags to bring the dead home. As it turns out the resistance was minimal and very easily dealt with. Now the question is did they know that or were they just lucky?

Here we go again about Iraq.

We signed a peace treaty, Iraq refused to abide by it, they shot at our planes on a daily basis, a defacto state of war existed, so we kicked their asses.

I feel for your friend. For four years I trained for it and I was ready to serve. Thank God I never got called.

Your friend must be an E6 or E7? If he brought his PLT or SQD back from Iraq then he can leave th ARMY without regret...

BTW... I like the way you defend Soldiers in GFY threads, but I think your off on some of your thoughts.... if you're going to Florida find me and we'll have a good convo, one combat vet to another.

SCOUTS OUT!

SaberNine

I claim BULLSHIT!

I was a marine for 10 years. I fought in Iraq and Afgan. No one I know wanted to leave their friends, if they got wounded they did not want to leave their friends and let them fight alone(and many had familys, I know I am one of them). It's not a government issue or a what's the right thing in the world issue to do, it's a military never let your buddy or people under you down issue.
So keep you B.S. peaceloving propagandia out of this if you want to make up stories of elected officals fine I support it. Don't make up stories of the men and women serving the country, who will fight to the end for what they believe in and who will never want to leave the people serving with them's side.

Semper FI

This guy can't afford to go to Florida, he lives with his Mum.

lol, here we go.

People can never cool it when it comes to politics can they?

He ain't no combat vet.
He was a cook in the army and slipped on some potato peels and hurt his back so they sent him back to the states.

I do not know if Kissinger made that statement or not...but it is fact that the military is used as an extention of foreign policy.

Clueless...the US never feared and never stated that they feared Iraq's military. The US...of course knew the size of the forces they opposed...the dispositon of their forces...the number and type of war machines they possessed. Their was not much if any luck involved.

I served with the 82nd Airborne Division for 12 years...until the 1st Gulf War ended my career. He did not let any of his friends down...or leave anyone. He was sent over with his unit and he returned to the CONUS with his unit. He choose not to re-enlist again.

He was an E-7 PLT SGT...same as I was when he served as one of my Squad Leaders. He returned to the CONUS with his PLT.

:thumbsup to you.

theking I am not even sure why you waste your time posting this here on GFY. All you do is invite attacks from the kooks and eurotrash.

Then he's good to go :)