NcDeuce
11-04-2003, 02:39 PM
This letter came from a 101st Airborne Division soldier stationed in Iraq as you read this. It was printed in today's local newspaper, the Leaf Chronicle. It is interesting and has a good point.
Don't speak for soldiers in newspaper's opinion
After reading your editorial addressing how terrorists won't bully the U.S. (Opinions, Oct. 28) it struck me, as an infantry officer serving with the 101st in Iraq, how willing many armchair hawks are willing to talk tough and use our lives as currency.
We are accomplishing many things and are proud of what we are doing here, but the soldiers are tired and morale is flagging. Please do not speak for us. Our actions here speak well enough of every man and woman in the division. And we are anything but hawkish; determined, yes, but we do not share your jingoism.
A better use of your bully pulpit would be to ask tough questions about redeployment, not because we are not tough enough to handle the hardships or we question the mission, but because we need to rejoin our families, refit our soldiers and equipment and prepare for our next mission.
So please refrain from the simplistic "bring it on" patriotism unless you are prepared to join us in being the ones it is being brought upon.
Capt. John Bryan
Iraq
Don't speak for soldiers in newspaper's opinion
After reading your editorial addressing how terrorists won't bully the U.S. (Opinions, Oct. 28) it struck me, as an infantry officer serving with the 101st in Iraq, how willing many armchair hawks are willing to talk tough and use our lives as currency.
We are accomplishing many things and are proud of what we are doing here, but the soldiers are tired and morale is flagging. Please do not speak for us. Our actions here speak well enough of every man and woman in the division. And we are anything but hawkish; determined, yes, but we do not share your jingoism.
A better use of your bully pulpit would be to ask tough questions about redeployment, not because we are not tough enough to handle the hardships or we question the mission, but because we need to rejoin our families, refit our soldiers and equipment and prepare for our next mission.
So please refrain from the simplistic "bring it on" patriotism unless you are prepared to join us in being the ones it is being brought upon.
Capt. John Bryan
Iraq