Commanders Post at The Warpath - View Single Post

MTRedskinsFan · 12-30-2007, 02:23 AM

Great post. I love to hear what soldiers have to say about their experiences, especially regarding the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I have a cousin about 13 years my senior who is a lifer in the service and his insights still blow me away to this very day. When the Iraq invasion began in March '03 I was actually visiting him at his base in Europe (when I say his base I mean he literally ran the f'n thing - he was a LT. Col at the time if memory serves). He had also spent most of the 90's in the middle east doing recon and surveillance. DJ told me back in '03 that ANYONE who did recon/surveillance on Iraq after Desert Storm knew it posed no threat and had little to show for the alleged WMD programs. Specifically, DJ said Iraq's overall military capability was 10 percent of its pre-Desert Storm capability. However, even though he openly acknowledged Iraq was not a threat and all higher-ups knew it to be the case he was still completely supportive of the invasion and occupation. When I asked why he said it is important to put the military machine to work now and again. He was very gung-ho about the whole thing.

Not long after I returned to the states DJ left his base to coordinate security detail in and around Iraq. I didn't talk to him for a long time. When he finally got back on leave he was a completely different person. Only to his mom and brothers did he talk about seeing his men go home in body bags, or almost worse, missing whole portions of their bodies and/or mental faculties. He also decided he no longer wanted to serve as a soldier and began education to become a chaplain in the military. His story becomes pretty depressing after that, as he is being called back again under very lousy circumstances. My hope is that he is not there long.

12-30-2007, 02:23 AM	#5
MTRedskinsFan Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 359	Re: A Former Marine's Perspective on the War Great post. I love to hear what soldiers have to say about their experiences, especially regarding the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have a cousin about 13 years my senior who is a lifer in the service and his insights still blow me away to this very day. When the Iraq invasion began in March '03 I was actually visiting him at his base in Europe (when I say his base I mean he literally ran the f'n thing - he was a LT. Col at the time if memory serves). He had also spent most of the 90's in the middle east doing recon and surveillance. DJ told me back in '03 that ANYONE who did recon/surveillance on Iraq after Desert Storm knew it posed no threat and had little to show for the alleged WMD programs. Specifically, DJ said Iraq's overall military capability was 10 percent of its pre-Desert Storm capability. However, even though he openly acknowledged Iraq was not a threat and all higher-ups knew it to be the case he was still completely supportive of the invasion and occupation. When I asked why he said it is important to put the military machine to work now and again. He was very gung-ho about the whole thing. Not long after I returned to the states DJ left his base to coordinate security detail in and around Iraq. I didn't talk to him for a long time. When he finally got back on leave he was a completely different person. Only to his mom and brothers did he talk about seeing his men go home in body bags, or almost worse, missing whole portions of their bodies and/or mental faculties. He also decided he no longer wanted to serve as a soldier and began education to become a chaplain in the military. His story becomes pretty depressing after that, as he is being called back again under very lousy circumstances. My hope is that he is not there long.