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In reply to the discussion: WTF? ...... Billings, MT, meth lab raid.....except there was no meth lab [View all]dballance
(5,756 posts)Last edited Mon Feb 4, 2013, 07:04 PM - Edit history (1)
But I try to understand that you were in a situation and situations not of your own making and not within your control. While there were and are some bad apples out there I believe 99.9% of our troops are over there trying to do the best they can with the intel and the tools they have. You were a soldier. You job was to neutralize the enemy. That's what you tried to do.
Sure, maybe command could have implemented some policies and some procedures for our troops to try and make amends to the innocent civilians like the ones in the wrong house your team raided. And they probably should have. But as a foot solider executing raids on suspected terrorists that is just not something that you could have, or should have done. In the situation you describe you can't really question your orders or commander. If you had and it had been the correct house rather than the wrong one you could have endangered and gotten other soldiers killed.
I have to agree with Sen. Chuck Hagel that the Iraq war was the biggest blunder since the Vietnam War. You didn't create it though. You bear no responsibility for it nor for being given the wrong house to invade.
I'm glad you've had a sort of enlightenment. I believe it will continue to make you a better person.
I appreciate your sacrifices and service to our country.