Many Troops Dissatisfied, Iraq Poll Finds

Many Troops Dissatisfied, Iraq Poll Finds

By Bradley Graham and Dana Milbank
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, October 16, 2003; Page A01


A broad survey of U.S. troops in Iraq by a Pentagon-funded newspaper found that half of those questioned described their unit's morale as low and their training as insufficient, and said they do not plan to reenlist.

The survey, conducted by the Stars and Stripes newspaper, also recorded about a third of the respondents complaining that their mission lacks clear definition and characterizing the war in Iraq as of little or no value. Fully 40 percent said the jobs they were doing had little or nothing to do with their training.

The findings, drawn from 1,935 questionnaires presented to U.S. service members throughout Iraq, conflict with statements by military commanders and Bush administration officials that portray the deployed troops as high-spirited and generally well-prepared. Though not obtained through scientific methods, the survey results suggest that a combination of difficult conditions, complex missions and prolonged tours in Iraq is wearing down a significant portion of the U.S. force and threatening to provoke a sizable exodus from military service.


snip

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32521-2003Oct15.html

an AF Reserve medivac nurse, just got back from Germany. While she's said she's ok, she also mentioned in theanswer machine machine,'I really don't have anything good to say about it over there..." and she's an ofiicer! I can't imagine what the enlisted people are thinking...:(

It would be nice if more folks in this country would hear the real truth. Not the propaganda that is being put out by junior and his thugs.

that were sent to local papers, perportedly from servicemen. There's a guy who works with my husband who is in the AR Guard. He's disgusted because he can't keep his life in order. He's been back about a week, and will be deployed again soon. He's griping-and he was serving at Ft. Sill, OK! He said that even there he wasn't doing his job (MP) but was sitting behind a desk or working on trucks (at least he's a mechanic in civilian life). The US will lose many of its military because of the way they have been treated.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/washpost/20031016/ts_washpost/a32521_2003oct15

A 5 seems appropriate.

In recent days, the Bush administration has launched a campaign to blame the news media for portraying the situation in Iraq in a negative light. Last week, Bush described the military spirit as high and said that life in Iraq is "a lot better than you probably think.

Bush desribed the military spirit as high! WTF does that idiot know about military spirit? How does he know how life is over in Iraq? He never served nor has he ever suffered. This elitist little shit can take his PR campaign and shove it! Just why do the sheeple buy into this shit that spews from the misadministration?????

end of rant.

Ground Truth

Article

In northern Iraq, just outside Tikrit, a soldier from the 101st Airborne sleeps every night in a sleeping bag under camouflaged netting in an open field. Every meal comes in brown plastic, ready to eat. At Tallil Air Base, about 600 miles to the south, airmen sleep in double beds complete with government-issued comforters and pillows.

Conditions for U.S. troops in Iraq vary widely, and so, too, does the mood and morale of the individual units scattered throughout the country. For months, Stars and Stripes has received scores of letters from troops complaining about one thing or another connected with their service, as well as scores of letters from troops decrying the claims of the complainers and urging them to just do their duty.

In an effort to feel the pulse of U.S. forces firsthand, Stars and Stripes reporters spent three weeks in August fanning across Iraq. Reporters traveled as far south as the enemy prisoner-of-war camp in Umm Qasr, about 15 miles north of the Kuwait border, and as far north as Mosul, about 70 miles from Turkey. To get a firsthand account of what life was like for American forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom, reporters slept, ate, showered and went on patrol with troops.

Part 1 of 7. Featured on CNN this AM. 49% will not re-enlist. 48% unit morale low or very low.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=168619

I'm locking this thread. Interested DUers are welcome to continue discussing this in the referenced thread.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,
TahitiNut - DU moderator