Stars and Stripes letters: On the Reserves, Guard, getting out and oil

In over our heads
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Let’s face it: We’re in over our heads. Yes, we removed Saddam Hussein from power and destroyed his Iraqi regime. But why are we losing so many soldiers each and every day? This is not a war on terror, as the newspapers are saying. It’s a war to protect America’s vital interest, which is oil. Why are we lying to the American public? Maybe we’re instilling fear in them by saying this is a war on terror and the terrorists could strike our homeland. The only terror I’m hearing is in my family members’ voices every time I call home. It seems that every time they turn on the TV, they’re hearing about how convoys are attacked, and they worry that it may be one of us.

We’re never going to be able to stop the killing of Americans while we’re here. How many American lives are the price of oil worth? The Iraqis want us out, and I, along with many guardsmen and reservists, feel it’s time to get out. I don’t believe in what we’re doing here, and when I get home and my ETS is up, I’ll end my 14-year career because of the way we were treated.

Sgt. John C. Laczkowski
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait



Send Us Home
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Did someone forget about the 459th? Did we not do enough? We did our missions and a lot more under extreme conditions. Remember, we’re reservists, and we saw more action than most active-duty units in Iraq. So what’s our issue? Send us home with the units we were attached to during combat. Sometimes you gotta throw a dog a bone!

Staff Sgt. Andrew LaMotte
Camp Dogwood, Iraq


One Year Enough
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These men and women volunteered to serve their country without regard to their own well-being. They did so because they believed in good faith that their government would act appropriately in their time of need. This policy is proof positive that our government has not. The policy is atrocious and an insult to soldiers and their families. I and other guardsmen and reservists ask for help and support in overturning this grotesque policy which victimizes soldiers and their families back home.

If this unjust policy remains in effect, this will be the longest deployment of guardsmen and reservists since World War II. The longest carrier deployment in history was 10 months long.

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Spc. Richard Hodgkinson
Baghdad, Iraq



Share the Wealth
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What I’m suggesting is that the oil companies now pumping oil out of Iraq (and making money) might perhaps share that wealth with the forces serving in the Middle East. Each soldier would get either a certain amount of money or free gasoline for life. I figure it’s our blood, sweat and tears that are helping to secure President Bush’s oil, so why not share the wealth?

Scott Holst
Camp Spearhead, Kuwait



Feel Proud
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Now reservists and guardsmen have to meet some of the same requirements as full-time soldiers. We’re also away from our families. It’s an option we chose when we signed up and raised our hands. But we leave behind not only families, but also employers who depend on us and provide for our families. If readers were bosses and knew that they were going to lose employees for one year or more, would they employ reservists or guardsmen?

Sgt. 1st Class Jim Lumpkin
Camp Wolf, Kuwait


We'll be voting
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As for those who say, “If you don’t like it, get out,” from what I’ve been hearing around Iraq, that’s going to happen. Our voices will also be heard in November of 2004. All the governors and senators of our home states will also hear our voices in the future for not trying to get us out of here.

Sgt. Christopher Clark
Baghdad, Iraq


http://estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=17910#day1

from the service is going to kill our army.