Soldiers Meant to Be Seen, but Not Heard

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100879.html
Soldiers Meant to Be Seen, but Not Heard



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Peter Baker writes in The Washington Post: "There are few places the president could go for an unreservedly enthusiastic reception the day after unveiling his decision to order 21,500 more troops to Iraq. A military base has usually been a reliable backdrop for the White House, and so Bush aides chose this venerable Army installation in western Georgia to promote his revised strategy to the nation while his Cabinet secretaries tried to sell it on Capitol Hill.

"Assuring there would be no discordant notes here, Maj. Gen. Walter Wojdakowski, the base commander, banned the 300 soldiers who had lunch with the president from talking with reporters. If any of them harbored doubts about heading back to Iraq, many for the third time, they were kept silent."

Sheryl Gay Stolberg writes in the New York Times: "President Bush came to this Georgia military base looking for a friendly audience to sell his new Iraq strategy. But his lunchtime talk received a restrained response from soldiers who clapped politely but showed little of the wild enthusiasm that they ordinarily shower on the commander in chief."

Ron Martz writes in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the 210 soldiers and 90 civilian family members in audience were "handpicked."

"About 4,000 soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division based here are scheduled to go to Iraq soon. For some, it will be their third tour in the war zone."

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not surprising and that is a legal lawful order to uniformed personnel....

This is why when I see the boy who wanted to be king with troops I know what the SOP is, so I don't care if they clap. They were ORDERED

What is mazing is that the WAPO is covering this FINALLY...

under his breath as they left. he has not an ounce of compassion or respect for these soldiers.

The internet is available to active duty and their families, too.

2 soldiers after the chimps speech. Two PFC's straight out of boot camp, never been to Iraq but will soon, and all they would talk about is their girls back home, the holidays with family, simple stuff like that. They didn't allow any of the troops who had been to Iraq speak to the reporters.