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The 'phony soldiers flap' is presenting an opportunity for a (gag) teachable moment.
I have met many soldiers who think the invasion was a mistake or that the post-invasion phase has been horribly botched. (Will stipulate to key points of the latter.)
There are some soldiers who think a better course of action would be to just get out.
And I have met a few who after joining or re-enlisting come to believe they personally made a mistake in volunteering to go to war.
What is most amazing about all these men is that they still do their work with professionalism, dedication and intensity.
Some of the Soldiers and Marines I admire most are the ones who would be happy for Congress to defund the war, yet never complain, are effective small unit leaders and step up to every task in their path.
How is it possible for a college educated Staff Sergeant from an upper middle class family to oppose the war but still perform with distinction in combat?
Robert Kaplan explains it in a Wallstreet Journal column.
Nearly everyone in the U.S. military joined or reenlisted after 9/11. The majority joined or reenlisted after the authorization of use of force against Iraq.
Very few are stop-lossed or on a long initial enlistment--I have personally never met any, but I am sure they exist.
These young people knew what they were getting into. And beyond that, want to get into it.
There are many who disagree with much of the mission and execution--I have met many anti-war grunts who would be happy to kill everyone in the middle east, thereby permanently ending the threat of Islamic Terrorism. Their complaint is not against the war but the post-modern way of war.
But they know that without orders to or a mushroom cloud, their task is to fight the post-modern war. And they do it to near perfection.
I asked a sergeant on his second tour and second enlistment why, if he opposed the war, was he going to reenlist again.
He looked at me like I was a moron and told me that he loved being a soldier, the work is important and he is good at it.
(He is good at the work--I've seen him do it.)
The sergeant, like many others, is a professional warrior. He may not like every mission in--in the macro sense--but he enjoys his personal part of the mission. He loves being with soldiers, leading soldiers and being a soldier.
These dissident soldiers are as real as it gets. They are proud of their personal accomplishments and the comrades--even if they disagree with the totallity of the mission.
They are willing to fight a war they disagree with, for a commander in chief they don't really trust.
That is the stone cold definition of a professional warrior--a real soldier.
Help JD get back to Iraq! Buy a DVD or Contribute below.
JD is currently editing the follow-up to his 2005-2006 documentary Outside The Wire. He will return to Iraq to shoot another documentary as soon as it is released.
We all know that freedom is not free--and neither is reporting from Iraq.
Each digital tape capturing the heroic efforts of Soldiers and Marines costs $7. JD uses almost 100 tapes on each trip. One DVD buys one tape that will permanently capture what the media refuses to cover.
As you know JD spends his time in Iraq with the Soldiers and Marines doing the work Outside The Wire. That means hundred and thousands of dollars of equipment and gear gets damaged. Three dollars buys a new protective lens cover. Fifty dollars buys a pair of ballistic glasses. Just to get there, the airfare costs $1,500.
It all helps and it is all needed to tell the story that is not being told.
If you have the desire and means to contribute more and be a co-producer please contact JD via email.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and any support you can give.
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