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I know people in the Guard who've told me things that square with this article. Obviously different units - and different individuals - report different experiences. I'm not saying everything's the same everywhere and with everyone, but everything isn't coming up roses.

Didn't say it was. I can promise you that those troops over there do not like taking Najaf Cemetery over and over again. Nor do artillery guys like being put on convoy escort duty with no specific training for it.

My take on it is that its not the level of troops and its not these logistical things. We have enough troops to take Najaf Cemetery. We have enough troops to go right up to the Ali Mosque. We have enough troops to surround it and lay siege to it. We have enough troops to break down its walls and kill anyone who moves in the courtyard until they are afraid to move and starting to get thirsty. But then we pull back. We let Sadr go. We let the bad guys go to Sadr City to start trouble, we kick them around there and then let them go and a few weeks later we have to send our guys back to retake Najaf Cemetery...one....more....time.

We've got enough troops, the troops have enough equipment generally, they generally have fine morale, but we have not had the political will to put these guys down when we have them cornered.

If you have a Vietnam analogy then that is it. But even so, the media portrays it as if the casualty levels and the extent and quality of the opposition were on a Vietnam level which is very incorrect.

What you say is so true. I would be surprised if 1% of the troops in Iraq and other theaters are "happy" to be there or don't have serious concerns. And with very few exceptions they will vent their frustration then do the job...and it's amazing how many will extend or volunteer to go back. Not because they enjoy it so much as they are commited.

Then there will always be those few who are in the service for other reasons and have no commitment to their oath.

They are sorted out and the rest keep on doing what is asked of them.