We are getting into an extremely dangerous situation here. If this Iraq adventure is not concluded very soon, we are going to pay a tremendous price or rather, our children will have to pay that price.
Could it be that Iraq = Tar baby?
Reserve orders have not been this long since WWII. Entire Reserve divisions are activated.
Morale is a big problem with this solution to the problem.
My grandfather was away in WW2 for 3 yrs. This is as serious, actually more serious, of a war.
I talked with a National Guard recruiter at a gun show here in Oregon recently. According to him, enlistments are *way* down and the services generally are really worried about it. They're not getting any response from highschool seniors.
The services are trying to use "theme marketing" to get enlistments - "be all that you can be", etc. - and it's not working. I guess I'm not surprised at that - for my money, they'd do better to use an outright patriotic appeal, complete with photographs of 9/11 and combat footage.
But, what do I know...
I couldn't agree more. You could offer these guys 5,000 dollar bonuses, and they'd turn it down in a minute to go home.
Been there done that.
Good post.
Thanks for your service, Semper.
There is a huge difference in what happened in the Clinton administration and now with respect to military deployments, in my opinion.
We are at war. Most of us do not realize it, but we are. Because of the sacrifices of our troops, we get to go shopping, go to parties, live our lives as we always have. They have sheltered us from it, but we need to realize we will be engaged in this for a long time. Many more lives will be lost, both military and civilian before this is over.
It should be Terrorism=Tar baby. And like everyone who has ever been involved in crisis knows, you don't always get to pick your tar baby.