Fort Stewart general: 'Quit complaining'

AP via Atlanta Journal Constitution ^ | 1/25/2006 | RUSS BYNUM

[markomalley]

Fort Stewart — As his troops head into a third combat tour in Iraq, the commanding general of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division said Thursday war-weary Americans should "quit complaining" and prepare themselves for the conflict to continue several more years.

"We're now in a debate about whether or not the third deployment is too much and whether you should have a year between [deployments] in dwell time," Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch told reporters. "I believe it's time for us to quit complaining and focus on doing our duty."

Lynch said it's not soldiers and their spouses who are complaining about the war, but rather people in "outside circles" from the military.

(snip)

Speaking at a news conference, Lynch cautioned that Americans shouldn't expect the troop surge to bring a quick resolution to the war. He said success in Iraq could take more than twice as long as the nearly four years American troops already have spent there.

"If we let the American people realize ... we as a nation are engaged in a long war, that historically it takes at least nine years to complete a counterinsurgency operation, then the American people will be supportive," Lynch said.

He urged Americans to look to the resolve of U.S. soldiers who fought in World War II "and didn't come back until it was over." American forces have been in Iraq longer than the duration of World War II.

(snip)

[ArrogantBustard]

We took over the Phillipines and then spent the next 15 years pacifying the Moro insurgency there.

Those bastards are still causing trouble.

[Levante]

I love that quote.

[Chode]

tooo damn funny... 8^)

[Redleg Duke]

How long before the Socialists in Congress demand he censure and relief?

[csmusaret]

If I were stationed in Hinesville, I might look forward to a year in the desert.