I agree with your statement to bring them home now, although I never believed I would utter those words. I am very well prepared to take on the terrorists on my terms if they come over and start their crap here. At that point, the government will be an ever greater empty shell as it is now.
It’s amazing, isn’t it, to find ourselves in some really convoluted way on the “same side” as virulent anti-war people? I never, ever believed I’d think it- let alone say it, either.
I’ve spent a good amount of time discussing this with several combat vets from both Iraq and Afghanistan. To a man, they are strongly opposed to the current ROE’s and can supply myriad examples of the consequences- not only to the soliders and marines themselves- but to the entire campaign being waged. There’s an uneasiness among them- their dads are reminded of vietnam and what happens when the leadership has no will to win. They see it happening all over again- different war, different enemy - but the same self-defeating mindset.
It cannot be stressed enough what this kind of strategy does to the morale of the warrior.