Pentagon retaliates against GIs who spoke out on TV

S F Chronicle via Drudge ^ | July 18, 2003 | Robert Collier

[SquirrelKing]

Fallujah, Iraq -- Morale is dipping pretty low among U.S. soldiers as they stew in Iraq's broiling heat, get shot at by an increasingly hostile population and get repeated orders to extend their tours of duty.

Ask any grunt standing guard on a 115-degree day what he or she thinks of the open-ended Iraq occupation, and you'll get an earful of colorful complaints.

[SquirrelKing]

I'm not a soldier. I'm not in Iraq's 115 degree weather. But when I saw the troops griping on GMA I was torn. On one hand I had to sympathize, after all they'd done and just receiving the news like that I'd be pissed too. But then we have an all-volunteer, professional military, griping should've been kept within the org. Blabbing to a smirking ABC reporter wasn't smart.

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[Fred Mertz]

"The problem is not the heat," said one high-ranking officer. "Soldiers get used to that. The problem is getting orders to go home, so your wife gets all psyched about it, then getting them reversed, and then having the same process two more times."

RumDum needs to develop a rotation plan fast!

[lelio]

CAREERS OVER FOR SOME "It was the end of the world," said one officer Thursday. "It went all the way up to President Bush and back down again on top of us. At least six of us here will lose our careers."

Anyone here got the inside scoop? For some reason I can't see FOX news investigating this matter further.

[Lexington Green]

Good.

[JennysCool]

Ask any grunt standing guard on a 115-degree day what he or she thinks of the open-ended Iraq occupation, and you'll get an earful of colorful complaints.

That's a pretty blanket statement; I think most would keep their gripes to themselves and their buddies, not blab them to reporters.

[tje]

Soldiers gripe.. they always gripe... at war or at peace... there is always something to gripe about...

[Ex-Dem]

Volunteer? Certainly. But you have to wonder what exactly the ones that're griping thought they were volunteering for. Serving this country, or getting a free education at taxpayer expense and then leaving the service after a few years.

[SoDak]

Correct.

[vetvetdoug]

During my entire tour of duty, I was warned of the consequences of speaking in uniform to the press if I had a gripe. These soldiers have screwed the pooch by airing their grievances to the press in uniform with their nametags showing and with their faces aglow. They were warned now they will pay the piper for the public bitch. Look at what happened to those that publically critisized Clinton, they were Bar-B-Qued by the military and the administration.

[mystery-ak]

I guess the 2 GI's quoted in the last 2 paragraphs still have not learned to speak to the press.....I knew those who spoke would not be retained...

[johnb838]

I'm sorry for them. I know it must be rougher than anything I'm likely to go through. But public bitching only encourages the enemy and increases the danger for themselves and their buddies. They MUST keep a stiff upper lip. And WE need to stiffen as well and get behind these troops like we did when they were blitzkrieging all the way to B-diddy. Hoo-rah.

[Prof Engineer]

ping

[EuroFrog]

These women are counting their chickens before they hatch. I told my husband to have someone send me an email after they saw his plane take off.

[JennysCool]

Hope that email comes soon, Euro!

[Kevin Curry]

Ask any grunt standing guard on a 115-degree day what he or she thinks of the open-ended Iraq occupation, and you'll get an earful of colorful complaints.

Ask any grunt standing guard on a 115-degree day anywhere in the world--including the US--what he thinks about the fairness of life and you're likely to get an earful of colorful complaints.

I'd be more concerned about the mental stability of a soldier who just smiled and said "Life couldn't be better!"

[mystery-ak]

Gripes go up the COC..you don't run to the media...my hubby will be happy when he hears this.

[Prof Engineer]

Soldiers gripe.. they always gripe... at war or at peace... there is always something to gripe about...

Sums it up nicely.

I treasure my service time, but I know I griped about the heat, the cold, the chow hall, etc.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

At least six of us here will lose our careers

GREAT can't happen too soon! What the hell do they think they signed up to do?

[lainie]

Not only do I have no sympathy for their so-called retaliation predicament, I don't think it goes far enough. If these guys can't see their way to upholding the oaths they took, perhaps they should be discharged (and I don't mean honorably).

There was a whiny Camp Pendleton wife on L.A. area radio the other day, too. It was disgusting.