Richard Reeves: Soldiers Can't Speak Freely

The Hartford Courant ^ | July 29, 2003 | Richard Reeves

[BillyBonebrake]

I'm with the kid in Fallujah, the Army private in the Third Infantry Division, who said Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ought to resign. Rummy and his crowd led and misled those soldiers out there to occupy a country we can defeat but not control.

Rumsfeld, who should never have been given an army to play with, is either nuts or incompetent. I tend toward the former. He and President Bush overreached in sending 16 of the Army's 33 combat-ready divisions to win an easy war and now have to leave them out there to occupy the desert - something they are not well-trained to do - until we withdraw or find someone to take our place.

Now, there's a problem. We mocked and bullied most of our allies in the run-up to war - we didn't need the wusses of Old Europe and old everyplace else - and now we are begging the people we ignored, the United Nations and our own North Atlantic Treaty Organization, to come bail us out.

We can't really win this game. In that way, we are repeating the mistakes we made in Vietnam all those years ago. This is quite a different war in quite a different place, but there is this similarity: The Vietnamese and the Iraqis have been there forever and will be there forever, but we will leave sooner or later.

[BillyBonebrake]

I read and re-read this one and for the life of me I cannot figure out the point he's trying to make. Help me out, Freepers.

[mattdono]

His is a disgruntled soldier that didn't learn the simple lesson of boot camp: to follow orders.

This private is giving all of the armed forces a bad name. And it is a shame. I am sure that the lamestream media will be delighted to see this and will run with it.

If he doesn't want to follow orders, he has two choices: shut his piehole and do the work, or be dishonorably discharged.

[theDentist]

The (alleged) shoplifter is whining "quagmire" and insisting the UN was right all along. He wants to have soldiers complaining publicly about the CiC. Of course, during Somalia, Kosovo, Bosnia he wanted to insure the same soldiers gripes were silenced.

Screw him.

[xtorpedoman]

Hmmmmmmmm
Not really sure of the point, but as a vet, i do know that there are specific ways to handle a grievence within the military.
plastering your complaints all over the media is NOT one of them.

[Herodotus]

I for one am fascinated to learn that we have 33 active duty divisions. Where do we keep all of them? I was only aware of the ten that have been working hard over the past few years to keep us safe.

Maybe he means 33 brigades. But that would suggest that he doesn't know the difference between brigades and divisions. If _that's_ the case...why the hell should we believe anything else in this article, ostensibly about overcommitted forces?

[far sider]

Where's the picture of the soldier giving the middle finger salute to the press?

[Austin Willard Wright]

Errr....um....he says that soldiers should not be allowed to complain to the media. Reading is fundamental.

[Lowell]

I don't believe a soldier wrote that at all. A very clever liberal wrote that and planted it. They are scummy pieces of garbage.

[dwilli]

A disgruntled private? Bet there are also some disgruntled
troops in San Diego, Key West, Honolulu, Japan, Okinawa,etc.

[xtorpedoman]

he shoots!, He scores!!!!!!
lol

[xtorpedoman]

i was disgruntled while stationed on Guam

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

i was gruntled and disgruntled while stationed on Guam

[lawdude]

"i was disgruntled while stationed on Guam"

Has your 'gruntle' returned?

[kevao]

No bias in this article. No, sir.

[xtorpedoman]

i'm not stationed on Guam any more
Hafa dai!
lol

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Not at all. It was great the first couple of years there then it turned sour. Some Menziod got the bright idea that we could turn B-52 Bombers like fighters. I still don't know if it ever worked.

As far as the troops complaining to the media, i'll believe them when they tell us their draft lottery number.

[MamaB]

No one made him/her join the army and anyone that age should know the reason for armies. To fight for our freedoms. If they joined to get an education then they should never have signed the paperwork. I do not feel sorry for this person. My older brother was in the Air Force and he celebrated his 16th birthday in Greenland. He was in during the Korean War and the atomic bomb testing out west in the early-to mid 50's. He is suffering the consequences of all that he went through during that time period but he says it had to be done at that time. It seems like there are whiners everywhere. It will probably be all over the liberal news for all the other whiners to see and hear. Right now, I am not in the mood to read about this kind of nonesense. Our younger daughter is back in the hospital for the 3rd time since the first week of June. She nearly died the 1st time and the drs do not seem to be able to find out what is wrong with her. She is a very ill young lady and would appreciate your prayers.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Hafa gecko to you.

[twigs]

This soldier really believed the new slogan: an army of one. Now he realizes that there are others to whom he must submit.

[twigs]

Very sorry to hear about your daughter. Will pray for her.