I'm an Infantry Sgt in the army who has 2 tours to Iraq under my belt. I really don't think that people here in the states understand what is really going on over there. These soldiers and marines are constantly having to make these judgement calls in a fraction of a second on whether they are good guys or bad. It seems that all anyone hears about are the cases like the marine in Fullujah. Never does anyone hear about the humanitarian efforts made by our service men and women. I also don't think people understand how difficult it is for us to go into combat mode and then later on in the day go into peace keeping mode. These men and women that are fighting in Iraq and Afganistan are truly the best that there is and I think that it is a testament to their professionalism that they are able to do all these things over a very long period of time and still get the mission done no matter how difficult. On top of all of this I can honestly say that never have I been more proud of my soldiers to see that they can buck up and meet the challenges head on time and time again.
On the contrary, it is extremely frustrating to fight this enemy who seemingly has no face. A majority of the time we are hit and then there is nothing left to shoot at because hajji is long gone. I don't care what anyone says, it always feels good to get some payback and release some of those frustrations, but never is it taken overboard. On many instances we return fire and kill or wound the enemy and then when it's all said and done we turn around and give them aid and comfort. This versatility is what makes this the greatest military there is and what separates us from them