by Duke, PolitiPorn Int’l Bureau Chief
I recently got a comment that suggested I go and write for a tabloid. I am seriously, no bullshit, in love with the fact that he thought I could write for the Star. It’s a gossip rag, but professionally written. I know that kind of misses the point of the comment, but I was seriously floored by compliment.
The comment also suggested that I had no military service. That suggestion was both accurate and important. I was rejected twice by the Army due to a psychological evaluation. My recruiter was literally enraged because I scored well enough for code-breaking on the ASFAB (once I told him I would have gone infantry anyway he calmed down.)
I come from a military family; my grandfather was actually a POW in Nazi Germany, and my father, step father, brother, sister, uncle, and two grandfather’s served, many in combat. My grandfather was a ball turret gunner and got shot down over occupied Holland after the dumbass replacement pilot made a wrong turn. He actually ended up in Stalag 17, it wasn’t as fun as Hogan’s Hero’s made it seem. This still doesn’t give me the perspective of a veteran though and he was right to point that out.
Regarding military opinion about the war I would like to point you towards a study by the Journal of Foreign Policy and New American Security Organization. His comment reeks of false consensus.
The study appeared in the March/April Edition of Foreign Policy and it interviewed 3,400 soldiers. The breakdown of respondents was: 35% Army, 33% USAF, 23% Navy and 8% Marines. More than 2/3rds had been in combat. Of the respondents 81% had more than 20 years of service under their belts
Here are some highlights of the survey:
- (1) 90% of Respondents reported that the war in Iraq was “Stretching our Military Dangerously Thin”
- (2) 16% had absolutely no confidence in President Bush.
- (3) Nearly 80% Supported expanding citizenship options for those willing to serve
- (4) 22% supported allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military
- (5) Only 7% supported “Moral Waivers” for individuals convicted of serious crimes to be allowed to serve. In 2003 the Army alone issued 4,644 such waivers.
- (6) Only 13% viewed goals set by civilian leadership in Iraq as reasonable
The other section of the same study asked respondents to give a 1-10 score…
Governmental Leadership and Decision Making
The average score (10 being best) for confidence for various agencies and branches of the Government Leadership was:
- (1) 4.7 for the CIA
- (2) 4.1 for the Department of State
- (3) 4.5 for the Department of Veterans Affairs
- (4) 5.6 for the Department of Defense
- (5) 2.7 for Congress
(These scores should be over 8, except for congress in my opinion)
Administration Decision Making (Again 10 being best)
- (1) 3.3 for the appropriateness of initial troop levels
- (2) 3.1 for the decision to disband the Iraqi Military
The Condition of the Military
The average scores regarding the overall readiness of the various military branches (note: 10 was completely prepared) was…
- (1) 4.7 for the US Army
- (2) 5.7 for the USMC (because the Marines have always felt that if someone feels froggy then they should in fact leap, they are not to be fucked with)
- (3) 6.8 for the USAF
- (4) 6.6 for the US Navy
(Again keep in mind that a score of five was not labeled as prepared. The scores illustrate how unprepared we are.)
The average scores for the readiness to engage particular countries was…
- (1) 4.5 for conflict with Iran
- (2) 4.8 for any future conflict
Two other points highlighted in analysis of the study was the fact that only 25% of congress served in the military and a staggering 58% of West Point Graduates from 2002 had declined an extension of military service once their obligatory active duty had expired.
My poor analysis of this poll is disturbing. We owe it to the troops to produce an environment that compels more confidence in the leadership of this country. We all remember the soldier that heckled Rummy about the lack of proper armor; history proves the absence of confidence creates vulnerabilities that no armor can address.
When each soldier swears an oath to defend this country he or she should become part of a greater promise made by all elected officials to not only defend this country, but also hold sacred the solemn dedication of those who form the fist of American power.
Wow, that is truly sobering.