Five Years In
Unfortunately, the Post doesn't seem to take into account the hundreds of thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen Marines and guardsmen who have actually DONE THE FIGHTING in this war. In two trips to the war zone and countless email communications with these brave men and women, I have yet to meet one who believes this was a war "not worth fighting." In fact, it's the continued characterization that this war is worthless and unwinnable that composes the majority of the frustration that our troops feel. They complain less about the austere living conditions and seventeen hour days than they do about media bias. In short, it frustrates them to no end.
In my last trip to Iraq, I had the privilege of traveling with retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North. The following is an excerpt of his upcoming book, American Heroes, (edited by yours truly). I think this describes well the progress that we've made in five years and the pride our troops feel for a job well done, despite having their work constantly pilloried in the press.
By autumn 2007, the trends and indicators from Iraq were so positive that the mainstream media took stories Iraq off the front pages and the evening news and went searching for other negative stories about the U.S. Armed Forces to feed the American people. In October and November there were stories about high numbers of suicides, desertions and divorces among members of our military – and how difficult it had become to attract new recruits. A 17 November 2007 Associated Press: "Soldiers strained by six years at war are deserting their posts at the highest rate since 1980."
In fact, the suicide rate for U.S. military personnel is lower than that of the same age group in the U.S. population. The divorce rate in the military is about the same as that in the overall population and the desertion rate for the Marines has actually declined since 9-11-01. And as for new recruits, every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces exceeded their recruiting goals in 2007 – and the Marines had more requests for re-enlistment than they were authorized to accept.
The recruiting and retention story is particularly heartening, given that many young people are discouraged from serving in uniform by family members, friends and high-school guidance counselors – something that at one time in our country would have been considered shameful.
Sgt. Steven C. Ganczewski, a Ranger in Chuck Holton's unit, had been asked by a high school guidance counselor why a young man with his "potential would join the Army."
"Someone with his potential" - as if selfless service – even to the point of giving one's life for a cause greater than any one of us – is somehow beneath one's "potential." Thankfully Patrick Henry and George Washington didn't feel that way in 1775.
The story made me wonder if people who discourage service to others to be beneath their "potential" would say the same thing to the man who said, "Greater love has no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends." That man, Jesus Christ, went on to do just that.
But Sgt. Steven C. Ganczewski understood that there are more important things in life than safety and a scholarship, despite what the guidance counselors had to say.
Chuck Holton
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