U.S. Troop Morale in Iraq High

2007-01-14 17:27:40

#1

ATG: Banned; +5,233|6954|Global Command

U.S. Troop Morale in Iraq High, Marine Commander Says

http://www.sofmag.com/news/authorresult … %20Service

Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service wrote:

Sunday, December 10 2006 8:23 PM

AL ASAD, Iraq, Dec. 9, 2006 – Even with all the debate in the U.S. over Iraq strategy, morale on the ground here is good, the commander of Multinational Force West said today.

Marine Maj. Gen. Richard Zilmer said that retention among Marines based in Iraq is more than 140 percent of the goal. "If they didn't think what they were doing was important, then they wouldn't reenlist," he said during an interview.

He said the situation in Anbar province is difficult, but progress is being made. "It's going to be slow," Zilmer said. "We will be at this for a long time."

The general said he is encouraged by cooperation tribal sheikhs are providing the coalition in the province. Local leaders in and around Ramadi finally had enough of al Qaeda in Iraq violence and intimidation and began cooperating with the U.S. forces in the area. "The sheikhs have a lot of power," Zilmer said. "As soon as they put it out that people should cooperate, we started getting volunteers."

Overall, the combined U.S. forces met their recruiting goals last year.

Kinda odd that the worlds leading purveyor of imperialism ( according in CameronPoe and cohorts ) has a all volunteer military service? Any talk of draft you hear is nothing but daft politics. There are enough good American out there that understand we are fighting a important war that a draft is not needed here.

http://www.military.com/features/0,1524 … mynews.RSS

2007-01-14 17:29:03

#2

Archer: rapes face; +161|6849|Canuckistan

Good to hear that the boys overseas are keeping their chins up

2007-01-14 17:49:48

#3

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|7026|132 and Bush

Could it be maybe because they see more than what the media picks and chooses?

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2007-01-14 17:53:00

#4

Stingray24: Proud member of the vast right-wing conspiracy; +1,060|6871|The Land of Scott Walker

Kmarion wrote:
Could it be maybe because they see more than what the media picks and chooses?

2007-01-14 17:53:15

#5

BigmacK: Back from the Dead.; +628|7176|Chicago.

Kmarion wrote:
Could it be maybe because they see more than what the media picks and chooses?

I think your onto something there.

2007-01-14 17:54:34

#6

stryyker: bad touch; +1,682|7145|California

How low can the morale be? Your with your brothers everyday! You get to shoot at things
How high can the morale be? Your being shot at! people are dying

lol, 2 sided argument.

2007-01-14 17:56:24

#7

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|7026|132 and Bush

stryyker wrote:
How low can the morale be? Your with your brothers everyday! You get to shoot at things
How high can the morale be? Your being shot at! people are dying

lol, 2 sided argument.

Maybe, but you rarely hear about the side the OP is posting.

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2007-01-14 17:57:37

#8

UGADawgs: Member; +13|6746|South Carolina, US

Well, at least the army still has a great deal of morale.

The problem with a draft army is that unless there is just some evil enemy that everyone wants to kill (like Nazism in WWII), a bunch of the people you conscript will be disgruntled kids who end up getting killed. Draft didn't work in Vietnam and wouldn't work in Iraq.

2007-01-14 18:01:53

#9

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|7026|132 and Bush

Stories like this aren't as entertaining.

Last edited by Kmarion (2007-01-14 18:02:47)

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2007-01-14 18:08:33

#10

ATG: Banned; +5,233|6954|Global Command

Kmarion wrote:
Stories like this aren't as entertaining.
http://i16.tinypic.com/40pgb5z.jpg

Three entities are behind the continued unrest in Iraq.

1) the Sunni/Shia militias and the outside meddlers.
2) The Press
3) the democratic party in America.

2007-01-14 18:29:43

#11

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|7026|132 and Bush

ATG wrote:
Kmarion wrote:
Stories like this aren't as entertaining.
http://i16.tinypic.com/40pgb5z.jpg
Three entities are behind the continued unrest in Iraq.

1) the Sunni/Shia militias and the outside meddlers.
2) The Press
3) the democratic party in America.

Agreed, as you can see the article I posted was from a journalist embedded with the soldiers in Ramadi.

It's kinda like the economy also. When we are in the recession you couldn't escape the economy news in the mainstream media. Now the economy is doing extremely well in nearly all aspects. http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/01/1 … wbbv7.html
Not many people are even aware that we are heading in the right direction to eliminating the national debt as well. We of course have a long way to go but we have reversed the direction.

Last edited by Kmarion (2007-01-14 18:36:09)

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2007-01-14 18:41:55

#12

Bubbalo: The Lizzard; +541|6987

Whether or not you have a volunteer military has nothing to do with whether you are an empire.

2007-01-14 20:29:49

#13

Blehm98: conservative hatemonger; +150|6889|meh-land

quote from article wrote:
[....]but some U.S. commanders say it's additional Iraqi boots on the ground they want and need.

quote of major general zilmer wrote:
"Even more important is the arrival and development of Iraqi forces," Marine Maj. Gen. Richard C. Zilmer told CBS News.

anyone see how that article twisted what the general said completely around by including a segment of his quote and not the whole thing?
What the general meant was "[this is a good thing, but its important to realize that although this is important] EVEN MORE IMPORTANT IS THE ARRIVAL AND DEVELOPMENT OF IRAQI FORCES"

discuss

edit: just so you know what caught my eye was that both articles have quotes from Major General Zilmer, but he appears to have two opposite points of view according to the articles.

Last edited by Blehm98 (2007-01-14 21:46:40)

2007-01-14 21:21:58

#14

jonsimon: Member; +224|6921

Army morale doesnt say much about anything in this situation. The military employs a lot of psychology to keep morale up. Besides, morale has nothing to do with how intelligent the soldiers are or how well the war is actually going, its mostly independent.

2007-01-14 21:24:59

#15

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|7026|132 and Bush

jonsimon wrote:
Army morale doesnt say much about anything in this situation. The military employs a lot of psychology to keep morale up. Besides, morale has nothing to do with how intelligent the soldiers are or how well the war is actually going, its mostly independent.

This is starting to sound like a bad John Kerry joke.

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2007-01-14 21:30:13

#16

pRiNcEkAhUnA1: Member; +6|6895

ATG wrote:
Kmarion wrote:
Stories like this aren't as entertaining.
http://i16.tinypic.com/40pgb5z.jpg
Three entities are behind the continued unrest in Iraq.

3) the democratic party in America.

You may get a three day ban for mentioning that... I sure as hell did. LOL

2007-01-14 21:37:01

#17

ATG: Banned; +5,233|6954|Global Command

The body of work that I have created explaining, defending and demonstrating my positions proves I'm not just spamming.

Its not like they cut me any slack, its just that they know I really believe what I type.

2007-01-14 21:40:15

#18

Havok: Nymphomaniac Treatment Specialist; +302|7100|Florida, United States

Is it just me, or is that the same statue in the background of Saddam Hussein that we tore down years ago? Meaning - is this picture really old?

2007-01-14 21:44:04

#19

ATG: Banned; +5,233|6954|Global Command

Yes.
I picked a google image to illustrate my thread.

2007-01-14 21:46:24

#20

Havok: Nymphomaniac Treatment Specialist; +302|7100|Florida, United States

ATG wrote:
Yes.
I picked a google image to illustrate my thread.

Oh ok. I thought that was a recent photo, so it was making me wonder wtf is actually going on over there.

2007-01-14 22:26:32

#21

ATG: Banned; +5,233|6954|Global Command

TBH, it wasn't random.
The symbolism of the troops running past the statue in the distance moved me.

2007-01-14 22:36:33

#22

Cybargs: Moderated; +2,285|7142

Bubbalo wrote:
Whether or not you have a volunteer military has nothing to do with whether you are an empire.

America doesn't have a monarchy.

https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png

2007-01-14 22:37:19

#23

Bubbalo: The Lizzard; +541|6987

That also has nothing to do with empirism.

2007-01-14 22:38:32

#24

Blehm98: conservative hatemonger; +150|6889|meh-land

an empire is when a single country controls a significant amount of territory around the world, practicing complete control over them. which means they are colonies

America has no colonies. and we don't really control a significant amount of territory around the world, philipines are independant and iraq is partially independant. No empire

2007-01-14 22:45:39

#25

Bubbalo: The Lizzard; +541|6987

In the traditional sense, you are an empire, because you took control of the Indian nations.

Practically no-one realises this, and instead claims the US is an empire on other grounds.

Having said that: I wasn't commenting on whether the US is or isn't an empire, rather I was pointing out that ATG clearly misunderstood what an empire is. Personally, I think calling the US an empire is something of a stretch.

BF2S Forums U.S. Troop Morale in Iraq High

Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

stryyker wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

ATG wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

quote from article wrote:

quote of major general zilmer wrote:

jonsimon wrote:

ATG wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

ATG wrote:

Bubbalo wrote:

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BF2S Forums U.S. Troop Morale in Iraq High

Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

stryyker wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

ATG wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

quote from article wrote:

quote of major general zilmer wrote:

jonsimon wrote:

ATG wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

ATG wrote:

Bubbalo wrote:

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Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service wrote: