Troop Morale in Iraq? "It Sucks," Reporter Discovers

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Troop Morale in Iraq? "It Sucks," Reporter Discovers


By E&P Staff

Published: July 26, 2006 12:15 AM ET

NEW YORK We often hear from President Bush, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld or various generals about the high order of troop morale in Iraq --but we rarely hear directly from the troops themselves. Joshua Partlow of The Washington Post spent four days recently, on and off patrol, with members of the Army's 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, in and around Baghad. The battalion of more than 750 arrived in Baghdad in March, and since then, six soldiers have been killed and 21 wounded.

Here are some of the reactions he got, as he chronicled in a story for his paper on Thursday.

--Staff Sgt. Jose Sixtos: "Think of what you hate most about your job. Then think of doing what you hate most for five straight hours, every single day, sometimes twice a day, in 120-degree heat," he said. "Then ask how morale is." Frustrated? "You have no idea," he said.

--"It sucks," said Spec. Tim Ivey, 28, of San Antonio. "Honestly, it just feels like we're driving around waiting to get blown up, that's the most honest answer I could give you....You lose a couple friends and it gets hard."

--"No one wants to be here, you know, no one is truly enthused about what we do," said Sgt. Christopher Dugger, the squad leader. "We were excited, but then it just wears on you -- there's only so much you can take. Like me, personally, I want to fight in a war like World War II. I want to fight an enemy. And this, out here, there is no enemy, it's a faceless enemy. He's out there, but he's hiding....


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http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002913305

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. it's bad

those kids know they are there for a lie.

I'm in the middle of "My War" by Colby Buzzell. He talks about the attitudes of himself and fellow soldiers. Not good. :(

[MADem]

2. Sherlock Holmes is ON THE CASE!!!

Tracking down how the troops REALLY feel......!!!!

It has been bad for a LONG, long time.

I'm glad they're starting to report on it. Obviously the Public Information Officers are taking afternoon siestas, and letting those pesky reporters out to play without supervision.

[Virginia Dare]

3. Wow, it only took three years...

for the press to finally get clued in on the fact that getting blown up on a daily basis would cause a drop in troop morale. Amazing.