A Thread To Honor Our Military In Iraq

[Kanadesaga]

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. Gabriel Guzman, 25, of Hornbrook, Calif., died March 8 at Orgun E, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Gholam Haydar Kala, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

[Noob920]

Originally Posted by BillCosby

Yea I bet you are really living the life......... Hey but whatever makes you happy............

Oh, it does, it does - BTW is that a picture of you in front of your "mansion", or was it photo-shopped to "embellish" your "wealth"?

Originally Posted by BillCosby

I don't consider myself a maverick. IMO that term is an old cliché & I am not even sure what it is suppose to mean.... I guess mcbush supporters like it... TO explain away his poor academic performance....... Sounds better than idiot, stupid or lazy............

It's "supposed", asswipe. Oh, and his GPA WAS higher than Kerry's, in case you were wondering. But please, "do your own research".

Originally Posted by BillCosby

Trying to come back @ me w/ the same takes I rubbed your nose in is not going to get you to far............ COme up w/ your own... I can respect some originality put stealing or rehashing my lines makes you look like a dumb bitch....... & we both know you are capable of more than that........

have a nice day...........

I guess you hate it when someone turns your own bullshit against you. Sounds like I got under YOUR skin.

[BillCosby]

Well I was hoping for a bit more clever or entertaining..........

I guess I can't always pick um.............

Interesting on kerry.......

So were did mcbush place in his graduating class of midshipmen???

[Danimal]

I hope this is an appropriate venue to ask this question:
In a recent discussion with the father of a soldier serving in Iraq, he expressed the opinion that 80% of the military is made up of soldiers from middle class households ($75,000 per year or more). I find this statement to be highly suspicious. Does anyone have any info on this topic.

[JeffinCO]

Originally Posted by Noob920

What did Sun-Tzu say about letting others dictate your battle plan, and bending to accomdate them?

Were we? How exactly?

Well, while the sanctions were punishing the Iraqi people to an arguably large extent, the intelligence (from what Ive heard/ read) now indicates that Saddam was NO fucking threat to us,....at all.

Originally Posted by Noob920

The "truth" is that we weren't fighting for oil - we should have TAKEN it,

They never intended to "take" the oil. It's not about sneaking the oil out of Iraq. It's about having CONTROL over it.

Originally Posted by Noob920

but we were interested in making Iraq a free-standing democracy. So far, we have. They've voted. They're (slowly) taken over command and control of their country.

Yep, and I'm sure if an Iraqi could limp over and see you in front of your PC, he would thank you. (Likely, he will be amazed by your constant supply of electricity, and fresh water).

Originally Posted by Noob920

I guess you actually THOUGHT it would be instantaneous.

No, I thought we would go in, topple the bad guys and get the fuck out, IE I believed what George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Don Rumsfeld told me when they were spamming the airwaves trying to get us all to support them in doing this unilateral clusterfuck.

Originally Posted by Noob920

How stupid can people be?

...but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

...and apparently I'm pretty stupid, because I actually believed those guys.

Originally Posted by Noob920

How handily you DEFINE truth, when Plato couldn't. Then again, Clinton couldn't define 'sex", so I guess it's a wash.

YESSS. And the clinton BJ reference, to slam it home.

[BillCosby]

Originally Posted by JeffinCO

Well, while the sanctions were punishing the Iraqi people to an arguably large extent, the intelligence (from what Ive heard/ read) now indicates that Saddam was NO fucking threat to us,....at all.



They never intended to "take" the oil. It's not about sneaking the oil out of Iraq. It's about having CONTROL over it.




e would thank you. (Likely, he will be amazed by your constant supply of electricity, and fresh water)



No, I thought we would go in, topple the bad guys and get the fuck out, IE I believed what George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Don Rumsfeld told me when they were spamming the airwaves trying to get us all to support them in doing this unilateral clusterfuck.











...but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

...and apparently I'm pretty stupid, because I actually believed those guys.

Great points...........

He should pay you for that private schoolin..............

[lrrp]

Originally Posted by Danimal

I hope this is an appropriate venue to ask this question:
In a recent discussion with the father of a soldier serving in Iraq, he expressed the opinion that 80% of the military is made up of soldiers from middle class households ($75,000 per year or more). I find this statement to be highly suspicious. Does anyone have any info on this topic.

My brother (on his 3rd tour now) says about 2/3rds of the troopers in his regiment come from lower middle class homes or lower. There are some of what he calls "silver spooner" kids there, but most are what you would call blue collar. As evidenced here, very few people who support the war are actually fighting it. He also says that most of the idealists that show up (enlisted because of 911) lose that idealism very quickly. He does say tho, that we are there now, and we will have to be for some time to come. This is a humanitarian crisis WE created, and the US is obliged to at least try to sort it out. That said, I wonder how many chickenhawks here would volunteer to take his place?

[JeffinCO]

Originally Posted by lrrp

My brother (on his 3rd tour now) says about 2/3rds of the troopers in his regiment come from lower middle class homes or lower. There are some of what he calls "silver spooner" kids there, but most are what you would call blue collar. As evidenced here, very few people who support the war are actually fighting it. He also says that most of the idealists that show up (enlisted because of 911) lose that idealism very quickly. He does say tho, that we are there now, and we will have to be for some time to come. This is a humanitarian crisis WE created, and the US is obliged to at least try to sort it out. That said, I wonder how many chickenhawks here would volunteer to take his place?

Dude nobody should have to do a 3rd tour.

I've seen footage of troops there that made me extremely proud of those individual troops. Inevitably, though, I must admit, the more endeared i become to the troops, the more adamant I become about
getting them the hell out of there.

This is such a complex problem, i realize beyond my capacity to imagine - however - IMHO only Iraqis can cure Iraq, and that is just impossible with an m1 full of Americans parked on the street corner.

In the documentary " The Liberace of Baghdad" the Iraqi citizens were getting pulled over by "insurgents", but were being let go if they had no ties to our soldiers, or contractors.
..and while the people were nervous about those road stops, they seemed more un-nerved by the armed soldiers with the stars and stripes on their shoulder. (bummed me out)

..It just seems like sometimes we do the wrong things for the right reasons.

Big ups to your bro, Irrp. Braver than I'll ever be. May he come home safely very soon.

[bornright]

Originally Posted by lrrp

My brother (on his 3rd tour now) says about 2/3rds of the troopers in his regiment come from lower middle class homes or lower. There are some of what he calls "silver spooner" kids there, but most are what you would call blue collar. As evidenced here, very few people who support the war are actually fighting it. He also says that most of the idealists that show up (enlisted because of 911) lose that idealism very quickly. He does say tho, that we are there now, and we will have to be for some time to come. This is a humanitarian crisis WE created, and the US is obliged to at least try to sort it out. That said, I wonder how many chickenhawks here would volunteer to take his place?

Is not 75,000 a year middle class economically in this country today?

As far as your brother, there are many volunteers joining today to take his place. I volunteered for my war and honestly probably would today but there is not much of a demand for 58 year olds.

[gorillamom]

Originally Posted by julia

Fine tightie righties, keep loving the troops to death.

And that they are. Another 3 dead today. Glad my son is not there anymore.