A Soldier's Perspective

First, let me introduce myself. I am an American soldier currently serving in Kuwait. I've been here for almost 8 months. In that time, I've only been to Iraq once on a 2 week mission to take supplies to coalition forces. I'd just like to share some of my experiences and thoughts about the situation over here.

You've probably heard many things about the war, both good and bad. Some say that we belong here to help the Iraqi people and fight terrorism. Others say that we're just wasting lives and we should withdraw immediately. Personally, I think there's some truth in both statements.

I'll never forget those two weeks I spent in Iraq. Words, not even pictures, can really convey what it's like. The contrast between Iraq and Kuwait stuck out like a sore thumb almost immediately after we crossed the border. We went from clean desert, well maintained roads, and nice buildings to mud huts, children in rags, trash everywhere, and torn up roads. I was really touched by the children. Everywhere we went there were kids running up to the road to wave at us, many of them leaving their chores to do so. They seemed thrilled to have us there. Most of the adults seemed apathetic, though there were some who threw rocks and gave us the finger. Still others, usually married men with families, seemed as glad to see us as the children did. It was an experience I'll never forget.

I've talked to some engineers here in Kuwait that have worked on reconstruction projects in Iraq, and they've told me all about the progress that's being made up there. They've built schools, waterlines, powergrids, and all kinds of other utilities and public learning centers. Without their help, many Iraqis would be without power, clean water, or educational resources. They're doing great things up there for the Iraqi people, and they assured me that the overall public reaction was one of gratitude and fellowship.

But despite these steps forward, there are still costs. Over 1,170* coalition soldiers have died since the March invasion. Over 7,000** have been injured. Iraqi civilian deaths are anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000**. Causes include, but are not limited too, terrorist attacks, mines, U.S. missile strikes and bombings, and smallarms crossfire.

In addition to human lives, there has been a great financial cost as well. This war has cost the U.S. over a hundred billion dollars***, creating a huge deficit in the American economy.

Were these costs worth it? Let's look at the facts first. No WMD's were found. No ties have been found between Saddam and Al Queda.**** Saddam Hussein has been captured, and his sons killed. Violence continues against coalition forces and Iraqi civilians and militia. A democratic government has risen to power. In short, significant progress has been made, but the major justification has yet to be seen, and the country is still very dangerous. Draw from that what you will.

Facts aside, here's my personal perspective as a soldier. The way things are going now, it looks like American troops could be here for quite some time. That bothers me because I have plans for the future, such as college, religious obligations, and marriage. I'm having to put my life on hold while I'm over here, and I know I'm not the only one. Yes, we're doing great things for the Iraqi people, but we have lives back home that we'd like to be able to live without having to plan around deployments every couple of years. I think President Bush has sent us into the war on terrorism too quickly. We don't have the manpower to fight this kind of war. We shouldn't be spreading out the army until we've increased our numbers.

We also need to pick our fights more carefully. The March invasion was rushed, reckless, and poorly justified. That's not the way to fight terrorism. We need to deal with the imminent threat, which in this case is AlQueda in Afghanistan and possibly Pakistan. We need to better utilize our intelligence resources to detect and stop terrorists before they strike. The best way to fight them is to catch them in the act before they can do any damage.

Many views have been given on the war. It's one of the most controversial topics of our time. As a soldier, I felt it necassary to provide my perspective to give my fellow young people an idea of what it's like. For me, this war is personal, and I hope my opinions have been informative. Let us all hope that we as soldiers can someday live with the comfort of knowing that our skills are not needed. Peace.

*Stars and Stripes newspaper http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/#count

**http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/#count

***http://costofwar.com/

****http://www.truthuncovered.com/thefilm.htm l Info on a documentary which includes interviews with top CIA officials and diplomats who state that not only were there no ties between Saddam Hussein and AlQueda, but that the two were actually enemies.