An Open Letter to All of You Who "Support the Troops but do not Support the War"

Dear Friends and Family,
I know that I haven’t been able to stay in touch with all of you to the level that I would like, but as they say, war is hell. I just want to say that things are progressing here, despite what you might see on TV. Much of the negative media coverage makes its way to us over here and it does have an effect. To that end, I recently felt compelled to respond to what I have found to be biased, incomplete and at times untrue coverage of our efforts here in Iraq. I've already sent the piece out to a few trusted friends and colleagues who are very knowledgeable about the region and whose professional opinions I trust implicitly. I also had our imbedded reporter cast an editorial eye on it, which is why the attachment has little red lines all over it (special thanks to Rob Alt of The National Review for making me feel like I was back in Ms. Paramore’s high school journalism class). Anyway, the folks I sent the first cut to liked it and have asked for permission to post it on other websites or to forward it to family and friends. I, of course, said yes and encouraged them to do so. So, if you like what I wrote, please pass this e-mail along to others on your e-mail list or mutual friends that I have somehow missed. As we all know, Trampes is not terribly astute when it comes to matters of technology so I don’t have a “friend list” or any of that smart guy stuff. I just cut and paste e-mail addresses from e-mails that are in my inbox and this distinctly 20th century approach causes people to get overlooked. I would hate missing anybody, so please pass this letter along if you feel that what I wrote merits doing so. All I ask is that anyone passing along the piece "CC" me so I know where the stuff is going and how it is being used. Anyway, I hope this message finds you all well. I miss you all terribly and look forward to seeing you again on home soil.
Take care and God Bless.

An Open Letter to All of You Who “Support the Troops but do not Support the War”

To Whom It May Concern:
With the passing of this Memorial Day, as we honor those that have served and fallen in service to our great nation, I thought it would be appropriate to send a message from those of us who are fighting that same fight now to those of you back home. In particular, I’d like to send this message to any and everyone of you who over the past 18 months or so has relayed a sentiment which has become more or less accepted in the American political dialogue, yet has never really made sense to those of us toward whom that sentiment is usually directed. That statement is “I support the troops but I don’t support the war” and has been repeated ad nauseum by a large cross section of Americans but largely by Democrats and others who disagree with the current administration and its foreign policy.

As November comes closer, more and more politicians repeat the phrase in what I suppose is an attempt to relay the message that they do not agree with the current occupation of Iraq, yet lack the wherewithal to even so much as hint that they do not support American troops. I, along with many others like me, find this idea of support for the man yet not for the mission to be disingenuous and hypocritical. I have special insight into this problem because I am an American solider currently stationed in Iraq. I work for the US Army’s Special Operations Command as a Civil Affairs Officer. I have been trained in a variety of Arab/ Islamic historical and cultural issues, I speak Arabic, and I have had a great deal of experience living and working in the Middle East. My job, as a part of a very skilled, experienced, and dynamic four-man team is to go out and engage Iraqis on a personal level in order to help provide them with basic needs and services while at the same time providing an interface between the populace and US commanders on the ground. Having said that, I think that I am qualified to address the issue of support of this war and whether it is or is not warranted.

Now, let me begin by explaining why hearing people (especially politicians in places of power who are seeking election or re-election) say they support soldiers and not the war is counterintuitive to service members. Waging this war on terror is not some disease, habit, or character flaw that you can choose to dislike while still loving the soldier. This endeavor is something we have volunteered freely to undertake. Our goal is and always has been to preserve the American way of life and this mission in Iraq is an activity toward that end. This mission in Iraq is what we do and what we do, quite frankly, IS who we are. We wake up, literally, each day with the possibility that we may not see that day’s end. We know that the work we do in stabilizing this country is worthwhile. We believe in the idea that with the right help, this nation can become a place where democratic ideals can flourish in one form or another. In short, we believe in this mission. We have to. It would make our jobs a lot easier if you did, too. Knowing that back home you cry out against everything we live, breath and sacrifice for on a daily basis makes our job that much more difficult. Toward that end, I thought I’d give you a few reasons to support our efforts so that you can stop being torn and get behind this undertaking. Then, maybe we can get it behind us all that much sooner.

First of all, I think it’s fair to say that in many ways skepticism towards this war is understandable based on the media’s portrayal of this conflict and how it has progressed (or not progressed) thus far. It might surprise you to know that many of us here in Iraq have satellite TV. As is the case in many burgeoning capitalistic societies, it did not take long for Iraqis to realize that Americans are infophiles and then, consequently, for Iraqi vendors to supply a product to meet our demand. Thanks to this arrangement, we are able to keep up with major media outlets like CNN, Fox News, and BBC World service fairly easily. I can say having seen the reality of this war in person, that the global media’s portrayal of this conflict has been woefully unbalanced to the point of being outright misleading. Time and time again we have seen stories such as the scandal at Abu Ghraib or clashes with the Muqtada militia in Najaf played out in the international media well past their half-life here in Iraq. Make no mistake, the Abu Ghraib situation is one where a few misguided soldiers and civilians have left a scar on the military’s image which we all feel and regret deeply, yet in countless discussions with Iraqis over Abu Ghraib, I have yet to meet one who was enraged over the scandal. Instead the issue is met mostly with apathy by locals who will plainly tell you that they have greater concerns.

In the case of Muqtada al-Sadr, locals here in Northeast Iraq laugh at the very mention of his name. One Turkman village leader recently told me that Sadr was like “Michael Jackson” and that young, disaffected youth would claim support for him publicly because they see him on television but that they wouldn’t actually follow him anywhere. Those kinds of loyalties are saved for what he called “real men of God” like the Ayatollah al-Sistani. The media almost never reports on those kinds of common everyday Iraqi sentiments. Instead they seem to find a few unhappy Iraqis and use their opinions as harbingers of our sure defeat in this war. One example of this irrational negativism was found in a May 25 Associated Press release about the US sponsored UN resolution on the upcoming handover of sovereignty. In the article, Edith Lederer wrote that US post occupation plans for Iraq “have been severely shaken by violence in the country.” That simply is not true. Iraqis are concerned about the upcoming handover, no doubt, but to say they are “severely shaken” is simply an alarmist overstatement. Most Iraqis I come in contact with have shown a guarded optimism towards the future. They simply want to wait and see how it goes. That’s understandable considering that Iraqis are about to do something they essentially never have done: rule themselves freely. All this “the sky is falling” reporting about the situation here is just not accurate and that is terribly unfair to those of you back home who rely on the news to provide you with an accurate portrayal of the situation here in Iraq. So support the war because it isn’t as bad as you think.

Now for the good news. So many positive things have happened for the Iraqi people that it could fill volumes, yet has mostly gone unreported. So, support the war because today in Iraq my team medic, Sergeant First Class Dennis Guthrie of Cincinnati, diagnosed a boy with elephantiasis. The disease has left the 10-year old Kurdish boy, Zana Abdeen, with terribly deformed hands and forearms, two fused fingers and a noticeable hump in his back. During Saddam’s regime the boy was pushed through the Iraqi health system only to be told by doctors that his only hope would be treatment outside the country. The cruel caveat to that is that Kurds living South of the old no-fly zone, like Zana’s family, weren’t allowed to leave the country. Today, however, Sergeant Guthrie is working with organizations like Doctors without Borders so that Zana and others like him might get a chance at a normal life.

Or support the war because last week my engineer, Staff Sergeant Marc Losa of Kinderhook, NY, inspected a well in Changalawha that was drilled with CPA funds then installed and supervised by US Army resources. Now the well brings cold, clear water to this village of 4,000 for the first time. Support the war because yesterday Sergeant First Class Donald Doby of Yazoo City, MS, brought tears to an Arab girls eyes because he presented her with a gift so precious to her that it was almost overwhelming- a box of crayons and a coloring book. Most of all support this war because these acts of kindness and humanitarian assistance represent only the smallest fraction of the whole of good works which your servicemen and women are providing the people of Iraq day in and day out.

Finally I would ask that you support our mission because of what it has resulted in. I know that many of you do not support this war because you feel that you were led into this engagement on false pretenses. I am not in a position to debate those arguments, but I am in a position to assess the effects of our conflicts in both Afghanistan and Iraq on the overall war on terror. It is no accident that there has not been a major terrorist attack on US soil since 9-11. Countless domestic agencies have worked tirelessly to ensure that we stay safe at home and they should be commended for it. But we cannot overlook the effect that our recent military exploits have wrought on our radical Islamic enemies. US foreign policy in the 90’s led the extremists to believe that America was easily intimidated and weak, that we preferred appeasement of rather than engagement with our enemies. The wars in Afghanistan and then Iraq have changed that perception. Now, the al-Qaedas and Ansar al-Islams of the world know that when they act they are practically assured of a swift, destructive response. Many terrorists have come here to Iraq where we are fighting them daily and winning. Yes, the fighting has resulted in losses for our side and any time an American loses his life in service to his country, it is a tragedy for all of us. It is the alternative, however, that chills me to the bone. The alternative to my being here and fighting terrorists is being home with my family, friends and Americans like you fighting terrorists. I believe with every fiber of my being that this path to war we have gone down has brought the war on terror to Baghdad rather than Baltimore, to Kandahar rather than Kansas City and to Mosul rather than Montgomery. That should be considered a good thing.

In conclusion all I ask is that you support us as well as the work we do. If you do not support what we do, that is your inherent right. But call your lack of support what it is. Do not be afraid to withhold your support for our efforts because of how it might make you look—to do otherwise cheapens the very reason we risk everything, everyday for what we believe in: the continued safety and prosperity of Americans like you.

Always The Best,
Trampes C. Crow
Captain, United States Army
Touz Hourmato, Iraq

My cousin, who knows this soldier personally through ROTC, sent this to me. I thought you would find this worth reading. I find it so enlightening to read what the soldier in Iraq has to say, rather than to have to get the depressing news from the media. I am going to forward this thread to Trampes so he can enjoy our comments.

Cool. I just sent it to my stoopid sister. She was just ranting about Ashcroft and the poor Al Quada prisoners....and she lives in lower Manhattan!!!

(3 more) Letters from Iraq. :)

Not all of these letters are as eloquent as the one you posted, but it is apparent to me from reading them that these soldiers & sailors need our support.

Very nice letter.
It lets people know that the major media outlets are not the be all and end all of information.

Soldier on, Trampes, and know that not everyone supports the troops but not the war.
Some know that the war is better fought on the enemies ground than our nations ground.

During Gulf War I, I remember a controversy of an Italian college basketball player in the US, who wouldn't wear the US flag. I think the entire conference was making players wear the flag. Many urged him, that even if he didn't support the war, he should wear the flag to support the troops. IMHO, that position allows leftists having their cake and eating it too.

The basketball player obviously recognized this and his reply was "I cannot support the troops, they are fighting the war".

I completely disagree with him but I do have to respect his consistency and his stand on principle. It was clear, he truly had issue with war, as opposed to being against something, just to be against it, like most libs.

This is a two front war.

One against the islam-fascist terrorists.

Front two is against the America-hating, Marxist media whores cheering for the terrorists.

Front one is being fought by our military.

Front two needs to fought by Americans. So, have you insulted, challenged, confronted, waved your fist in front of the nose of a smelly, hippy-freak, slimeball, communist media scribbler today?

Saying you support the troops but not the war is like saying, I support the Lakers, but not the game of basketball. Stupid, stupid statement. They are not mutually exclusive. If you don't support the mission and the objective, you cannot possibly support those who are executing the mission and seeking the objective. Those who say they support the troops but not the war are liars. They don't support the troops. They support nothing. In fact...as the President said...you are either for us or against us. If you are against the war...you are by necessity...against us the US.

Great letter. I support the troops and the war. I'm with you. Keep up this great work and be proud of it.

I've got 4 in military: 1 is presently in Iraq...Army Ranger. The other just left Afghanistan...SF's out of Ft. Lewis.

May God Bless and keep you safe. Again thanks for your service to our country...USA

Let me know if you get any response and I will forward to Trampes. I don't think he realizes how much we appreciate hearing from the soldiers in the fray. We get so little good positive information. He wrote a wonderful letter.

Some of those in Lower Manhattan are grateful for what is happening. It is for those who were in the Towers that this fight is taking place. I believe a lot of them have come around.

Thank goodness they get FoxNews. Even so, we still don't hear all the good stories. I will let him know what you said.

I don't think I really understood the difference until Trampes explained why it was contradictory in this email. I think I was letting liberals slide. They are not being intellectually honest, but what do you expect from them?

I don't remember this quote from my youth, but it is now one of my favorites from "The Speech" :

"Let's set the record straight. There is no argument over the choice between peace and war, but there is only one guaranteed way you can have peace--and you can have it in the next second--surrender." Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1964

Our nephew just returned from Baghdad. He is an Army Ranger from Ft. Bragg. He will probably get more training and head back. He brought some pictures. (No, not like the ones on TV.) They were really amazing to see.

I know Trampes will appreciate your comments. I will forward them to him.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.