Posted on 01/26/2007 3:22:14 AM PST by markomalley
Fort Stewart — As his troops head into a third combat tour in Iraq, the commanding general of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division said Thursday war-weary Americans should "quit complaining" and prepare themselves for the conflict to continue several more years.
"We're now in a debate about whether or not the third deployment is too much and whether you should have a year between [deployments] in dwell time," Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch told reporters. "I believe it's time for us to quit complaining and focus on doing our duty."
Lynch said it's not soldiers and their spouses who are complaining about the war, but rather people in "outside circles" from the military.
(snip)
Speaking at a news conference, Lynch cautioned that Americans shouldn't expect the troop surge to bring a quick resolution to the war. He said success in Iraq could take more than twice as long as the nearly four years American troops already have spent there.
"If we let the American people realize ... we as a nation are engaged in a long war, that historically it takes at least nine years to complete a counterinsurgency operation, then the American people will be supportive," Lynch said.
He urged Americans to look to the resolve of U.S. soldiers who fought in World War II "and didn't come back until it was over." American forces have been in Iraq longer than the duration of World War II.
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
Anyone else recall when Americans had a pair?
Well, lets see, I left Ramstein AB, Germany in 1997, so.... That was what, (1997-1941=56) 56 years since WWII started. Now, I wasn't pacifying Nazi-minded Herms, mind you, but the comparisions are crazy. The only valid comparision to WWII for the Iraq war would be those WEEKS in April 2003 that we fought Saddam's troops.
We won the Spanish-American war of 1898. We took over the Phillipines and then spent the next 15 years pacifying the Moro insurgency there. Much better example for the biased, historicially-ignorant reporter.
Maybe if we fought the enemy like we did during WW2 instead of the PC way we are fighting it now, we could be winding down the Iraq part and moving on. Plus the soldiers in WW2 had the support of the American people and the media, back then we had pride.
OMG, real man alert!
"War-weary"? Americans in 2007? Oh, yes sir, yes siree, bob, we're sure "war-weary" just like the folks back in 1942: victory gardens, gas coupons, black outs, air drills, scrap metal drive, bundles-for-Britain, food rationing ("How to make a tasty holiday cake using only 4 points!")...
Cheeze-louise!
IMHO the only thing most Americans are war-weary about is the chicken-little attitude of the MSM and the Left.
In truth, the only "honest" thing for the Democratic Congress to do is to yank the funding for the campaign...if they are opposed, en masse, to it (as they talk)
Otherwise, they should STFU and support victory.
The tack they are currently taking does nothing but assure the destruction of our military (which, after all, is likely their real objective anyway).
Bingo! I'm still waiting to be shocked and awed.
In the early 70's, I don't remember anyone on my ship being "demoralized" by lack of popular support back home. We were kind of amused by the huge demonstations and wondered if our uniforms would inspire hippie chicks to "convert" us. That's about as deep as politics went on a WESPAC cruise.
American bases & troops are in Germany & Japan right now and have been since the bullets stopped flying......seems to me that 63 years occupying bases in those countries should be the committment comparison, not just the four years of winning WWII!
Nail-on-the-head
I was a little girl in the early 70's, I didn't pay much attention to what went on and my parents were definately not hippies. I can only speak about what is going on now. Seeing 3000 Americans killed live on TV while having my morning coffee changed me forever. For the life of me I cannot understand why everyone isn't out for blood, and if it takes 20 years so be it. I do think the PC ROE are going to drag this whole thing out though. I do think the embeds critiquing every single move of the military is demoralizing to the troops and the people at home. The outrage shown by our own goverment over prisoners with panties on their heads and the silence of our goverment over Pfc. Kristian Menchaca and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, who were tortured and killed is sickening.
bttt
I'm really amazed at all the BAD things that haven't happened; things that normal civilians wouldn't think about. Don't let it eat you up, Mom. Just stay as mentally committed to this war as we were before the invasion.
"That's the ludicrous comparison MSM always loves to throw in."
Especially since it's not true. We are *still* manning bases in Europe, and Korea for that matter.
Probably, but Rick Lynch could probably care less.
"Quit complaining" is a great phrase to use on the troops. It's probably a dumb thing to say to voting taxpayers who are on the fence about the whole war. That kind of talk is not going to win any civilians over, and it may turn some of them off.
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