thedrifter
03-18-06, 07:32 AM
Posted on Sat, Mar. 18, 2006
Morale still good despite stress
By ANTONIO CASTANEDA
The Associated Press
ROMMANA, Iraq -- The seasons swing from cold and muddy to unbearably hot, the roadside bombs are deadly, and the long separations from spouses and children are more draining as third and fourth deployments loom. Re-enlistment is down, and generals acknowledge that victory is uncertain.
Yet morale among U.S. troops in Iraq remains somewhat upbeat. That may reflect an American society knit closer after the social upheaval of the Vietnam era, or the fact that the Iraq war so far has taken a fraction of the U.S. lives lost in Southeast Asia. Many troops also see their efforts here as eroding global terrorist groups.
It also helps that the restructured military relies on a professional corps of volunteers. Indeed, some say conflict is exactly why they enlisted in the first place.
"Why else would anyone join the Marine Corps?" asked Sgt. Maj. Bryan Ward of San Diego, a member of the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and a 29-year Marine veteran whose first tour was in the Middle East during the Iran hostage crisis.
"My take is that they like to deploy -- but that they just don't like to deploy so often," he added, pointing to a widespread weariness over multiple tours in the war zone.
Sgt. Jon Beck of Rock Hill, S.C., also considers the combat an attraction.
"I was volunteering to come back. It's our generation's war. And it's the place where the money is as an infantryman," said Beck, who is assigned to the 6th Civil Affairs Group.
Unlike in Vietnam, most of the troops live on bases with easy links to home, via telephone and Internet. Many of the troops say, however, that more important are the personalities of those in their platoons and the leadership style of commanding officers.
"Having a good platoon is key -- just having your friends around," said Lance Cpl. Michael Surber, a native of Kenosha, Wis., who is also in the 1st Light Armored.
"The biggest thing is the guys you're with, and not having to see your buddies get hurt," Surber added as his squad trudged through a field in Romanna, one of a string of cities along the Euphrates River where hundreds of Marines are based near the volatile Syrian border.
Surber's squad lived this winter in a cluttered room with dirt barriers for walls and a wooden roof topped with sandbags. Hot showers were available only every one or two weeks, and heat came from a black diesel stove that gurgled through the night.
"You're going to go through the same hardships. If it rains, you and your buddy are both going to get wet," said Ward, who quietly sips coffee at his base chow hall to observe his Marines and gauge their morale. "These guys are fighting and jumping on hand grenades for their buddies."
Despite the better morale, psychological stress on U.S. troops is evident. A Pentagon report released last month said 12 percent of the more than 222,000 returning soldiers and Marines in the study were diagnosed with a mental problem. In all, 35 percent got psychological counseling soon after returning from Iraq, the report said.
Harsh conditions and lingering effects aside, many U.S. troops point to last year's Iraqi elections and the growing ranks of the Iraqi army as validation of their mission. Many Marines see progress in the fact that fewer battles are being fought in western Iraq compared to previous tours.
"I've been here four times, and I think we need to stay out here," said Capt. Russell Becker of Houston, a communications officer based near Rutbah in western Iraq. "Change is coming about, but I don't know how many more years it's going to take."
Others say they can speak only about their assigned areas and know little about the insurgency in the rest of Iraq.
Ellie
Morale still good despite stress
By ANTONIO CASTANEDA
The Associated Press
ROMMANA, Iraq -- The seasons swing from cold and muddy to unbearably hot, the roadside bombs are deadly, and the long separations from spouses and children are more draining as third and fourth deployments loom. Re-enlistment is down, and generals acknowledge that victory is uncertain.
Yet morale among U.S. troops in Iraq remains somewhat upbeat. That may reflect an American society knit closer after the social upheaval of the Vietnam era, or the fact that the Iraq war so far has taken a fraction of the U.S. lives lost in Southeast Asia. Many troops also see their efforts here as eroding global terrorist groups.
It also helps that the restructured military relies on a professional corps of volunteers. Indeed, some say conflict is exactly why they enlisted in the first place.
"Why else would anyone join the Marine Corps?" asked Sgt. Maj. Bryan Ward of San Diego, a member of the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and a 29-year Marine veteran whose first tour was in the Middle East during the Iran hostage crisis.
"My take is that they like to deploy -- but that they just don't like to deploy so often," he added, pointing to a widespread weariness over multiple tours in the war zone.
Sgt. Jon Beck of Rock Hill, S.C., also considers the combat an attraction.
"I was volunteering to come back. It's our generation's war. And it's the place where the money is as an infantryman," said Beck, who is assigned to the 6th Civil Affairs Group.
Unlike in Vietnam, most of the troops live on bases with easy links to home, via telephone and Internet. Many of the troops say, however, that more important are the personalities of those in their platoons and the leadership style of commanding officers.
"Having a good platoon is key -- just having your friends around," said Lance Cpl. Michael Surber, a native of Kenosha, Wis., who is also in the 1st Light Armored.
"The biggest thing is the guys you're with, and not having to see your buddies get hurt," Surber added as his squad trudged through a field in Romanna, one of a string of cities along the Euphrates River where hundreds of Marines are based near the volatile Syrian border.
Surber's squad lived this winter in a cluttered room with dirt barriers for walls and a wooden roof topped with sandbags. Hot showers were available only every one or two weeks, and heat came from a black diesel stove that gurgled through the night.
"You're going to go through the same hardships. If it rains, you and your buddy are both going to get wet," said Ward, who quietly sips coffee at his base chow hall to observe his Marines and gauge their morale. "These guys are fighting and jumping on hand grenades for their buddies."
Despite the better morale, psychological stress on U.S. troops is evident. A Pentagon report released last month said 12 percent of the more than 222,000 returning soldiers and Marines in the study were diagnosed with a mental problem. In all, 35 percent got psychological counseling soon after returning from Iraq, the report said.
Harsh conditions and lingering effects aside, many U.S. troops point to last year's Iraqi elections and the growing ranks of the Iraqi army as validation of their mission. Many Marines see progress in the fact that fewer battles are being fought in western Iraq compared to previous tours.
"I've been here four times, and I think we need to stay out here," said Capt. Russell Becker of Houston, a communications officer based near Rutbah in western Iraq. "Change is coming about, but I don't know how many more years it's going to take."
Others say they can speak only about their assigned areas and know little about the insurgency in the rest of Iraq.
Ellie