Monday, June 27, 2005
Military RhetIraq: US Troops
Who: US Soldiers
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Quotes:
Maj. Gen. Joseph Taluto - Commander 42nd Infantry Division
"Before everything settles, it will be years," Taluto said. The Iraqis "have to understand that the (U.S.-led) coalition is a necessary evil, so to speak."
Lt. Col. Todd Wood - Commander 2-7 Infantry Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
"People back home say: 'We support the soldiers, but we don't support the war.' I say: 'Come on!' To me, the two are intertwined."
Sgt. Darrell Foster - 2-7 Infantry Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
In his first tour, during the invasion in 2003, "we didn't have to worry about IEDs (improvised explosive devices) or VBIEDs (vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, or car bombs)," he says. "Now it's more, freaking, everybody's trying to kill us."
"In my opinion, the people that are here right now aren't the ones we're doing this for. It's the kids. We want to show them the right attitude for when they grow up. They are the generation that we're doing this for.".
Pfc. Drew Madison - 2-7 Infantry Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
"What do they [American questioning war effort] know?" fumes Madison, a humvee driver, about Americans' dwindling support. "They're not over here! They've never been over here. We're the ones making sacrifices. We're leaving our families behind, fighting somebody else's war over here, trying to help this country set up democracy."
Capt. Ray Osorio - 2-7 Infantry Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
Is he making a difference? "I think it's working," Osorio responds.
"The city council meetings typically turn into bitching sessions about how to get more money for (the leaders') bodyguards," Osorio says.
"We've got to where individual city council heads are communicating with one another, whereas before they wouldn't because of tribal affiliations. We see Iraqis patrolling the streets and identifying VBIEDs (vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, or car bombs).
"Have we trained Iraqi security forces to the point where we no longer see VBIEDs go off? No. But we've made a dent.".
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Quotes:
Maj. Gen. Joseph Taluto - Commander 42nd Infantry Division
"Before everything settles, it will be years," Taluto said. The Iraqis "have to understand that the (U.S.-led) coalition is a necessary evil, so to speak."
Lt. Col. Todd Wood - Commander 2-7 Infantry Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
"People back home say: 'We support the soldiers, but we don't support the war.' I say: 'Come on!' To me, the two are intertwined."
Sgt. Darrell Foster - 2-7 Infantry Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
In his first tour, during the invasion in 2003, "we didn't have to worry about IEDs (improvised explosive devices) or VBIEDs (vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, or car bombs)," he says. "Now it's more, freaking, everybody's trying to kill us."
"In my opinion, the people that are here right now aren't the ones we're doing this for. It's the kids. We want to show them the right attitude for when they grow up. They are the generation that we're doing this for.".
Pfc. Drew Madison - 2-7 Infantry Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
"What do they [American questioning war effort] know?" fumes Madison, a humvee driver, about Americans' dwindling support. "They're not over here! They've never been over here. We're the ones making sacrifices. We're leaving our families behind, fighting somebody else's war over here, trying to help this country set up democracy."
Capt. Ray Osorio - 2-7 Infantry Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
Is he making a difference? "I think it's working," Osorio responds.
"The city council meetings typically turn into bitching sessions about how to get more money for (the leaders') bodyguards," Osorio says.
"We've got to where individual city council heads are communicating with one another, whereas before they wouldn't because of tribal affiliations. We see Iraqis patrolling the streets and identifying VBIEDs (vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, or car bombs).
"Have we trained Iraqi security forces to the point where we no longer see VBIEDs go off? No. But we've made a dent.".
