A little disappointed with SOME of our soldiers in Afghanistan

[marso]

I know this will cause controversy but I feel so disappointed I have to vent. Last night I watched a documentary on the war in Vietnam with all of the horrific things that happened. I also have seen the WWII documentary with the courage and sacrifices that kept us all free. Now for the controversy.

 

After the Vietnam documentary they showed one on the war in Afghanistan and what the soldiers are going through. I have to admit I am disappointed in the amount of whining from some of the soldiers about conditions and blaming the military for all of their problems. They have better weapons, information, meals, webcams and chatrooms to speak with relatives daily and more frequent R&R with better accomodations. Soldiers of previous wars went days without food, water and ammunition, quick medical attention (many died while waiting for treatment) and entire platoons were wiped out in one battle. I have respect for all of our soldiers and are very proud of their enlistment but if the soldiers in WWII felt that way we would all be speaking Germanese.

 

I would personally like to thank the Vets of WWII you are the greatest generation in American history.

Edited November 11, 2011 by marso

[DMNDSTAR87]

My grandfather was in ww2 and my father was in vietnam and both lost many friends.At least ww2 was a victory unlike vietnam.To compare the wars we fight now to ww2 or vietnam is impossible with the advancements in military technology and I must admit to say your disapointed in our military is kinda funny.It is very easy to sit behind ur computer and put an opinion out there but im sure if u were over there u would be complaining about certain things also---if the troops fighting our war on terror now had also experienced the conditions of previous wars they probably would not be complaining as much because they would have known how bad it could be.It is the nature of the beast to complain as we are human.We all have our opinions and thats mine.no hard feelings.GODSPEED TO ALL OUR TROOPS PAST AND PRESENT

gig out

[Caliber308]

I know this will cause controversy but I feel so disappointed I have to vent. Last night I watched a documentary on the war in Vietnam with all of the horrific things that happened. I also have seen the WWII documentary with the courage and sacrifices that kept us all free. Now for the controversy.

 

After the Vietnam documentary they showed one on the war in Afghanistan and what the soldiers are going through. I have to admit I am disappointed in the amount of whining from some of the soldiers about conditions and blaming the military for all of their problems. They have better weapons, information, meals, webcams and chatrooms to speak with relatives daily and more frequent R&R with better accomodations. Soldiers of previous wars went days without food, water and ammunition, quick medical attention (many died while waiting for treatment) and entire platoons were wiped out in one battle. I have respect for all of our soldiers and are very proud of their enlistment but if the soldiers in WWII felt that way we would all be speaking Germanese.

 

I would personally like to thank the Vets of WWII you are the greatest generation in American history.

 

Have you ever saw combat? Killed people while doing so? Ever served this country in the military? If not, please refrain from making comments about solders serving in Afghanistan, whether or not they complain. I have seen combat, took lives and served my country well. Sometimes, I didn't have the best of accommodations So what. Who are you to comment on it.If you have never been in their shoes, you don't know how it is and will never know until you have been there.

 

Bill

Edited November 11, 2011 by Caliber308

[JohnnyWadd]

Hes a American citizen so he can say what he wants to say. A lot of the "complaining " comes from what soldiers hear from people back home too. Its not just soldiers in combat its different for everyone for instance marine corps boot camp is different now from when I went through. They have more guidelines to go by. I talked to a kid who went through boot camp and he was listening to his family whine about how hard it was. That attitude bleeds through.Plus today every one is getting videos and tweets and facebook updates and sharing barracks life on youtube so its a little different. We naturally have a tendency to complain so give us cameras and smart phones that are hooked into social networks where people worlds away are gonna act sad and concerned the complaining is bound to happen.

[Caliber308]

Hes a American citizen so he can say what he wants to say.

 

True, But if Marso and you also have never been in combat. You don't have a clue. The last time I checked, all of Afghanistan was a Combat Zone. Those soldiers have a right to complain. You and Marso don't. After all, you guys are sitting at a computer screen typing in crap, while others are actually in Afghanistan doing the fighting. I saw this same kind of crap spoken (or typed on a computer now days) during Vietnam by people at home. And we all saw how the troops from Vietnam were treated when they finally came home by this kind of s..t.

 

Bill

Edited November 11, 2011 by Caliber308

[Starfighterpilot]

I know this will cause controversy but I feel so disappointed I have to vent. Last night I watched a documentary on the war in Vietnam with all of the horrific things that happened. I also have seen the WWII documentary with the courage and sacrifices that kept us all free. Now for the controversy.

 

Why would you start a controversy about our present day soldiers on today - VETERANS DAY?

 

For What It's Worth.

 

KEN

[kstokes606]

As a retired disabled veteran, If you have not been there, how do you know what we go thru. You can hear what others say, but you have to have been there. Also remember, a solider follow orders, ever if they are stupid, you follow the orders given to you. Some times you have to vent, just like you, and you may not ever know the real reasons for venting. If you only know some of the things that I know, it would make you complain to, but that is something that I will take the my grave with me. PLEASE, don't take about some thing you don't know about, or think you know about.

GOD Bless the USA, and keep my brothers and sisters safe, if it be your will. I would still die for her, because once military, always military.

[Shelby]

welll we may as see just how mature our members are , sure it's a touchey subject matter but lots of topics are,,

if we can't honnor our countrys soldiers for their service to our great country we're doing a disservice to all of america, for thos whinners that have such a strong opnion about the matter , maybe they need to walk a mile in a soldiers shoes before opening their mouth

 

no war is rigth , that has nothing to do with the fact that our bravest and best go and die for what they beleave in , so you opnions of any war being the right thing to do has nothing to do with the fact you friend, neighbor or brother or sister is in harms way ,,that is the fact we honnor

[DSMvirus1]

regardless of soldiers "whining" or whatever, the truth is we fight are tails off in afghanistan and we do have alot of casualties in afghanistan esp compared to iraq. Yes soldiers do get better treatment ect ( mostly because of advances in medical in general compared to 55+ years ago) but the fact is we still put our lives on the line just like in any war. If you took sniper fire daily and had to do foot partols at the bottom of a mountain with AK rounds showering over you and RPG's ect you would probably complain. There is soldiers who get their leg's blown off by an explosive, get shot in the chest,neck,limbs ect and still wait in that combat area for 12+ hours before being evacuated..

 

and there is soldiers that go without food, showering, fresh water, ect for lengths at a time there aswell.

Edited November 13, 2011 by DSMvirus1

[Metric-man]

The irony is Marso is whining about whining..

 

You need to take into consideration that all the modern marvels of communication with family and loved ones are no better than a watched clock.

If the veterans of WWII had the time to use the communication devices we see today do you think they may have broken down and whined about their conditions?

 

Do you think the US military could at least bring back the slogan "Loose Lips Sink Ships" ??? ( avoid careless talk in general) I believe it would serve a clearly better purpose, than trying to decide whether to continue "Don't Ask Don't Tell"? (DADT)

 

What happened to secrecy and oath ?

 

Obviously any problem with our military is a reflection of their superiors.

 

So Marso's comments about the military is misguided should we blame him for being ignorant or should we blame the schools and the teachers where he attended? If he was or still is under their jurisdiction the answer would be "YES"

 

Of course there are other things to consider since we are at the continual and on going peak of the communications era.

That the opposite of that would be Mis-communications.

Most of that are experienced with the use of computers and the internet are aware that things are not always as they are made to seem.

That is an important thing to remember an essential to ones survival and network now days.

[Technology]

If you aint never been to China, you don't know anything about it. No matter what you watch on TV or hear from other people, you won't actually know. Is it like that with war and being in the military? Cal, that question was for you.

[Burton]

 

Why would you start a controversy about our present day soldiers on today - VETERANS DAY?

 

For What It's Worth.

 

KEN

 

 

True that!

 

 

I can't believe this thread is still here. Religious threads where members get "attacked" get pulled around here if the wind blows, but a thread dogging people who give up way too much to fight for our troubled country get to stay? Our country's heroes made to look like babies is no biggie? Way to stay classy, SQC.

 

 

While we're calling names, you people who think think our soldiers are being babies are tree-hugging, bleeding- heart liberal, hippies.

 

 

Every person in our armed forces deserve the utmost respect. They are out doing a job that the majority of us are not man enough to even contemplate doing.

[DMNDSTAR87]

 

 

True that!

 

 

I can't believe this thread is still here. Religious threads where members get "attacked" get pulled around here if the wind blows, but a thread dogging people who give up way too much to fight for our troubled country get to stay? Our country's heroes made to look like babies is no biggie? Way to stay classy, SQC.

 

 

While we're calling names, you people who think think our soldiers are being babies are tree-hugging, bleeding- heart liberal, hippies.

 

 

Every person in our armed forces deserve the utmost respect. They are out doing a job that the majority of us are not man enough to even contemplate doing.

Im pretty sure the thread was deleted off the boards and now its back----

gig out

[Shelby]

yes the thread was taken out of sight ,, but i ask'd it be put back to show the club we are not all babys or cryers , so don't make me regret it , but a great many of us have done our share and offer'd suport to our arm'd forces where ever they are , i made a bet most were mature enought to stay with in the bounds of site rules if not well us mods have a fist full of pink slips just dieing to get writen

 

one thing to think about tho if your not behind your military , whos do you suport because with out ours some one elses will surely be giveing you orders

[Metric-man]

I think this is a sensitive subject, but it still needs to be addressed if Marso doesn't know any better, then he has a right to be told, just as he has a right to make mistakes.

 

If on the other hand some one was to only seem innocent in their mis-conceptions about any military action that IS ongoing, that might bring up emotions too hard to suppress from some one that has been there.

I urge you to hold back the temptation to express your first hand knowledge on the subject.

 

There are great things that the verterans of WWII did and we will never know because they took those secrets to the grave with them.. they kept their oath.

 

But sadly some people wouldn't know an oath if it hit them upside the head.

Maybe that's something else that is too sensitive to teach in schools.

[Metric-man]

http://en.wikipedia....h_of_allegiance

 

I guess in might (in some schools) be part of the American History curriculum.

 

(and yet again more irony),It should probably be covered under the subject of Benidict Arnold.

 

http://en.wikipedia...._allegiance.jpg

[Burton]

Well, it's a shame it was brought back. I'm more offended by this thread than about any religious post ever pulled.

 

 

You can't expect the troops to be happy 100% of the time. From the Civil War up til now there have been troops who wined and complained, or worse. You got a large group troops who are gung ho about it, know their job, do it, and do it well. Then there's another large group of troops who may not agree with what's going on, or be happy to be there, but they know the job they signed up for, do it, and do it well. Then you got a small group of loser troops. They don't want to be there, and even tho they know the job they signed up for they don't care and do it poorly, if at all. Some of these band of losers may even try to get out, go AWOL, or even attack their own like we saw in Ft Hood.

 

I have a friend who did one tour in Iraq (his unit was the first into Baghdad), and 2 tours in Afghanistan. He didn't (and still doesn't) agree with many aspects of the war, but he knew the job he signed up for, did it, and did it well. Did he whine and complain? Hell yeah. He not only hated missing two of his children's births, but also missed some family's funerals, and saw close friends blown to smithereens right in front of him. His knees are trashed from war and he still complains about why we're there. Of course, in the same conversation he'll be the first to admit that he is proud to have gone over and done the job that was expected of him, and would do it all again because even tho he doesn't agree with the Govt. all the time, this is still the best country to live in, and the only one worth fighting for.

 

 

I even gotta give a little props to the small group of "losers" I talked about before. They may be somewhat worthless as far as troops go, but they nutted up more than any of us who didn't join. I know I'd be whining and complaining by the end of the first day of boot camp, so they gotta be more man than me.

 

 

I'm suprised some of the veterans on this board haven't linked this thread to a USO site or miltary forum. We might get some interesting feedback on this subject LOL

Edited November 13, 2011 by Burton

[averse]

Soldiers whine in every war. Soldiers endure in every war. Just because you saw one television show that had a bias (agenda of making a show about this subject) does not mean soldiers in Afghanistan are whining any more or any less than soldiers in previous wars. Television shows are entertainment, not scientific research.

 

I saw tons of complaining in Desert Shield/Storm and saw tons of fortitude and endurance. A journalist could have come in and focused upon any single element they wanted and provided a skewed perception.

 

Aside from that, how do soldiers half way around the world whining impact YOU in the slighted to be concerned? Perhaps it's a Freudian projection of your own desire to whine less?

[Metric-man]

http://en.wikipedia...._Oath_of_Office

 

The point about linking the subject to outside forums, is valid since this is a public forum anyone with the capability can view the things we write. friend or foe.

I'm pretty sure I would rather be along side any group that vowed to defend this country and it's Constitution

even the perceived looser and whiner groups that are mentioned here than to be on the opposing side.

[JohnnyWadd]

 

. You and Marso don't.

 

Says you. And when was i complaining? I never fired my m-16 at a live target in combat but that does not mean a thing. Soldiers can complain all they want and if there complaining makes it to Marso's television or smart phone on youtube on his laptop then he may form any opinion about it he wants. In the marine corp we alway said "Police Your Own" so if your fellow marine is sad or tired or his body is busted up you pick up the slack and carry him or tell him to tough it out. Today if we any little issue in society its whine about out it and expect out diapers to be changed. I dont care if the soldiers complain, like Marso they have rights. But if they are infantry thats what they signed up for.

 

Im "behind the military" as Shelby says. But what does that mean? That i should be behid the military to a point that i say we cant cant voice out opinions about what we see the military say or do?

Its about being behind the american way its called freedom of speech. It means if joe citizen sees something about the military on tv, well guess what he is gonna have a response to that and we have to be tolerant of him to a point. Also he is allowed to talk about it or voice it on the internet. Obviously rules apply on forums like here.

 

if the troops fighting our war on terror now had also experienced the conditions of previous wars they probably would not be complaining as much because they would have known how bad it could be.

 

They way my grandad tells it they wouldnt have time to anyway.

Edited November 14, 2011 by JohnnyWadd

[chiplee]

I think you'll find that people tend to glorify the actions of past warriors, and that they try to portray reality about the war that's currently being fought. Averse is right though. I imagine people in combat have complained since the beginning of combat. As time passes, however, we have less and less interest in their words and we focus on their actions, on the outcome. When the fighting is over, they are judged on the post-war conditions they helped create. When people are happy with their level of comfort and security, they thank anyone who might have contributed to it.

 

The actions of the current generation are no less important to the safety and security of peace loving people everywhere than were the actions of the soldiers of Vietnam and WWII. It's just that we have yet to see exactly what the post-war world will look like and how safe and secure we'll actually be.

 

Besides, it's difficult to get a decent documentary about a past war these days. By the time the United States entered WWII allied forces had lost upwards of 20 million men in years of fighting. By the end of the war, Russia lost over 20 million herself. Hollywood (and most documentaries) would have us believe the US swooped in and saved the day and made the greatest sacrifice. How glorious it would be if it was true.

[Shelby]

you seem up on your history Chip whom did we fight against in WW2 , germany or japan

[007]

both:)

[BOHO]

you seem up on your history Chip whom did we fight against in WW2 , germany or japan

 

...

[Burton]

We fought both, but really had to put our work in on Germany. We were over there going toe to toe with Germany for a while, but with Japan, it was much easier. They did pearl Harbor, so we flew a couple planes over and ended it all.