Letters to the editor for Sunday, November 30, 2003

European and Mideast editions

(EDITOR’S NOTE: These are the letters that appeared in each edition of Stripes on this publication date. Click here to jump ahead to the Pacific edition letters)

Body armor/Humvees

I’m serving in Kosovo. Almost all the members of my task force and I have been issued Interceptor Body Armor with ballistic plates. We received these vests shortly after arriving in Kosovo back in July.

There’s little to no threat to any of us here compared to the troops in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. Certainly there always exists the possibility of something happening here. But in Iraq it’s not simply a possibility. Several times a day, day after day, the need for this body armor is demonstrated. With every incident that occurs in Iraq in which a soldier is lost due to substandard body armor, the other soldiers and I who have the armor but don’t need it have to live with the guilt of their loss.

I’m personally embarrassed to even have the Interceptor vest. The sad truth is that we rarely wear the vests. They’re seen as one more piece of useless equipment that soldiers are forced to tote along with them on patrols. A lot of us are often left to wonder how the U.S. military can be so incompetent and so seemingly brainless. How was something like this allowed to happen? What command personnel would submit a request at this time for this level of armor for the troops in Kosovo? Moreover, what kind of person would even knowingly consider approving such a request? It would also be interesting to know when this request was submitted. Was it submitted years ago when the need for such armor in the Balkans may have been necessary? Is the paperwork trail so long, redundant and defeating that it’s possible this request is in fact several years old? If that’s the case, is the military so inept that it couldn’t stop the ball from rolling? Either way, the military has failed its fighting soldiers.

In addition to the body armor, I also take issue with the “up-armored” Humvees. We arrived to a full complement of these vehicles. Shortly afterward, we were told the vehicles would be shipped to Iraq. Finally, something right was going to happen. But we’re now well into our fourth month in country, and there are still “up- armored” Humvees here in Kosovo. To my knowledge it’s a slow process and few have been shipped. I’d venture to say that even fewer, if any at all, have found their way to the soldiers in Iraq. I’m certain the KFOR command and its soldiers would gladly hand deliver these vests and vehicles today if it were only that easy.

The U.S. military will defend its time-consuming incompetence by saying the vehicles first have to be overhauled and painted before they can be delivered. And of course let’s not forget the paperwork. While this is certainly true, one could make the sarcastic argument that MAACO could get it done in a day.

Is the U.S. military so crippled by its enslaving obsession with paperwork, tracking and accountability of supplies and equipment that it doesn’t see what’s happening, or is it simply turning a blind eye? I consider it to be a combination of both. What do readers think?

Spc. Michael Young
Kosovo

West courageous

I was deeply troubled by the article “Hearing begins in alleged mistreatment of Iraqi” (Nov. 19). It concerned the conduct of Lt. Col. Allen B. West. I’m alarmed that we seem to be taking an approach with regard to the war which is destined to cost many lives and which might potentially compromise our very involvement itself.

I’m mindful of the common rules of decency that must guide our course. These rules must set our conduct apart from that of our adversaries. I’m also aware of the need to take the moral high ground. These are the tenets that have made our country great and will keep it so.

But to set the bar so high on such crucial and seminal issues as prisoner handling and interrogation is to jeopardize the lives of our own soldiers and our brothers in arms. The policy with regard to interrogations is so strict that a schoolgirl with an attitude would have little difficulty withholding information.

U.S. pilots and Special Operations personnel routinely undergo forms of training to prepare them for possible capture. In some cases this training is harsher than treatment afforded to prisoners of war in our camps. It would seem to be illogical, unnecessary and extremely costly to afford our adversaries greater protection than our own military receive during training.

I salute Lt. Col. West. His conduct was clearly motivated by courage, integrity and loyalty to his men. It was, however, sadly out of keeping with the rules of war mired in the complexities of political correctness.

Lt. Cmdr. Rich Cobb
Naples, Italy

CFC letter unfair

This is for the writer of the letter “Not giving enough” (Nov. 21). I remind the writer that we’re an Army whose ethics preach selfless service, among many others. I was appalled by the writer’s selfishness and pettiness regarding donating to the Combined Federal Campaign. It wasn’t the fault of the soldier who delivered CFC information to the writer that the writer’s oil, mail and parts are late. The writer was unfair to that soldier and many others in his poor decision to banish the soldier from his higher tasking because of the writer’s unfounded anger.

As for who to donate to, that deserves the writer’s five minutes and every penny he can give to make himself just a bit better person. The writer need look no further than the USO when he’s in an international airport looking for a place to stay for a bit. Or how about the American Red Cross, which helps soldiers in the writer’s unit (and maybe the writer himself) every day of every year? What about the fund for the children of soldiers killed in the line of selfless service so they can go to college?

The writer’s small, immature decision cost these and many other organizations much more than the measly $24 that the writer will no doubt spend on a big dinner when he gets home. With all due respect, the writer’s poor decision disgusts me.

Sgt. Mike Miller
Baghdad, Iraq

In this together

Every time I read the letters to the editor, I want to cringe. When I was in the Persian Gulf War in 1991, I was with the 141st Signal Battalion out of Ansbach, Germany. “Back in the day” we didn’t have Internet access, washing machines or any buildings to live in. We lived in tents and fabricated our creature comforts to the best of our abilities. Yes, the mail was slow and the trips to the telephone center were few and far between. But my company stuck together. Sure we had our share of whiners. But that was usually over a leaky tent (that got fixed) or the shortage of washtubs (our commander brought us more).

In February 1991, when my unit drove for 22 hours during the ground war, we stopped our convoy for a break and found ourselves in a minefield when the sun rose. The engineers rescued us, and when we wound up nine miles too close to the front lines, we dealt with it. We took pictures and laughed about it when we returned to our home base later that year.

I’ve been active duty for 16 years and haven’t regretted a day of it. I can understand the dangers our men and women in uniform are faced with this time around. But instead of crying about it, these guys need to take a few seconds and look to each other for support. It shouldn’t matter if they’re active duty or not.

I’m sure I’ll get to spend a little time over there in southwest Asia again myself. We’re an extended family, a military family. It’s dysfunctional at times, but we’re in this together — lock, stock and barrel.

Sgt. Jenifer Ann Destroyer
Yongsan, South Korea

Will be glad to leave Army

I’m assigned to the Chemical Reconnaissance Platoon, 89th Chemical Company, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment based out of Al-Asad Airfield, Iraq. Let me tell our story to all the soldiers having a great time here.

My soldiers and I were initially assigned to 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment when we entered Iraq in April. We moved from troop to troop nine times in four months, never really having a home. My soldiers and I have driven more than 13,000 miles in Iraq from Dogwood, south of Baghdad, to Tikrit in the north.

Every time I turn around I have a new chain of command who I must “get along with.” My soldiers and I are physically and mentally worn out, yet we continue to soldier on as professionals every day. We’ve been shot at, hit with rocket-propelled grenades, run in front of exploding improvised explosive devices, and run over unexploded land mines. Yet we continue to soldier on without complaining or running our mouths. Our living conditions have ranged from good to inhuman. It depends on when and where we are assigned. The summer was the worst, as temperatures hovered in the mid-130s at Ramadi and Fallujah. Yet we continue to soldier on.

We’re currently assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery and further operational control to the 21st Chemical Company for ammunition supply point assessment and reduction. I have no doubt that when the 82nd is finished with us, we’ll be passed on to someone else.

Oh, did I mention that we’ve not done chemical recon since coming here? We’re used as site security, convoy security, a quick reaction force, and escorts for both civilians and military personnel. My soldiers and I would love to take rest and recuperation leave, but alas, I don’t think we’ll be chosen.

When all of my soldiers and I get home safely next April or May, I’ll actually be glad to leave an Army that I once loved. I hope readers can see the smile on my face while I’m typing this and saying that I hope all soldiers here, regardless of branch, make it home safely.

Staff Sgt. Marc S. Jacobson
Al-Asad Airfield, Iraq

Pacific edition

Conditions deplete Guard

This is to all those who say that guardsmen and reservists in Iraq and Kuwait need to suck it up and drive on or get out: We will suck it up and drive on, and we will get out.

I was in Kuwait in Desert Storm as a National Guardsman. When we returned, there was a mass exodus from the units. That’s why units have to have fillers this time. We were only here for five months the last time. We did our job and left.

The longer we’re here, the more we get a “don’t care” attitude. To think that the regular Army doesn’t need the Guard is crazy.

Sgt. Merlin Nichols
Camp Navistar, Kuwait

Reserve rule changes in order

I’ve noticed several letters from guardsmen and reservists expressing concerns about their situations and the response from active-duty personnel. Having spent 16 years on active duty in the Army and then the Air Force before coming to the Air National Guard, I can see there’s a fundamental misunderstanding of the concerns. This is perfectly understandable given the unbelievable disparity in the rules for active-duty members and those we live under. Let me try to explain.

When we’re activated, everyone’s personal situations change. But the families of guardsmen and reservists don’t relocate to bases or posts that have the resources to support them. And their health care changes, so they may have to get new doctors or go to different hospitals. Some of us have very solid employers, but some don’t. And some of us don’t have full health care or disability coverage while deployed to a combat zone.

Those on active duty who are eligible to retire or ETS and are unaffected by stop loss can start outprocessing upon their return to their home stations. We can’t. We have to wait until we’re demobilized. Even then, any stop loss that affects active duty has the same effect on us.

When we’re demobilized, everything stops immediately, with no transition and frequently no notice. Unless Congress changed the law, that includes our families’ health care insurance. One day we’re covered, and the next day we’re not.

While civilian employers have to take us back when we’re demobilized, our employers may have gone out of business. The client bases of those who are self-employed may have been decimated. Those who are self-employed get no opportunity to rebuild their businesses. We can’t make plans based on our separation or retirement dates because those dates are meaningless as long as we’re mobilized.

By contrast, civilian employers support reservists and guardsmen the vast majority of the time. When the military is done with us, the civilian employers are obligated to take us back, not the military. So we reservists and guardsmen are concerned for our civilian employers. They support our families.

Under the previous administration, more of the day-to-day operations were laid at the doorstep of guardsmen and reservists through reductions of active-duty members. We’ve been deploying alongside active-duty members for years but not getting the same benefits.

Those who question the level of commitment of state militias and reservists should measure our commitment by how much we have to sacrifice in order to serve. We’re all sacrificing a lot, not just active-duty members.

Maj. R.D. Turner
Texas Air National Guard
Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar

Will Limbaugh change?

I hope Rush Limbaugh will be able to overcome his drug addiction. Anyone hooked on OxyContin deserves all of our support and compassion. Speaking of compassion, how will this difficult experience change Limbaugh? Will he stop calling certain liberals “drug-infested maggots”?

It’s a darned good thing that Limbaugh is a wealthy, powerful, middle-aged white guy. Imagine what nasty little jail cell he’d be sitting in if he were a young servicemember or a member of a minority group.

On his Web site a few weeks ago, Limbaugh questioned the patriotism of retired Gen. Wesley Clark. Will Limbaugh apologize to him? Surely Gen. Clark deserves better. He was seriously wounded as a combat infantry leader in Vietnam and awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star for valor. Maybe if Limbaugh had answered the call to serve, he’d understand this.

But hey, that’s ancient history, and this is Limbaugh’s chance to switch to a kinder, gentler message. Over the past 20 years, Limbaugh has done a superb job of telling Americans how to hate and who to hate. Imagine how much better the world would be if Limbaugh shared with Americans a message of love and understanding. I’m sure the “flush Rush” crowd doubts that Limbaugh can be a changed man. How about proving them wrong?

John McDowell
Sembach, Germany

AFN should remove show

This letter isn’t about radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, who recently said that all drug addicts should be put in the same jail cells as drug pushers. This is about American Forces Network’s decision to continue broadcasting Limbaugh’s show. This show has no place on AFN. It provides no service to our servicemembers. It’s just political propaganda at its worst. The entire show is nothing more than continuous, vicious attacks against one of America’s prominent political parties.

How could the Department of Defense approve this show for AFN? Is the DOD championing one political party over another for its servicemembers? Will unit voting assistance officers start pushing the same political party that AFN pushes with the Limbaugh show? The Defense Media Center, which oversees AFN, claims it’s just giving the public what it wants.

The Limbaugh show may be fine in the United States, where the public can choose between hundreds of English-language news programs. That’s freedom of choice. But for servicemembers in different parts of the world, AFN may be all they get. That makes the Limbaugh show forced political propaganda sanctioned by the DOD.

Here’s an example: A soldier pulls 15 hours of combat duty and maybe gets five hours of sleep. He decides to listen to AFN news. Then he hears someone telling him how stupid he is for belonging to a particular political party. Anyone who’s heard the Limbaugh program can’t deny that this is the type of abuse he inflicts on anyone who doesn’t agree with his political views. At least the so-called left-leaning National Public Radio and right-leaning Fox News provide a wide range of daily news coverage of world events.

The Limbaugh show is nonstop political brainwashing. How can we ask our soldiers to put their lives on the line and teach others the benefits of free elections, removed from the coercion of powerful militaries, when our military is using a show such as Limbaugh’s to coerce its own people? With an election year coming up, let’s hope our leaders set the correct example and remove this show.

James Carrethers
Heidelberg, Germany