1 How do you rate the overall living conditions at your base

Troops' thoughts in Iraq

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Stars and Stripes collected 1,935 questionnaires from servicemembers in Iraq between Aug. 10 and Aug. 31. The people who returned a survey make up a group known as a convenience sample, which means they represent the views only of those filling out the survey and do not necessarily represent the views of every servicemember in Iraq. As a result, there is no margin of error within these results. A number of steps were taken to verify accurate inputting of information. Some percentages may not total 100 percent due to rounding.

1. How do you rate the overall living conditions at your base?

No. resp. 93	excellent	Pct. 5%
578	good	30%
719	average	37%
370	not good	19%
158	poor	8%

2. How often do you have access to any post exchange facilities?

470	more than once a day	24%
320	once a day	17%
369	once every few days	19%
580	once a week	30%
108	never	6%

3. How do you rate the post exchange facilities?

42	excellent	2%
361	good	19%
802	average	41%
470	not good	24%
208	poor	11%

4. How would you rate your health since you arrived in the Middle East?

188	excellent	10%
694	good	36%
730	average	38%
251	not good	13%
60	poor	3%

5. How would you rate the health care services available to you in the Middle East?

142	excellent	7%
533	good	28%
714	average	37%
355	not good	18%
154	poor	8%

6. How would you rate your chain of command's ability to give you the materials you need to accomplish your mission?

130	excellent	7%
534	good	28%
563	average	29%
393	not good	20%
299	poor	15%

7. How concerned is your chain of command about your living conditions?

288	very concerned	15%
356	above average concern	18%
462	concerned	24%
504	somewhat concerned	26%
308	not concerned	16%

8. How effective is your command at making improvements?

215	excellent	11%
576	good	30%
567	average	29%
361	not good	19%
202	poor	10%

9. How likely is it that you will stay in the military after your current obligation is complete?

340	Very likely	18%
245	likely	13%
353	possible	18%
333	not likely	17%
611	very unlikely	32%

10. How do you rate the mail delivery system in the Middle East?

84	excellent	4%
379	good	20%
620	average	32%
471	not good	24%
369	poor	19%

11. How worthwhile do you think fighting this war was for America?

542	very worthwhile	28%
359	probably worthwhile	19%
395	worthwhile	20%
390	little value	20%
211	not worthwhile at all	11%

12. How clearly defined is your mission?

400	very clear	21%
282	mostly clear	15%
523	clear	27%
348	mostly not clear	18%
326	not clear at all	17%

13. How do you rate your unit's morale?

53	very high	3%
252	high	13%
653	average	34%
540	low	28%
412	very low	21%

14. How closely is what you're doing now related to your training?

170	identical	9%
391	very close	20%
560	close	29%
396	not close	20%
379	nothing to do with training	20%

15. How much training did you receive for your current mission?

260	more than enough	13%
665	enough	34%
386	some	20%
225	very little	12%
379	learning as I go	20%

16. How do you rate your personal morale?

146	very high	8%
365	high	19%
720	average	37%
368	low	19%
281	very low	15%