Nobody can speak for all the troops, including me. In fact, I don't know that I can even speak for a significant percentage of the troops, even though, at one time, I was one.
I was in a reserve unit called to active duty and served six months, most of it split between Saudi Arabia and Iraq. It sucked, but it's one of those things I'm glad I did. One day, I'll have highly embellished stories for the grandchildren.
Now, however, I was like to give politicians, especially the Republicans, an unvarnished and unembellished look at how I, the troop, viewed you, the politicians, pundits, and officers.
Flip it.
Politicians
Politicians were a huge annoyance during my very short tour of duty. I had just graduated from college and was ready to start my life when pain in the ass George Herbert Walker Bush disrupted my life by activating my unit. That meant six months away from my girlfriend, my dogs, and my Dad who was recovering from a heart bypass. I understood he had a job to do and now so did I, but it still annoyed me.
The other politicians, especially the ones who came in and made long-winded speeches and took photo ops after we returned, were annoying in another way. They were just being selfish. We're finally home only to be subjected to Lee Hamilton, Dick Lugar, some damned colonel wax on about how proud they were while we stood in formation longing to be free. The worst part was they kept playing that stupid fucking Lee Greenwood song.
So politicians are annoying to troops just like they are to civilians. I didn't care whether you thought I was a hero or not. I just wanted a raise. I wanted more pay for burning half-barrels of shit and urine instead of living the life at home.
What I didn't want was to hear was every single politician giving their over-rehearsed and empty-sounding props to the troops. You want to give the troops props? Give them some more money or shut your fucking piehole.
Pundits and "news people"
War isn't a football game and you weren't supposed to be cheerleaders. Good people fought and died for the freedom of the press and you've squandered their sacrifice by promoting war for your own profit. You're the worst kind of war profiteer, because you echo calls for war without question.
Your slick graphics and headlines like "Showdown with Saddam" help brand and build support for the war, because war is good for ratings. At least some soldiers recognize you do this and we are not impressed, to say the least.
Remember the stories about babies in Kuwait being ripped from their incubators?
In 1990, on behalf of the US-funded and US-directed Citizens for a Free Kuwait, H&K researched and then created stories and "eye-witness" testimonies that described Iraqi atrocities that would build public support for Desert Storm. These "eye-witnesses" were presented to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and included the fraudulent "Nurse Nayirah" testimony that played a major role in involving the US in the Gulf War. She testified that she had witnessed Iraqi soldiers killing hundreds of premature babies at the al-Addan hospital in Kuwait City. "They took the babies out of the incubators, took the incubators, and left the babies on the cold floor to die," she said. Congressmen were stunned. It was only after Desert Storm had officially ended that ABC reporter John Martin discovered that the none of these tales of atrocities were true.
A lot of troops today understand that most of you are little more than megaphones for PR firms. You're not respected.
As for the pundits (Hannity, I'm talking to you), stop using the troops to defend your ridiculous ideology. As troops and ex-troops, we know you never served, and quite frankly, we don't want your giant head up our ass. It hurts, especially when you spin.
You know, Bob, we may actually agree here. Here is Ted Nugent. He's saying, you know, the "Wang Dang" song, "Cat Scratch Fever," wears a loincloth on stage, fires, you know, an arrow at targets on stage. I see you liberals more upset about that, but I don't hear anybody criticizing Barack Obama for accusing our troops of killing civilians, air-raiding villages, et cetera, et cetera. What's more shocking to you? What's more offensive to you? Is it Barack Obama's statement about our troops or Ted Nugent?
Ouch.
Officers
Petraeus is so manly! And he was criticized. In an ad. In a newspaper!
Therefore, Bush and Republicans won the Iraq debate.
Generals are there to be criticized, especially by the troops. Therefore, attacking Generals is not "attacking the troops" by extension. In fact, go ahead and attack him some more. The troops will probably like it and say things like "I knew he was an ass-kisser."
From this ex-troop's perspective, attacking any officer is not attacking the troops. We talked about how stupid our officers were all the time. It was a good way to blow off steam.
Besides, we did all the work while they got all the credit. The major in charge of our operation got a bronze fucking star. We just did everything. So, to us, it doesn't matter even if the officer was decorated, he probably didn't earn it.
Jag-offs, the lot of them.
Bottom line
Stop hiding behind the troops and give them more money. That's all.