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I feel sad for his family, but I can't help but wonder WTF is missing, here. Jeez, he can't sign a letter to Dad "LOVE?" He's gotta do this bullshit Russell Crowe-ish overblown movie "Integritas" nonsense? I did note as time wore on, and things got worse, he managed to squeeze out a "Love, Robert" to his dad, and he honestly didn't seem too "unswerving" to me--more like someone who has made a horrible bargain, but is determined to see it through, because he made the lousy deal.
This poor dead fool was not, and was never, a "centurion." He was a duped tool of BushCo. Filled to the gills with Kool Aide. And ultimately, expendable. It only took him three months to start to see the handwriting on the wall:
My 3 month informed opinion (based entirely on what I see in the Hit region) is that this war is futile. Even the Iraqi soldiers tell us that when America leaves, they'll quit. They trust us because they know Americans can take care of them, but they don't trust their government, or the Ministry of Defense, and they especially don't trust their officers <...> Funny, I feel the same way sometimes.
His take on military command structures (not just Iraqi, this is regional) is fairly accurate: The biggest lesson I have learned over 6 months here is that the Iraqi culture is incapable of maintaining a western style military. The Arabic-style military <...> is distasteful to western soldiers: officers who hit their men; officers and senior enlisted men who regularly steal from their men; using leadership to openly grant yourself more food and 'standard of living' items while your men go without ...
And more on that "unswerving" business--is this unswerving to you? It sure doesn't seem very unswerving to me, in fact, it seems as though it swerves all over the doggone place:
This is such a long process. Maybe 20 years from now I'll look back with pride that I helped make a difference in Iraq, but right now I'm just not into it. I just want to come home alive. ... The war in Iraq itself, yeah, it was the right thing to do, but the way it was carried out, man, Bush, Rumsfeld, and Cheney have nothing to be proud of. But I'm still glad to be here. At least I can say I was here, and 20 years from now that will be all that matters. I did my part (though my attitude was less than desirable).... As an American it really feels odd to enter peoples homes and question them, and with the authority that if they don't want to cooperate, I can detain them. This is what martial law would be like.....
The article said he signed up at 17, and was 33 and a Captain (0-3). They either sent him to college, or he did it on his own time, and applied for a commission or a limited duty officer appointment and got it. The kid (not such a kid, really, but they all look young from the viewpoint of older eyes) was quite experienced--that's a real blow when you lose someone with that type of background and experience, who has credibility with the enlisted personnel across the ranks. I can't fathom his continued belief that the war was "the right thing to do" but it's amazing how far folks will stretch reality to avoid unbearable, gut wrenching and painful cognitive dissonance.
What a mess this Bush and pals have gotten us in.
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