Interesting reply from a friend who is in Iraq right now...

[begin_within]

He sends me e-mail frequently with jokes and funny pictures, etc. Today I sent him this e-mail message:

Hi (name),
I hope you are doing well. Do the people over in Iraq (in the U.S.
military) realize that this is a fraudulent war? That it was based on
manipulated intelligence and outright lies to the American people?
The majority of people in the U.S. now believe this, according to
recent polls. I was just wondering if the people actually fighting
the war still believe in the original stated rationale for the war,
or do they now see the fraud?
Thanks,
Bob

Within minutes his reply came back, and here it is in its entirety:

Hey whst sup?

[WilliamPitt]

1. "Hey whst sup?"

That's all?

[Catherine Vincent]

2. He/she probably doesn't want to talk about it.

[drdtroit]

6. NO, obviously Bob's email was censored and the body removed. n/t

[begin_within]

21. His reply to me had my original message intact at the bottom.

[DrZeeLit]

7. Can't. Not allowed. Big trouble in little bagdad if they do..... n/t

[MADem]

14. You're right, I'll bet

It takes a massive amount of energy to stay alive, not act like you are shitting your pants scared, go through the daily routine, support your buddies and watch their backs, provide leadership to subordinates, and just maintain your cool. Unless the servicemember in question spends most of their time behind the wire, they really don't want to think about that kind of stuff while they are out driving around aimlessly and trying not to be ambushed or blown up. When there's time to think, of COURSE it crosses their minds, but the best thing to do, to avoid serious cognitive dissonance, is just push it back. What good does it do to think about it? When you're stuck, you're stuck. Your loyalties are to those immediately around you, home is a million miles away, and there is an odd sense of isolation from what is happening over here.

On the Freedom Bird, once you clear Iraqi airspace, that's when the thinking starts. Of course, it is quickly overwhelmed by sheer joy at seeing loved ones, getting out of there alive (yet again, for many), and doing all of the things you missed while sweating in the sandbox.

Some can process both the issues and the mission at the same time, but it distracts.

Also, if the soldier is in a place where you only get 20 minutes or so of internet time, because there is a line, a lot of times you just read the subject line, send a bullshit reply to acknowledge receipt, and print it/read it later. You use the time to reply to the real important emails from family/significant other.

[MooPie]

3. Is there anyway his email is being censored?

Is that possible?

[MADem]

15. Not censored, necessarily, but monitored, absolutely n/t

[jsamuel]

4. maybe not allowed to talk about it???

[FreedomAngel82]

16. Or maybe doesn't want to now

The friend is in a war zone and maybe thinking about it all is too depressing. From my understanding in a war zone you need to have all your mind there to think about everything going on. So perhaps that is what is going on. Just keep your friends spirits up and hopefully they'll be home soon and you can talk about it than if you want. In Moore's F911 he shows soliders talking and they know. There is one guy who is shown at Walter Reed and he said he used to be a republican but when he got back home he was going to work his ass off to help the democrats. I'm sure being in the reality of it all and talking to other soliders who have been there longer (or since the beginning) can tell all about it.

[Sanity Claws]

5. Did he get the message?

Or was it deleted by censors? Just wondering whether his reply was due to receiving a blank message from you.

[porphyrian]

8. Other people see their email.

He probably doesn't want to get hassled. Also, whether they are there for a lie or not, they are there now. Many of them would rather believe the lie than lose morale if they aren't able to come home any time soon.

[mazzarro]

9. Most likely he/she doesn't want to discuss the issue

Email probably being monitored.

[Orrex]

10. Are you and this person good friends?

That seems like a kind of crappy missive to send him. Your friend most likely didn't manipulate the intelligence, and he's not responsible for prolonging the war with no exit strategy, so the purpose of the email is unclear to me.

Of course, if it's just friendly jabbing, like we all tend to do with our friends (e.g., "Why are you driving that piece of shit?" or "You dance like you've got a cactus up your ass."), then I guess it's okay.

[Nite Owl]

11. Maybe he wants to

be informed, doesn't know the news?

[Lowell]

12. My guess is that their electronic transmissions

are monitored. It could be a real career breaker sending an honest response.

I was talking with a recent returnee at my local VFW Friday (Veterans Day). He said his greatest concern was being sent back again. His current enlistment was for six years. He has three left and has already served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He said he was simply in survival mode and didn't believe anything coming down from the Department of Defense.

It took me back to my own war, Vietnam. Most of us were just trying to endure and survive. It was a difficult time because we knew that we were serving in a war we didn't belong in. It wasn't our fight and we were waging it with one hand tied behind our backs. Sound familiar?

[FreedomAngel82]

18. Yep

I remember either earlier this year or last year reading how a lot of the soliders now days are just going in to help and save their buddies.
:( They shouldn't have been in this situation in the first place. :cry:

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. you do realize his emial is compromised

I know for a fact that if his email is a .mil adress it goes through censors... and even if he is using a "civie" way, it can still be compromised. he is just trying to stay out of trouble...ucmj and all that

[HereSince1628]

17. I suspect the friend want's to catch up on personal things.

Things like who is doing who. And is the lazy fucking boss that we used to work with still there?

Deeply personal connections to home are often a commodity in very short supply. My advice is send more of that.

Your friend is very probably not in a position to know or care about opinion on the street. Home is the number one deal.

[DemExpat]

19. I probably would resent such an Email from a friend...

even if I thought the war was based on a fraud and that "the majority of people in the US now believe this".....this EMail would come across as "insensitive" in my eyes - seeing as all people in the military can do is do their job and make sure that they stay alive and in one piece until they come home. :grr:

They are in such a precarious situation as it is, and then this message just makes the hardship and sacrifice seem even worthless, that there is no reason at all for being in that dangerous position.

Can you imagine how that might seem to someone stuck over there?
It could make them angry, but it also could very well make them more afraid and feel hopeless about their situation.

IMO.

Sorry, I think this is not a kind, thoughtful EMail to send to someone in Iraq.

:-(

DemEx

[Neil Lisst]

20. When he writes you, it's not to discuss the reasons for the war.

Someone earlier wrote an excellent response, about clarity and reflection occurring once one is on the plane back to the world. I can concur in that. I can still remember thinking when that plane took off 31 years ago "holy shit, I'm really going back to the world!"

IMO, you should never ask a soldier such questions while he is in the war zone. He's got a job to do, and the debate about the war is not part of it. He can't do that right now, even though he may be thinking about it and even talking about it with other soldiers.

I believe you have to give soldiers wide latitude in addressing these issues, because, after all, they're hired hands we hired and sent to do this. They didn't go on their own. WE sent them, so the argument is ours to have.