Originally Posted by Starker

My opinion and decision to join the mil despite the war on terror hasn't changed. I'm still very patriotic and fully support the military and what we are doing. I'm unsure about how all this political bull and war began but i know that we are now in this for the long haul and well i'd rather be out there doing something than sitting at home watching the news when i have a chance to make a difference. Despite the deployments and sometimes unfavorable conditions the military is a good career with decent benefits for those who choose it and like it. well that's my opinion
~Niki

Well said!

This fight is getting very expensive people!

Pitting high Tech Military against rogue networks that use very basic but effective weapons and still no sign of victory although Mr. Bush states that "We are making progress" but that is shadowed in this war.

Iraqi insurgents have given a proven fight to the US war machine and damage continues to rise. Even in Afghanistan, the recent deadly attacks show no sign of improvement. Billions of dollars have been shed on these nations and still no sign of stability. Plus the new attacks in UK is causing new questions to be raised about progress.

I think this progress isn't going well like American media poses it to!

And from critics, I have heard that people are getting discouraged when talk of enrolling in US military.

All wars are expensive, both in money and lives. What would you consider enough provocation before you decided to take the fight to the enemy rather than let him bring it to you? The US didn't go into this war thinking it would end in a week. President Bush said at the beginning that it will be a long, drawn out affair taking these people on in their regions. The media doesn't report anything good about the Allied efforts to control this scum, they only report the most damaging news possible.

As far as pitting low tech against high tech, the insurgency is being financed well and are purchasing explosives and arms from Nations willing to prolong the war as long as possible so they can make profit from all the AK s and C4.

Originally Posted by Missileer

All wars are expensive, both in money and lives. What would you consider enough provocation before you decided to take the fight to the enemy rather than let him bring it to you? The US didn't go into this war thinking it would end in a week. President Bush said at the beginning that it will be a long, drawn out affair taking these people on in their regions. The media doesn't report anything good about the Allied efforts to control this scum, they only report the most damaging news possible.

As far as pitting low tech against high tech, the insurgency is being financed well and are purchasing explosives and arms from Nations willing to prolong the war as long as possible so they can make profit from all the AK s and C4.

This war is very different from the pervious wars where US was dealing with enemies with formidable firepower. This war is also getting un-popular and the IRAQI invasion (as predicted by some US analysts to be an easy fight) is slowly becoming another Vietnam with no end to insurgency and stablility is close to dust. Two years have passed and the progress is not that great except for the death toll and damage which rises day-by-day. Also the enemy is not a formidable power but continues to give a formidable challenge. This war won't end up good, I tell you!

Originally Posted by TBA_PAKI

This war is very different from the pervious wars where US was dealing with enemies with formidable firepower. This war is also getting un-popular and the IRAQI invasion (as predicted by some US analysts to be an easy fight) is slowly becoming another Vietnam with no end to insurgency and stablility is close to dust. Two years have passed and the progress is not that great except for the death toll and damage which rises day-by-day. Also the enemy is not a formidable power but continues to give a formidable challenge. This war won't end up good, I tell you!

My God! I would be horrified if any war ever ended up good. The Allies have lost fewer people in the same amount of time than in any previous war of the same magnitude. Also, what, pray-tell is a popular war? Can you explain that to me? Unpopular with who? The enemy? Of course it is unpopular with people who are either committed to returning the World to the fifth century or people who are too Pollyanna to realize what losing this one means to the civilized world. The "another VietNam" statement is pretty worn out too, that is a phrase dragged out with every sustained operation by the unknowing for the uncaring. If Texas had quit at the Alamo, we would be Mexico. We are standing by closed silos and grounded aircraft to keep the death toll low for a purpose. We believe in the philosophy that there is some good in a non-obliteration approach to ending a war. As far as each war being different from the previous, WWI was called the war to end wars. Well, it didn't.

Originally Posted by TBA_PAKI

This war is very different from the pervious wars where US was dealing with enemies with formidable firepower. This war is also getting un-popular and the IRAQI invasion (as predicted by some US analysts to be an easy fight) is slowly becoming another Vietnam with no end to insurgency and stablility is close to dust. Two years have passed and the progress is not that great except for the death toll and damage which rises day-by-day. Also the enemy is not a formidable power but continues to give a formidable challenge. This war won't end up good, I tell you!

I disagree with you.
1. This war might be different from other wars but not from all of the previous ones. You contradicted yourself saying that "This war is very different from the previous wars" and then stating that "is slowly becoming another Vietnam"-
2.US analysts had predicted that defeating the Iraqi Army would be easy for the US itself, they never used those words to describe the postwar period.
3. This war has NOTHING to do with VN. Nothing on earth, as many other more experienced fighters and experts and veterans have been saying here lately.
4. Whaat?? The progress my friend is indeed greatest if you think of what we have accomplished coming from a bloody dictatorship: we have liberated the country, we have been able to deal with the Shi'ites and the Kurds, to hold elections and to have people crowding them, and to have a legitimate government. Now we are having the Sunnis join the system -
This is not too bad all in all. If journalists just left their hotels in Baghdad and headed south they could see what we have been accomplishing so far.
5. Al Qaeda and the terror network is indeed a formidable power.

Once, in the early '70s, I heard a retired AF Tech Sgt. I worked with say that the US couldn't force enough cowards together at gunpoint to fight a war. He was wrong then and he would be wrong now. Even I, if I could get all my old bones moving at once, would not hesitate a millisecond to do anything I could in defense of my Country and I hope that all of the Western World is prepared for what is coming.

Originally Posted by Italian Guy

I disagree with you.
1. This war might be different from other wars but not from all of the previous ones. You contradicted yourself saying that "This war is very different from the previous wars" and then stating that "is slowly becoming another Vietnam"-
2.US analysts had predicted that defeating the Iraqi Army would be easy for the US itself, they never used those words to describe the postwar period.
3. This war has NOTHING to do with VN. Nothing on earth, as many other more experienced fighters and experts and veterans have been saying here lately.
4. Whaat?? The progress my friend is indeed greatest if you think of what we have accomplished coming from a bloody dictatorship: we have liberated the country, we have been able to deal with the Shi'ites and the Kurds, to hold elections and to have people crowding them, and to have a legitimate government. Now we are having the Sunnis join the system -
This is not too bad all in all. If journalists just left their hotels in Baghdad and headed south they could see what we have been accomplishing so far.
5. Al Qaeda and the terror network is indeed a formidable power.

Your points are interesting and I hope that things turn out to be like that but lets not forget the daily loss of innocent lives in IRAQ and no sign of end to IRAQI Insurgency. It is indeed a reminder of poor US post-war plans, which resulted in huge losses of lives on both sides. Many great cities have been destroyed and un-employment is immense. Don't forget that desperate times call for desperate acts and some of the insurgents that western people so happily refer to as Terrorists might be freedom-fighters in "True spirits".

The bigger picture is that US would recover from the damage it has taken but question is of IRAQ with its ruined infra-structure, cities, chaotic living conditions and in-effective government. The next thing to be noticed is what would be the situation after US forces leave that nation.

I would say the Iraqi War has a lot to do with why many young people don't want to join the military.

It doesn't look that appealing and exciting a career any more.