Jeff Jacoby's column recounts the following revealing exchange between Today's Matt Lauer and U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Lauer is doing his best to pry some negative comments about troop morale out of the soldiers, who were having none of it:
Lauer: We've heard so much about the insurgent attacks, so much about the uncertainty as to when you folks are going to get to go home. How would you describe morale?Chief Warrant Officer Randy Kergiss: My unit morale's pretty good. . . . People are ready to execute their missions, and they're pretty excited to be here.
Lauer: How much does that uncertainty of knowing how long you're going to be here impact morale?
Sergeant Jamie Wells: Morale's always high. Soldiers know they have a mission, they like taking on the new objectives and taking on the new challenges. . . . They're motivated, ready to go.
Lauer: Don't get me wrong, I think you guys are probably telling me the truth, but there might be a lot of people at home wondering how that could be possible with the conditions you're facing and with the insurgent attacks . . .
Captain Sherman Powell: Well, sir, I tell you -- if I got my news from the newspapers also, I'd be pretty depressed as well.
Lauer: What don't you think is being correctly portrayed?
Powell: Sir, I know it's hard to get out and get on the ground and report the news. . . . But for of those who've actually had a chance to get out and go on patrols . . . we are very satisfied with the way things are going here. And we are confident that if we're allowed to finish the job we started we'll be very proud of it and our country will be proud of us for doing it. . . .
Lauer: How would you feel about US forces being withdrawn before -- you're shaking your head -- before the insurgency is defeated?
Powell: Well, sir, I would just tell you . . . as long as we continue to have confidence that we are supported and people have our back, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.
Lauer: So you would rather stay here longer and defeat the insurgency then be pulled out earlier . . .?
Kergiss: Yes, sir.
Wells: Absolutely.
Lauer is clearly acting on the assumption that the primary concern of the U.S. soldier is with when he or she is coming home. Do you think he gets it now?
It's their job, Matt. They're proud of what the United States has accomplished, and is accomplishing in Iraq. And they're not done yet.
Posted by dan at August 25, 2005 10:59 PMI must say, I realize the point you're trying to make, but I'm not sure that it's entirely credible. I believe that the media, in general, has a slant and an agenda (I believing Blogging is media as well), and although I didn't see this particular interview, it does sound like Lauer was doing a fair bit of “fishing”. Anyway, my point: he was interviewing a Captain, Sergeant, and Chief Officer. I wouldn't say that's the best representation of your average soldier on the front-lines. These interviewees have their orders, probably more so than any other soldier, to promote a certain image as well.
This topic is just sort of hitting home right now because a very good friend of mine just got his orders for Iraq (only 4 weeks before he is scheduled to leave), and he has a minimum of 18 months there. His wife is due with their first child in 4 months.
And the comment about this being "their job": actually, he's an industrial engineer. He'll have to leave that job and take a pay cut of $30-40K. Not only is his wife upset that he won't be home for the birth and entire first year of their child's life, but she's concerned about worse scenarios than that
I know he's not there yet; therefore, I know that I can't comment on what the morale is in Iraq. But I'm unfortunately witnessing the disheartening that happens before hand. I hope for his sake that the morale over there is extremely high, but I would hope that you can understand if I have my doubts.
Posted by: jj at August 26, 2005 12:53 AMOf course I understand, and your point about the interviewees being officers is well taken. But reports by people on the ground in Iraq, reporters and other private citizens are nearly unanimous in remarking on how high troop morale is there. I'm talking about dozens of varied reports from both supporters and opponents of the Iraq campaign. I'm not suggesting that this is the universal sentiment among soldiers, but the sample sure seems large enough to suggest it is the rule, and not the exception, no?
The case of reservists is a tough one, because in many cases, they made their commitments to serve before the Iraq campaign got underway, but still, they are not an exception to the rule that this is an all-volunteer force. They knew what they were potentially going to be called to do. I have heard several interviews with reservists who echoed the kind of high morale message these officers delivered.
And I don't think there's anything wrong with a reporter "fishing" per se. But it's distressing to get a sense from people like Lauer that they WANT there to be a morale problem among the troops. That message is not only what they expect to hear, it really seems like it's what they WANT to hear.
Worse yet, I am absolutely convinced that many people who hate Bush are actually hoping for the Iraq democratization project to fail, because it could hurt Bush and Republicans politically, and give them some kind of vindication for opposing the effort and the sacrifice in the first place.
At least these people will have shown some consistency throughout the process...then and now, "to hell with the Iraqi people."
And the dark side of this conflict hits close to home as well for many of us who continue to support what we're doing there. I know three kids personally who have either just returned or are recently shipped out for Iraq. I hope the Iraqis can get it right...and soon. But the terror masters are in Tehran, and until they are deposed, hopefully from within, Iraqi democracy will not be secure, I'm afraid, nor will the rest of us.
Posted by: dan at August 26, 2005 01:48 AMI can personally vouch for the fact that Sergeant is not a rank that's terribly high on the food chain, JJ. The opinions of a Sergeant tend to be fairly representative of the rank and file.
Posted by: Al at August 26, 2005 09:52 AMAl,
But a Captain, Sergeant, and Chief Officer that are scheduled and prepped to appear on national television in front of X million people on the #1 morning television show . . .
I'm not claiming to know the military rankings and such by any means, I'm just saying the pendulum always does swing both ways, and I think some people tend to forget that - or at least not acknowledge it.
Posted by: jj at August 28, 2005 01:40 AM