U.S. Army says morale is down in Afghanistan
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43 Comments
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0
sharky1
Morale down in the "sand box"....duh!
0
seijichuudo9sha
Thats like saying the majority of the army probably didnt vote for Barack or now regrets it. Sorry, but since progressives are in power maybe the military didnt get the message.When Barack wants your opinion he'll tell you what it is.
0
USAFdude
Well, the vast majority of my USAF colleagues and I voted for Obama; we don't regret it one bit.
0
adaydream
I can tell that people who know absolutely nothing about the military or their voting record. They run posts that prove the point.
If you'd served 3, 4 or 5 tours in Afghanistan and Iraq without seeing an exit strategy, you'd be depressed, also. The republicans are so good about blocking exit strategies without coming up with a solutions, also.
Then when it's passed off to Obama, it's his administration that caused this and the military is upset with Obama. Obama is the first ray of sunlight in this damned war.
You can really feel the concern, "Morale down in the "sand box"....duh!" < :-)
0
Kapuna
Ship the entire U.S. Congress to Afghanistan. Make them stay there until they have figured out who, what, where, when and how this mess is to be cleaned up.
0
elbudamexicano
I have one word to describe this, VIETNAM!
0
adaydream
As I recall, no one was given orders to go back into Vietnam after their 2nd tour. Not to say that there weren't exceptions to the rule, after that 2nd tour you stayed stateside.
We've got young men and women being assigned their 3rd and 4th tours and this war isn't close to being over.
Please don't think I'm saying that the service members who served in Vietnam weren't war weary, but the numbers who served were much greater. And we relied an a volunteered and draft military. Everybody served just about. There were the defectors like cheney, but unless you got a (not 5) deferment, you served.
These men and women are worn out. And you just can't replace a few bolts and send them back. When these guys break, many many suffer. < :-)
0
Sarge
Hmm, I wonder if this low morale has anything to do with Obama's dithering on providing the back-up that our troops need.
"the vast majority of my USAF colleagues and I voted for Obama"
You may have voted for Obama, but the vast majority of the USAF did not.
0
adaydream
Prove your post Sarge. Got a link? < :-)
0
Sarge
Disprove my post a daydream. Got a link?
0
Sarge
adaydream - A Gallup poll during the campaign showed military support 56% for McCain vs 34% for Obama.
0
LoveUSA
Obama is still my hero and he has my 100% support. I do not know who Mccain is.
0
adaydream
Sarge you're the one who said that USAFdude was incorrect. I didn't. < :-)
0
Sarge
"Afghanistan"
What a screwed-up country. It's going to take years to fix this. I don't think LoveUSA's hero has the fortitude to see it through.
0
Sarge
"Sarge you're the one who said that USAFdude was incorrect. I didn't."
I won't argue with that.
0
USAFdude
LOL! Don't sweat it, adaydream. I've been pounding "Sarge" with the fact that more US military members voted for Obama than McCain since the election; he's never been able to disprove me, and he doesn't serve, so he doesn't know.
But, let him have his "li'l fist-shaking, pouty, sour grapes" whine!
0
Sarge
"I've been pounding "Sarge"...
Har!
"...with the fact that more US military members voted for Obama than McCain since the election"
Double har!
A Military Times poll taken after the election shows 6 in 10 military members having doubts about Obama. Check it out. And most of the active duty people I keep in touch with didn't vote for Obama.
0
LoveUSA
they are delusional.
0
USAFdude
"Sarge" After the election? What kind of voting happens after an election? Point USAFdude (again).
OK, so of the three troops you know, two voted for the wrong guy, one voted for Obama. Got it.
Sheesh, boy! What are you, twelve?!
0
SushiSake3
"U.S. Army says morale is down in Afghanistan"
Like saying "the sun is hot."
Of course morale is down - Bush and Cheney never had a plan from the get go, never read their history books, got diverted by the fantasy of WMDs in Iraq and then let OBL go when Marines had him cornered in Tora Bora.
But the Republicans want us to forget this because it's all Obama's fault.
lol!
0
SushiSake3
USAdude - Sarge "served" but not in the military.
I'm guessing it was in tennis. :-)
0
USAFdude
SushiSake3 -
You've hit the nail right on the head, friend. In both your 12:14 and your 12:16 posts!
0
Sarge
""Sarge" After the election?"
Yeah, you see, they continue to take polls to get people's opinions even after elections. Didn't you know that?
"Of course morale is down - Bush and Cheney never had a plan from the get go"
Um, morale is down NOW, not while Bush and Cheney were in charge.
0
SushiSake3
Sarge - "Um, morale is down NOW, not while Bush and Cheney were in charge."
Um, Sarge, that's probably because the failure of bush/cheney to enact a sensible plan and inject sufficient resources into this war at the start is one of the prime reasons America is still fighting this war and why the troops are getting depressed.
Sheesh Sarge, this war has gone on longer than WWII.
What were Bush/Cheney thinking when they planned it?
Oh yeah, they didn't....sorry.
0
Sarge
"Um, Sarge, that's probably because of the failure of bush/cheney to enact a sensible plan" blah blah blah
Some people simply refuse to admit when they're wrong.
0
USAFdude
Yep, I knew that. I also know those polls do nothing to strength your "argument" that the US military somehow supported McCain more than Obama in the election.
0
hworta269
Most people in the military are very conservative and support republicans by large margins.
The Afghanistan war was not sold as something that would be over soon. Bush accurately told Americans that it would take a long time.
0
USAFdude
Proof, son, PROOF! You have to provide proof. Do take your time.
0
hworta269
I was in the Air Force for 12 years and I can tell you that the military largely goes for the Republicans.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5964655/
Democrats are extremely weak on defense and they regularly malign service members to score political points with their anti American political base.
This is a widely known fact in American political circles which is why Democrats always fight to have absentee overseas, and mostly military, votes every time the results are close.
Moral is low because there is no stated goals any longer and the hand picked general is being ignored for months before any decisions are being made.
0
bushlover
I agree with hworta and Sarge. Funny how morale went down this year. It's the flip flop of a Democrat who can't make up his mind if he's going to tow the Bush line or try to keep his loyal followers happy. It takes time to think of a happy medium.
0
SuperLib
So why not just post your source so we can see the evidence for ourselves and be done with it and move on.
0
adaydream
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/29/army.suicides/
If the military was so happy while bush was president, then why the number of suicides in 2008? Was it because they were so happy with nothing to do or was morale down and troops were unhappy?
Get your facts straight before you shoot from the hip.
And hworta269 when you want s serious debate and not republican lies, then neat-o. But your comments are republican dribble. < :-)
0
SuperLib
Perhaps some of us hold Obama to higher standards than others.
0
adaydream
I wish some of you had help bush to the same standards you want to hold Obama to. < :-)
0
hworta269
What I said was the truth. Most people in the military vote republican. Democrats have been maligning service members left and right see Murtha and during elections they do in fact try to have all the absentee ballots thrown out. Those are facts.
Moral is low because the general tired of waiting for a response had to appear on TV and say publicly he had asked for more resources and was basically ignored and that's just sad.
Quoting suicide rates fir a year taken wholly out of context does not mean the army's moral was this or that. Its a statistic that can be used any way people like to use it, out of context.
0
USAFdude
hworta - Never, EVER have I seen such desperation from a fellow JT poster! The article in your link is from the 2004 election! And you dare claim to tell the truth!
Catch up, kid. Quit wasting my time. Prove or concede.
SuperLib - My source is the fact that I serve each day with fellow USAF members and I hear their comments. That's good enough for me; whether it's good enough for you is insignifcant.
0
adaydream
hworta269 why have the suicides rates been increasing year after year? Do your own checking. The suicides rates have been increasing yearly the past few years. The suicide rates are so high that more deaths as a result of suicides are surpassing the deaths by road-side bombs.
I proudly served my time many years ago, but I still have many friends and family serving. I personally have more friends who voted for Obama then McCain. Sure there are voters on both sides, but with-in my friends they were biting at the bit to get to vote for Obama.
Quoting suicide rates proves my point. Show me your links that proves me wrong.
At least I have proof and not just opinion. < :-)
0
bushlover
Obama could fix this low morale thing and rotate people out if he would only have a draft. But he is too politically correct for that. The defenders of America would have a fit if they actually had to put on a uniform and do it for real.
0
adaydream
bushlover, I think you need to rethink this statement. I would love to see the draft, but it takes an act of congress, not Obama. He might be able to start a war without congress' ok, but to enact the draft takes a congressional vote and neither the right or the left would be willing to throw away their political career to try this. < :-)
0
seijichuudo9sha
Bad morale is one more reason why President Obama should continue to avoid even visiting the troops there.
0
SuperLib
I think what you're trying to say is that your credibility is insignificant. For that, my only comment is, "Well said."
0
yabits
Some key differences between Iraq and Afghanistan is that those who serve in Iraq know that mission and, more importantly, know that the exit strategy is in effect. In his address to troops at Elmendorf Air Force base in Alaska enroute to his current Asian trip, President Obama vowed that the troops in Afghanistan would be finally getting a clear mission -- which they have not had since mission-creep set in years ago -- as well as the all-important exit strategy.
Breaking with his predecessor, the current White House insists that the U.S. military commitment to help Afghanistan will not be "open-ended."
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