Battlefield dress includes the guts to die for a cause. The cause would be to bring hometown America to Baghdad. That is not realistic. The heroes we have in Iraq are damnable Americans willing to 'get the job done.' They have been the entire time. It is their purpose in life in many ways as a volunteer force. But, it is not up to them to determine the battlefield or the enemy. it is not the soldiers that have to die to prove their worth. They wear the uniform. That's all they need to know. There is no failing in Iraq. They have accomplished their goals. We need to back them up with reason for our actions to bring them out of danger and home to where they sincerely are needed.
Generals: More troops needed in Iraq
Commanders made their decision before meeting with Defense Secretary Gates.
By Julian E. Barnes, Times Staff Writer
December 23, 2006
WASHINGTON — Top U.S. military commanders in Iraq have decided to recommend a "surge" of fresh American combat forces, eliminating one of the last remaining hurdles to proposals being considered by President Bush for a troop increase, a defense official familiar with the plan said Friday.
The approval of a troop increase plan by top Iraq commanders, including Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, comes days before Bush unveils a new course for the troubled U.S. involvement in Iraq. Bush still must address concerns among some Pentagon officials and overcome opposition from Congress, where many Democrats favor a blue-ribbon commission's recommendation for the gradual withdrawal of combat troops....
...Some members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff remain skeptical of a surge, unconvinced that it will yield more positive results than other recent military operations to secure Baghdad or Iraq....
