Survey: U.S. Military Tired of Iraq, Afghanistan’s ‘Occupation’

Thanks to AL Z for the link!

via BreitBart.

The vast majority of U.S. service members and veterans believe the American “occupation” of Iraq and Afghanistan has lasted long enough, but they still support the ongoing war on terror raging since October 2001, according to the results of a survey published this month.

Smithsonian Magazine reports that after more than 17 years of the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan, 84 percent of the 1,031 service members and veterans surveyed agreed that the “occupations” have “been going on too long.”

“As far as we know, this survey was the first one to pose that question to current and former service members,” the magazine notes in its January edition.

“Their frustration is significant because they also voiced strong support for the war on terror generally, with 83 percent saying it should continue,” it adds.

The results echo the Afghanistan war weariness expressed by overall Americans in a survey published by the Pew Research Center last October.

Smithsonian Magazine also reports that nearly a third of U.S. troops and veterans believe rival powers (36 percent) and terrorist organizations (38 percent) are a major national security threat. The rest believe rogue nations (18 percent) and criminal groups (8 percent) are the top menaces facing the American homeland.

A recent study by Brown University’s Costs of War Project reveals that the war on terror has killed between 479,858 and 507,236 people in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, including at least 6,951 American troops.

Story here.

My theory.

Do you remember when the Pentagon went full bore at NFL football games, NASCAR races etc...?

My thinking was that they wanted to boost support for the war.

To a large part they've succeeded.

They raised the profile of the military but at the same time did something insidious. 

They conflated supporting the troops with supporting the wars.

Think about that.  If you oppose a war started by policy makers or how its conducted by military leadership then you're opposing the troops.

That's pure evil but it worked and now it has most of the public tied in knots.

Luckily I don't have that problem.  I fucking support the troops with every fiber of my being, while at the same time having no problem stating that it's been fought stupidly and the rationale for the fight was utter bullshit.

Yeah.  I support the troops and slam policy makers and military leadership where appropriate.

But!

This story gives hope and should raise alarm bells in Washington.  Who wants to stay in uniform if they know that for the next 10 years they'll be doing rotations back to Afghanistan/Iraq/Syria and when they get home they're gonna get their dick slammed in the dirt by doing exercise after exercise?  Who would want to enlist into an organization like that?

Once upon a time you've served for the duration of the war.  Now?  Now wars last more than two decades.

Shit is broke and the troops are fully aware of it.