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So, I'm back from Iraq
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Cardboard Box
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Hey everyone! Just wanted to let everyone know I was back. It's been a while since I've been able to peruse the boards. I like the new look. Anyway, I haven't really had the chance to pay attention to what the media has been reporting, so I feel a little out of the political loop. I havr some reading to do. I may not be around as much as I once was, but I'll still be poking my head in every so often. Anyway...good to be back! 
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Madison, WI
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Welcome Home!!! Thank you for serving. 
Are you in one piece? Any interesting stories to tell? Feel like going back any time soon? 
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One should never stop striving for clarity of thought and precision of expression.
I would prefer my humanity sullied with the tarnish of science rather than the gloss of religion.
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: May 1999
Location: New York City
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welcome back!
yeah yell us what it's like there...hope you are well
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Cardboard Box
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I worked in a field trauma hospital, so I never really got to see the good. Just the nasty stuff. War injuries are the worst. I saw the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan" every day. Figuratively speaking. Funny thing is, I didn't mind that part quite so much--I felt like I was doing some good to counter the bad. I just missed my family lots. That was what really sucked.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Always within bluetooth range
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Well, I'll ask the obvious questions. Has your time in Iraq changed your views substantially about why we are there ? About if our continued presence is worthwhile ? Do you support "the surge" ?-- why or why not ? What about the opinion/mood of your compatriots -- polls we've seen here seem to indicate that even combat soldiers' support of the war effort has waned distinctly in the last few months. Also, looking at prior posts, looks like you were there for something less than 6 months ... isn't that sort of a short rotation ?
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Sep 2000
Status:
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Originally Posted by greenG4 
I worked in a field trauma hospital, so I never really got to see the good. Just the nasty stuff. War injuries are the worst. I saw the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan" every day. Figuratively speaking. Funny thing is, I didn't mind that part quite so much--I felt like I was doing some good to counter the bad. I just missed my family lots. That was what really sucked.
Regardless of how one feels about the war, that sounds like good work to me. Welcome back!
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Louisiana
Status:
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Welcome back home, and thanks for serving!
You should know...Anna Nicole Smith is DEAD! D-E-A-D!!!
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Status:
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Welcome back, greenG4, and thank you for your service.
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"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Smallish town in Ohio
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Hey GreenG4 it's good to know that what you did with your time there was HELP people.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Second star to the right, and straight on till morning
Status:
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And my time there was for what? 
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All men are created equal, but what they do after that point puts them on a sliding scale.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Raleigh, NC
Status:
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I thought you knew, SC, you were a cog in the Imperial War Machine™
Welcome back, GreenG4, and thank you for your service.
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 "That Others May Live"
On the ISG: "The nation's capital hasn't seen such concentrated wisdom in one place since Paris Hilton dined alone at the Hooters on Connecticut Avenue." - John Podhoretz
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Cardboard Box
Status:
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Originally Posted by Krusty
Well, I'll ask the obvious questions. Has your time in Iraq changed your views substantially about why we are there ? About if our continued presence is worthwhile ? Do you support "the surge" ?-- why or why not ? What about the opinion/mood of your compatriots -- polls we've seen here seem to indicate that even combat soldiers' support of the war effort has waned distinctly in the last few months. Also, looking at prior posts, looks like you were there for something less than 6 months ... isn't that sort of a short rotation ?
Some part of this answe will have to wait until tonight after my girls are in bed. It requires too much thought for lunch time. Fortunately for me, the Air Force does not do the 1 year rotations the army does. It's usually around 4-6 months. I'll write some detail on my thoughts post-deployment later tonight.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Status:
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Originally Posted by greenG4
Fortunately for me, the Air Force does not do the 1 year rotations the army does. It's usually around 4-6 months.
I was going to say; I thought you'd only left just recently, but I didn't know the Air Force did shorter rotations. Maybe my timeline is just messed up; that happens sometimes.
Welcome back, and thanks for serving.
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You are in Soviet Russia. It is dark. Grue is likely to be eaten by YOU!
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status:
Online
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Welcome back!
Glad to hear you're in one piece, and made sure other people were in one piece.
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Moderator  Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: on the verge of insanity
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Welcome back! Glad to hear you made it back to your family.
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I like my water with hops, malt, hops, yeast, and hops.
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Cardboard Box
Status:
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Originally Posted by Krusty
Has your time in Iraq changed your views substantially about why we are there ?
The short answer is no. The long answer is much more complex. I agreed with the reasons we went there and still do. I think the underlying question here is "Do I think it's worth it?" This was a toughie, let me tell you. Every day I saw Soldiers, Marines, and civilian men, women, and children come into our hospital emergency room. It was terrible. Thus, when the above question is asked, it's really asking "Was this war worth thousands of lives, and many more limbs and eyes?" Since you can't put a value on human life or on the ability to see or walk, it makes it difficult to come to a conclusion from this line of logic. At the point where I asked myself this, I was genuinely questioning everything. But, I beleive success there will help in the war on terror. Anything I or my comrades can do to prevent the war from coming here, we'll do.
Originally Posted by Krusty
About if our continued presence is worthwhile ?
Again, yes. I was in an unforunate position where I never saw the good going on. And there is a lot of it. We just focus on the bad. And rightfully so, since that's where the work needs to be done.
[QUOTE=Krusty;3307780]Do you support "the surge" ?-- why or why not ?
I don't know whether it will help or not. The logic seems sound, and I hope it turns out that way. If we had the size of military we did under Reagan, it wouldn't be that big of an issue. The problem comes when our already over-taxed soldiers and marines are streched even more (more deployments). I have mixed personal feelings on this, but I support the decisions/recomendations of my commanders.
Originally Posted by Krusty
What about the opinion/mood of your compatriots -- polls we've seen here seem to indicate that even combat soldiers' support of the war effort has waned distinctly in the last few months.
It's all over the spectrum, really. And, I think it has always been that way. I get the sense that most (60-70%) are in support of us being there. Of course, this very unscientific estimate is based on a relatively limited number of military, it could very well be as you say. I really don't know. Can you point me to these polls you're referenceing?
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Zip, Boom, Bam
Status:
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Welcome back, and glad you're safe and sound!
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: midwest
Status:
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Thank You greenG4. Welcome home!
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ebuddy
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Dec 1999
Status:
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I think the question on everybody's mind is ...
... how do those giant sand spiders taste?
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"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: May 1999
Location: New York City
Status:
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some questions
realisticlly, how long do you think this war in iraq will contine at it's current pace?
what would turn this around? what's missing? like what would make this a slam dunk? more bomb, more troops, more tanks, more ? or talking to the leaders?
thanks again
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Dec 1999
Status:
Offline
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Did you ever fire two guns whilst flying threw the air?
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"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Cardboard Box
Status:
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Originally Posted by olePigeon
I think the question on everybody's mind is ...
... how do those giant sand spiders taste?
Actually, never saw any. A few scorpions though...not quite as cool, I know.
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: In front of my LCD
Status:
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Congrats!!! Glad you're home! C'mon guys, leave him alone about his views. He just served your country for you!!!
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8GB iPhone
Coming Soon: Mac mini Core 2 Duo 2.0Ghz
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Cardboard Box
Status:
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Originally Posted by ironknee
some questions
realisticlly, how long do you think this war in iraq will contine at it's current pace?
A while. Probably a long while. We still jhave a military presence in Germany, Korea, and Japan after50 years or more. I would expect to be there equally as long.
Originally Posted by ironknee
what would turn this around? what's missing? like what would make this a slam dunk? more bomb, more troops, more tanks, more ? or talking to the leaders?
thanks again
I wish I had the answers to those questions, but it's really just conjecture on my part. The American public (myself included) are simply not privy to the intelligence that would permit one to make a sound judgement. That's why we have to elect leaders we trust to make the right decisions. And even when we may think the wrong ones are made, we must remind ourseleves that we don't and will never have all the facts.
I do think the chance for a "slam dunk" has passed, but that we can still come out on top.
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Cardboard Box
Status:
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Originally Posted by olePigeon
Did you ever fire two guns whilst flying threw the air?
um. no.  I did learn how to take apart an M9 pistol (like in Lethal Wepon 4) while it's being pointed at you.
:edit:
I just realized I lost a yellow star...I'm very dissapointed. 
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Last edited by greenG4; Feb 22, 2007 at 01:09 AM.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Dec 1999
Status:
Offline
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Originally Posted by greenG4
um. no. I did learn how to take apart an M9 pistol (like in Lethal Wepon 4) while it's being pointed at you.
:edit:
I just realized I lost a yellow star...I'm very dissapointed.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/focus_features/hotfuzz/
This'll cheer you up, and you'll understand my question.
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"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Cardboard Box
Status:
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Originally Posted by olePigeon
 Nice. I gotta see that one.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Utah
Status:
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WB, greenG4; glad you're safe, man.
My cousin (air force as well) is off to Iraq shortly.
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