”When should we bring the troops home?”
We recently asked 10 veterans the question, “When do you think the U.S. should bring the troops home from Iraq?” The following are the answers given.
Dean Gotham, USMC
I”m of the opinion that at this point in time it”s in our best interests to finish what we started. Unlike having the rug pulled out from under them like they did us (in Vietnam). However, I think that should be tempered by the degree of support that (the nation) is willing to provide. If we”re not willing to provide that support, then get them out and get them out now.
Harry Graves, USN
Before we send them over there. Honestly, as soon as we possibly can. But let”s not endanger our nation. We”re committed too far to just pull up and leave. But we should turn it over to them ASAP.
Frank Parker, U.S. Army
Today. That”s my opinion. Personally, and I don”t know this to be a fact, but I believe the reason Rumsfeld resigned as Secretary of Defense is that we didn”t have a clear objective. You go for it like Desert Storm. In 100 days, you had enough troops, you had enough supplies, they had a clear objective and they went in and kicked ass and it was over. This time there is no clear objective. We don”t have enough people there and I don”t think it”s proper for a GI to have to buy his own flak jacket.
Dr. William (Bill) Combs, Capt. USN
I think it”s important to try to establish some kind of a timetable. Maybe I”m biased, but the fact is that I went to the Vietnam war and saw what can happen. We need to have some kind of a plan to get those people out of there … And I don”t know that there”s going to be any kind of an end result. My fear is that it”s going to deteriorate into some kind of civil war.
Dennis Alexander, USN
I support the troops. Bring them home when the job”s done. That will be when Saddam is swinging from the gallows and Osama bin Laden is captured. Whether we should have gone to Iraq in the first place is questionable. But the cards have been dealt and now that we”re there whatever our supreme commander, the president of the United States, feels needs to be done, as a military person I believe that we need to follow his command.
Jim Harris, USN
I think that when we stepped in there we stepped into a quagmire and I think we stepped into a situation very similar to Vietnam. But we”re there. If we leave, there will be chaos. We can”t do that. If we do, our name will be mud forever more. No matter how tough it is, we have to get some form of government. The minute they have their army and start telling us to leave we should leave regardless of what happens afterward.
Barnett Hoffman, U.S.
Army Special Forces
I think we should start bringing them home right now. I don”t think that we should pull out completely, all at once. But we should be getting under way … We”ve been over there long enough. We don”t need another Vietnam. It only took us four years to do World War II. If we can”t do the job right in the three or four years we”ve been doing it that”s enough. I think a lot of people think we”re over there for 9/11. But that”s not why we went. We didn”t go for almost two years.
Woody Hughes, Capt., USN
As soon as possible, as soon as it”s over, which will be when the people of Iraq can take care of themselves. They”re governing themselves now. When they can provide their own security and don”t need our help, that”s when we should leave.
Rich Feiro, Ch. Msgt, USAF
I think they should bring them home now. We went into Iraq with a cause a tyrant. I think the Iraqi people are dragging their feet.
George Dorner, USMC and USAF
Yesterday, because it (Iraq) is distracting us from the real enemy, which is al-Qaida.
