Spain's withdrawal from IRAQ ....

[birol]

What do you guys think about this ? Turkey was hit as well, even though they did not participate in the war in IRAQ. Isn't it little bit weird that they are giving in so easily ? I mean if trrorism gets its way this easily, where does it stop ? Who will stop it ? Just venting off ......

[garym053]

I agree Birol! It seems to be an easy victory for the terrorists. I wish the Iraq situation was going better for the whole coalition. I pray for all the soldiers and their families.
It seems odd to me that terrorists are striking back so hard now, when if they laid low until after June, the governing power would have been handed over to Iraq, and soldiers would have started leaving.
It is sometimes hard to accept that our own caring for innocent human life is the very thing that is causing us to have so many casualties when fighting against something that doesn't care about innocent life lost! Every time I hear of more soldiers or civilians getting killed, part of me says okay Mr. President, send a few thousand cruise missles and every bomber we have and just level the place! Luckly, the bigger part assures me that that shouldn't be the way we respond! At least not yet!

[angelsmom10]

I'm just tired of all of it.  With FSIL joining the Navy and not expecting all this, it's just getting out of hand.

The soldier taken captive (Matt Maupin) is from our area.  He joined the reserves to help pay for his college and he gets taken captive. Another on just killed was also a reservist, with a wife 6 months pregnant.  I have nothing against the service I'm proud of everyone of them, but the reservist don't expect to; but do go willing to fight.  I pray for all those fighting, but seems the reservist are the ones taking the brunt of it all.  Am I wrong; but either reservist way out number the actual active duty causing more to happen to them, or maybe they are just not prepared to fight and shouldn't be sent.
 
RANT OVER...

[birol]

I think USA depends on the reservists more than they do on the active duty people. WHat is the number of active duty people anyways ? marines/air borne and regular army, they are the ones who take the brunt of any war I believe. IN Canada if you join the army it is guaranteed that you will go off to somewhere as soon as your basic training is over. Maybe they need to increase the active duty count somehow, but it is ona  recruitment basis in USA, isn't it ? Unless they draft people.

Turkey doesn't depend on reservists at all, they have no such system. Actually ever male from 18 to 40 can be drafted anytime for any reason, into basic training to be infantry etc .....But, that rarely happens as they keep something like 750,000 to 850,000 active duty personnel in all armed forces. Yup, all drafted, you turn 18, and if you are not continuing your education you get drafted for 18 or 24 months I believe .....Depends on whether you graduated from a  university or high school. Do people go willingly ? yeah, it is considered a debt to your country, some don't like it, some  would die to go.

Once you are in the military system, whether reservist, active, retired, I think you are in it all the way, with all the benefits and risks ...... Just like you can not work at CIA as a clerk and claim that you have nothing to worry about and that you are not really a CIA employee, once you are in, you are in.

I wish all the armed forces personnel working to secure peace good luck and a safe return back home.