"I am a National Guardsman of the 105th Personnel Services Detachment out of Lincoln, Neb. My unit and I are stationed in Kuwait at Camp Wolf. We were deployed Feb. 2. We arrived in Jordan in April and half of us were moved a week later to Kuwait to throw mail...

Yes, we are physically able to finish our mission, but mentally and spiritually we are dying...

This isn't a simple board game of Axis and Allies, this is a game people are playing with real people - people with families, not robots. You have college students out here (like me) missing over a year of college to sit and get yanked around without explanation. It has been told to the officers I have spoken to that 3rd PERSCOM refers to moving soldiers as "drug deals." You do this for me and I'll make sure your soldiers go home, etc.

Yes, without a doubt my duty is to serve my country despite her faults. I have learned I will not be able to get education and training services while I am here and I am accepting that. I am here to serve out of obligation and duty. What I'm wondering is if there are any checks and balances for those who are making decisions here?"

I read this letter a few days ago and now Tapped has reprinted it. Read the whole thing. It will make you both angry and sad.

Then read the comments by Tapped:
"This is not, to Tapped, a good argument for getting out of Iraq. But as we've said before, it is an argument for better leadership in the White House and for our current president to make whatever compromises are necessary to win international support, both substantive and political, for our occupation."

"...to win international support, both substantive and political, for our occupation."

If the US wants to gain the moral high ground we can do so easily by demanding that the wealthy members of the Security Council guarantee future economic support for longer term UN occupation if that becomes necessary, which it may. The administration won't make that demand, so any claims Tapped is making for the morality of the US occupation are crap.