From the Heart

Many of you have read the posts and seen the videos bandit.three.six has created and I have linked to here, giving us insight into what is really going on in Iraq from someone with “boots on the ground”.  Today, I read his post and felt that I had to share it in it’s entirety because what he has to say, from a soldier’s point of view, is so important that we must really pass it on.

This is part of an installment piece about winning the war in Iraq and post one can be found here and post two is here.  This is post three:

Winning in Iraq – What Is Victory In Iraq?
(Part 3 of 5 addressing the misconception that we’re losing the war in Iraq)

Allow me to start off this section by saying the following: Victory will not be achieved when we pull Coalition troops from Iraq. Removing troops from Iraq will be a product of victory, not a source of it.

So then what is victory? How will we know when we’ve achieved it? These questions may seem like pipe dreams, and under the tidal wave of negative news, unfortunately many people write them off as such. However, according to the National Strategy for Victory in Iraq which was published by the National Security Council in November 2005, this is not the case.

On page 1 of this document one can find the following:

Victory in Iraq is Defined in Stages

– Short term, Iraq is making steady progress in fighting terrorists, meeting political milestones, building democratic institutions, and standing up security forces.

– Medium term, Iraq is in the lead defeating terrorists and providing its own security, with a fully constitutional government in place, and on its way to achieving its economic potential.

– Longer term, Iraq is peaceful, united, stable, and secure, well integrated into the international community, and a full partner in the global war on terrorism.

Page 3 of the same document goes into further detail of exactly what each stage means. The point is, we have realistic and attainable goals that we are working towards so that we can achieve victory in Iraq. Nowhere in here is the mention of sending troops home.

Let me leave no doubt in anyone’s mind about how this impacts me personally. On June 25th of this year, my wife had our first child. I was lucky enough to be home when the little guy made his way into the world. Shortly after getting my wife and son back out of the hospital I returned to Iraq to serve the remaining 5 months I have here. Keeping in mind that at any moment a mortar, rocket or stray bullet could find me and prevent me from ever being able to tell my son that I love him and hear him tell me the same; I am exactly where I should be, doing exactly what I should be doing. I am helping win the war. I am helping achieve victory.

And there is no doubt in my mind that bandit.three.six is one amazing young man and that our armed services are filled with them. These men and women are “re-upping” for their third and fourth tours because their convinctions tell them that what they are doing is important.  They are not doing it because they have to or because they are told to or even because they want the glory. They are doing it because it is important and necessary. They are putting their lives here on hold and putting them on the line there for a greater good!  Please show your support for them.  Say a prayer for them and their families because yes, it is that important!

Please be sure to read bandit.three.six’s other posts.  Take a look at Iraq from the eyes of a soldier there.  Don’t let the MSM’s version be the only one you see, hear or read!  I realize that this is just one man’s perspective, but who is going to have more insight, a soldier there or a reporter at a desk in New York?