The Real Iraq News

[Tiger in Spain 0]

The Real Iraq News

The New York Post

August 23, 2005

by Ralph Peters

(EXCERPT)

What was the big "Iraq" story in August? Which vital issue got the most air-time and ink? The camp-out of a sad, tormented woman who had lost her son, her marriage and her judgment.

The media pounced on poor Cindy Sheehan in an anti-Bush, anti-war frenzy. The disappointment was obvious when she decided to go home.

What should have made headlines? It would've been nice to see more attention devoted to the complexity and importance of drafting a new constitution for Iraq. But my nomination for the "Greatest Story Never Told" is a quieter one: Locked in a difficult war, the U.S. Army is exceeding its re-enlistment and first-time enlistment goals. Has anybody mentioned that to you?

Remember last spring, when the Army's recruitment efforts fell short for a few months? The media's glee would have made you confuse the New York Times and Air America.

When the Army attempted to explain that enlistments are cyclical and numbers dip at certain times of the year, the media ignored it. All that mattered was the wonderful news that the Army couldn't find enough soldiers. We were warned, in oh-so-solemn tones, that our military was headed for a train wreck.

Now, as the fiscal year nears an end, the Army's numbers look great. Especially in combat units and Iraq, soldiers are re-enlisting at record levels. And you don't hear a whisper about it from the "mainstream media."

Let's look at the numbers, which offer a different picture of patriotism than the editorial pages do.

NY Post

One of the best articles written recently about the military and a lot of information not being aired by the MSM. This well written op-ed piece is well worth the read.

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

That was a good read, TIS. Glad to see the numbers coming back up. The Reserve is a harder sell, but there are still plenty of folks that are willing to serve in that capacity. It is still an outstanding opportunity for people. I have almost 15 years on active duty and in the Reserve and I have seen the military change more than most. One thing is consistent. The young people that volunteer to serve are always getting smarter, more patriotic and better. We may not like their clothes and music, but they bring a new perspective to the military that will influence us (in a good way) for the next generation.