By MATTHEW ROSENBERG, Associated Press Writer BAQOUBA, Iraq - At a checkpoint on the barren plain east of Baqouba, word of a new U.S. Army plan to pay soldiers up to $10,000 to re-enlist evoked laughter from a few bored-looking troopers. "Man, they can't pay me enough to stay here," said a 23-year-old specialist from the Army's 4th Infantry Division as he manned the checkpoint with Iraqi police outside this city 35 miles northeast of Baghdad. His comments reflect a sentiment not uncommon among the nearly two dozen soldiers in Iraq (news - web sites) who have spoken with The Associated Press since the Army announced the increased re-enlistment bonuses for soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Kuwait on Monday. Other soldiers at home were divided about the offer. The soldiers in Iraq who spoke about the bonuses were serving in a range of assignments, from training the new Iraqi army at a base east of Baqouba to patrolling some of the most dangerous roads in the country, like those leading north from Baghdad. Some cited the monotonous routine of a lonely life spent thousands of miles from loved ones. Others offered simpler reasons — such as the fear of an early death. Griping about Army life is a tradition among soldiers, and it is unclear how many will actually opt out to take their chances in a civilian economy where jobs are scarce. However, Staff Sgt. Julian Guerrero, 38, who runs a re-enlistment program for a battalion in the 4th ID based in Tikrit, said only 10 of the battalion's 80 eligible soldiers have taken the deal so far. At Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina, a few soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division preparing to ship out to Iraq seemed evenly split over whether the Army was offering enough money. "For three years, that's kind of cheap," said Spc. Derek Gay, 24, of Tampa, Fla. "Some people would re-enlist anyway, but there's more incentive for a good chunk of money." Staff Sgt. Raymond Strickland, 30, said he received a $5,000 bonus when he re-enlisted in 2002. "No matter how much it is, it's a good thing," he said. Col. Patrick Donahue, commander of the 1st Brigade, said some soldiers flying out Wednesday would sign re-enlistment papers when they arrived in Iraq so they could receive some of the bonus tax-free while in a combat zone. But along the road leading north from Baghdad and into the "Sunni Triangle," the heartland of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s support and the center of anti-American resistance, a sergeant from the 1st Armored Division said he's not interested in the money because he has been shot at a "few times" and "I don't want to die here." According to the Defense Department, 332 soldiers have been killed by hostile fire since the Iraq war began March 20. "Every car, every person are potential weapons. We can't trust anything," said the sergeant, who has been in Iraq since May and is due to leave in two or three months. He spoke on the condition of anonymity. The increased bonus program is part of an effort to avoid a manpower crunch. It's aimed at soldiers like Spc. Justin Brown of the 4th Infantry Division. "I don't want to be in the Army forever and just keep fighting wars," said the 22-year-old from Atoka, Okla. Back-to-back wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have stretched the Army thin. Nearly two-thirds of its active duty brigade-sized units are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. When the troops currently in Iraq rotate out this spring, the Pentagon (news - web sites) plans to lean heavily on the National Guard and Reserves for replacements. "What we're trying to do is to manage the force now so that we don't have a falloff in recruitment or retention a year from now, and then have a gap where we have to scramble to rectify that," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Tuesday. Under the program, soldiers serving in Iraq, Afghanistan or Kuwait who re-enlist for three years or more will be paid bonuses of up to $10,000, regardless of their military specialty. Bonuses are frequently used by all branches of the military to retain troops. But they tend to be targeted at those with special skills, like fighter pilots, who were offered $20,000 or more by the Air Force a few years ago. The bonuses offered under the latest program are earmarked for every soldier. And $10,000 is a tidy sum for low-ranking soldiers who earn $25,000 to $35,000 a year. At the checkpoint outside Baqouba, the 23-year-old specialist, who refused to give his name saying he feared retribution from military higher-ups, stubbed out a cigarette on the side of a Humvee. As he began to speak, he was interrupted by the blast of a Kalashnikov rifle a few yards up the road. An Iraqi policeman fired the rounds in a mound of dirt for no apparent reason. "You see what I have to put up with?" asked the soldier. With two months left in a 12-month tour, "there's not enough money in the world to make me stay a month longer." Of course, there are also soldiers who said they want to stay on. Back in the United States "we spend most of our time training and it can get to be a pretty monotonous," said Master Sgt. Rohan McDermott, a single 38-year-old, who is also with the 4th Infantry Division and is helping train the new Iraqi army. "It's harder over there than it is over here ... doing here what we're always training to do." But for those with wives waiting at home, life is a lot lonelier in Iraq. "Maybe if I were single I'd think about it," said Sgt. Dante Legare, 32, of the 4th Infantry Division. "That's pretty good money ... enough to maybe put a down payment on a house," said Legare, a New York City native. "But is it worth it? I've already been away something like nine months. I want to see my wife." ___ Associated Press reporter Estes Thompson in Fort Bragg, N.C., contributed to this report.
GIs around the world and throughout history are known to have loved their battlefields. Nothing new here, is there? If so please explain.
Ten Thousand would never get Jorge, Bigtexx, Hayes Street and the other patriotic guys from Rice U. to go. I doubt if back in the day it would have gotten Dubya to go. Do you think it might entice Jenna and the other Bush twin? I'm sure it is more than they have ever earned. Oh well, it might get some of the green card holders from Mexico. Maybe that is what Dubya means by matching willing employers with willing immigrant workers. It is going to take some drastic interest rate rising and recession to get the average American to bite. Most die hard young Republicans of draft age or in business, technical or preprofessional programs in college and envision better things for themselves. BTW, is Orson Scott Card still young enough to go? I know $10,000 isn't much for him, but maybe he could just do it as his patriotic duty.
Back in 90, when my first enlistment expired, they had the SRB at 10,000 thousand for my MOS. I took the money and bought my Porsche with it and got it running. Needless to say, over the four years (plus getting extended twice to change from a bad command to a good one for a total of six years), I wished I'd have told Uncle Sam thanks but no thanks. For my troubles, I was rewarded with: A- a broken marriage (I married young and foolishly and after a while, my young wife could take it no longer. I hate to say it, but some qualities of her personality would have shattered us apart, but our separation and the stress of watching CNN to see your husband's bullet-ridden corpse was too much to ask from her and quickly hastened the process.) B- years of duty in 3rd World hellholes dodging bullets in the quest for keeping peace in such garden spots as Somalia and later, the former Yugoslavia. In Somalia, I asked myself why are we here in this wasteland helping people who could care less and felt guilty about criticizing my men for saying out loud the exact things I felt. As a leader, I could not allow any dissension toward the chain of command, but frankly, I agreed totally with them! C- A ridiculous op-tempo that obviously caused reward A and really stressed me to the breaking point, thanks to the brain-dead foreign policy of the Clintons and their love of continuing the massive defense cuts started by the elder Bush under the guise of the "Peace Dividend," which was code for now we can spend the money on liberal vote-buying schemes. I don't blame them if they don't take the SRB. They've done their bit for God and Country. Let someone else take their place.
35 GIs Injured in Iraq Mortar Attack 35 GIs Injured in Mortar Attack at Base Near Baghad, Military Says The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq Jan. 7 — Thirty-five U.S. soldiers were wounded Wednesday in a mortar attack on a U.S. base west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said. Six mortar rounds impacted about 6:45 p.m. at Logistical Base Seitz, the military said in a statement. The wounded soldiers were from the 3rd Corps Support Command. "The wounded soldiers were given first-aid and have been evacuated from the site for further medical treatment," the statement said. The military didn't provide any further details on the condition of the injured soldiers or of the attack.
Safer. Winning. Hearts and Minds. Democracy coming. __________________ U.S. helicopter goes down near Fallujah; nine killed BAGHDAD (AP) — A U.S. Black Hawk medivac helicopter crashed Thursday near a stronghold of the anti-American insurgency, killing all nine soldiers aboard, the U.S. military said. Also Thursday, a U.S. soldier died of injuries suffered in a mortar attack a day earlier that wounded 33 other troops and a civilian west of Baghdad. Hundreds of angry Iraqis, meanwhile, waited outside Baghdad's infamous Abu Ghraib prison for a much-publicized release of detainees that did not occur by late afternoon. There were no survivors among the nine American soldiers aboard the medical evacuation helicopter that crashed about 2:20 p.m. near the city of Fallujah, said Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt. The cause of the crash was unknown, he said. Fallujah, west of Baghdad, is a flash point of the resistance against the U.S. occupation where rebels previously have shot down U.S. helicopters. (Related audio: Kimmitt discusses the crash) A U.S. helicopter was shot down Jan. 2 in the same area, killing one soldier, and military officials said it almost certainly was shot down by rebels. In the deadliest single attack on U.S. forces since the Iraq invasion began in March, 17 soldiers were killed Nov. 15 when two Black Hawk helicopters collided above Mosul in what the military called a likely grenade attack. On Nov. 2, a Chinook helicopter was shot down near Fallujah, killing 16 American soldiers and injuring 26. The military believes a SA-7 shoulder-fired missile slammed into one of the chopper's rear-mounted engines. Wednesday's mortar attack occurred at Logistical Base Seitz about 12 miles west of Baghdad in the tense "Sunni Triangle" that is home to hard-line supporters of ousted leader Saddam Hussein. The mortars hit "a living area where they have their sleeping quarters," a military spokesman said. Seven of the wounded were treated and returned to duty and the others were hospitalized at the base, the military said. Also Thursday, an attack was foiled on Baghdad's police headquarters by chasing away men preparing to launch rockets near a soccer stadium, according to Maj. Roger Hedgepeth of the 18th Military Police Brigade. Authorities confiscated the rockets. At Abu Ghraib, hundreds of people waited in frustration for hours, hoping relatives would be among the first detainees that coalition officials said would be freed in what U.S. officials portrayed as a goodwill gesture. U.S. guards said they had no orders to release anyone, and an Iraqi lawyer, Mohammed al-Tamimi, expressed doubt anyone would be freed Thursday from Abu Ghraib, where Saddam's regime tortured and murdered political opponents. There was more confusion when three truckloads of prisoners were driven out of the prison and those waiting rushed out into the street after them, stopping traffic. But an official said that was a routine release that had nothing to do with the amnesty that was announced Wednesday by U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer. "This has nothing to do with Bremer's announcement," Lt. Col. Roy Shere said. Shere, a spokesman for the 800th Military Police Brigade which operates prisons in Iraq, said the unit had not received any order to release prisoners under the amnesty. Bremer had said they would release 506 of some 12,800 detainees and that the first 100 would be freed Thursday from Abu Ghraib. The rest were expected to be freed from camps all over the country in the coming weeks. A spokesman for the 800th Military Police Brigade, which operates prisons in Iraq, said the unit had not received any order to release prisoners Thursday morning. Bremer said that before they are released the prisoners must first sign a statement renouncing violence and have a community or tribal leader accept responsibility for their conduct. U.S. and coalition troops have rounded up thousands of people suspected of attacks or of funding the anti-American insurgency in Iraq. Relatives at the prison said people were being arrested unjustly and there were dozens of tales of men detained because they were near the scene of an attack. Coalition officials said those to be released were low-level "associates" of insurgents who had not been directly involved in any attacks. The release of detainees has been a top demand of the country's community and tribal leaders, as well as human rights advocates who say families are searching for relatives who get detained and have not been heard from for months.
This is right up there with stopping Nazi Germany as far as I'm concerned...It's WW3, no doubt...The enemy is diabolical terror that wants to kill everyone and the fight will go on...It won't stop, can't stop till we realize that we must be in the crap to win...Let's say we faci-Deanize and become a peace of tread on me nation where we don't do anything and nothing,...the enemy won't be idle, they will plan and execute since the foot of our current President won't be on their throats... When your momma, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, sons and daughters get blown to 1,214 pieces in a terror attack, what are you gonna do besides cry?...The soldiers there don't have to keep staying beyond regular terms, because you have others that are behind them...but some do, and many have varying stances on how long they plan to... Is it a picnic, no...but then again, a noble fight that this is warrants sacrifice...It takes special people to be on the offensive as required and the right time in their lives...Let's salute them for what they sacrifice for their country and the freedom we enjoy...Now more than ever, the U.S. soldiers are true "freedom fighters"!
As much as we disagree, I have a lot of respect for you. However, putting something like this at the heading of a news tragedy is a straining your credibility with me.... FWIW.
As somebody who's not too terribly familiar with military equipment, why do we rely on helicopters so much when they're such easy targets? Just based on the headlines since November it seems like almost every big attack on our troops has been against helicopters. I can see how they'd be so useful since they don't require any landing infrastructure like a runway, but why use something that is so suceptible to enemy attack? Is there no alternative, and if not, is there no way to improve security? Would traveling in packs or with other air support help? This is all questions and no answers because I really don't know much about this stuff, but I'm curious. Could any military types (bamaslamma, et al.) enlighten me? Thanks... Here's to hoping these helicopter tragedies stop.
That is deep. I've never been in the military but deeply respect those in it. I have an appreciation for the task and its necessity I truly do not want ANYONE hurt . . ESP not our guys that is why i scrutinize the reason for every War/Conflict/Police Action I cannot empathize with these guy / / / but they have my deepest sympathies and appreciation. Bama - How do you think we correct this issue of morale? Rocket River
It's a long story. Think pork, bureacracy, and intraservice rivalries. Helicopters work great if you have air superiority and are facing a conventional enemy. In this case we are facing a guerilla force some of whom are willing to die in the attempt. There are some vertical take off programs in the works, but the tech is not up to snuff yet. Attack helicopters were made for the cold war battles in the front between Germany and the former SU. As demonstrated in our attempt to use them en mass in Iraq ( they had to retreat from guys with AK assault rifles, APK machine guns and RPG), they are not really suited to all the combat we are encountering there. Also, the relatively cheap and extremely effective RPG can neutralize slow moving choppers, as we taught the mujahadin in Afghanistan. Each weapons program has supporters in congress, and the pentagon and some division of the armed services. Folks have their jobs and money on the line - and if we're not at war, these deficiencies in functionality are not normally exposed. This is why we keep buying crap that is inappropriate. In large urban swaths of Iraq, even Iraqis don't feel safe going out at night. Our guys make themselves a big target with the only vehicles out there at night, traveling in the day, our guys can't immediately ID good from bad, and we're aiming for a needle in the haystack, and it only takes one lucky hit from a RPG to make it bad day. We are also attempting to minimize civilian casualties since it's not a *hot* war so we shouldn't just go in guns a blazing. Our ground forces are most effective when the enemy decides to stand and fight. This makes them vulnerable to the relatively invulnerable (compared to copters) gunships and A-10's. Unfortunately the enemy is firing and running, blending into the populace. Our guys would be safest if all we used we battle tanks to move around it ( safe from all but the direct hit from below artillery shell IED or lucky attack on the tread), but the visibility from a enclosed tank is limited, the tanks can't go everywhere, the sound of a 70 ton tank is a pretty big giveaway, and ground combat teams don't travel in tanks. Most troop transports won't protect against a RPG, and the standard Humvee offers little protection against an IED. Several attacks have been from standard hand grenades *dropped* into open humvees. It's a ridiculously hard situation for the soldiers on the ground in disputed areas. This would have been a lot easier if we had Iraqi help in keeping the peace but we screwed ourselves. Given the size of the population, compared to other peacekeeping operations in the former Yugoslavia, we need about 500,000 troops on the ground, and we have only about 110,000.
Helicopters are extensively used for several reasons. A. If you think the helicopters are vulnerable, imagine a convoy of trucks or APCs on a highway. The amount of helicopters we've lost is miniscule compared to amount of safe flight hours that our choppers fly over Iraq. In Vietnam, we lost several thousand helicopters because helo flying is inherently dangerous (you can't dead stick a helo) and they are extremely vulnerable to groundfire, especially the tail rotor. B. They are a fast way of getting troops inserted into a combat zone quickly and as safely as possible. C. Tanks can not be used because troops can not be accomdated inside and they can not be used on the narrow streets of an urban setting. D. I'm sure they have gunship escort, but short of simply wasting a town (which I wouldn't have a problem with if one single rocket was launched from there), they aren't really designed to attack one single scumbag with an RPG. RPG's are not decoyable, since they are unguided. One man shooting an RPG is nearly impossible to spot in an urban setting. What we need to do is engage in some brutal tactics. Some of the civilians are harboring these folks shooting RPG's at these helos. Let the word get out: harbor people shooting at our troops and helos and you and your family will be shot down like the dogs you are and left to rot in the town square. Those people only understand strength. Our attempts to "win hearts and minds" will fail until we convince them that resistance, to quote the Borg, is futile.
