Forces Still In Iraq Resent Being Labeled 'Non-Combat' Troops

U.S. Staff Sergeant Kendrick Manuel swung his rifle over his shoulder and grumbled about being viewed as a "non-combat" soldier in Iraq.

"When NBC talked about the last combat troops are gone, they made it sound like everything is basically over," he said, after escorting a 19-truck convoy through a part of northern Iraq where roadside bombs and mortar attacks are still a danger.

"To us it was like a slap in the face, because we are still here ... we are still going in harm's way every time we leave out of the gate," Manuel said at a U.S. military base, Camp Speicher, near Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit.

Read the whole story: Reuters

Comments

[EH14SCUSA]

04:54 PM on 09/16/2010

I agree with U.S. Staff Sergeant Kendrick Manuel. As long as you carry a rifle and protect the base you are in combat!
As long as you still have the responsibility of responding to gunfire and keeping yourselves and your comrades alive you are in combat!!
My God, what in Heaven's Name are our leaders thinking...? When you are left in a combat area, with fewer troops to support you than before and you are still responsibile for protecting lives, weapons, land and buildings, you are still at war!
God be with you Staff Sergeant Manuel..my G'Son just left there...he knows what you face!

[JDM73]

08:02 PM on 09/14/2010

Remember that what Barack Obama originally promised was to remove all combat troops from Iraq. He backed away from that pledge and decided to go along with the Pentagon's suggestion of a "transitional" force consisting of up to 50,000 troops. Those troops are absolutely, unquestionably *combat* troops--you can call them "advisory and assistance brigades" (Secretary Gates, I'm looking in your direction) or whatever you like, but they're combat troops.
The president desperately needed credit for keeping a promise and, since he couldn't receive credit for actually sticking to his word, he got it by playing a semantical game. The media helped out by putting its stamp of approval on his blatant falsehood.

[JDM73]

05:04 PM on 09/14/2010

Someday--maybe, just maybe--Americans will get sick and tired of being lied to.

[AndyWright68]

04:38 PM on 09/14/2010

And the people continue to buy what the media and the government keep selling them.

[lobear00]

04:01 PM on 09/14/2010

It's rather sad the troops get slapped in the face by the Corporations, the Government , the Conservatives. When does it end.

[Scalian]

03:16 PM on 09/14/2010

The job of the military is to protect the country. They don't care what anyone calls their mission, or they shouldn't.

[Em Smilez]

03:49 PM on 09/14/2010

It's obvious they do.

[JoeBlough]

05:44 PM on 09/14/2010

They need to put their "Big Boy" pants on.

[Sunsprite]

06:49 PM on 09/14/2010

What if their job is protecting valuable profits for a number of special interests?

[HDR]

02:24 PM on 09/14/2010

Reminds me of the term "military advisors" back in the early stages of the Vietnam War, er, Conflict.

[bajed]

02:23 PM on 09/14/2010

As long as the U.S. government continues to provide combat awards, hazardous duty pay, and tax exemptions to those in harms way in Iraq, I dont think Staff Sergeant Kendrick Manuel should really care how he is labeled. Its not like this is a derogatory term. it is simply a transition in priorities of the overall mission in Iraq. Service members will certianly continue to be killed in combat in Iraq, but lets remember that war is an extension of politics, and these kind of labels are simply a necessity of our political leadership.

[Voice of doom]

02:56 PM on 09/14/2010

"a necessity of political leadership" which, I guess, is better than the truth...

[bajed]

03:24 PM on 09/14/2010

Well...no one party or politician is immune from these necessities. Everyone does it. As members of the military, they should accept the concept of civilian control of military and everything that goes with it.

[Em Smilez]

03:50 PM on 09/14/2010

Maybe it bothers him to be used as a politcal football to be kicked at Mr. Obama's whim.

[mamased]

02:14 PM on 09/14/2010

cI'm amazed that a U.S. soldier is so upset about semantics. The combat mission is over. The combat brigades left. Those remaining are in support and training. That is their primary mission. Does that mean that they will not encounter combat situations? Of course not. This is not a PR move, this was enshrined in the reduction of forces agreement. An American soldier that feels slapped across the face by that, had best talk to someone in charge so they understand their mission.

[Sunsprite]

06:57 PM on 09/14/2010

Their mission? you mean objectives,which is to protect the gains for profit.

[mamased]

08:07 PM on 09/14/2010

No. I meant their mission. I was commenting on the subject of the article. Now you can rightfully be upset by the over-arching cause of the conflict but let's try to limit criticism to where it's due.

[Voice of doom]

08:34 PM on 09/14/2010

maybe they're upset because the "semantics" fire live ammunition?

[mamased]

07:51 AM on 09/15/2010

Maybe you have no idea what your talking about

[HHUA]

02:09 PM on 09/14/2010

Moderator(s),

You've once again misused your authority to remove posts that are NOT in violation of the moderation rules. It is YOU who are in 'violation' when you abuse this trust!!!

Here's the post that you (or another moderator) removed... There's NO violation of HP rules. That it may be an affront to your 'personal' view does NOT give you authority to remove posts!!! Please avail yourself (selves) to the rules you're supposed to be upholding to avoid this continued arbitrary censorship!!! Ftr, "racist" is not a profanity.

Deleted post:

huh?

You are saying that this article is an "idiotic rant" stemming from the fact that "we have a black president" right?

What you are forgetting to take into consideration is ALL of our black service men and woman who may feel EXACTLY The same way! This has absolutely nothing to do with race, color, etc. Once again, it's those who think ONLY in 'color' and seem to be incapable of seeing the broad picture that make it so!

Agreed that there are many in the conservative movement who are indeed racists (and yes upset at having a black president) but THIS is not an example. I'm sure our black soldiers who are putting their lives at risk out there EVERY DAY have no much more appreciation being labeled as "non combat troops" than their white brothers and sisters out their with them... They are in this TOGETHER!!! Please stop behaving like a mirror image of racist conservatives!

[TTUconservative]

02:34 PM on 09/14/2010

How many racist conservatives do you know? I am a conservative and if you knew me you would know I am not a racist. Growing up in East Texas and attending college at Texas Tech I know a lot of conservatives on a personal level and none of them are racists.

[HHUA]

03:35 PM on 09/14/2010

I apologize if it appears that my comment is labeling all conservatives as racist. Obviously that would be a generalization and I was responding to someone else's comment (who was addressing the racism we have been seeing in the conservative movement (see the part of my comment where I said "many in the conservative movement" not all or even most).

As for the assertion you seem to be making (that conservs in general are not racist)... Sorry, but much of the outspoken behavior of conservatives of late would seem to belie that. Perhaps it is the racist and intolerant few who have usurped the will of the many... But it seems that they are gaining the upper hand in terms of the message and direction of the conservative movement.

Again my apologies to you if you are not among that group.

[pinkladee]

11:28 PM on 09/14/2010

East Texas and Texas Tech are BOTH breeding grounds for racists and racism...that is long standing. Whether they admit it or not doesn't change the fact that it exists.

[Sunsprite]

06:43 PM on 09/14/2010

I had two removed that were not in violation,seems HP is applying censorship.

Not cool at all.

[TTUconservative]

01:59 PM on 09/14/2010

You're going to have to start from the bottom and work your way up. Start at US Navy Captain Ouimette then go up. Also, accidently posted same post 3 times. Just ignore the other 2.

[TTUconservative]

01:56 PM on 09/14/2010

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Yamamoto said '...it seems all we have done is awakened a sleeping giant.' This is the message we need to disseminate to terrorists around the world.



This is not a political thing to be hashed over in an election year, this is an AMERICAN thing. This is about the Freedom and the Freedom of our children in years to come.



Speech by US Navy Captain Ouimette

Executive Officer

Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida

[Sunsprite]

06:45 PM on 09/14/2010

That's fine but have you figured out who the real terrorists are? "cough"

I mean really?

[TTUconservative]

01:55 PM on 09/14/2010

The terrorists decide to bring the fight to America. In January 1993, two CIA agents are shot and killed as they enter CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

In the news lately we have seen lots of finger pointing from every high official in government over what they knew and what they didn't know. But if youve read the papers and paid a little attention I think you can see exactly what they knew. You don't have to be in the FBI or CIA or on the National Security Council to see the pattern that has been developing since 1979. 250



I think we have been in a war for the past 25 years and it will continue until we as a people decide enough is enough. America needs to 'Get out of Bed' and act decisively now. America has been changed forever. We have to be ready to pay the price and make the sacrifice to ensure our way of life continues. We cannot afford to keep hitting the snooze button again and again and roll over and go back to sleep.

[HDR]

02:27 PM on 09/14/2010

The U.S. took the "fight" over to the Middle East decade ago. Look up how the shah of Iran came to power. Nothing starts on the day it happened. There is always history behind everything.

[Sunsprite]

06:47 PM on 09/14/2010

The Shah was a brutal corrupt dictator who was imposed on the Iranian people by the British and US.

There is a difference between taking a fight and an invasion...you know conquering?

[TTUconservative]

01:54 PM on 09/14/2010

The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the gate of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept.

Soon the terrorism spreads to Europe. In April 1985 a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid.



Then in August 1985 a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force at Rhein-Main, 22 are killed and the snooze alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US interests are continually attacked.



Fifty-nine days later in 1985 a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out the passenger list and executed.



The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4 and the most tragic bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988 killing 259.



The wake up alarm is getting louder and louder.

[HDR]

02:29 PM on 09/14/2010

And the great response by Reagan to the Beirut attack was to invade Grenada a few weeks later. Wake up, indeed.

[TTUconservative]

04:03 PM on 09/14/2010

You call a few shellings dropped a great response. Everything massive that happened was done by foreign nations. He planned a great response but Defense Secretary Weinberger, lobbied successfully against the missions.

[TTUconservative]

01:50 PM on 09/14/2010

The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the gate of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept.

Soon the terrorism spreads to Europe. In April 1985 a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid.



Then in August 1985 a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force at Rhein-Main, 22 are killed and the snooze alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US interests are continually attacked.



Fifty-nine days later in 1985 a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out the passenger list and executed.



The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4 and the most tragic bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988 killing 259.



The wake up alarm is getting louder and louder.



The terrorists decide to bring the fight to America. In January 1993, two CIA agents are shot and killed as they enter CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.