=> vox populi ©

from the July 07, 2003 edition -

Troop morale in Iraq hits 'rock bottom'

Soldiers stress is a key concern as the Army ponders whether to send more
forces.

By Ann Scott Tyson | Special to The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON - US troops facing extended deployments amid the danger, heat, and
uncertainty of an Iraq occupation are suffering from low morale that has in some
cases hit "rock bottom."

Even as President Bush speaks of a "massive and long-term" undertaking in
rebuilding Iraq, that effort, as well as the high tempo of US military
operations around the globe, is taking its toll on individual troops.

Some frustrated troops stationed in Iraq are writing letters to representatives
in Congress to request their units be repatriated. "Most soldiers would empty
their bank accounts just for a plane ticket home," said one recent Congressional

In some units, there has been an increase in letters from the Red Cross stating
soldiers are needed at home, as well as daily instances of female troops being
sent home due to pregnancy.

"Make no mistake, the level of morale for most soldiers that I've seen has hit
rock bottom," said another soldier, an officer from the Army's 3rd Infantry
Division in Iraq.

Such open grumbling among troops comes as US commanders reevaluate the size and
composition of the US-led coalition force needed to occupy Iraq. US Central
Command, which is leading the occupation, is expected by mid-July to send a
proposal to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on how many and what kind of
troops are required, as well as on the rotation of forces there.
For soldiers, a life on the road

The rethink about troop levels comes as senior military leaders voice concern
that multiple deployments around the world are already taxing the endurance of
US forces, the Army in particular. Some 370,000 soldiers are now deployed
overseas from an Army active-duty, guard, and reserve force of just over 1
million people, according to Army figures.

Experts warn that long, frequent deployments could lead to a rash of departures
from the military. "Hordes of active-duty troops and reservists may soon leave
the service rather than subject themselves to a life continually on the road,"
writes Michael O'Hanlon, a military expert at the Brookings Institution here.

A major Army study is now under way to examine the impact of this high pace of
operations on the mental health of soldiers and families. "The cumulative effect
of these work hours and deployment and training are big issues, and soldiers are
concerned about it," says Col. Charles Hoge, who is leading the survey of 5,000
to 10,000 soldiers for the Walter Reed Institute of Army Research.

Concern over stressed troops is not new. In the late 1990s, a shrinking of
military manpower combined with a rise in overseas missions prompted Congress to
call for sharp pay increases for troops deployed over a certain number of days.

"But then came September 11 and the operational tempo went off the charts" and
the Congressional plan was suspended, according to Ed Bruner, an expert on
ground forces at the Congressional Research Service here.

Adding manpower to the region

Despite Pentagon statements before the war that the goal of US forces was to
"liberate, not occupy" Iraq, Secretary Rumsfeld warned last week that the war
against terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere "will not be over any time soon."

Currently, there are some 230,000 US troops serving in and around Iraq,
including nearly 150,000 US troops inside Iraq and 12,000 from Britain and other
countries. According to the Pentagon, the number of foreign troops is expected
to rise to 20,000 by September. Fresh foreign troops began flowing into Iraq
this month, part of two multinational forces led by Poland and Britain. A third
multinational force is also under consideration.

A crucial factor in determining troop levels are the daily attacks that have
killed more than 30 US and British servicemen in Iraq since Mr. Bush declared on
May 1 that major combat operations had ended.

The unexpected degree of resistance led the Pentagon to increase US ground
troops in Iraq to mount a series of ongoing raids aimed at confiscating weapons
and capturing opposition forces.

A tour of duty with no end in sight

As new US troops flowed into Iraq, others already in the region for several
months, such as the 20,000-strong 3rd Infantry Division were retained in Iraq.

"Faced with continued resistance, Department of Defense now plans to keep a
larger force in Iraq than anticipated for a period of time," Maj. Gen. Buford
Blount, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, explained in a statement to
families a month ago. "I appreciate the turmoil and stress that a continued
deployment has caused," he added.

The open-ended deployments in Iraq are lowering morale among some ground troops,
who say constantly shifting time tables are reducing confidence in their
leadership. "The way we have been treated and the continuous lies told to our
families back home has devastated us all," a soldier in Iraq wrote in a letter
to Congress.

Security threats, heat, harsh living conditions, and, for some soldiers, waiting
and boredom have gradually eroded spirits. An estimated 9,000 troops from the
3rd Infantry Division - most deployed for at least six months and some for more
than a year - have been waiting for several weeks, without a mission, to return
to the United States, officers say.

In one Army unit, an officer described the mentality of troops. "They vent to
anyone who will listen. They write letters, they cry, they yell. Many of them
walk around looking visibly tired and depressed.... We feel like pawns in a game
that we have no voice [in]."