Meatstick News: New York Times Op-Ed by US Soldiers

People in America are always looking for the truth of what is really going on in Iraq. Conservatives are always skeptical of mainstream media so they turn to pundits like Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity (who have the combined military experience of parent's 8 month old puppy). Liberals also like to claim bias in the mainstream media and flock to blogs like the Daily Kos and moveon.org. Well, for anyone interested in an accurate assessment written through the eyes of soldiers who have lived through an Iraq deployment, please read this New York Times published Op-Ed entitled "The War as We Saw It." This piece was written by 7 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division who are about to return from a 15 month deployment.
Here are some quotes from the article:

To believe that Americans, with an occupying force that long ago outlived its reluctant welcome, can win over a recalcitrant local population and win this counterinsurgency is far-fetched. As responsible infantrymen and noncommissioned officers with the 82nd Airborne Division soon heading back home, we are skeptical of recent press coverage portraying the conflict as increasingly manageable and feel it has neglected the mounting civil, political and social unrest we see every day...Coupling our military strategy to an insistence that the Iraqis meet political benchmarks for reconciliation is also unhelpful. The morass in the government has fueled impatience and confusion while providing no semblance of security to average Iraqis. Leaders are far from arriving at a lasting political settlement. This should not be surprising, since a lasting political solution will not be possible while the military situation remains in constant flux.

This article is not only important because of the content, but also because of the consequences these soldiers will probably face for voicing their opinion. This article was clearly not censored by the military and submitted without the permission of their superiors. Judging by their rank, these soldiers are mid career non-commissioned officers that have a lot to lose by submitting this piece to a major US newspaper. Undoubtedly, these soldiers sat around and discussed the ramifications of sending this article to the New York Times. In the end they chose to stand up for what they believe in regardless of what consequences might come their way.
Do these soldiers a favor and take the ten minutes to read their honest opinion:
LINK TO ARTICLE