Bottom line you're an arm chair quarterback. You have no idea what you're talking about.

Did atrocities happen over there... ABSOLUTELY. Did people die un-necessarily... YES (on all sides). Did some Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen commit unthinkable acts because they were either unsupervised or supervised by bad apples... you're damned right they did.

That does not mean that these were the directives.. that does not mean this is what we were forced to do. We were specifically told as I said above not to fire unless fired upon. Not to destroy infrastructure because we would have to rebuild it.

The REASON all of these cases get such publicity is because its SENSATIONALIST. Reporting on the truth... that we were told to not fire until fired upon.. that we were told not to destroy infrastructure unless absolutely necessary to the mission does not gain ratings. That's why you hear these stories.

I'm glad that you feel like your internet warriorship is going to make this world a better place but you are not going to affect change at all by slamming the Military every chance you get I assure you. You my friend will never be a catalyst for change... quite the opposite. You see the Military is what protects this country... there are bad apples, there are bad people but the majority of the people are good people. When you go on the attack against the Military the way you have you discredit yourself to the point where no one even cares what you say.

I'd suggest if you ever want to be taken seriously you find a more constructive way to make your points. If you want to be a catalyst for change or help people see the truth you yourself are going to have accept the truth when you hear it.

I served my country in Iraq. I was in the US Marine Corps Infantry serving as Mortuary Affairs. I personally sent home 119 Marines who passed away. I to this day remember all 119 faces of those men and I still remember a good portion of their names.

I’ve went through years of therapy to cope with what I had to do over there and I damn sure am not going to let my reputation as a US Marine be tarnished by lies and deceit of people who don’t even have the courage to step up and serve their country, affect change and make this country a better place. When you've served, when you've reached your hand into the still warm chest cavity of a fellow Marine hit by sniper fire to identify him to send him home to his family, when you've been given the ROE for a combat situation then sir you can act as though you have a damn clue as to what happened or was said over there.

The bad apples get the publicity... those of us who did our jobs, did so respectfully get nothing. I nearly broke my neck in Iraq while receiving mortar fire. I had to have my cervical spine fused because of an injury nearly a year after returning home. I am not going to sit back and let you tell me what I was told to do, what my unit was told to do or make generalizations based on the few bad apples out there.

It's quite probable that some people lost their minds over there. It's quite probable that while under the intense pressure you've never experienced of making decisions while taking fire from combatants the wrong decisions were made and it's no secret that innocent people died in Iraq. That doesn't mean that everyone went over there with a "Kill them all and let God sort them out" mentality.

Those that did will be judged by their respective God's and trying to make it seem as though they were given these orders only proves that they were unable to actually stand up for what is right.

I know I personally would have rather been court martialed than act like these men and women. They are a disgrace to our country and deserve no admiration or respect. They should have had a spine and done the right thing... not been a coward and done the wrong thing. They cannot make up for the sins they have committed by publicly denouncing the Military because of their actions. They had a choice between right and wrong... and they made the wrong damn decision and that doesn’t give you the right to attack the entire Military as if they are sheep that do nothing other than what they are told.

I cannot wait for an ignore feature so that I can ignore your posts in the future as they are nothing short of nerve racking.

Regards,
Ryan McAdams