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In reply to the discussion: Look people - the Iraq War was an honest mistake [View all]Victor_c3
(3,557 posts)I'm one of the disabled veterans produced by this war. I've repeated my story multiple times on this forum, but simply put I joined the Army when I was 17 in 1997 and I was totally gullible for believing that our politicians would only use our military to make the world a better and safer place around the world. I still want to believe that, but I've come to realize that I was lied to my entire youth and that is not what our military is actually used for. I grew up in a right leaning household and saw events of the late 80s and early to mid 90s through that slant. I believed the first Gulf War was justified as was our role in Bosnia and Kosovo. I never believed I would be involved in a war like Iraq and, due to my own ignorance and naivety, I got a front row seat to that war. I don't know what I was thinking. I sought out a position as an Infantry Officer and was placed as one when I graduated college in 2002.
I was completing my various training schools during the buildup to the war on Iraq at Fort Benning, GA when the war broke out in April 2003 and I landed a role as an Infantry Platoon Leader in Iraq from Fed 2004 through March 2005. I never believed that our war on Iraq was justified and I made it know to my commander about two-thirds of the way through our deployment during my annual review meeting. Based on my actions up to that point, my commander was totally shocked that I wasn't a "believer". I was rated as one of the top Lieutenants in the battalion.
I guess I have nothing really to say other than I was there and I have way more blood on my hands than I care to have. I'm sorry for going along with the war and I'm sorry for a lot of stuff that I'm not going to get into right now. Just don't forget that many people who fought in the war are victims too. They were lied to and deceived and found themselves doing things they were morally against too.