In Army Survey, Troops in Iraq Report Low Morale

[coda]

Takes them five months to release? :eyes: Guess maybe this doesn't belong in LBN, but it was ONLY released yesterday.



In Army Survey, Troops in Iraq Report Low Morale

By Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 26, 2004; Page A18


A slim majority of Army soldiers in Iraq -- 52 percent -- reported that their morale was low, and three-fourths of them said they felt poorly led by their officers, according to a survey taken at the end of the summer and released yesterday by the Army.

In addition, seven in 10 of those surveyed characterized the morale of their fellow soldiers as low or very low. The problems were most pronounced among lower-ranking troops and those in reserve units.


"Nearly 75% of the groups reported that their battalion-level command leadership was poor" and showed "a lack of concern" for their soldiers, said an Army report accompanying the data. "Unit cohesion was also reported to be low."

<snip>


Col. Virgil Patterson, who oversaw the Army survey, said he was "somewhat surprised" by the findings on troop morale. He noted that when the survey was taken, soldiers were still feeling the effects of a brutally hot Iraqi summer, and that since then troops have better living conditions and are better able to communicate with their families.

"It was a pretty miserable set of circumstances at the time," he said. "We speculate that all of those contributed to the factor of low morale."

<snip>

Patterson said he could not place the numbers in historical context because similar surveys have not been conducted before. "This is the first time we've ever gone into an active combat theater and asked soldiers how they are doing, so we have no comparative data," he said. The study, conducted from late August through early October 2003, surveyed 756 Army soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait, focusing on units that had engaged in combat.


more.....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25127-2004Mar25.html

[burrowowl]

1. And if they really think?

A slim majority of Army soldiers in Iraq -- 52 percent -- reported that their morale was low, and three-fourths of them said they felt poorly led by their officers, according to a survey taken at the end of the summer and released yesterday by the Army.

75% pooly led .... is this a lack of confidence, when will the fraggins start?

[coda]

2. Honestly, the delirium that would come with a mind-dulling 120+ degree he

Wouldn't make for a rational thought process. Summer is probably just about to begin.

[patricia92243]

3. They need to be as light-hearted as their commander-in-chief. Just joke..

around WMD - have fun. What's wrong with these soldiers anyhow!

Deep Sarcasm :( :(

[daleo]

4. Morale was low then

But they hope it has gone up, now that people have been there longer and know that there is no end in sight.

[truthspeaker]

5. Yeah, being ordered to fight for lies and help billionaires steal oil

will do that.

These people signed up to defend their country. Instead they got sent to invade a country that wasn't a threat. It must be obvious to them how poorly planned and undermanned the occupation was, and that the Iraqi people don't see them as liberators.

[Just Me]

6. Rummy and the rest feakin' lied, AGAIN!!!

Along with all their cohorts who kept saying, "morale is great/wonderful/exceptional".

[Mari333]

7. Michael emailed, the heat is bad

and add to that really really really really angry Iraqi civilians who want to know why US troops are knocking down doors and kicking in doors and dragging their loved ones off to the prison and keeping 12,800 of them in there with no charges at all
he says people hate the soldiers
hydra headed monster indeed..more terrorists now created by Bush to keep his warmongering friends in the money
and our country pays the price, our kids all pay the price for a few wealthy bastards.
Low morale ,,yep//REAL low.
http://www.bringthemhomenow.com
Oh and dont forget..if your mom is an active anti war activist, you will illegally be called in front of your commander and yelled at. Happening to tons of soldiers as we speak.

[rustydog]

8. This has to be a lie. Congressman Doc Hastings just returned from

a Republican Junket to Iraq and he stated that morale and confidence among our troops there is high!
Doc came into office riding the wave known as the "Contract on America", which gave birth to Enron and Tyco fiascoes.

He is a staunch (stench?) Bush supporter. Why would he lie about conditions in Iraq?