Soldier morale

I talk to soldiers every day, here and at other FOBs. It's one of my job duties. I always ask them how things are going, if they get enough to eat (always - all the bad food you can eat), enough sleep (seldom), if they get mail, email, internet access, PX access, etc. I ask them if they get enough bullets, fuel, training, etc. The don't seem to be bored. Lots of books, and more prevalent, DVDs and video games.

I also ask them generally about their life, and missions etc. I have found that it takes a while of just shooting the breeze with them before they open up much. If an officer just up and starts quizzing them, they tend to say whatever they think 1) the officer wants to hear, and 2) will get the officer to go away the quickest.

These are great kids. They certainly like soda pop - I see a lot of Mountain Dew next to bunks - and they don't seem to worry about carbs, but they are all healthy and happy. And, surprisingly, they are all pretty upbeat about what we're doing here. They find the missions to be fun and exciting. They have been in threatening situations, but their training and equipment and fellow soldiers gives them superb confidence. I suppose if I interviewed a kid immediately after a firefight, especially if there were casualities, I'd get a story much like we hear on the news. Give it a few days, and catch them in calm circumstances, and the soldiers are OK with being here. They'd rather be home, of course, because it's home, but they don't seem to mind life here.

I talked to some who are living in a tent, about 25 guys. They have to use a porta-potti every time they go to the bathroom, have to walk to another building for a shower, and have to stay out late, come in and get little sleep then go on perimeter guard duty. And yet, they say this is the best they've had it so far.