...and they are volunteers all. In terms of the recently recalled IRR types, maybe reluctant volunteers, but they knew the requirement was there when they enlisted! Heck, I'd love to get recalled. My budget sure wouldn't, and WonderWife™ and WonderMom™ and WonderSis™ would be annoyed... but WonderDad™ would understand, being an old warhorse himself.
Austin Bay, back from his own stint of duty as a called-up reservist, has a good one up at Strategy Page:
The New Greatest Generation by Austin Bay September 28, 2004A new greatest generation is emerging -- in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in the other, less-publicized battlegrounds of the War on Terror.
Focused on the U.S. political cycle, America's press elites are missing the extraordinary story of the 19-through-35 year olds who are winning this war. The detailed history of this new cohort of American and Free World leaders -- the people who will shape the 21st century -- is being written by themselves, chiefly on the Internet, via email or web logs.
There's some other good stuff there today, as well.
HUDs for Vehicle Commanders - this has the potential to revolutionize training, too - as it will allow for live soldiers to engage virtual and constructive elements. Lot of work before we get there, but with the addition of the tech to vehicle gunsights, the possiblities are there.
Civil War General Hooker (the source for the term, "hookers" [read to last paragraph]) would empathize with the troops. It's a tricky issue, but it's not like anyone is going to let us bring back the 'official bordello'.
Lastly, but possibly most important - a discussion of the casualty ratios in Iraq, and how they support the contention that Coalition Forces are doing their damndest to keep the casualties down among the non-combatants - a compunction not shared by their opponent. Of course, the anti-war types will dismiss this as propagandistic bilge.
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