If the troops were ordered to come home, do you think they'd be happy or angry?

Question

I'm genuinely curious about what people think, regardless of political party. And I'm talking about which feeling would be stronger, so please try to pick ONE of the two.

Answer 1

I was very happy to come home when we got orders. I was angry when they told us we were being moved to Al Kut instead of coming home. Then I was happy again to actually come home. I think most troops would be happy to come home to their families and loved ones.

I'm not sure why they would be angry to leave a $hit hole.

Answer 2

I think they would be happy for the most part, some will be angry. It's impossible to attribute one feeling to all of the troops en masse. Those that have been redeployed time and again when they thought their tours were over will especially be relieved to be coming home - especially those in the National Guard, who never expected to be in Iraq for years on end. The key is making sure they understand that coming home is NOT a result of failure or poor job performance on their part. Rather, that it is a political decision made by the powers that be back home. Our troops coming home should be greeted by parades and cheers to thank them for their long service and that will also help bolster the feeling that they did their jobs well and honorably and that the American people salute and appreciate them for it. Some will undoubtedly feel that they were pulled away prematurely if they think they see a light at the end of the tunnel. It will be a mixed bag, and we will hear varying expressions of feeling from them when they return.

But overall, as you have asked, I think the feeling will be one of happiness and relief. It is clear from many of the interviews held by war correspondents that a great many of our troops are steadfastly doing their jobs while harboring some measure of confusion and frustration about their mission.

Answer 3

Well, no, I'm not going to pick one of the two, because I find the question wrong-headed.

Not every uniformed person over there is identical to every other one.

That's just not true of any group of people.

We know that there are varied opinions of the war among the people actually engaged in it.

Of course, it's hard to imagine anyone not being at least partly happy to come home to their loved ones and out of harm's way -- whether they are also angry about it for other reasons.

Also, you give only the two choices -- how about 'sad'? That would probably be there, too -- sad to think of those lost and harmed, and for some, sad at having ever been sent, for others, sad at having to leave too soon.

I bet there wouldn't be a single person with one and only one feeling about it.

So, not only would all of them not feel the same as all the others, but no one person would have one feeling that predominates -- people tend to flip around among a complex set of reactions, when they're reacting to a huge thing.

Finally, you're asking for our guesses, as I (at least, probably most answerers) am unaware of actual numbers or percents of how many think it's right to be there, versus how many think it's all wrong.

It's the relevant facts here that answer your question. We can think and feel however we want -- whether it matches reality of not, but what does that matter?

Suppose the majority of answers says "happy"? Does that tell us anything about their actual feelings?

No.

All it tells you is what's in our heads.

Edit: How about the Iraqi's -- are their feeling relevant? The Kurds in the north don't mind out being there, the vast majority of everyone else wants us out.

But I guess the will of the people of Iraq is irrelevant, isn't it?

Answer 4

If after they were pulled out, Iraq fell into chaos and violence and full civil war, they'd be angry, knowing they were prevented from fulfilling their mission.

They would be upset to see all that they sweated, bled and died for was tossed away, making their sacrifices to have been in vain. They would be upset to see these people who they protected, the innocent Iraqi men, women and children who believed in them, who they thought were worth protecting, being slaughtered and killed, and them not being able to help.

Sure, they'd be glad not to be in a warzone anymore, all soldiers prefer to not be in a war, but when somebody volunteers to enter the military, they didn't join so they'd have a nice safe job away from the battle. They didn't join so they could ignore the plight of innocent people, being safe while innocent civilians suffer. But this would not be the stronger feeling.

Answer 5

My cousin is a Marine, and while he does admit that a lot of soldiers are reinlisting (probably because they are heavily in debt), he does say that the people in his unit and probably others can't wait to come back. He says he won't know what he will do if they send him back a third time.

I love it when people claim they will feel betrayed because their sacrifices would be in vain. What a joke. Just the fact that those guys can't get laid in Iraq is just reason to come home.

Man I can sit and answer these questions all day! Keep 'em coming!

Answer 6

Most likely happy. How could someone say they are going to be angry?

The only thing people would be saying they are angry about is when they regurgitate what the president continues to say, "the mission isn't over yet." But I remind these people that it was GWB that jumped on that aircraft carrier with the giant red white and blue banner and declared "Mission Accomplished."

Happy to be home. Happy to see their loved one's. Happy to taste American food. Happy to see a country that loves them and they can in turn love back. Happy to see that our political process is making a turn for the better and people are going to be held accountable.

Answer 7

In a way this is a foolish question.

From soldiers I've spoken to they'd obviously want to be at home instead of off fighting a war.

But they also know that leaving would only delay the inevitable.

Answer 8

No brainer. The vast majority will celebrate the announcement.They have done their job above and beyond the call of duty.

Bush and the neo-cons care more about their personal egos than the lives and families of the people doing the work.

Answer 9

Answer: Happy if they are allowed to complete the mission...
Darned upset if they get sold-out once again by military hating, liberal politicians that would gladly dismiss All of them and their efforts and sacrifice to date, for the lefts Lust for Power.

Answer 10

They would be pissed off! Their sacrifices would not mean a thing. You must remember one thing the majority of our military are Republicans - they believe in what they are doing. I'm sure they want to come home to their families. My brother spent over a year in Iraq - and yes he missed his kids, but he was doing his job - what he was trained to do.