[Atlasphere]Iraq Surge Update from Russ Corwin

[O-Land News Junkie]

Atlasphere member and Army Captain Russ Corwin (directory profile here) has this to say, on the Bidinotto Blog, about the ongoing surge in Iraq:

It makes me happy to hear that you’re getting reports back home about the positive impacts of the surge. Iraq has a much different feel to me now than it did back in the Spring/Summer of 2003 when I was here last. As a ground soldier [then], I had much more personal interaction with Iraqis, out on missions, in their homes, on the streets, etc. With the help of my interpreters, I was able to talk and exchange ideas with them. I had a much better feel for the pulse of what was going on, from a personal standpoint.

This time, as an aviator, I don’t have that personal interaction so it’s difficult for me to personally measure the level of progress that is being made. From the daily Intelligence Summaries and Operations Summaries that I see, I can tell you without a doubt that this surge is making a huge difference.

The big question is whether or not it is sustainable after we leave, and I think that’s where most of the concern lies. The current political mess and internal security struggles for the Iraqis lead most of us to believe that this place will implode if we leave in the manner that people are currently pushing for in Washington. Believe me, none of us want to be here any longer than absolutely necessary, but we also know that we’ve paid too high a price and sacrificed too much for the progress that we have made, only to turn it over and give it all back to those we’ve been fighting.

Keep reading for more.

http://www.theatlasphere.com/metablog/655.php