abcnews.go.com
U.S. Works to Boost Troop Morale in Iraq
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON Oct. 16 — One-third of U.S. troops in Iraq surveyed by a military newspaper said their morale was low, a finding that led Pentagon leaders to say Thursday they are closely watching for such problems.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers said at a press conference that there are initial indications in one area an Army reserve component that recruiting could be suffering. They did not elaborate and other officials later said they had no further details.
Myers and Rumsfeld commented in response to a report by the newspaper Stars and Stripes that one-third of the U.S. troops questioned in Iraq said their morale is low and half said they are unlikely to re-enlist. The newspaper said its questionnaire, answered by some 2,000 soldiers, was not scientific.
<font color=red>The findings appeared to contradict previous statements by Bush administration officials and returning congressional delegations in which morale has been portrayed as high among occupation forces trying to put down resistance from remnants of Saddam Hussein's fallen government.
Myers and Rumsfeld did not dispute the notion that troops may be unhappy and they acknowledged they may get a skewed picture of morale during their visits to Iraq.<font color=black>
Rumsfeld suggested he is not the best judge because troops appear spirited and proud of their work when he visits. Myers also said he seeks out information from others who have been to Iraq because he fears commanders on the ground may show him only the "happy folks."
The subject of troop morale is always a concern. Worries about it have increased this year because the war in Iraq and the 2-year-old global fight against terrorism have stretched the armed forces thin and caused repeated and extended deployments for active duty troops and reservists.
Some troops and their families have complained bitterly in the past several months.
Both Rumsfeld and Myers stressed the importance of good morale.
"We often focus on the high-tech piece of our business, and the equipment and so forth," Myers said. "But in the end, it's the individual soldier, sailor, Marine, Coast Guardsmen that make the difference."
Rumsfeld said the Army is working on ways to bolster morale. Although overall recruiting efforts so far have not been affected notably, the stress on the forces normally would not be reflected until farther down the road, he said.
Troops have gotten breaks in countries neighboring Iraq, where they can relax for a few days from the tough, hot and sometimes austere conditions in Iraq.
Because of a recent order that deployments will now last a year, the Army in September started the largest R&R leave program since Vietnam, giving two-week vacations and free air travel part of the way home.
Myers said he had read news stories on the Stars and Stripes survey and considered them "useful insight," as he does feedback he seeks from congressmen who visit Iraq.
"We ask them those questions, 'How do you find the soldiers'?" Myers said. "It's something we take very seriously."
But the commander in Iraq challenged the questionnaire results.
"There is no morale problem," Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez told Stars and Stripes.
"Are you going to find soldiers on any given day who are down on morale? Of course," he was quoted as saying.
"I walk around and talk to all sorts of soldiers also, and I honestly believe our soldiers are doing very, very well."
The paper said three teams of reporters spent three weeks going around Iraq this summer, visiting some 50 camps with the 17-part questionnaire. Troops were asked about their health, living conditions, mail delivery, whether they were sufficiently trained for their mission and other topics.
Some 49 percent of those questioned said it was very unlikely or not likely that they would stay in the military after completing their current obligation. Military officials say it is not uncommon for enlistment rates to drop after conflicts.
Asked about their personal morale, 34 percent of those surveyed rated it as low or very low, 27 percent said it was high or very high, and virtually all the rest called it average.
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Search the Web and ABCNEWS.com |
