You want to support the troops?

If you really supported the troops, you'd at least acknowlegde their input. Bill Roggio has been embedding with the troops for years, and was previously in the war as a soldier. He has done some of the very best report of the war. As in independent reporter, he puts the words he hears on paper so you and I can decide. No spin. This report is a good example. It's about the soldiers he met or was in the presence of while on his way to Fallujah, Iraqi.

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At the transient tent (where you get to sleep and store your gear while waiting), I spoke to an Explosive Ordinance and Demolitions (EOD) contractor. These are the guys that blow up the leftover explosives and munitions from the Saddam era. He told me about how the media isn't telling the full story about the nature of the enemy, and specifically complained about the manipulation and distortion of the Kay report. He said he's run across bunkers and the equipment and chemical precursors to WMD buried in the deserts of western Iraq.

During a smoke break, an Army private discussed his time in Balad. He said mortars (which are blind-fired) are the greatest threat his unit faces. Not IEDs, I asked? Nope. While waiting to board the flight to BIAP, a Marine Major complained about how the progress in western Iraq has virtually gone unnoticed, and was furious over the characterization of the Devlin report on Anbar province...

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In nearly every conversation, the soldiers, Marines and contractors expressed they were upset with the coverage of the war in Iraq in general, and the public perception of the daily situation on the ground. The felt the media was there to sensationalize the news, and several stated some reporters were only interested in “blood and guts.” They freely admitted the obstacles in front of them in Iraq. Most recognized that while we are winning the war on the battlefield, albeit with difficulties in some areas, we are losing the information war. They felt the media had abandoned them.
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I don't believe Iraq is close to being stable or safe. But I do put faith in this type of report. I put more faith in this report than I do a CNN report. Bill is not being paid to put his life on the line to tell us what he's experiencing. And we have seen several instances of the big news operations being inaccurate in their reporting, and (as with 90% of their reporting) it always sheds a bad light on the war. War is bad, but losing this war would be far worse. It wouldn't be the soldier who lose this war. It's up to you and I back home.