{"id":118603,"date":"2019-07-16T23:24:37","date_gmt":"2019-07-16T23:24:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/07\/16\/polls-say-many-vets-dont-believe-in-the-iraq-and-afghanistan-mission-but-their-real-feelings-are-more-complex\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T13:05:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T13:05:31","slug":"polls-say-many-vets-dont-believe-in-the-iraq-and-afghanistan-mission-but-their-real-feelings-are-more-complex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2019\/07\/16\/polls-say-many-vets-dont-believe-in-the-iraq-and-afghanistan-mission-but-their-real-feelings-are-more-complex\/","title":{"rendered":"Polls say many vets don\u2019t believe in the Iraq and Afghanistan mission. But their real feelings are more complex."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A recent poll from Pew Research Center <\/a>revealed that the majority of veterans feel the operations in Iraq (64 percent) and Afghanistan (58 percent), when weighed against the overall costs and benefits to the United States, were \u201cnot worth fighting.\u201d As a U.S. Marine who joined the armed forces just before 9\/11 and has served for 18 years (including a year in Iraq), I understand the cost that our military has paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, the thoughts and feelings that most veterans have about the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are much more complex than a simple \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno\u201d response to a survey question. And to oversimplify those thoughts misrepresents the opinions of the veteran community, and may lead the American public to draw the wrong conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, it\u2019s important to consider what exactly would make a war where we\u2019ve lost over 6,700 brave men and women \u201cworth fighting.\u201d Are Americans living substantially better lives than they were back in 2001 when American forces first engaged in Afghanistan? If so, are those improvements a result of the war?<\/p>\n\n\n\t