Boise Infantryman In Baghdad Shares Views On Troop Surge
The soldiers are the only legitimate source of information as to what is happening in Iraq. They deal with the war day-in and day-out. Unlike most of the media reporters, the troops are not hiding away in some hotel far from the reality of war. I'm glad someone has started to ask them.
In less than a week, all the troops for the so-called surge in Iraq will finally be in position and U.S. commanders will push hard to get results on the ground.
Some say the troop build up is already draining American military resources with moderate results.
But First Sergeant Noah Edney of Boise sees it differently.
The 36-year-old Boise High graduate is serving with the Army's Second Infantry Division in Baghdad.
"The surge from my standpoint is wildly successful," Edney told CBS 2 Eyewitness in an interview via satellite from Baghdad. "I can't speak to the grand strategy, I'm only talking about the view of a soldier on the ground. I'm just a grunt, so to speak."
But grunts like Edney, who has seen his share of combat, are the backbone of the American military effort in Afghanistan and Iraq. More than 400,000 of them have seen multiple tours of duty.
Edney is on his second tour of Iraq and we asked if he wasn't just plain tired of it all.
"Am I tired of war? Of course, everybody is." he said. But Edney points out he is where he belongs. "I've been an infantryman for 19 years. If there's a war anywhere in the world, there's only one place where an infantryman should be."
Edney says things have improved in Iraq since his first tour in 2004. He speaks of restoring electricity and water, of kids going back to school.
He knows the war is emotionally debated back home, but as they patrol 14 hours a day in 114 degree heat, Edney says he and his buddies have more pressing concerns.
"I can't speak for everybody, but the average grunt, most people in my company couldn't care less (about political infighting)," Edney explained. "Politics takes a far back seat of the bus. We'll deal with it when we get home."
