In Iraq, Semper Fidelis

[SWJED]

3 June LA Times commentary - In Iraq, Semper Fidelis by Tony Perry.

... So what is the effect on troop morale of declining public support for the war in Iraq and the increasingly contentious political debate at home? Like so much about modern military life, the answer may seem counterintuitive to civilians.

After my fifth trip to Iraq to report on Marines, I've concluded that, at least among Marines, morale remains high — high not despite the public's disaffection with the war but possibly because of it. The declining poll numbers and rising political upheaval appear to have driven Marines closer together.

Marines, for instance, continue to exceed their reenlistment goals; a recent study showed that those who have deployed twice to Iraq are more likely to reenlist again than those who have only gone once — and that the Marine least likely to reenlist is one who has not deployed to Iraq...

[Granite_State]

Be interested to see what Marine recruitment and retention statistics are like compared to the Army's. I think they're much higher.