Have to agree Mazda.
I believe our society as a whole really has no clue as to what is really going on in conflict zones around the world because our News Media is incapable of telling it like it really happens or if they do they just put out the sensational parts of the news because that sells and they need the ratings or they will not be around very long.
I also believe our society has forgotten the overall reason is that our soldiers are doing the job they are doing which is providing security to our country and the people of the world.
The fact that most of our soldiers are doing more for the people of the regions that they are deployed to (such as providing security patrols, opening up schools, rebuilding infrastructure and such in areas were without the patrols there would be just lawlessness) just does not sell or make for good ratings as that is not very sensational.
I also believe our Government has not made it very easy for the News Media to get first hand information for security reasons which I also think is a smart thing for our soldiers safety and the well being of our population. My brother has told me that he can remember watching the Evening News with my parents during the Vietnam Conflict to see if they could catch a glimpse of me in the news footage as letters were far a few mainly due to me and it not being a priority for me at the time.
During WW2 most major battle fronts had reporters and photographers within the units to document just what was happening. They did not have the instant news ability that our news media has today so things were even screened and even censored back then which most people never considered during that time as people were more trusting of what they were told.
In Desert Storm there were a few News Personal that were entrenched with the Military units during those campaigns but that was stopped due to the fear that our News Media was being used by the opposition to figure out where our Military Troops where and what they were going after and where they were located.
I also think most Americans and people of the world have no clue or appreciation for what our US Military really dose for the American public and the worlds public when they are deployed anywhere in the world but then I have been there as a carrier service person so I am a bit bass I guess.