Retired Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez who commanded U.S. forces during the first year of the Iraq war said, “I am absolutely convinced that America has a crisis in leadership at this time.”

“I thought, ‘What are we doing here? Why are we still here?’ We’re helping guys that are trying to kill us. We help them in the day. They turn around at night and try to kill us.”
– Sgt. Safstrom, Delta Company, 82nd Airborne - after US soldiers killed a man setting a roadside bomb who turned out to be a sergeant in the Iraqi Army.

“The 29th [of April] was a watershed moment in a negative sense, because the Iraqi Army would not fight with us, some actually picked up weapons and fought against us. Before that fight, there were a few true believers. After the 29th, I don’t think you’ll find a true believer in this unit.”
– Captain Douglas Rogers, Delta Company

“The Iraqi security forces are militias beholden to local leaders, not the Iraqi government. Half of the Iraqi security forces are insurgents. I don’t believe we should be here in the middle of a civil war. We’ve all lost friends over here. Most of us don’t know what we’re fighting for anymore. We’re serving our country and friends, but the only reason we go out every day is for each other. I don’t want any more of my guys to get hurt or die. If it was something I felt righteous about, maybe. But for this country and this conflict, no, it’s not worth it.”
– Sergeant Kevin O’Flarity, Delta Company

“In 2003, 2004, 100 percent of the soldiers wanted to be here, to fight this war. Now, 95 percent of my platoon agrees with me.”
– Sergeant First Class David Moore, a self-described “conservative Texas Republican” and platoon sergeant who strongly advocates an American withdrawal.