In the military, it is not your position to question the government. It is your duty to follow orders.
> The war in Iraq was pointless and based on dubious logic which turned out to be a lie.
It was certainly not "pointless". It was based on the following:
- Saddam was a bad actor who hated the US, and would readily provide materiel for use against the US
- Iraq was known to have stockpiles of WMD
- It was thought possible to transform Iraq from a dictatorship to a democracy that appreciated the US
None of those points is in doubt. Aside from a possible nuclear program, Iraq was known to have weaponized anthrax and various chemical agents. Our allies including Britain endorsed the same intelligence.
You might remember the celebrations in Baghdad when the US forces arrive and Saddam fled. Or the jubilation Iraqis showed after voting the first time. Time will tell how things work out in the long run, but it's hard to argue that Iraq is worse off today than it was under Saddam Hussein.
Has everything worked out perfectly? No, but there have been many sub-optimal moves since the war started, including BO pulling out prematurely and on an announced schedule.
Just remember, it's easy to be a Monday morning quarterback...