by Gene C. Kamena
Download the Full Article: Iraq: Finding a Victory
When the President announced the end to combat operations in Iraq; Operation Iraqi Freedom ended, but is our mission in Iraq finished? As one of over a million veterans who served and fought in Iraq, I cannot help but ask, "Did we win and was this effort worthwhile?" Were the seven and half years of American commitment worth the cost in terms of lives, national treasure, and disruption to families? Today, it feels like a hollow victory; fifty thousand fellow Americans are still in Iraq, the Iraqi government is in turmoil, and violence is on the rise. In this war where nothing was as it appeared, the enemy at night acted as your friend during the day, and liberators were often painted bad as people in the international media. Alas, it may be fitting to have an inconclusive end to our involvement in Iraq.
Download the Full Article: Iraq: Finding a Victory
Professor Gene C. Kamena currently teaches Leadership and Ethics at the Air War College in Montgomery, Alabama. He is a retired Army Infantry Colonel. He holds a B.A. in History from Auburn University and a Masters Degree in Military Art and Science from Central Missouri University. He graduated from the Army War College in 1998 and Commanded the 2nd Brigade, 1AD. He also served as the Chief of Staff for the 1st Infantry Division, Director of Staff of U.S. Space Command and the Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Northern Command, Director for Iraqi Security Forces and formed and led an Iraqi Special Border Commando Brigade on the Syrian border. His operational deployments include; Desert Shield Desert Storm, Macedonia, Kosovo, and Iraq (OIF).
