Dear FRONTLINE,

Dear Frontline:

Thank you for this remarkable and honest portrayal of some true heroes.

Your program was especially poignant and personal to me, because I commanded the Headquarters Company of 1-8 Cav until June 2002, and knew many of the soldiers that you focused on or who appeared unmentioned in background shots. Jason Whiteley was my company XO at the time, and he is an outstanding officer with incredible potential and a tremendous love of soldiers. You allowed his true personality to show in your program. SGT Garcia, always a positive guy, had served in a number of demanding duty positions within the company and always done a great job leading his soldiers. I'm happy to learn he does so still.

SPC Babbitt -- a private at the time -- was one of my soldiers, too. I confess that I don't remember him particularly well, but was still saddened beyond words to learn of his death. Thank you for the portrayal of his memorial ceremony.

I continue to serve elsewhere of active duty, but a part of me remains with that unit, for we had a saying in the battalion: "Once a Mustang, Always a Mustang."

Glenn Dean
Columbus, GA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I have proudly served. This brings home to us all what it is to be an American. We should not take lightly our freedoms and our Country. Thank you for providing us with a clearer look at our efforts for others in Iraq.

This is the reality we do not get on the 5 pm news. Brilliant. We need more like this.

TOM ARNOLD
Fort Myers, florida

Dear FRONTLINE,

We send billions of dollars to train, supply and support and sacrifice the lives of our fathers, brothers, sons, daughters, wives and mothers for our country. The training, services and material and supply they receive are toward that end
The main and only goal of our military is to kill people and destroy property. As heartless as it sounds, that’s what they are design to do. If you use them in any other role other then what is intended, it is a misuse of power and is a detriment to our country. Our mission should have ended over a year ago at most. Everything from building roads, schools, hospitals, and a sociality are not areas what our military are design to do. It’s a job for civilian organizations. To have our fathers, brothers, sons, daughters, wives and mothers sacrifice their lives to do a job design for civil authority is shameful and unpatriotic. ...

Roger doger
Romeoville, ILLINOIS

Dear FRONTLINE,

My sister, a Army Reservist, just recently returned from her tour in Iraq, and unfortunately, the situation is worse, her ability to go and do the outreach work was severely curtailed, plus she tells me that the road to the Airport cannot be secured from attacks nor from being salted with mines,

what does that say that at this late date, with the highest level of US & coalition forces in Iraq, we still cannot secure 10 miles of a critical road in Baghdad?

florencio casarez
Santa Fe, NM

Dear FRONTLINE,

Great program. Although as usual PBS, you've succeeded in showing the liberal, negative point of view about the war. Well put together program, besides the obvious anti-war comments.

Greg Moon
Canby, OR

Dear FRONTLINE,

I wept for Babbitt, his wife, son and daughters tonight. Thank you for once again making this dreadful war personal. I wonder; has the president has wept for the loss of so many good young men? I

I can't understand why three newscasts I heard today referred to this documentary as "controversial". Or maybe I do. If America has lost the taste for the truth, then God help our men in uniform, and our nation.

Wes Chester
San Diego, ca

Dear FRONTLINE,

This documentary made me cry,smile and remember. It brougth back memories from when i was in the service,Even thought i was in the confor of my house it took me back in time. And I wish there were more info or more in deep news about what our soldiers do for this contry no only talk in the news but actual video like in this documentary.

I had my son watch it, at first he didn't want to watch but i explain to him what it was about and he watch it. after the program we had a little discution about it and he understood, that this was not a short movie this was real.

pedro ramos
covington, washington

Dear FRONTLINE,

This was an amazing program, probably the best of its type I have seen in my life, and I am in my late 50's. It is heartening and heartbreaking to see that a U. S. fighting force with such a large number of reservists are fighting with such courage and conviction.

Personally I do not support this war and believe this administration should be impeached and charged with war crimes. I should add that I am a Viet-Nam era veteran who and would have gone to Afganistan to confront the Taliban, a war that I supported whole heartedly. However my heart and prayers goes out to our soldiers in Iraq and elsewhere. I hope having seen what our soldiers are facing in Iraq that Americans make the effort to be fully informed about the world and our government, and to act to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future.

Paul Davis
Hayward, California

Dear FRONTLINE,

All I can say is that these soldiers deserve a rotation and the end of "stop loss" orders. In order to make that happen, I am willing to do my part--thus I have already sent an e-mail to the US Marine Corps. After watching these real life American heroes --its the least I can do. GOD BLESS THEM!

Robert Lopez
Santa Monica, California

Dear FRONTLINE,

Watching this show, brought such a wave of emotion. I only hope these brave soldiers come home soon and safe. If only the politicians, so-called experts, and pundits watched this, maybe they'd understand the price it will cost, in dollars, in lives and in the emotional toll on our soldiers.

Christopher Reichl
Appleton, Wisconsin

Dear FRONTLINE,

The public deserves and should demand more of what Frontline showed tonight. For all those military members who have givin of themselves and continue to do so, the nation as a whole and more importantly, our policy makers need to keep these men and women at the forfront of our continued presence in Iraq. For all the talk of not making the same mistakes as in Vietnam, if "We" are a nation at war, the nation should see the war undilluted in our living rooms daily.

As a veteran, I know what it means to be in a "band of brothers", but as citizen we all need to share in the true "reality TV" of the chaos our policy makers don't want exposed. May the insight brought to us all tonight be the beginning of opening a new dialogue amongst us all.

David Marmolejo
Los Angeles, California

Dear FRONTLINE,

A moving expose of the soldiers risking their lives day-in and day-out in Iraq. I was especially touched by the death of Specialist Travis Babbit and reaction to his death by fellow "Misfits." It's so easy to treat the Iraq conflict as a never-ending stream of ambushes and suicide bombings, the soldiers and Iraqis as nameless casualty figures reported in bits and clusters on the Internet or News Networks.

This program has reinforced my belief that regardless of politicial ideology, Americans must remember and respect the soldiers who sacrifice so that we dont have to. And we owe it to these brave men and women to honor the freedoms that they are fighting for.

Including the Freedom of Speech.

Thank You Frontline for another insightful program on Iraq.

Oliver W.S. Bordallo
Santa Clara University, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you for one of these first honest looks into what our lives are really like. I was with the 101st in Mosul during the first year and even I didn't see everything. This program gave me a glimpse into what was happening with some of my fellow brothers out on the frontlines.

While I may disagree with some comments by the liberal viewers, we are all fighting for everyones rights to freedom. My hat is off to PBS for taking the time to bring the reality into our homes, my family thanks you for putting pictures to the words I wrote home. I will definitely be passing this program around for all to be seen.

Krystal Loverin
Bend, Oregon

Dear FRONTLINE,

My brother who is a career soldier with the 101st Airborne completed his first tour and is expecting to go back. He has yet to say much about what went on or how he felt. However,he will talk endlessley about his brothers.I pray every day for their lives, hearts and souls. Understand that what they do everyday is not political and that they are doing it for us.

Stacey Acton
roseburg, or

Dear FRONTLINE,

Great job! We need more of these broadcasts. Your documentary may help me to better understand what my nephew is going through. He's at Ft. Anaconda and does exactly the same thing that Dog Co. is doing. It does nothing to alleviate my worries, but it sure helps with my understanding. Thanks.

Brett George
Spokane, WA