Ray Mendoza

So, yeah, the why, I don't question it too much. I think I could at the time. I can now. I can look back and say, okay, let's see, one, why it started. Two, why did we stay there so long? Could we have been out of there? Could it have more people to save? 100%, yes. Can't argue that. With the ROEs constantly being changing, the restrictive ROEs, and it's all optics.

As a JTAC, we have some of the most accurate, like the amount of money we dump into our munitions and how accurate they are. And they're worried about collateral damage. You're like, but that's why we spend so much money on these damn munitions. Why these contractors are getting all this money to design these awesome weapons.

As a JTAC, we have some of the most accurate, like the amount of money we dump into our munitions and how accurate they are. And they're worried about collateral damage. You're like, but that's why we spend so much money on these damn munitions. Why these contractors are getting all this money to design these awesome weapons.

As a JTAC, we have some of the most accurate, like the amount of money we dump into our munitions and how accurate they are. And they're worried about collateral damage. You're like, but that's why we spend so much money on these damn munitions. Why these contractors are getting all this money to design these awesome weapons.

And we can't use them because optics, because, you know, we bomb a school. There weren't any school children in it, but the optics is we bomb a school. Like, well, the insurgency took over the school. There weren't people in the school because they don't allow kids to go to school, women and little kids to go to school. So there wasn't any students there.

And we can't use them because optics, because, you know, we bomb a school. There weren't any school children in it, but the optics is we bomb a school. Like, well, the insurgency took over the school. There weren't people in the school because they don't allow kids to go to school, women and little kids to go to school. So there wasn't any students there.

And we can't use them because optics, because, you know, we bomb a school. There weren't any school children in it, but the optics is we bomb a school. Like, well, the insurgency took over the school. There weren't people in the school because they don't allow kids to go to school, women and little kids to go to school. So there wasn't any students there.

So it's just like optics and things like that where you're like, you know, And instead, we end up throwing a main gun around through that thing and the building collapses anyways. But just because the optics of us dropping bombs on somebody looks so bad, where instead we just run it over with tanks. It's the same end result. It's just the optics look different.

So it's just like optics and things like that where you're like, you know, And instead, we end up throwing a main gun around through that thing and the building collapses anyways. But just because the optics of us dropping bombs on somebody looks so bad, where instead we just run it over with tanks. It's the same end result. It's just the optics look different.

So it's just like optics and things like that where you're like, you know, And instead, we end up throwing a main gun around through that thing and the building collapses anyways. But just because the optics of us dropping bombs on somebody looks so bad, where instead we just run it over with tanks. It's the same end result. It's just the optics look different.

I guess dropping bombs from an airplane looks bad versus, like, sending a main gun around through it and collapse, you know, throw a barrier around and collapse and it doesn't. It doesn't make any sense. So when you're on the ground, you're like, that doesn't make any sense. They don't care that the school dropped down. They just care how it was dropped down, the optics of it.

I guess dropping bombs from an airplane looks bad versus, like, sending a main gun around through it and collapse, you know, throw a barrier around and collapse and it doesn't. It doesn't make any sense. So when you're on the ground, you're like, that doesn't make any sense. They don't care that the school dropped down. They just care how it was dropped down, the optics of it.

I guess dropping bombs from an airplane looks bad versus, like, sending a main gun around through it and collapse, you know, throw a barrier around and collapse and it doesn't. It doesn't make any sense. So when you're on the ground, you're like, that doesn't make any sense. They don't care that the school dropped down. They just care how it was dropped down, the optics of it.

So that's kind of like the sense that you get. The flip side of that is, you know, we're not animals, man. There's a lot of things we did. Once you're there and you see that there's a misurgency, which they're not local Iraqis. It's called a misurgency for a reason. You know, they're, they surge from other countries.

So that's kind of like the sense that you get. The flip side of that is, you know, we're not animals, man. There's a lot of things we did. Once you're there and you see that there's a misurgency, which they're not local Iraqis. It's called a misurgency for a reason. You know, they're, they surge from other countries.

So that's kind of like the sense that you get. The flip side of that is, you know, we're not animals, man. There's a lot of things we did. Once you're there and you see that there's a misurgency, which they're not local Iraqis. It's called a misurgency for a reason. You know, they're, they surge from other countries.

And oftentimes, you know, they would force some guy who had a family like, hey, you're going to go plan an IED. If you don't, we're going to chop your wife's head off. So he does. And then we shoot him. We don't know. We don't know that the guy was forced to do that. He probably does not want to do that. 100% he doesn't. I know he doesn't. So there's like these situations you start to discover.

And oftentimes, you know, they would force some guy who had a family like, hey, you're going to go plan an IED. If you don't, we're going to chop your wife's head off. So he does. And then we shoot him. We don't know. We don't know that the guy was forced to do that. He probably does not want to do that. 100% he doesn't. I know he doesn't. So there's like these situations you start to discover.

And oftentimes, you know, they would force some guy who had a family like, hey, you're going to go plan an IED. If you don't, we're going to chop your wife's head off. So he does. And then we shoot him. We don't know. We don't know that the guy was forced to do that. He probably does not want to do that. 100% he doesn't. I know he doesn't. So there's like these situations you start to discover.

All right, cool. All right, so now that we know this, you start to discover that there's these people that need help. It doesn't mean like we're their savior and we're trying to like Show them to Jesus. It's like, no, you do see that there's this insurgency that's coming in. They're doing things to little boys and girls and women, forcing men to do these things. And they're evil people.