By HENRY BREWSTER, New York Times

The questions reminded me that the general public is curious but ill-informed about a country and a conflict to which it still sent over 100,000 young American men and women. There are a number of reasons that have led to this. The administration has almost completely removed Iraq from the national agenda, and news reports about the war are fleeting and mostly lacking in important nuance and perspective. Add to this a still faltering world economy and a compelling legislative debate on Capitol Hill, and there seems to be few newspaper column inches left for Iraq.

This vacuum has left me and my fellow soldiers as unwitting ambassadors, explaining strategic policy and progress in Iraq to the American public. This role adds stress to the adjustments returning soldiers must make for successful reintegration into life back home. As we try to remake our lives after an extended absence, we are often asked to give our opinions and to recount our experiences in excruciating detail. And while our first-hand knowledge and perspectives constitute an important part of the narrative of this conflict, veterans should not be the primary voice speaking about Iraq. We are unable to speak fully about these issues, constrained by operational security –  an important safeguard for those still serving overseas. Our job as soldiers is to carry out the mission and bring our fellow soldiers home safely. It is the job of the government and the media to explain and justify the war to the American public.

The Department of Defense needs to allow more journalistic access to the war. During the surge and under the direction of Gen. Deavid H.  Petraeus, journalists were given nearly carte blanche that led to compelling and informative reporting. Recent  reports in Stars and Stripes indicate that the Pentagon has hired a public relations firm to screen carefully its embeds, thereby stifling their access. The Pentagon must recognize that the issues they chose to ignore at the cabinet level are left to be addressed by those of us at the company level.

The American media needs to revive its coverage of the conflict in a meaningful and consistent manner despite public weariness. Anthony Shadid’s articles for The New York Times are of a consistently high quality, but unfortunately this type of reporting is all too rare at this stage in the conflict. So long as service members remain in harm’s way, journalists need to remind the people of this fact.

The American public, too, needs to re-engage with one of the defining issues of the past decade. Iraq should retain a prominent place in the American collective conscience. With all the other challenges facing Americans today, Iraq need not be the singular American issue, but it needs to be among the important few. There are men, women, and families whose lives have been, quite literally, torn apart, and their sacrifices credit attention to the end.

The political and military situation in Iraq has improved greatly over the past two years. The story, however, is not over. More veterans will be returning from Iraq in the coming months. They need time to decompress, gain perspective, and talk about the day-to-day life they have missed while deployed. A consistent and meaningful treatment of the Iraq war by the government, media, and public will not only take pressure off returning soldiers but also honor their service. And for all the political clamor to do so, this may be one of the best ways to support the troops.

For the original story visit: http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/remembering-iraq/