Mike, maybe so, but it is much easier to point out such possibilities on this forum, which seems to be practically 'dedicated' to the RAF and RN. It's easy to be a big fish in a small pond, in which few members of the US military 'swim': it is doubtful that more than a few members of the US military even read this forum.
Most of my flying has been as a civilian, and frankly, I hope that the troops over there will steadily be pulled out sometime soon. The more in-depth descriptions (from the best editorial which I've read about Iraq, either Friedmann of the NY Times, or Krauthammer of the Wash. Post Writers Group?) of the situation there indicate to me that it now consists of a long-suppressed civil war, unleashed by the fall of Saddam's government. And with our (still) naiive US thinking, we seem to believe that the country can fairly quickly become a democracy and begin to live by some sort of Magna Carta and Bill of Rights etc?
I'm certainly for supporting all of the troops, but must they be forced to stay there indefinitely in huge numbers?
