WASHINGTON, April 5 (UPI) -- Some U.S. military officers say the war in Afghanistan is finally getting the attention it deserves as tens of thousands of soldiers prepare to deploy.
"We felt we were the other war and couldn't understand why," said Capt. Craig Mullaney who served in Afghanistan and compared the effort to a "sideshow for Iraq."
For soldiers drawn to combat, Afghanistan is more challenging as insurgents heighten fighting in the mountainous terrain, several officers told The Washington Post in a story published Sunday.
"Iraq is looked at as the second-string mission now," said one officer deploying to Iraq. "My buddies are shooting it out in Afghanistan, and I will go to meetings and work on the sewer -- that is mission envy."
Many soldiers contend the war in Afghanistan has more support than Iraq from U.S. citizens because of the strong link to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, the Post reported.
"I don't think any soldier is truly excited to go to war," said Chief Warrant Officer James Myers. "Still, for him, the mission is vital: "I am there fighting terrorists that invaded this country."
