Steve Burns: Good News! US has no military bases in Iraq

Whatever its value as a source of information about life in today's military, the military recruitment website todaysmilitary.com, which bills itself as offering "Honest and accurate information about the military today" does provide a revealing look at how the military interprets the words "honest", "accurate" and "today."

On their "benefits" page, for example, you'll learn that one of the benefits of joining the military is the opportunity to "Learn, grow and see the world." As the website puts it, "With installations all over the world, the Military provides many chances to explore new regions and cultures."

There's even an interactive map, which allows you to see a display of those "installations all over the world" that you'll be able to visit. Click on "Europe/Asia", and select the various branches of the military that you're interested in (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard) and you'll see this:

(Click on the map for a larger version)

Notice anything missing? According to todaysmilitary.com, the US has no bases in Iraq or Afghanistan. The 14 "enduring bases" that the military has been building in Iraq, including Balad Air Base which is now the second busiest airport in the world and home to more than 30,000 soldiers and contractors, simply don't exist.

But Iraq hasn't just been erased from the maps at todaysmilitary.com. At the site's "Myth vs. reality" page, you can view a short video of soldiers "debunking" some of the common "misconceptions" about life in the military. Here's a short quote from one soldier:

"They're very flexible with our schedules, if we have a graduation, or a wedding, or something friend-wise that we would need to attend."

Another soldier says:

"You live a normal lifestyle, you go to work, you come home, unless you're training, of course."

Ah, yes. "Training." No other reason why a soldier might not be able to "come home."