Of the 90 soldiers from Wisconsin who have lost their lives in Iraq, not one died before "major combat operations in Iraq have ended. " Not one died before George W. Bush stood before the cameras, five years ago Thursday, the infamous banner proclaiming an end to the war framed perfectly over his shoulder.

The numbers speak for themselves. Five years after "mission accomplished, " more than 4,050 troops have died and nearly 30,000 have been wounded.

Twenty-two years of my life were devoted to the U.S. Army. Until 2005, I had been "drinkin ' the Kool-Aid, " Army-speak for believing the company line. At that time I was in Ar Ramadi, the capital of the Anbar Province, just down the road from Al Fallujah. The death and frustration and conditions that surrounded us worsened daily and helped me to realize the insanity of what was taking place.

Three years later, it is even worse. We are now at war for the mere sake of being at war. We are at war because of Bush and his allies, who launch an unending stream of talking points like "stay the course " and "the surge is working " as their weapons of mass deception.

As Americans, we let it continue. We let it continue by allowing Bush and his legislative lapdogs to keep our soldiers in harm 's way without demanding a firm and final answer to the question: What is our mission?

Just as disappointing is that Sen. John McCain, who knows better, is parroting the company line, every step of the way as he crosses the country. He 's even suggested that we could be there for 100 years.

Maybe he thinks all of these reasons will confuse us into submission. Worse, yet, confuse us into complacency. But as we said in Ramadi, Complacency Kills.

Often I find myself ranting about these things around my friends and family until I realize that it makes people very uncomfortable. Therein lies the problem, people are unwilling to feel uncomfortable.

It 's hard being unable to express yourself. We are watching our nation slip away from us, the people, as we are coddled to sleep. Life just doesn 't make sense.

I am fortunate. I have psychological issues I am dealing with, but I am alive and gainfully employed. Our troops need our help now more than ever before.

I am not asking you to vote a certain way. I am not asking you to think what I think or believe what I believe. I respect your right to formulate your own opinion and therefore your own facts.

Many of my brothers and sisters in combat are willing to die to give you that right, we have proven that. All I ask people is that you please seek out the truth.

If a leader says we need to "stay the course, " ask "why if it 's not working? " If a leader talks about staying in Iraq for as long as 100 years, ask "how can we do that if Americans want us out now? "

Ignore the innuendo and the spin. The truth is there, but you must search for it. We owe that to our soldiers, we owe that to ourselves.

As Americans, that must be our mission. We cannot afford to fail.

Sgt. 1st Class Sanderson is retired from the U.S. Army and is the state captain of VoteVets.org.

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