When UW-Madison sophomore Eric Victor, a veteran and member of the 2003 Iraq invasion, returned home and started school in 2006, he realized public opinion was a little biased when it came to predicting how he would vote and think politically.
I think a lot of people automatically assume that a lot of people who join automatically have more of a conservative bias,"" Victor said. ""You really can't do that. People come from all different economic backgrounds [and] social backgrounds.""
For UW-Madison freshman Shawn Snyder, who enlisted five days before Sept. 11, 2001, and was deployed to Iraq three times, the political spectrum leans to the right but includes all persuasions.
""Just like anything else, you're going to find liberal people, too,"" Snyder said, adding most politically liberal military personnel do not, however, lean toward the extreme left.
""You don't find the same people in the military that you would find [in Madison], that are like, 'Oh, I hate the government, I hate the war,'"" Snyder said.
UW-Madison senior and veteran Kenneth Laczkowski said he believed the public is beginning to accept the idea of soldiers with a variety of political positions, but acknowledged the military did affect his political views while he was a member.
""While I was in, I voted more Republican on issues because they are historically the ones that give the biggest pay raises,"" Laczkowski said.
Junior Joe Dillenburg said his experience in the military even made him a little more liberal.
""I was conservative already when I joined the military; I pretty much moved to the left,"" Dillenburg said. ""I didn't get exposed to a lot of the outside world, and through ... my time in the military, I got to meet a lot of people that I otherwise wouldn't have.""
For many members of the military, service overseas has affected their view of the political nature of the Iraq War.
""I understand why we're over there, because I've been over there twice,"" UW-Madison junior and veteran Jeff Ethington said. ""Some people [have] the sheets pulled over their eyes [and] they don't know what's going on over there.""
For Victor, however, Iraq has become one more arena for political jargon on behalf of the presidential candidates.
""I feel like they put too much priority on the war, considering how ... things are actually starting to become better [in Iraq],"" Victor said. ""They use [Iraq] as a smoke screen to try to deter from real issues.""
Although Snyder did not consider the war to be over-prioritized, he did agree Iraq has become a political contest of who can pull out troops sooner.
""I think [candidates] are emphasizing [Iraq] to get publicity,"" Snyder said. ""One of the unifying things about the liberal side, basically, is that they want to end the war.""
Military experience and views on veteran benefits are key factors for military personnel in November's election, Victor said.
""If you look at, say, Obama, he's young ... but he never served in the military, so he doesn't actually know what it's like,"" Victor said. ""Granted, McCain's old ... so he has a whole different perspective on the military, but you can kind of see that people probably feel like he'll do more for the veterans than they feel that probably Obama would.""
Deciding between candidates can be complicated for independents like Ethington. He cited an Iraq strategy as one of his top concerns.
""McCain is the only one not saying, 'Bring home all the troops right away,'"" Ethington said. ""He's saying that we have to do an exit strategy; we can't just pull out.""
Synder agreed the future of Iraq rests on this election.
""Both Hillary and Obama have said they will pull out right away if elected,"" Snyder said. ""If they did that, I think Iraq shoots up in the air. It's all up to their citizens whether they'd be able to pull back together and force themselves to keep peace.""
Dillenburg also expressed concern about both Clinton and Obama's plans for Iraq.
""As commander in chief, I hope they're both smart enough to find competent people to advise them,"" Dillenburg said. ""Neither one really has enough foreign policy and defense [experience].""
For many military members, seeing Iraq firsthand has changed how they view the current American occupation.
""Right now, our goal is that we're staying until the Iraqi police are trained enough where they can govern themselves,"" Snyder said. ""To a lot of people, it just seems like we're just staying there and not really doing anything, but that's what we're doing: We're training [the police force] as fast as we can.""
Snyder does not believe the occupation should be indefinite, however.
""Once [training] is done, by all means get out of there, because it is their country,"" Snyder said. ""We wouldn't want to be occupied for longer than we had to.""
Still, for others - like Laczkowski - the occupation in Iraq has gone on too long.
""The fact that we are still there shows poor planning,"" Laczkowski said. ""I am looking for a president who will get us out of Iraq.""
Whether they agree with the war, most military personnel cannot leave Iraq without having their personal views challenged.
""It gives you a lot more experience in the whole government system, so that it makes you more learned in being a citizen and knowing how everything works,"" Snyder said. ""No matter what [political] side they come out from the military, I think they're a lot smarter about politics.""
Fighting to end a ""dire situation"": a veteran speaks out
For fifth-year UW-Madison senior and veteran Todd Dennis, experience in the Navy changed his political perspective ""like a flip of a coin.""
""I learned that the U.S. were not the benevolent leaders that they claim to be,"" Dennis said. ""There's a lot of dirty things going on around the world.""
After returning home from the military and before transferring to UW-Madison, Dennis joined Veterans for Peace and Iraqi Veterans Against the War, but found a larger support group in Madison.
""It's helped to meet people because up there, there wasn't a lot of people who felt the same way or were active,"" Dennis said. ""There's a lot more people that seem to be active down here.""
Although Dennis' military tour has been over since July 2003, his view on the Iraq War has been permanently impacted.
""I think we should begin immediate withdrawal of all troops and the military contractors and allow the Iraqi people to rebuild their country in a way they see fit,"" Dennis said.
Although the war is a prominent issue in this November's White House race, Dennis said he has yet to see a specific plan from any of the top candidates.
""From what I've seen, most of them have a lot of empty rhetoric about change,"" Dennis said. ""Both Clinton and Obama have said that they will bring troops home and start troop withdrawal in six months, and they don't have any formulated concrete plans about how to do that and about what to do once the U.S. forces leave.""
The lack of formal plan extends to the conservative side as well, Dennis said.
""You've got McCain saying that we'll be there for a hundred years, just like Korea,"" Dennis said. ""He doesn't really have a plan either; he's just staying with the current trends.""
According to Dennis, the media coverage of the Iraq War has declined in recent months and downplays the instability of the country, as well as the increasing sum of money spent there.
""It's a dire situation and all we hear is that the surge is working, but we don't hear about these other things that are going on,"" Dennis said. ""It's a teeter-totter, almost, and it's about to tip the other way.""
For more information about Iraq Veterans Against the War, visit ivaw.org.
