we were so handcuffed by our rules of engagement that it was detrimental to our missions.  Troops do worry if their chain of command will support them or if they will be prosecuted.

If you say the rules are fair, then you have never been in combat...especially against an enemy that wears no uniform and has zero rules other than to kill you and whoever else happens to be in the wrong spot.

Case in point: Charles Martland. Exemplary Green Beret, does the right thing, and is being #badword#ed with a mile-long dick by his chain of command.  POTUS/CIC is silent. http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/careers/army/enlisted/2016/02/29/army-again-delays-separation-green-beret-who-beat-up-afghan-commander/81105196/

When you are the only one with restrictive ROEs, we take unnecessary casualties because we have to fight with one hand behind our back and lawyer bureaucrats lurking around every #badword#ing corner.

"Afraid to fight" isn't an apt description, because nobody I knew was afraid to die.  I knew a lot who worried about being prosecuted for fighting an ugly war of attrition for trying to fight for their brothers (yeah, I fought for the Marine on my left and right, not the #badword#ing politicians or some national objective...if you've never been in combat, I can't make you understand). 

 The ROEs when we pushed into Fallujah were WWII style...and we wrecked their sh!t in an extremely efficient manner.  This goes along with my long running theme that we, America, half-ass everything.  If you want to fight a war, fight a #badword#ing war.  This peacekeeping/police action bull#badword# isn't what we are here for.  We are here to stack enemy bodies and win the war, not hearts and minds.

Hallelujah, holy #badword#. Where's the Tylenol?