Operation Truth

Some of the fiercest critics of the Iraq are former soldiers. Paul Rieckhoff, 29, as a U.S. Army first lieutenant and junior officer, was a rifle platoon leader in Iraq last year. Returning home, he founded Operation Truth, aiming to tell the public the truth of the war from a soldier's perspective, often through the media.

Journalists, Rieckhoff adds, "haven't protected, or embraced, or really publicized" soldiers who have come forward with stories. Many troops are worried that speaking out "is going to affect their career, their families, their livelihood — and they're scared. The press should be trying to propel those voices and encourage those voices, not necessarily sculpt them, but give them a platform."