re: They have a lot to gripe about
I don't think anybody denies a soldier's right to gripe. It's been a hallowed privilege of soldiers since the weapon of choice was a fire-hardened pointed stick. But most of them "keep it in the family" so to speak.
I think that griping to the press was stepping over the line. It plays directly into the hands of their enemies in Iraq who believe that if they harry the soldiers enough, the U.S. will bail out.