And highlight the media's fixation on the bad news.
Days are long and hard for the soldiers, but they do have some leisure time.
"In our free time, mostly we read books, listen to CDs, play video games and watch movies," Sgt. Brian Biesemeyer, 29, of Shelby wrote. "We're a lot like a kid who's been grounded.
"We also talk about home and our families and what's in the news," he added. "I also try to go to the chapel whenever I can."
Some soldiers took issue with the media portrayal of war and subsequent military occupation.
"All you see on the news in Iraq is what went wrong or what attacks have happened to U.S. troops," Staff Sgt. Erik Pedersen, 31, of Billings wrote. "What you do not see is what we are doing to get this country back in order."
What is lost between here and there, Sgt. Michael Boller, 23, of Billlings said, "is the face of the Iraqi civilian. I'm not talking about the Regime, or the soldiers who fought against us. I'm talking about the people who drive to work everyday hoping to be paid so they can feed their families. The man who was aware of the war going on behind him and hoping that it would also set a new standard for him and his family's future. Television focuses on the wreckage of a HUMMWV (a Humvee) instead of the soldier giving a small child a handshake."
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