As has been noted, it would be surprising if the soldiers didn't want to come home. In my day, they didn't poll soldiers, but the sentiment would have been the same. I heartily wanted out of patrolling Northern Ireland, as did my men - in spite of the fact that as an Irishman, one of the reasons I had joined up was to help moderate the terrible schism in my country. (Romantic Naivety was a specialism of mine at twenty-one ) After a couple of months of witnessing the raw brutality that comes with civil war, I wasn't quite so keen.

I think the key in the poll is the high percentage who have a problem with the "as long as it takes" strategy. Most soldiers like to believe their leaders have a plan. Even if it's as hollow as "it'll all be over by Christmas", it allows for a little self-delusion and a lot of black barrack humour that gets you through. Nobody likes mission creep.

To paraphrase some early advice from my colour-sergeant to his young lieutenant:

"Nobody wants to be in a war-zone, son, unless they're still in the training camp. Those who say they do are nutters, and disturb those of us who want to be at home with the wife, but are doing their duty." *

*Colourful metaphors and expressive emphases of the time have been removed.