Former US Secretary of Defense James Mattis has uncovered in his dealings with American soldiers during the war in Iraq.
"I had to take young soldiers between the ages of 18 and 19 from infantry and soldiers, and I told them you should be ready now for some people who are leaving later," Matis said in an interview with CNN.
"We went to a Sunni triangle. For example, I had 29 sailors, marines around me beside archers, communication specialists, assistants, drivers, etc. in four or five small vehicles."
"Over four months 17 of the 29 have been killed or wounded," Matisse said, adding that when fighting in places like Fallujah (west of Baghdad), troops should be equipped at the highest level to face adversity and unexpected things.
Mattis resigned from the administration of US President Donald Trump last December, after a dispute over the announcement of the sudden withdrawal of US troops from Syria.
Fallujah was the scene of bloody battles between the US military and Iraqi insurgents against them between 2003 and 2004, in which the US military lost many of its soldiers.