I don't want to get into a flame war, but is anyone else tired of hearing non-stop about the military and veterans? I understand and appreciate the sacrifice members gave in war but it seems like everything we do has a military aspect to it. I am not bashing the military or soldiers. I am not bashing America. In fact, my two best friends from high school are now are army reserve and active duty army, so I know what they do. Is it just me that notices this?
Actually, you are noticing something important. Being a Vet, I can speak easily. Yes I got a patch on my right and left shoulder. Vets are an unusually whiny bunch. Second maybe only to Farmers or Retirees. But just because they are whiny, does not mean that they should not have service related medical issues taken care of.
Part of the issue is something the Byzantine Empire was the very first to understand. Your soldiers will be much more effective if they are going to believe they will get the proper medical attention society can offer if they are harmed. Now in 800 ad Anatolia, that meant battlefield care if possible and care to return them to ambulatory if possible. Today we know much more about what war does to people.
You don't go to war and remain unchanged. You would probably be an existing sociopath if you did. If affects everyone different. The modern promise is that if you go to war and are harmed, our society is duty bound to spend the funds to treat you. If you were to remove that promise, no amount of recruiting could make up for the deficit of positions in the ranks you would have to fill.
We are all complicit in these wars like it or not. If a soldier needs treatment, they should get it before we buy shiny new planes and tanks. Its part of the deal.
On a lighter side, we often joke the military is the last resort for poor or undisciplined teenagers but then we praise the sacrifice soldiers have made. Which is it - did they join because they were poor with no other options or did they join to make America better and give back?
Your answer to both questions is YES!
You see, you have the officer corp. They make and implement policy. At the small unit level, the lieutenants and the Captain manage the enlisted personnel.
The enlisted personnel are split in two. The NCO's actually run the small unit. These are your sargents. These people generally represent people who have reached a level of discipline where they have "bought in" to the military way of thinking. This usually happens after 4 to 6 years. This buy in represents a completely different way of thinking than civilians.
The true "enlisted" soldiers are privates, and full bird privates (otherwise known as specialist 4th class). These soldiers are in the armed services for all kinds of reasons. More than you could list. Some are smart (like geniuses or something), some are dumber than stumps, and everything in between. They are more civilian than military. It is the job of the NCO to teach military methods and indoctrinate these new soldiers into being real soldiers. The NCO's get the policy from the officers and make changes accordingly.
This indoctrination and the compulsory discipline work to make knuckleheads and future geniuses alike into a disciplined fighting force. In the end, the result is the individuals ideas for their future, and the nations desires coincide. Citizen soldiers that will eventually re-enter civilian life and be productive.
Understand this, the conservative ideology of the military is different than the conservative ideology of civilian people in the US. Teabagger stupidity is not the ideology of the US Military.
The US military is a centralized authority with invasive legal powers that limit the individuals rights... For good reason. Somebody has to be the first in and last out. Civilian values are not military values, and do not work in the armed forces.
The military takes the troubled, smart, immigrant, religious, atheist, and all comers. Its not how they come in, its how they turn out!
