I have been away to a Army school the last few days and still another week to go before I can peal my boots off and kick back in my chair. I wanted to take a few minutes and just write a short note to all my avid fans and just kind of give a short overview of what and how I see my military.
First off I volunteered to come here, mostly because I came to learn something new, and partly I need the extra money. So there are some selfish reasons why I’m here other than the patriotic aspect of it all. There is that also so don’t get me wrong.
I had a realization sitting in one of my classes one afternoon,which by the way most classes are affectionately called “death by powerpoint”. For those that do not have a military back ground I will explain. The military likes to cram as much information into a soldiers head as fast as they can just to see who’s head explodes first from the information overload. No really, I think the senior NCO’s take side bets on which soldier is going to self immolate first and get bragging rights on a large pot of money that they all chipped into. Ah ha! see I told you SGT Jones’s head would split open and have red dragons fly forth! Almost all lessons are taught with powerpoint slides.
So back to my point. I had a sort of an epiphany and really gave me a warm and fuzzy inside. I can say with most confidence that I am the oldest soldier in the school presently so my view is kind of from the fatherly perspective. All these young kids running around me are true professionals, willing and wanting to learn, wanting to lead, and not afraid to step up to almost any challenge. Flat out hard chargers or “high speed” in Army parlance. Just really amazing to sit and watch what has unfolded in front of me. Most have been deployed once and some more than that. All before age 25! Now granted as with any organization there is always those few fuck ups that just don’t get it, won’t get it, and don’t want to get it. There really isn’t much you can do with them. All you can do is say get moving or a foot is coming your way to motivate you. And for the most part they will comply.
What I am really trying to say is that most of America does not see the military that they pay for. The only military the vast and overwhelming majority of American’s see is the huge numbers plastered on the TV news saying how much the defense budget is, and how much this weapon system cost’s or how much that jet fight cost’s. Or the bad news of some Marine pissing on a dead Taliban’s carcass. Really? Why is that shocking? They never see the human side of it. For the most part the military is like most things in an average American’s life, an intangible object.
It is very sad that America doesn’t see the human side. The professionals, the young professionals that are carrying the banner and very close to the tip of the spear for lack of a better term. All different colors, back grounds, and economic scales. They just want to serve! and serve well. They want to roll their sleeves up go to work and kick someones ass.
Now I have been around the military for a better part of 21 years, 4 deployments, I have no idea the number of detachments I have been on, 2 branches of service, been everywhere (almost) in southwest and east Asia, a cold war veteran. I have seen and served with professionals before but as with age comes more experience and wisdom. I just never realized what I was expirencing before.
So the next time you see some talking head “progressive” on the TV talking shit about the military, or some military member committed a war crime for pissing on a dead body, stop and think about that they are true professionals, young and just wanting to do the right thing. Its a job.
Oh and the Marines peeing on the dead Taliban? War Crime? Seriously? if you just had a firefight with some bastard that is trying to kill you, and you won the fight. Wouldn’t you want to go piss on there head? I would be the first to whip it out and give along steady stream. Hell they chop heads off and it never hits the airwaves.
Ta Ta from TRADOC!
Ad Parare 