Going to War?
Situation: I have been given the choice to serve in the war against terror. I don’t want to go to Iraq, but I probably will go with my Army National Guard unit when it deploys soon.
Now you, whomever is reading this, has the chance to dilute, by one soldier, the atrocities compiling by the mere presence of US forces; or increase, by one soldier, the potential for a continued and glorious victory over the Axis of Evil. Your chance to influence me through replying is small, but your contribution will be reviewed and (probably) discussed.
I am not limiting you as to what you can say, but remember I am one soldier, not the US Foreign Policy. That is to say, I want to discus why it’s important for an individual soldier to go or not go, not the nation. Additionally, I’m not as interested in practical benefits (i.e. college money, etc.), but rather the moral credits and debits (service to Nation, the unholy slaughter of “innocents”) a soldier would be accountable for either way.
This post was designed more for the lurker or happenstance reader. I’m pretty sure I know what my normal readers are going to say (that’s why I’m probably coming), but feel free to voice what you think, why you have chosen to go, or why you wanted to stay, anyway.
posted by Maddog @ 12:24 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
"Man can will nothing unless he has first understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth."
-J.P. Sartre, meditation on decisions
I'm going to have to steal a line here..........ahem
"You wanna wait a month? Or have a go at it now?"
glorious victory and the unholy slaughter of "innocents" are life's greatest callings
Well, when I was 18 I was semper fi all the way. Gung ho ready to sign up for duty. As it turns out, my knees werent good enough. Then when the original gulf war presented itself I got a call from the recruiter. It had been several years, and i was no longer quite so gung ho.
I know what your thinking. Since there was a good chance of going to war I chickened out. Its quite the different story. Originally I would have fought for a chance to be the guy on point. I was all about kill kill kill! But when I was denied, I got a chance to really look at where that came from. And I was no longer the kill kill kill kinda guy. And I sure wasnt up for taking orders from anyone. I had been living on the streets for 3 yrs, and you would think that I would have at least tried to take any offer to better my situation. I would have, but I didnt see goign to war in the persian gulf as neccessarily bettering myself.
Sorry started rambling. If you havent gone, think about this. How much does it cost per soldier per day? Are we TRUELY there for the safety of our country? If we cant take care of our own country men why are we trying to do it around the world? Just some thoughts
Good posts
I'm a normal, (ok maybe not totally normal) everyday airline pilot. 911 affected our industry heavily, as you can imagine and have probably noticed. In fact, it will never be the same again. A thought went through my head the other day when I was waiting to hear from my dispatcher as to what the company wanted me to do next after all my flights where canceled during an ice storm in Philladelphia. Things were such a mess...people sleeping on the floor, babies crying, passengers screaming at gate agents...I thought to myself, what a battlefield! Then I quickly realized that it wasn't even close to what guys like you see on a regular basis. Just thought I would relay that story and also let you know that though I may not totally agree with the war, I really appreciate your willingness to serve.
thanks!
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