Is (and should) military service put on a pedestal to the detriment of other public service? (healthcare, death)
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OP, your friend lost a lot of credibility when comparing active serving personnel with protesters. Look at that ridiculous comparison. Who is the warrior? The moron shouting in the street and blocking traffic with nonsensical chants when they feel like it, or the armed forces looking to establish command and control in a region so that an area is safe for people?
The reality is...you can quit teaching, retire from the police force or as a fire fighter. You can quit all of those other roles.
You don't quit the military. You serve the military. You follow orders and those orders are going to get done. It has to be that way. Hell, you can be out of the military a year or two, on with your happy life, and if the military needs you, you're heading back to some freaking sandbox 2 blocks south of hell. Sorry family, sorry boss, sorry friend group...I'm out. For that equation to work, you need a "pedestal" effect.
The thing is, it's completely earned. Our military doesn't just win engagements, but it's now expected to do so overwhelmingly, on a timetable, without casualties or collateral damage and to a budget.
Napoleon once said how he was amazed at what he saw ordinary men do for ribbons that mercenaries would not do for gold. Tell your friend if he wants to earn the ribbon, he can sign up, otherwise to stand down.
I DO NOT agree with your friend. Any job has a degree of safety issues, but the only job I know of where you are literally contracting to put your life on the line for your country IS the military.
Your friend needs to learn to deal with the fact he doesn't want to put his life on the line so blatantly.
I hear that many military families live in sub-par housing and need the assistance of SNAP to get by. Your friend is mentally ill if he considers that a 'Godlike pedestal".
Teachers, doctors, police etc, do perform a service for their community. They are usually pretty well compensated for that as well. They can obtain notoriety as well, if they go above and beyond what is necessary to simply collect their paycheck.
I may not support the politics that gets our country involved in a war or 'police action'; but, I will always support the troops and our veterans.
I've sat many a night speaking with my Uncle who served military. He had NO war stories. He said, I learned to use a print machine. Sent flyers for other bases. That was the extent of MY serving this country. If anyone glorifies that as protecting this country we are in a world of hurt. He did 8 years of print shop training. Came back to civilian life and appreciated the skills granted thru the military. Two of my brothers early in boot training DID carry this HOLIER then thou attitude about being the saviors for us peon civilians. fast forward 30 years and neither of them utter such non sense. As my one bro said...hey for 25 years your taxes paid for my education and the health of my family. I think you served us military families more....Just a matter of perspective. Neither laid boots on combat zones. Neither disrespect the flag or the commander in chief. That is one thing I give them props for....They respect the office and respect the land.
I recall working at a mall on a veteran appreciation day.....One guy had on his army hat and was quiet. Up comes a marine vet...with an attitude the size of texas! He was rare'n to fight! The Shouting proceeded....IF it wasn't for US marines...yada yada...yada. The Army guy stood...listened and then said.....Thank you sir, we do appreciate all that YOU did to secure those lands. ANd then walked by me. I don't know many govt officials that had the diplomacy that the army hat dude did. I was in awe of his fairness and committment to keep things friendly. the marine guy was lacking in apprecaite for how each branch of the military works in unison. This Pi55ing match between branchs is a sad style comedy.....
Well, then, the dozens of Memoirs I have read from grunts, pilots and many others must be fibbing.....
Note - not saying that every area was A/C. But they were certainly comfortable and the odds were almost nil that one of those mortars had your name on it....comparatively.
Anyway, the point is clear - those in the rear had a TINY exposure to the conditions that those Cav and Infantry did. It was probably more dangerous in a week in the Bush than a year in the rear (Pilots and Heli Crews and others aside). There is a difference. A BIG one, IMHO. Oh, and 6 out of 7 were in the rear...maybe more when all is figured in (degrees of danger is the point here). Quote and link below from REMF article:
“Maybe they didn’t risk their lives but they risked risking their lives,” said Meredith Lair, a Vietnam War historian"
"We wore different uniforms. They wore fatigues and carried M16s. The fatigues were faded and had rips. They wore dirty boots and dog tags hanging around their necks. I worked in an air-conditioned office and wore khakis, starched shirts, spit-shined shoes and a belt with a shiny brass buckle. I didn’t carry a gun.” — Timothy Lomperis, who served in a support capacity"
I, personally, was not in Vietnam during the war. I, personally, was in Thailand during the war, working out of a string of vans on the flightline processing reconnaissance film and analyzing the results.
The photo-processors had air conditioning because the equipment needed air conditioning. The guys doing the guys programming the computer for mission planning had air conditioning because the computer needed air conditioning.
Nobody said the air conditioning had to be pleasant--it was well over 120 decibels.
So they'd go without air conditioning until the equipment red-lined, then they'd turn on the air conditioner until their ears started ringing, then they'd turn it off again.
My father, two of my uncles, and a cousin were in combat (also my future father-in-law). My cousin was eventually given a mental discharge, when he was the only person of his platoon to return alive and he was unable to sleep in country again. He's still kind of loopy.
My father died from Agent Orange complications--the military confirmed it to my mother about six months after he drowned in his own lung fluid.
One uncle, and my father-in-law suffered greatly from a combination of PTSD and Alzheimer's in the years before they died. Pretty sad when a man dies convinced he's being held in a PW camp.
(last sentence) You want to know how many don't think the military should be put on a pedestal after you give such a slanted opening?
That is like someone starting a thread of asking people what they think of policemen then starting the OP by........." A friend witnessed a cop come into a cafe, The cop told an elderly gent to get off his stool and move then shouted at the waitress to bring him free coffee. By the way, what do you think of cops ? "
I imagine you can think for yourself and draw your own conclusions, even if I've already made my position crystal clear. Its not like I pretend to be neutral in this debate
I still stand by my previous post. Just because a job has some unique characteristics such as what you're stating, doesn't mean their sacrifice is any greater, or less, than any other job. Try giving current military personnel the choice of either staying in their current job or taking a civilian job, like corrections officer, janitor, teacher, lawyer, sewer worker, etc. A lot (most?) wouldn't do it because they know their current job offers them a better lifestyle and better pay and benefits for the work they do compared to certain other jobs. I'd certainly want to join the military rather than do any of those civilian jobs that I mentioned. I'm not putting down anyone in the military, I'm just saying I don't believe they're anything special. For many it's actually a great path to accomplish something in life when they have few other options.
I'm curious to know what public service jobs you'd consider as requiring greater sacrifice than military service. I'm having a hard time thinking of any
Let's keep in mind that 80% of the "jobs" in the military are non-combat. For those who are in or have been in combat positions...they have my utmost respect. For the rest...it's a just a job...an important one...but just a job.
Many occupations are needed by our nations.
While you're correct, many (most?) military service members will and do serve in combat roles/areas during their time in service. That they may transition to shore duty of some sort in between more requiring less danger doesn't take away from this point.
Last edited by prospectheightsresident; 07-31-2018 at 07:38 PM..
If the military service is so easy why do only about 17% stay in and make a career of it ?
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