From: Michael S. Lorrey (retroman@turbont.net)
Date: Wed Oct 04 2000 - 13:55:29 MDT
hal@finney.org wrote:
>
> Mike Lorrey writes:
> > A person who enlists due to the weakness of their pride, ego, etc., being afraid
> > of what people would think if they did not serve, and too wimpy to declare
> > themselves a concientious objector, then gets into combat and refuses to stand
> > by his comrades who are risking their lives to save his ass from the enemy, yes,
> > by damn, that person IS a coward. There is no other word to describe such a
> > person.
>
> And you said that only a small minority of soldiers DON'T fall into this
> category, right? Only a few soldiers in a platoon would actually fight?
> What you're saying implies that the vast majority soldiers are cowards,
> in your opinion.
A large percentage, but not nearly so cowardly as those that turn tail and run.
>From my military experience, I found most people were not interested in combat
whatsoever. It has been the said that the best place to hide from a war is in
the military (if you get in early you can get a non-combat position, and only
the idiots who let themselves get drafted become cannon fodder). Leading up to
the Gulf War, I found that most of the women in my unit, married or otherwise,
were very interested in getting themselves pregnant to avoid getting sent over.
Buddies of mine in the Navy have told me of ships with large percentages of
women crewmembers causing the ship they were on being declared unfit for combat
duty because so many of the female crew had gotten pregnant and sent to shore
duty.
Today's military is so bureaucratic and rule bound that it now operates to drum
out of the service the individuals who would be the best warriors. Getting
busted in a barfight is a court martial offense, for example, when it used to be
that your CPO, Gunny, or First Sergeant would bail you out and therafter count
on you for the jobs that needed doing. Officers and NCOs are more interested now
in getting their cards punched, having a clean record of no accidents, no out of
service equipment (if you don't use it, it can't wear out), and everyone in a
clean ship shape uniform, shave and a regulation haircut, so they can retire at
the highest possible rank before getting RIFFed. Actual combat is a risk to your
chances for promotion.
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