Read on Twitter
<Thread> Read this @WarOnTheRocks piece by @RobertJRalston & Ron Krebs, but I've mixed feelings about it.
If it'd been published on Veterans Day, I'd likely give it a ringing endorsement.
But today, it seems off to me -- because my friends are dead. 1/ https://warontherocks.com/2020/05/this-memorial-day-lets-finally-start-having-an-honest-national-conversation-about-military-service/
If it'd been published on Veterans Day, I'd likely give it a ringing endorsement.
But today, it seems off to me -- because my friends are dead. 1/ https://warontherocks.com/2020/05/this-memorial-day-lets-finally-start-having-an-honest-national-conversation-about-military-service/
If you've read anything I've written or followed me for long, you know I think there are real dangers in putting those of us in uniform on a pedestal.
We're flawed human beings, too, and we have no special wisdom or virtue simply because we served. 2/
We're flawed human beings, too, and we have no special wisdom or virtue simply because we served. 2/
I, personally, joined for almost exactly the economic reason they noted in their survey options: "for the pay, benefits, and skills they get in exchange for military service."
I went to West Point for the scholarship and for the challenge, and I did it before 9-11. 3/
I went to West Point for the scholarship and for the challenge, and I did it before 9-11. 3/
As I tweeted yesterday, I don't think most of us who serve fully understand what we are getting into or the risks we could potentially face.
And most of us don't die in combat. 4/ https://twitter.com/jimgolby/status/1264604101138165761?s=20
And most of us don't die in combat. 4/ https://twitter.com/jimgolby/status/1264604101138165761?s=20
And my observation of most soldiers is that they joined because they wanted a better life--either to be a better version of themselves or for the opportunities they saw in military service.
Some succeed; some fail. As I prepare to retire, I'm trying to figure out which I did. 5/
Some succeed; some fail. As I prepare to retire, I'm trying to figure out which I did. 5/
But on #MemorialDay, we're not just talking about veterans or about those of us still in uniform.
We're remembering those who died in the line of duty.
Those who gave their lives in service of a mission their nation asked them to complete. 6/
We're remembering those who died in the line of duty.
Those who gave their lives in service of a mission their nation asked them to complete. 6/
Are they heroes simply because they died in combat? Should we hold them up as moral exemplars?
And, what we do we owe those gave their lives?
I'm not sure I have it figured out, but I'll take a stab -- and I'd love to hear what others think in the comments. 7/
And, what we do we owe those gave their lives?
I'm not sure I have it figured out, but I'll take a stab -- and I'd love to hear what others think in the comments. 7/
Now, I'll be the first to admit that not everyone who serves in the military is a hero -- and many who serve in other ways (some diplomats, journalists, doctors, and many more) can be.
And dying isn't enough to be a hero or moral exemplar, at least in my mind. 8/
And dying isn't enough to be a hero or moral exemplar, at least in my mind. 8/
But I'm pretty goddam sure that there's a lot higher percentage of heroes among those who died in military service than among the rest of us, and today is one day to remember them and to tell their stories. 9/
I still struggle with, and often feel guilty about, the fact that some of dying in combat seems to be about chance -- that some people just had bad luck, and I didn't. And maybe that's true.
But as I think about individual stories, I'm often far less sure. 10/
But as I think about individual stories, I'm often far less sure. 10/
Sergeant First Class Marvin Miller was often an asshole, and he & I rarely got along.
But on the day he died, he was out front at a checkpoint--when many in his position wouldn't have been--so he was in harm's way when an insurgent drove up & fired. 11/ https://thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-sgt-1st-class-marvin-l-miller/257156
But on the day he died, he was out front at a checkpoint--when many in his position wouldn't have been--so he was in harm's way when an insurgent drove up & fired. 11/ https://thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-sgt-1st-class-marvin-l-miller/257156
My classmate, CPT Andy Houghton, got hit by RPG fire on July 10 & died a month later.
It was his first day from block leave and I remember his platoon sergeant telling him he would go on patrol so he didn't have to. But he did -- and he knew the risk. 12/ https://thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-capt-andrew-r-houghton/299271
It was his first day from block leave and I remember his platoon sergeant telling him he would go on patrol so he didn't have to. But he did -- and he knew the risk. 12/ https://thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-capt-andrew-r-houghton/299271
Or MAJ Tom Bostick, who sustained fatal wounds when placed himself between his soldiers and a line of enemy fire in Afghanistan. 13/
https://thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-maj-thomas-g-bostick-jr/2938003
https://thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-maj-thomas-g-bostick-jr/2938003
Or Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician Shannon Kent, who I didn't personally know, but who was killed in a 2019 ISIS suicide attack in Syria. 14/ https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/08/us/shannon-kent-military-spy.html
And I could go on...
I'm sure these people were heroes, and I'm sure they placed themselves and their lives ahead of others -- and they paid the price for doing so. 15/
I'm sure these people were heroes, and I'm sure they placed themselves and their lives ahead of others -- and they paid the price for doing so. 15/
Others who died in military service weren't heroes. They were just victims of bad luck or bad timing, or maybe they even made mistakes that contributed to their death. War is messy.
And whether we agree with the wars they were fighting or not, they died on our behalf. 16/
And whether we agree with the wars they were fighting or not, they died on our behalf. 16/
Does this mean they all joined for patriotic reasons? Absolutely not.
But does that really matter? Should it? Not today. 17/
But does that really matter? Should it? Not today. 17/
So what do we owe them?
We should remember them. We should tell their stories. We should take a minute to reflect on the fact that they were real people -- some heroes, some not -- who died because we asked them to do so. 18/
We should remember them. We should tell their stories. We should take a minute to reflect on the fact that they were real people -- some heroes, some not -- who died because we asked them to do so. 18/
If you don't know anyone who died in the mil, that's not surprising. Our military is pretty small these days. But take a few minutes to explore this great link that @MilitaryTimes put together to honor the fallen and learn about some of their stories. 19/ https://thefallen.militarytimes.com/
I agree with the authors that we should be honest about the different motivations for why people joined, why they stayed, who they were, and why/how they died.
But we don't need to be flippant or disrespectful about their motivations, either. 20/
But we don't need to be flippant or disrespectful about their motivations, either. 20/
Where the authors suggest that "bonuses are trotted out" when retention is hard, we should recognize that troops are receiving extra compensation precisely BECAUSE they are doing a is a risky job that many others didn't want to do -- instead of suggesting a purely $$$ motive. 21/
Another thing we owe the people who died is to take care of their families and loved ones.
If you are looking for concrete ways to help, @TAPSorg is a great place to look first. 22/
If you are looking for concrete ways to help, @TAPSorg is a great place to look first. 22/
But the most important thing we owe the war dead, and future generations, is to invest ourselves in ensuring that our national choices never place service members unnecessarily in harms' way.
We should ensure that deaths are worth the policy choices we make. So are they? 23/
We should ensure that deaths are worth the policy choices we make. So are they? 23/
So no matter what your views are or whether you support/oppose recent wars, participate in our democracy. Be informed. Exercise your free speech. Honor those who died by ensuring that every sacrifice we ask current and future service members to make is worth it. 24/
Because I do think that #MemorialDay is about sacrifice.
It is not about the troops or about veterans, and there the authors criticism of milvet worship is right on.
But today is about the men and women that WE SACRIFICED. It is about those we asked to die for us. 25/
It is not about the troops or about veterans, and there the authors criticism of milvet worship is right on.
But today is about the men and women that WE SACRIFICED. It is about those we asked to die for us. 25/
I wish @WarOnTheRocks had waited to launch this conversation for another day.
Because we shouldn't conflate veterans or those whose are serving with those who died in uniform, for good or ill.
And there's a key difference we shouldn't forget: we're here, and they're not. 26/26
Because we shouldn't conflate veterans or those whose are serving with those who died in uniform, for good or ill.
And there's a key difference we shouldn't forget: we're here, and they're not. 26/26
