Stand up for the war

[jgruber]

He said he supported the war, he enlisted, but did not volunteer to fight the war he said was right.

It says a lot about his character.

That he chose other ways of serving his country?  I would tend to believe that he made the proper choice, for him.  However, I don't see how that lessens his belief in a cause.

What did you mean by your last comment?  To be honest, because of George H.W. Bush I always get extremely confused when people start mentioning only "Bush".

Dubya expressed support for vietnam, but did not try to serve in vietnam.
what does that say about him?

[jrhc1210]

I just don't understand the argument that if you support the war you should fight in it. Wouldn't it be counterproductive if you'd make a BAD soldier / officer?

How do you know unless you try?

But the point is that if you are asking others to fight, kill and die, shouldn't you be willing to do the same?  No offense, just asking.

No offense taken, and yeah, it IS hard to support the war when my best friend is about to hit the front lines in Iraq as a 2nd Lt - aka fodder for RPGs. As for myself, I would serve if drafted, but in the current case I think I could serve the military better as a thinker rather than a fighter. And if someone in the intelligence community is reading this post right now, I invite them to recruit me. 

[Section Eight]

And if someone in the intelligence community is reading this post right now, I invite them to recruit me. 

Invitation declined!

[jgruber]

I thought the same way in my day.  I was a lousy soldier because I wanted to think for myself.  I am told that doesn't work in war.

It has to be tough to see your contemporaries fight a war.  I saw friends' older brothers go to Vietnam and come back destroyed.

I just don't understand the argument that if you support the war you should fight in it. Wouldn't it be counterproductive if you'd make a BAD soldier / officer?

How do you know unless you try?

But the point is that if you are asking others to fight, kill and die, shouldn't you be willing to do the same?  No offense, just asking.

No offense taken, and yeah, it IS hard to support the war when my best friend is about to hit the front lines in Iraq as a 2nd Lt - aka fodder for RPGs. As for myself, I would serve if drafted, but in the current case I think I could serve the military better as a thinker rather than a fighter. And if someone in the intelligence community is reading this post right now, I invite them to recruit me. 

[jrhc1210]

And if someone in the intelligence community is reading this post right now, I invite them to recruit me. 

Invitation declined!

It was worth a shot

I thought the same way in my day. I was a lousy soldier because I wanted to think for myself. I am told that doesn't work in war.

It has to be tough to see your contemporaries fight a war. I saw friends' older brothers go to Vietnam and come back destroyed.

I just don't understand the argument that if you support the war you should fight in it. Wouldn't it be counterproductive if you'd make a BAD soldier / officer?

How do you know unless you try?

But the point is that if you are asking others to fight, kill and die, shouldn't you be willing to do the same? No offense, just asking.

No offense taken, and yeah, it IS hard to support the war when my best friend is about to hit the front lines in Iraq as a 2nd Lt - aka fodder for RPGs. As for myself, I would serve if drafted, but in the current case I think I could serve the military better as a thinker rather than a fighter. And if someone in the intelligence community is reading this post right now, I invite them to recruit me.

Half my friends are rotc people - although most are Navy, not Marine. I don't think any of them fully understood how much their lives would change after 9/11

[TrojanChispas]

that is some bs...you want to do all the thinking huh?  you want to make the decisions that are life and death as long as you arent in harm's way?  such a cop out

[Section Eight]

My grandfather served in WWII and Korea -- I heard when he returned he was a much different man.  My father, mother, and uncle all served in Vietnam -- naturally it changed their lives.  My father and uncle both served in Desert Storm -- can't say it changed them in any way.

I have served, my wife served for 6 years, my cousin is a Blackhawk pilot in the Army, my other cousin (his brother) is an infantry grunt in the Army (both are in Baghdad right now).  Every serious friend I have ever had is serving in the military in some fashion (some are military contractors now).

It is very hard having loved ones serve in a war; however, I have the luxury of feeling like our country is in good hands with these wonderfully loyal people protecting them.

[jrhc1210]

that is some bs...you want to do all the thinking huh?  you want to make the decisions that are life and death as long as you arent in harm's way?  such a cop out

I don't want to make any decisions - I agree with you that the best people for making the decisions are the people who actually have military experience.

Hmm...Maybe you're right - I'd be a lot more likely to head to OCS if, say, we had another Korean conflict.

[TrojanChispas]

good then dont make any decisions and stop trying to advocate for this war

[nekko]

But to ask someone to kill and die for what you believe in seems substantially different.

How is it different than what we ask the police do? I think it's important for police to fight crime. I think it's worth them risking their lives to do it. I think it's worth them sometimes taking lives to accomplish that task. Does the fact that I don't really want to be a cop make the belief in fighting crime via using police less worthy? There's been a fire in the area where I live. I think it's important for them to fight the fire and risk their lives doing so. Are the rest of us less worthy for professing a desire to fight fires but unwilling to join the fire department? The list goes on and on.