|
as with VN, is that the military, even including the risks of combat, is a good choice for many that was then and is now clouded by misuse of the military*. The training, leadership skills, organizational skills, comaraderie, etc. can be wonderful life experiences, whether for a career in the military, or as a precursor to a civilian career. I hope she gains from the marines as much as she gives. Despite the current debacle, this country desperately needs to rebuild the military as we (we all fervently hope) finally put this relentless grind behind us, and we as a nation need people like Katie.
She is going to a fundamentally good organization, with a proud tradition.
Semper Fi!
My thanks to her for her willingness to serve.
And remember, despite the daily horror stories of casualties, as well as stories of atrocities, there are 160,000 people in uniform in Iraq, and the "incidents" as the DoD euphemistically calls them, while awful, are much, much smaller numbers.
*The military command and control structure is certainly at fault in both instances. They build an organization with a purpose, hone it (generally) to fulfill that purpose, but then, given an ill-fated mission that they know is doomed to failure, they "soldier on," with noted exceptions putting career ahead of principle - and thus ahead of the well-being of the troops.
|