Issues Under Fire: Military Service: The Risks Vs. The Rewards
If you happen to see a government-sponsored commercial while awaiting the start of a film in a movie theater, or a sporting event on TV hyping military service as a career option, I would hope young people in the flower of their lives would consider these following words. "Theirs Not to Reason Why, Theirs But to Do or Die." These words were lifted from the famous poem, "The Charge of the Light Brigade," by Alfred Lord Tennyson. This poem spoke to the valiant actions of soldiers who died needlessly following the orders of leaders who'd miscalculated the strength of the opposition. And considering who's leading America these days, America's best and brightest would be wise to consider other options. I have some ugly truths to share today, so prepare yourselves before reading any further.
The Washington Post reported today that an Afghanistan war veteran was the recipient of the first successful penis and scrotum transplant in the United States. His was blown off by a roadside bomb. And while this unidentified soldier should be happy and thankful, it should be noted, the surgeons didn't replace the testicles with the scrotum. "We just felt there were too many unanswered ethical questions with that extra step," said Hopkins' Dr. Damon Cooney. So essentially, Soldier X will live out his days with an empty nut sack. Still, while we should all be impressed with Soldier X's outcome, one shouldn't lose sight of the fact that there was an untold number of failures in the attempt to achieve this milestone. And while I don't know who donated the replacement (Soldier Y), it's safe to assume, his story was even worse. So, why would I share this truth today? Because no military recruiter will.
Commercials and military recruiters will focus the young and impressionable prospect on the glory, the action, and the honor and pride of serving their country. They sell the imagery of flying helicopters and jet fighters. The prospect is shown pictures of warriors repelling down the sides of mountains, armed to the teeth as they prepare to engage the enemy. They're riding in tanks and piloting submarines.The emphasis is on world travel and the concept of being part of a winning team. You'd be surprised how convincing the spiffy dress uniforms, emblazoned with a chest full of medals and shiny shoes, can be to some youngster without a path, a plan or even a clue. An 18-21-year-old's mind can easily fall prey to the military mottos. Army: "Be All You Can Be". Navy: "Forged By the Sea". Air Force: " Aim High...Fly-Fight-Win". And of course, the Marines: Semper Fidelis (aka Semper Fi).
Without a college education, and I mean a good one like Harvard, Yale or Princeton, rank and file college grads could be taken in by Madison Avenue-inspired ad campaigns. Once captivated by the pitch, the recruiter's job is a foregone conclusion. For those attending community colleges and low-end high schools, military recruiters are hanging about like drug dealers looking for new customers. They want to get in the prospect's head before he or she knows how to use it. The military wants minds that are easy to influence, program and control. How else do you get someone to take a gun and kill a stranger who's done them no harm or even presented a threat? How else can you convince someone to take a huge risk for such meager rewards? The pay sucks!
Young recruits rarely understand before it's too late, that military service is a low wage job, no matter how much they sacrifice. Oh sure, soldiers will be constantly thanked for their service, and maybe some admirers will even buy them a beer or two or three, but nobody can replace your f**king nuts. And, I don't want to be sexist. Young women are paying the same price for their naivety. United States Senator from the great state of Illinois, Tammy Duckworth, comes to mind. She's a veteran of the Iraq war. She was a combat helicopter pilot. She's also a double amputee. Duckworth lost both legs and partial use of one arm after being shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade in enemy territory. Tammy Duckworth was lucky. She just gave birth to a baby girl recently. And while I say God bless her and her family, I also say Senator Duckworth is the exception, not the rule.
The reality soldiers face returning from theaters of war with horrible injuries can be as harrowing as the events leading up to their predicament. Considering the United States engages in more military conflicts than any other nation on the planet, its Veterans health care system sucks as much as the salary. The Veterans Health Administration is and has been plagued with poor performance and inadequate care for decades. And despite top V.A. officials being fired and replaced with promises of reforms and additional funding to improve veteran's healthcare services, the problems, and scandals related thereto persist unabated. Unfortunately, this part of the story gets even worse.
Donald Trump recently nominated his own personal physician to lead the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. And while Dr. Ronny L. Jackson may be a first-rate sawbones with impeccable medical credentials, he has ZERO experience managing an agency of any kind, let alone one with 370,000 employees responsible for serving more than 9 million veterans with a $200 billion annual budget. In my view, the nomination of Dr. Jackson for this position makes about as much sense as Donald Trump selecting his personal pilot to head the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). If I was a vet, I'd be worried. If I was a fresh-faced recruit, I'd be horrified. If I was still making the decision to join the service, I'd be considering other options. Hey, I'm just keeping it real.
Bottom line: In America, war is on the horizon, because in America, war is always on the horizon. There's always a need to put boots on the ground someplace in the world. That's why the U.S. military is always looking for "Heroes". But if young people are smart enough to think carefully before signing on the bottom line, they'd realize they could be a hero as a firefighter, a teacher or a police officer (well, a good police officer, that is). They could serve and protect their own communities and let the world take care of itself. After all, as far as I know, we only get one life to live. So, why not live it doing what you want and not living it doing as you're told. Podcast below.
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