isn't that whole bit getting a little old?
if i was a young guy or gal coming back from afghanistan, or rammstein or camp lejeune, i think i would find it tedious.
particularly if i was coming back from afghanistan standing next to guy coming back from rammstein who was an mp who had been busting knuckleheads and banging german chicks for 4 years.
another thing is the glorification of being a sniper
this is so hard? you hide yourself somewhere far away, armed with a spectalarly machined piece of gear engineered to put a bullet between the cross-hairs (adjusted for distance and windage), and put a bullet into the head of some person who has not the slightest opportunity of shooting back.
for this we give medals?
Its not as easy as it sounds. Shooting at long distances is extremely challenging with many variables. Snipers are an indispensable asset on the battlefield. Have you read Chris Kyle's book by chance?
Sniper shortage: Too many Marines are washing out of sniper school
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2017/03/05/sniper-shortage-too-many-marines-are-washing-out-of-sniper-school/
The sniper shortfall: Why the Corps could lose its next urban fight
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2018/11/13/the-sniper-shortfall-why-the-corps-could-lose-its-next-urban-fight/
yea, i get the need. if that guy has a rocket launcher, or is spotting mortar fire, would take great joy in it.
its just that when we go into a smaller poorer nation with vast advantages, where any opposition would have to be asymmetric, resist the notion of turning goliath into a brave hero when not under direct personal hazard, just on general principle.
its not exactly a fire fight. not like sgt. rock charging a machine-gun nest, or jumping on a grenade, etc.
i'm sure other people see it differently. the back story is i generally dont want our kids out there shooting, getting shot at in the first place - afghanistan is surely a place we could have long since left behind.
As Carlos Hathcock spins in his grave...
shareIt's a volunteer army.
sharei like to goof around. was in the marines, so i can get away with it.
when i would go around back then obviously in service, people said atta boy in some form or another, but it wasnt so ritualized.
probably just an aversion to ritual or pro forma benedictions, on my part.
probably just an aversion to ritual or pro forma benedictions, on my part
What would you say instead of "I'm sorry for your loss"? I never know what to say to the relatives of someone who died. The "I'm sorry. . . ." sounds trite, but what would be the alternative?
shareOur thoughts and prayers is another empty platitude.
shareI'll side with you on this one. A lot of service people aren't anywhere near risking their lives, and mumbling some over-used catch phrase does seem tedious to me. Hey, put your $$ where your mouth is and buy a magnetic ribbon for your car. Maybe you'll get out of a ticket or two.
btw, when appropritate I began thanking teachers and nurses for their service. One person even said I was making her tear up.
yup. all that.
shareIsrael should be thanking them. Our troops serve Israel. If they were defending our border I could understand, but the "Israelis" like Wolf Blitzer want us to be world police.
share