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I dearly love mythology, but I’m not so fond of false beliefs, particularly as applied to the U.S. armed forces. Herewith, then, I present:
Top Five Annoying Mythconceptions About the Military |
People join the military out of desperation when they don’t know what else to do.
Grrrr. Wrong. So wrong. Recruiting statistics show that people join the military in order to pursue a combination of goals, including service to country, personal development, to learn career skills, and to get an education.
The military transforms people into brutes.
Again: so, so wrong. When journalist Thomas E. Ricks was embedded with a group of Marine recruits, he concluded that the military trumps high school for teaching important character lessons. These include: Tell the truth; choose the difficult right over the easy wrong; real wealth is measured not in terms of money but in terms of character; and other qualities. BTW, you can read Ricks’ first-hand research report in his excellent book, Making the Corps.
Military people are a bunch of right-wing nutjobs.
Military personnel cover the political spectrum. Sure, that includes right wingers. But some of the most ardent liberals I know are soldiers and retired soldiers, among them a high ranking Army combat commander and innumerable enlisted front-liners.
Military people love war with a fiery passion; they can’t wait to fight.
The people who dislike war the most are those who fight it. They know first hand the price of combat. One of our nation’s most esteemed soldiers, retired Army General Barry McCaffrey, recently wrote: “Military intervention must be the tool of last resort.”
It doesn’t matter that soldiers get killed in action. They volunteered to serve, so it’s okay.
Don’t even get me started on this one…. Come to think of it, do get me started. This attitude enrages me. It’s selfish, elitist, and parasitic. I believe we need to rework our mil-staffing policy and share the burden throughout society. This will cut down on the grueling burden now placed on military families, and might, in fact, result in much smarter use of the troops.
Article Source: Susan Katz Keating, EzineArticles.com
