My brother is in the Army and recently returned to Iraq for his second tour. While discussing my position against the Iraq War he accused me of being against the military.
As a former Marine I cannot begin to imagine being against my brothers still in uniform.
Let me be clear: I am against militarism, not the military.
Militarism is when the armed forces' preparedness is the primary concern and policy maker of the state. It places the needs of the individual below the goals of the government and those conducting its business.
The military is individual men and women serving in the armed forces regardless of the guidance of the government.
Militarism sent the military to Vietnam for over a decade in an unpopular war to fight and die for a lost cause with only the bare essentials to conduct the fight on the ground. When the troops returned to the United States, they received minimal assistance in recovering from physical and mental wounds.
Militarism, largely the fault of the Axis Powers and Iraq, drove the United States into the World Wars and the Gulf War.
Something is wrong with governments conducting themselves in this manner regardless of which side of "good" or "evil" they align themselves with.
The government puts up a facade of learning and determination not to repeat mistakes of previous wars - and the American public consumes it with blind glee.
The government has also managed to devalue the individual man fighting on the ground in Iraq.
In July 2003 an Army company was conducting peacekeeping patrols in Balad Ruz, Iraq. At that time there were nine flak jackets to be shared among 134 soldiers. This directly contributed to the death of Lt. Leif Nott on July 30.
In July 2003, after violence had escalated in Iraq, President Bush taunted insurgents in a public address by saying, "Bring 'em on. We've got the force necessary to deal with the security situation."
A year and over 650 American casualties later, the Islamic Jihad Army had a reply: "Have you another challenge?"
When we send our troops off to war we automatically assume the responsibility of giving them everything they need to fight the fight and come home safely. The military is required to conduct war that is cold, hard and evil - and in this case unjustified. However, the military has my support even if the government and militarism do not.
I was once told war is part of human nature.
Sit down sometime with a Marine, soldier, sailor or airman that has seen muddy trenches, destroyed countrysides, frozen mountains, murky jungles or parched deserts. Then look him in the eye and tell him his experiences are part of human nature. Do that and you will meet - maybe for the first time in your life - the military I support and the militarism I detest.
Write to Jason atjlhodson@bsu.edu
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