Years ago, I remember a former high school classmate who joined the military and served as a soldier in the Iraq war. He was at both Fallujah and Karbala, and he saw a lot of fighting. Twice he was shot in the head and was saved only by his Kevlar helmet. However, the incidents he had caused a lot of psychological damage to him, and he got PTSD. When he tried to go for help with the military towards the end of his duration, according to those close to him, he was told to stop being a “wimp”, and that he needed to re-enlist because he was a “war machine”. He eventually re-enlisted, but with lifelong psychological damage.
This incident seems to reflect a story taking place as reported by AP News right now, where a Naval captain was fired for warning about the spread of COVID-19 on his ship and trying to blow the whistle about it.
U.S. defense leaders are backing the Navy’s decision to fire the ship captain who sought help for his cornonavirus-stricken aircraft carrier, even as videos showed sailors cheering him as he walked off the vessel.
Videos went viral on social media Friday, showing hundreds of sailors gathered on the ship chanting and applauding Navy Capt. Brett Crozier as he walked down the ramp, turned, saluted, waved and got into a waiting car.
Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly abruptly fired Crozier on Thursday, saying the commander created a panic by widely distributing a memo detailing the escalating virus outbreak on his ship and pleading his leadership for help. Modly said Crozier “demonstrated extremely poor judgment” in the middle of a crisis. (source)
This is a reflection of how much of the US military treats her own soldiers. It is also why recruitment numbers are so low and continue to drop, for because people do not want to take a job where they sign away their rights, have the potential to be treated like complete dirt, and then thrown away when it is politically or socially considered expedient to so do.
By the way, if people say that the Russian military is better, one is deceived, for they are just as bad and many times far worse.
It is a good thing for one to love one’s country. However, such love should not come at the common expense of one’s health or well-being and especially under false pretenses.
If one cannot tell the truth about a situation in the military without facing the prospect of personal ruin, as a serious question, what is the reason that one should join it unless one has no regard for human life?