Over the weekend I attended a birthday BBQ for a friend turning 40. Among the other guests: a career Army guy steadily adding chevrons below his sergeant stripes. While Danny did a stint as a recruiting sergeant and a bunch of other U.S. based things, he specialty is combat. He recently returned from another visit to east Asia. While there he earned a Bronze Star.
He doesn’t talk much about that part of his job but it’s fair to say the Army doesn’t give out Bronze Stars for timely completion of paperwork.
Since the dawn of warfare old men have sent young men to fight. Of course, it is imperative that the youth of a nation only be placed in danger for critical, noble causes.
After 17 years in Afghanistan, I wonder if that cause is critical and noble enough to risk Danny not coming back to his wife and two kids.
The big drawback to an all-volunteer military is that most people, most families can isolate themselves from the reality of war. That’s probably not a good thing.
Submitted by Glenn Koenen, WCD Member