thedrifter
06-27-04, 08:22 AM
06-25-2004
Military Still Needs Old-Fashioned Values
By Ralf W. Zimmermann
I don’t believe in turning the clock back to so-called better times. But the past does hold many eternal values worth preserving. Among them are duty, honor and country, as well as selfless service and an ability to protect what’s ethically and morally right.
No doubt, the bulk of our modern American military still embodies these essential character values. Nonetheless, societal “affluenza,” selfishness, and sensationalism are gradually creeping into our military value system.
Just look at past media campaigns involving Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch, Staff Sgt. Andrew Pogany and the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. All show that focus on individuals and sensationalism rapidly shape public perceptions about entire units and operational conditions. Worst of all, too often we’re falling short of the truth and real solutions.
Take Jessica Lynch. She became an instant TV celebrity after a relentless 24/7 drive to create the first American female combat hero. Even after she had told the truth about not even firing her personal weapon, the public clung to the hero myth. Today, Lynch lectures on leadership and surviving hardships, making the money circuit with others who talk the talk but merely stumble along when it comes to really walking the walk.
I do sympathize with Army Sgt. Andrew Pogany when it comes to the inexcusable sluggishness of the military legal system and the apparent leadership failures in response to his panic attack during his Iraq deployment. While the Army failed to prove cowardice, I can’t but sense that he and his legal team are now looking for any straw to turn the case into a glossy publicity campaign and moneymaker. The straw appears to be Lariam, the anti-malaria drug blamed for several military suicides. Undoubtedly, Lariam, like any medication, probably has side effects. But so do other meds our troops take.
And – is contracting Malaria an acceptable alternative? Just ask a few vets who have it.
While many DoD critics have switched from Anthrax to the Lariam wagon, very little is told about the feel-good, anti-depressants handed out in our modern military like Halloween candy. And whatever happened to Anthrax, Gulf War Syndrome, Leishmaniasis, and Encephalitis? Please don’t abandon other areas of medical concern for our troops!
I know that our military makes mistakes – mainly out of ignorance or haste. But I never believed it had or has evil intentions to harm its troops. On the contrary, America’s military is quite unique in its dedication to force protection and care for its people.
Reading the recent slew of “hero-scented” combat accounts in GQ magazine and other pubs made me question why a growing number of young troops seem to care more about personal fame and fortune than their units and comrades – especially when compared to World War II combat vets.
Most of our elders weren’t volunteers but draftees who did what needed to be done in World War II, Korea and later Vietnam. The majority didn’t care if their picture made Life magazine or not. To most of them, the GI Bill was a hand-up, not a handout. My wife’s father, Milton Kershner, a World War II medical sergeant, even refused a military funeral on grounds that it was a handout. Our parents’ generation returned home to lead mostly productive lives. Thousands, although injured and traumatized by what they had experienced, were too proud to blame their misfortunes on the government and the pharmaceutical industry.
Maybe a portion of the puzzle on rotting values lies in a declining quality of leadership and unit cohesion. As in general society, soldiers fend for themselves when they can’t find a surrogate family or band of brothers. Thankfully, some combat soldiers tell me that true camaraderie and honest acts of courage and sacrifice are still common in some of the more elite outfits.
I’m still convinced that despite a rise in diagnosed PTSD cases, domestic violence, drug abuse and alcohol use, our military is trying to do a decent job at creating better leadership and tighter units. While many social engineers and well-meaning activists want the military to convert into a social service organization, a few good leaders still understand what is important: Without neglecting help for those who’ve experienced combat and operational stresses, the military must remain focused on preparing people for bloody combat survival!
The best way to honor the sacrifices of our troops and protect our values is to keep our main attention focused on those who do their duty for a greater good and not on those who want attention to reach celebrity status after they change into civvies. That doesn’t imply that we ignore calling attention to obvious issues pertaining to readiness.
DefenseWatch Senior Military Correspondent Lt. Col. Ralf W. Zimmermann, USA (Ret.) is a decorated Desert Storm veteran and former tank battalion commander. His recent novel, “Brotherhood of Iron,” deals with the German soldier in World War II. It is directly available from www.iUniverse.com and through most major book dealers. Zimm can be reached at r6zimm@earthlink.net or via his website at www.home.earthlink.net/~r6zimm. © 2004 LandserUSA. Please send Feedback responses to dwfeedback@yahoo.com.
http://www.sftt.org/cgi-bin/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=DefenseWatch.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=542&rnd=978.0493965656788
Ellie
Military Still Needs Old-Fashioned Values
By Ralf W. Zimmermann
I don’t believe in turning the clock back to so-called better times. But the past does hold many eternal values worth preserving. Among them are duty, honor and country, as well as selfless service and an ability to protect what’s ethically and morally right.
No doubt, the bulk of our modern American military still embodies these essential character values. Nonetheless, societal “affluenza,” selfishness, and sensationalism are gradually creeping into our military value system.
Just look at past media campaigns involving Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch, Staff Sgt. Andrew Pogany and the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. All show that focus on individuals and sensationalism rapidly shape public perceptions about entire units and operational conditions. Worst of all, too often we’re falling short of the truth and real solutions.
Take Jessica Lynch. She became an instant TV celebrity after a relentless 24/7 drive to create the first American female combat hero. Even after she had told the truth about not even firing her personal weapon, the public clung to the hero myth. Today, Lynch lectures on leadership and surviving hardships, making the money circuit with others who talk the talk but merely stumble along when it comes to really walking the walk.
I do sympathize with Army Sgt. Andrew Pogany when it comes to the inexcusable sluggishness of the military legal system and the apparent leadership failures in response to his panic attack during his Iraq deployment. While the Army failed to prove cowardice, I can’t but sense that he and his legal team are now looking for any straw to turn the case into a glossy publicity campaign and moneymaker. The straw appears to be Lariam, the anti-malaria drug blamed for several military suicides. Undoubtedly, Lariam, like any medication, probably has side effects. But so do other meds our troops take.
And – is contracting Malaria an acceptable alternative? Just ask a few vets who have it.
While many DoD critics have switched from Anthrax to the Lariam wagon, very little is told about the feel-good, anti-depressants handed out in our modern military like Halloween candy. And whatever happened to Anthrax, Gulf War Syndrome, Leishmaniasis, and Encephalitis? Please don’t abandon other areas of medical concern for our troops!
I know that our military makes mistakes – mainly out of ignorance or haste. But I never believed it had or has evil intentions to harm its troops. On the contrary, America’s military is quite unique in its dedication to force protection and care for its people.
Reading the recent slew of “hero-scented” combat accounts in GQ magazine and other pubs made me question why a growing number of young troops seem to care more about personal fame and fortune than their units and comrades – especially when compared to World War II combat vets.
Most of our elders weren’t volunteers but draftees who did what needed to be done in World War II, Korea and later Vietnam. The majority didn’t care if their picture made Life magazine or not. To most of them, the GI Bill was a hand-up, not a handout. My wife’s father, Milton Kershner, a World War II medical sergeant, even refused a military funeral on grounds that it was a handout. Our parents’ generation returned home to lead mostly productive lives. Thousands, although injured and traumatized by what they had experienced, were too proud to blame their misfortunes on the government and the pharmaceutical industry.
Maybe a portion of the puzzle on rotting values lies in a declining quality of leadership and unit cohesion. As in general society, soldiers fend for themselves when they can’t find a surrogate family or band of brothers. Thankfully, some combat soldiers tell me that true camaraderie and honest acts of courage and sacrifice are still common in some of the more elite outfits.
I’m still convinced that despite a rise in diagnosed PTSD cases, domestic violence, drug abuse and alcohol use, our military is trying to do a decent job at creating better leadership and tighter units. While many social engineers and well-meaning activists want the military to convert into a social service organization, a few good leaders still understand what is important: Without neglecting help for those who’ve experienced combat and operational stresses, the military must remain focused on preparing people for bloody combat survival!
The best way to honor the sacrifices of our troops and protect our values is to keep our main attention focused on those who do their duty for a greater good and not on those who want attention to reach celebrity status after they change into civvies. That doesn’t imply that we ignore calling attention to obvious issues pertaining to readiness.
DefenseWatch Senior Military Correspondent Lt. Col. Ralf W. Zimmermann, USA (Ret.) is a decorated Desert Storm veteran and former tank battalion commander. His recent novel, “Brotherhood of Iron,” deals with the German soldier in World War II. It is directly available from www.iUniverse.com and through most major book dealers. Zimm can be reached at r6zimm@earthlink.net or via his website at www.home.earthlink.net/~r6zimm. © 2004 LandserUSA. Please send Feedback responses to dwfeedback@yahoo.com.
http://www.sftt.org/cgi-bin/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=DefenseWatch.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=542&rnd=978.0493965656788
Ellie