Rich in Valrico called in on 2/10/07 .
His call centered around this question – What would happen if everyone in the military, who disagreed with the war in Iraq, just refused and said I’m not going, they can’t arrest everybody. That’s true, but it wouldn’t be a military either. Daniel’s thought was that it would be a recipe for disaster since the military is all about order and discipline and that would cease to exist when you have the option to opt-out. This would cause anarchy and would not be a healthy thing for the military.
That’s an interesting thought Rich but in reality, it probably wouldn’t have the impact you might think. As an active duty member, I can tell you that although I’m not happy with the way this war has gone or the circumstances leading up to it, there is no way I would sacrifice my 18-year career or abandon my fellow Airmen just for my personal beliefs. You see, I voluntarily joined and agreed to do certain things and one of them is to obey the orders of the President of the United States. The actual oath of enlistment is:
“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
Believe me, I disagree with many of the policies of President Bush and this whole Iraq mess, however, I did go to Iraq when I was ordered to. If I want the option to refuse to go to war, I need to find another career because this is the whole purpose of a military. To fight and win, not to elect to fight, when I want to.
Here’s an easy way to understand what it means to be a military member. Ask anyone in the military and ask them what they do. Don’t ask what their particular job is, just ask what they do or who they work for. Almost everyone will say something like “I’m in the military”. Not, I work for the Department of Defense, I work for Uncle Sam, or I work for the government. They are in the military. And it’s not for the money either. Military members don’t get paid very well considering what they have to do and the fact they’re on duty 24/7. Now switch that around and ask a non-military person what they do. Are they in IBM? Are they in Wal-Mart? Are they in McDonalds? No, they just work for those companies.
There’s the difference. Military members are “IN” the military. It’s more than just a job for most of us.
In fact, it’s truly a way of life.
Although there will always be exceptions, military members (and their families too) seem to share a unique acceptance and understanding of the concepts of responsibility, loyalty, discipline, and honor. The folks that I personally know who have had to deploy and may have to yet again, would never refuse the order. To those who have chosen the military as a career, it is a matter of service. It is an obligation they have already agreed to meet regardless of their personal opinion. Not that these men and women have no opinions, on the contrary, most have strong opinions on the matter of deployment into war zones. They have far more reason than the average civilian to have even formed their opinions to begin with. Our active duty members are the finest patriots there are, loving this country with such passion that they live with intimate sacrifice every single day. I do not think that this is understood or even remotely appreciated by the populace of these United States.