NYT Essay Rips 'Cult of The Uniform'...Says Soldiers Aren't 'Heroes'


walt629

New member
There are no word to describe how this irritates me.

Read for yourself. Link Removed
 

I can't help but agree in the fact that the term "Heroes" is overused an awful lot these days. Is the cook sitting in Kabul a hero for slinging hash, he's still an enlisted man. No, he's a soldier who volunteered. A 'Hero' is an individual who does something selfless for his fellow man, or lifts up others. Slinging hash does not make one heroic. But by definition, because he volunteered for something makes him a hero. That does not compute.
 
He's anti American. The only reason he can spew this crap out of his mouth is thanks to those who fought/fight for his right to do so!
 
Quick definition of Hero from our good friend Webster: plural he·roes



Definition of HERO

1
a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability
b : an illustrious warrior
c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities
d : one who shows great courage
2
a : the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work
b : the central figure in an event, period, or movement
3
plural usually he·ros : submarine 2
4
: an object of extreme admiration and devotion : idol
 
Too many words have been corrupted by misuse, by both the nefarious and the ignorant. Also, I too must agree that just serving does mot make one a hero. That in no way takes anything away from what these people do. They still get my respect and gratitude.

Words are the medium through which we convey our thoughts. If we allow words' meanings to be corrupted through misuse we will corrupt our ability to understand one another. Further, words are what we use to define our thoughts to ourselves. Lack of understanding the language we use to think in leads to fuzzy thinking, at best.
 
Everyone who wears the uniform has pledged to defend this nation with their life if need be.

Even the cook is a soldier (who can end up on the line real quick!) who is a part of the team.

-Doc
 
You said it much better than I could Hogan, I appreciate that.. Been a long day of yard work in the heat. I'm sure this is a touchy subject for some but I'm glad it's been written about.
 
Is the cook sitting in Kabul a hero for slinging hash, he's still an enlisted man. No, he's a soldier who volunteered. A 'Hero' is an individual who does something selfless for his fellow man, or lifts up others. Slinging hash does not make one heroic. But by definition, because he volunteered for something makes him a hero. That does not compute.

the key two words there are "in Kabul". They are fighting an asymetrical war. That cook in Kabul could get blown up in a bombing or shelled by an RPG just like a SEAL team could get hit. Granted the SEAL team is more at risk (a SEAL is also better prepared and equipped to deal with danger too); but I am reluctant to call any post in Afghanistan "safe". So yes, I have no problem at all saying that EVERYBODY wearing a U.S. military uniform in either the Iraq or Afghanistan theatres is a "HERO".
 
The army is a team. If the (cook, supply, medical, transportation, communications, engineering,...fill in the blanks) fails, the combat team's ability to fight vanishes.

Laymen have no idea how many people have to do their jobs right to allow successful fighting to happen.

Ask some of the cooks, supply, etc troops who fought in the Ardennes during WW2.

How about the rear echelon types in Viet Nam about having to fight.

Even a supply specialist won't be able to tell an enemy who drops by "...uh this is supply. You are looking for the infantry. They are a mile down the road..."

Everyone sacrifices something by putting on the uniform. Everyone is part the effort.

Some sacrifice more than others.

As for reporters, for the most part they are elitist dirtbags. Treacherous, sociopathic slimeballs, who twist, or make up stories simply to promote their own agenda's.

"I became reporter to help fix the world..." They should say "I became a reporter to report the news!"

-Doc
 
Bighouse Doc:222109 said:
The army
is a team. If the (cook, supply, medical, transportation, communications, engineering,...fill in the blanks) fails, the combat team's ability to fight vanishes.

Laymen have no idea how many people have to do their jobs right to allow successful fighting to happen.

Ask some of the cooks, supply, etc troops who fought in the Ardennes during WW2.

How about the rear echelon types in Viet Nam about having to fight.

Even a supply specialist won't be able to tell an enemy who drops by "...uh this is supply. You are looking for the infantry. They are a mile down the road..."

Everyone sacrifices something by putting on the uniform. Everyone is part the effort.

Some sacrifice more than others.

As for reporters, for the most part they are elitist dirtbags. Treacherous, sociopathic slimeballs, who twist, or make up stories simply to promote their own agenda's.

"I became reporter to help fix the world..." They should say "I became a reporter to report the news!"

-Doc

Well put Doc. Even the cook IS A HERO! He is the one that feeds the troop before the go into battle. That's how they get the energy to fight.
 
Quick definition of Hero from our good friend Webster: plural he·roes



Definition of HERO

1
a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability
b : an illustrious warrior
c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities
d : one who shows great courage
2
a : the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work
b : the central figure in an event, period, or movement
3
plural usually he·ros : submarine 2
4
: an object of extreme admiration and devotion : idol

Thanks for proving my point. All of the above apply to the men and women in uniform. Doesn't matter what they do. If the serve, they are hero's in my eyes. And the more the NYT pipes up with drivel like this the more I'm glad I canceled my subscription years ago.
 
Journalists generally seem to have a dim view of the military as an institution and Soldiers, Sailers, Airmen, and Marines as individuals. That being said, I and other Soldiers I have talked to agree that the word Hero is overused. Actually, hero is more often used as derisive or joking term. We just see ourselves as doing a job that most others don't want to do. Don't sweat it, we don't.

YMOS,
Tony
 
A number of people on here seem to object to the term "hero" being applied to the military today. Might I remind you gentlemen that today's military is an all-volunteer force that represents our country. These men and women have, for the last several years, been involved in wars in the Middle East that weren't of their making. They are there as representatives of our country and serve at the risk of their lives for all of us. Regardless of your opinions of whether we should be in war there or not, we are. This last few years have been different than previous wars. These people serve back-to-back combat tours and, given the condition of our armed forces and the proposed cuts in military spending, their ranks are dwindling and will cause even more frequent tours. If they live through one tour, their luck can run out in subsequent tours. I read of one soldier recently who was killed on his fifth combat tour. He left a wife and children behind because he was doing our country's bidding. Was he a hero? You are damned right he was. And, if it wasn't for his heroism and others like him who sacrifice their lives, you wouldn't be sitting on your rear ends taking what little recognition they get from them. You, or your sons and daughters, would have been drafted to serve by now if they hadn't volunteered. They are heroes in every sense of the word. Some are rewarded through individual acts of heroism and duly recognized but don't forget the people serving with them. God bless them all! As for firefighters, if they saved your life or that of one of your family, wouldn't you consider them a hero? Yes, even policemen are heroes. Not all, as evidenced by some of the comments in other threads but, for the most part I would consider them as heroic in doing work that others can only complain about. If I have offended anyone, get over it, because I damn well will not change my mind.
 
I think this is a great story about a few cooks, fuel guys and some regular support types. Don't think for one second that just because a guy is slinging hash is doing any thing less than hero work because when called to do their part to pick up that weapon to defend their brothers and sisters and complete the mission before them, these support troops did just that.
Link Removed
 
Yay... Old Grunt!
However, having been shot at... and shot back, I never have considered myself a hero in any way. Hero's were the Navy Seals we dropped off and then picked up, some of which were in body bags.
 
Yay... Old Grunt!
However, having been shot at... and shot back, I never have considered myself a hero in any way. Hero's were the Navy Seals we dropped off and then picked up, some of which were in body bags.

I never considered myself to be a hero either but, as I said, there is a difference now. We didn't have the same problems to contend with that they do today. After having been shot at and survived, we were lucky enough to come home. Unfortunately, some did have return trips but not like today. I had 21 of my men picked up in body bags and, to me, they were definitely heroes. As you, I did not consider myself a hero.
I was a professional and to me it was all part of the job and I couldn't complain. These young people today are not professional military men and women. They are doing a very dangerous job which others can't do or are afraid to do. That makes them heroes to me.
 
Old Grunt wrote - "I was a professional and to me it was all part of the job and I couldn't complain. These young people today are not professional military men and women. They are doing a very dangerous job which others can't do or are afraid to do. That makes them heroes to me."

I'll agree with that! Do well.
 
I have seen to many military and police that are TURDS and do not come close to deserving the term 'Hero'

I believe it should be reserved for someone special.
 
It really makes me wonder how many here bothered to read the article and how many just made the knee jerk reaction that the article is really about. The writer says that "There is no question that our troops are courageous and selfless" and that "We owe them respect and gratitude — even if we think the wars they’re asked to fight are often wrong." The point is what he said at the end "But what we really need are citizens, who refuse to infantilize themselves with talk of heroes and put their shoulders to the public wheel instead. The political scientist Jonathan Weiler sees the cult of the uniform as a kind of citizenship-by-proxy. Soldiers and cops and firefighters, he argues, embody a notion of public service to which the rest of us are now no more than spectators. What we really need, in other words, is a swift kick in the pants.
 

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