Do you think American soldiers are put on too high of a pedestal

[chimp3]

"I am going to kill some Ay-rabs!". I did not put him on a pedestal.

And what did he say when he came back? Lesson learned that it's not Counter Strike?

I have not seen him. If I do,  I will not be saying "Thank you for your service". I would have respected him more if he had said "I am going to protect innocent Ay-rabs from evil Ay-rab tyrants". He obviously did not know that I am half Ay-rab.

[abaris]

If I do,  I will not be saying "Thank you for your service".

Even more so since the last time American soldiers did American citizens any service was in 1945 or thereabouts.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

If I do,  I will not be saying "Thank you for your service".

Even more so since the last time American soldiers did American citizens any service was in 1945 or thereabouts.

Nothing?

[abaris]

Nothing?

What, apart from coffins, came from Korea, Vietnam, the gulf?

[Anomalocaris]

Even more so since the last time American soldiers did American citizens any service was in 1945 or thereabouts.

Nothing?

Certainly not nothing, despite being quite a mixed bag.  However, on the balance the US military did carry out a largely successful defense of such national interest as undoubtedly improved the income and standard of living of US citizens as well as much of the population of the whole world from 1945-2001.   It did this by backing the advocacy of and securing a relatively stable, predictable and safe world in which the liberal system of industry, trade and commerce across most of the entire world, the very system that trump is seeking to destroy, facilitated the fastest 50 year average growth rate in average standard of living across the whole world in all human history.  This is a contribution by the US military that is easily overlooked, especially since it does appear to require taking bullets or getting blown up, and does not quite fit the jingoist image of the military's role, but can not be minimized.

The downfall of American military's ability to continue to contribute in the meaningful manner largely stemmed of the grasping, overreaching, unilateralist ethos characterized by the 2001 Iraq war and by the small minded cynical jingoism of trump.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Nothing?

What, apart from coffins, came from Korea, Vietnam, the gulf?

I served from '69 to '89. The job was to protect the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. We did that.

[PETE_ROSE]

I would agree with the OP in that with all of the attention members of the Armed Forces get, some do not act with humility and gratitude and may even feel a sense of entitlement. Moreover some individuals feel their service gives them something extra when expressing their opinions. These people I hope are the extreme minority.

I myself have always been treated better than I could hope for or deserve by hundreds of our citizens. I cannot count the times I have been stopped in airports or on the street by individuals thanking me. (Many times when not in uniform; perhaps it's the haircut) It still makes me uncomfortable as I feel any contribution I have made pales in comparison by others before me or the difficulties endured by my wife and children in my many absences.

[Minimalist]

It was a rotation system. At any time only 10 percent of soldiers were at the frontline. It wasn't the same 10 percent at any time, and I guess it must have been the same with the US.

Sorry, but there were 9 non-combatant jobs for every combatant job.

Does that ratio still hold in the US army?  The increased use of contractors makes me wonder.

* contractors means we pay much more for services than we used to when the military handled it themselves.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Sorry, but there were 9 non-combatant jobs for every combatant job.

Does that ratio still hold in the US army?  The increased use of contractors makes me wonder.

* contractors means we pay much more for services than we used to when the military handled it themselves.

No clue. My area is WWII. And the Antebellum USN.

[henryp]

I've always thought the pedestal was a recruiting strategy. I go to a lot of hockey games, and they always have their Chevrolet soldier of the game type thing, and everybody in the arena gives them a standing ovation, and the players are tapping their sticks. They have military appreciation night, and all the players are thanking the troops.

And I think, what does this look like to a 10 year old? To see a stadium of adults standing and applauding. To see their sports hero's thanking them. That shit has to have an impact when 18 comes, and the recruiter shows up at their highschool and says "Hey, want to do that thing you've seen everybody applauding as long as you can remember?" That works a lot better than "Hey want to go somewhere awful for a little money, that seems to be mostly for political reasons these days?"

I don't stand during this time, because I'm with my 7yo, and I want her to see that it's not some unanimous 'this is the best thing ever.' I've got nothing against soldiers or the military, but the recruiting is fucking dastardly, and I won't be coerced into being a part of it.