Government

American Military Is Not Playing Simon Says

June 2, 2006 ⋅  E-Mail Article ⋅  Print Article ⋅ Post a comment

The United States Government wants the United States Military to conduct proper code of conduct training for its military personnel in Iraq. Reportedly a U.S. military commander in Iraq has ordered subsidiary commanders on the ground in and around Iraq to conduct core warrior values training which will remind the soldiers of the significance of holding themselves to legal, moral and ethical standards on the battlefield. The Government dies not want this war to be associated with the Vietnam War but look at the similarities. We have a failed policy in both instances. We have a large injured soldier’s count that grows daily. We have an enemy that is just as hard to recognize as the friendlies. And now we have soldiers who are supposedly getting battle fatigued and making bad judgments on the battlefield. Maybe its our government who should learn a few lessons and provide these soldiers with the winning exit strategy so we can bring them home to where they can live a normal life under normal conditions.

How can we put so many in harms way and not expect problems or issues. We tell them here is the most powerful gun we have, here are the most powerful munitions we have, no go stand over there and don’t shoot till you see the gun powder of their explosives. Come on, what do you expect. How itchy would your trigger finger be in this situation? How dare we criticize so many who are under so much stress.

Yes some mistakes are made, and yes some vigilante acts are wrongly carried out. However, to address the military on a whole is not the proper thing to do. We need to address the individuals and not make a public spectacle of our whole armed services force.

We also need to hold the Government accountable, we need them to provide us with the direction for the Armed Services so that they can understand there is an end in sight and they are properly advised of what needs to be done to attain this end goal.

Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Multi-National Corps-Iraq commander, issued the directive. He stated, “The commanders will receive a slide presentation with training vignettes they can adapt to their organization…The will be conducted over the next 30 days…The training package emphasizes professional military values and the importance of disciplined, professional conduct in combat, Iraqi cultural expectations and the second and third order effects of actions that are contrary to professional military values…99.9 percent of the nearly 150,000 coalition forces in Iraq are perform their jobs magnificently every day…They do their duty with honor under difficult circumstances. They exhibit sound judgment, honesty and integrity. They display patience, professionalism and restraint in the face of a treacherous enemy. And they do the right thing even when no one is watching. Unfortunately, there are a few individuals who sometimes choose the wrong path….as military professionals, it is important that we take time to reflect on the values that separate us from our enemies….The challenge for us is to make sure the actions of a few do not tarnish the good work of the many.

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