Recent dialogue within our little section of the blogosphere has prompted me to dust of the old keyboard and re-engage our cyber-community with some thoughts regarding an issue that is near and dear to my heart: our men and women in uniform. In the interest of full-disclosure let me begin by saying that I'm unabashedly biased in their favor. I'm a military historian assigned to one of the world's most elite special operations units. I'm by no means bragging about my own position, but I'll gladly brag on the personnel I work with. They deserve it.

I read with great interest the Dark Moose's recent post entitled "One of Our Own" which focused on the service and sacrifice of Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Crabtree. Unfortunately, certain members chose that particular forum to opine against war in general and military personnel in particular. While I understand that good ol' DM has addressed the issue, I feel compelled as a Star Wars fan, a blogger, and member of the national defense team to speak out against the attitudes that made his intervention necessary in the first place. I'm not targeting any individuals specifically, but rather certain myths that have wormed their way into the collective discussion.

Point #1: For some of us this isn't just an academic exercise.

Debating policy decisions and questioning leadership is a perfectly acceptable exercise in democracy when conducted in the proper place. Whether you support or oppose intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq, the discourse is healthy so long as it remains respectful and sincere. However, when the conversation veers toward questioning the "worth" of men and women who have died as a result of implementing national policy, it is no longer purely academic. It's gotten very, very personal. You might be able to discuss the subject of war casualties objectively and philosophically, but those of us who knew the casualties personally will react with strong emotions. Plan on it. Each and every individual who has laid down their life during Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM has a name, a family, and story. Don't make the mistake of stripping away their humanity in order to make a point in favor of your argument. Choose your words considerately and bite your tongue when appropriate. Tread carefully with value judgments and grand pronouncements where matters of life and death are concerned.

The moral and intellectual ground you stand on might not be as high as you assume.

Point #2: "Soldier" and "Terrorist" are not interchangeable terms.

Any attempt to equate the service of military personnel with the actions of terrorist groups is absurd and deeply insulting. This is "moral relativism" at its absolute worst. Thanks to the sacrifices of soldiers past, you have the liberty to dissent when your government sends troops overseas to fight in wars. Use that freedom, but use it wisely. You do no favors for anyone (yourself included) by comparing our military personnel to murderous butchers. Groups like Al Qaeda kill indiscriminently and brutally. If you've watched the taped executions of Daniel Pearl and Nick Berg, you know how vicious and savage these extremists can be towards civilians who don't meet their ethnic and religious standards. The recent murders and mutilations of Pfc. Kristian Menchaca and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker demonstrate their continued commitment to the worst kinds of violence and human degradation. Oh, and just in case you failed to notice, these murdering zealots really do want to rule the world. They'd gladly do the same in your hometown given the opportunity. So this isn't a mere question of semantics. Equating deceased soldiers to dead terrorists is slander against a noble few who can no longer defend themselves.

Some might point to Abu Gharib or Haditha as evidence for such an argument, but I don't accept the actions or attitudes of those involved in those crimes as reflective of the military as a whole. Do we demonize all environmental activists because of the actions of a few eco-terrorists? No. Do we make villains out of all teachers because a handful abuse their students? Of course not. Yet some employ this very (faulty) logic against members of the military.

Point #3: Were it not for volunteers, you might be a conscript.

Finally, regardless of your political or ideological positions, I'm convinced that most of us take the all-volunteer military force for granted. We tend to forget that men and women who willingly don the uniform and place themselves in harm's way do so on our behalf. This isn't just sentimental rhetoric. It's a statement of hard fact. If not for these "foolish" volunteers, you or someone you love might have been drafted into service and to assigned convoy duty in Iraq. Or perhaps you'd be defending a firebase in Afghanistan tonight after sunset. Were it not for the men and women who chose to serve, you might have been forced to serve. At the very least airmen, marines, sailors, and soldiers deserve your gratitude for this.

In closing, I want to thank all of those who continue to support our troops serving overseas.especially those who do so in spite of their own reservations regarding the war itself. To those who have been careless in the past I ask that you carefully consider your words in the future.

In honor of Tristan N. Aitken and Mitchell Carver.

Lest We Forget

Darth Vadere