I don't know what we expect when we train people to kill, put them in a place surrounded by people we tell them are the enemy, and reinforce the idea that our enemies are inhuman monsters. To many of our soldiers, these people might as well be orcs.
What I'd like to know is this: how do you fix it? How do you train someone to be a good weapon for the military, teach them not to hesitate when they need to kill, and yet allow them to retain some humanity that enables them to see that this sort of thing is wrong?
How do you train someone to be a good weapon for the military, teach them not to hesitate when they need to kill, and yet allow them to retain some humanity that enables them to see that this sort of thing is wrong?
It's not easy, but it's doable; you have to maintain high recruiting standards (excluding those with antisocial tendencies or intellectual deficiencies, for instance) and train with an emphasis on inculcating discipline (self and external) and honour (the real thing, not machismo-in-thin-disguise) from day one of boot camp until the day the soldier musters out. And you'll still run into problems even with all that... so you need to be ready to act on them quickly to prevent even the suggestion that such misbehaviour is condoned.
Sadly, US recruiting standards have plumetted to fill the vacancies. Stuff like this was bound to happen as a result.
-- Steve's just glad the US hasn't resorted to conscription for this; Vietnam showed the hazards of that route.
It's sort of a bad cycle. the military gets a bad rep and leaders make bad decisions and as a result, people don't want to join the army. And so we drop admissions standards to fill beds, but in doing so we make the first problem even worse.
I can understand giving a soldier a break for, say, killing someone who appeared to be a genuine threat, or accidentally killing some bystander during an intense firefight. That kind of stuff is unavoidable in war. Few people choose to be killed in a war.
This, however, is something else entirely. It is monstrous, it is unprovoked, and it is completely unnecessary. There is no excuse for it, nor any conceivable justification: These men knew exactly what they were doing, and killed innocent people just for fun. Make an example of them now: Tie them to posts and shoot them. Let it be apparent that anyone who does what these men have done will be tied to a post and shot. Create a disincentive thereby to those who would do the same.
This happened because these men were certain they could get away with it. It is an army's responsibility to ensure, by whatever means necessary, that its troops behave reasonably.
This breaks my heart to read, because our son is down at Ft Benning right now in OSUT Infantry training. His ASVAB and PULHES (physical) scores were very high to where he could have chosen just about any MOS (job) he wanted.
He chose Infantry, because he felt that specific calling, pretty much from the time he could talk. It wasn't for the benefits or for college funding, and it certainly wasn't for the big money. He chose to be a Grunt because it's what he's always wanted to do. And, after his training is over, he will most likely be deployed to Afghanistan, which while I worry he'll be okay, I respect, admire and support his decision.
The question has been raised how to train Soldiers to kill but to also show compassion for a fellow human being. All I can say is I hope I've instilled that in him from birth. I raised him with empathy and tolerance, and I have always said no one person is better than another, not by birth traits, capabilities or position in society.
I know in my heart Ryan is a good boy honorable Soldier, and I always tell him to stick up for those who cannot do so for themselves. That includes civilians, animals as well as fellow Soldiers. That is especially true for the women in uniform who are so threatened by sexual assaults they choose not to drink water in the afternoon so they won't have to walk to the latrines at night by themselves. :(
Is there evil in the world? Yes. Has it spread into the military? It's always been there. But can we, one Soldier at a time, instill tolerance and compassion. Absolutely.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-09 02:53 pm (UTC)What I'd like to know is this: how do you fix it? How do you train someone to be a good weapon for the military, teach them not to hesitate when they need to kill, and yet allow them to retain some humanity that enables them to see that this sort of thing is wrong?
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-09 03:08 pm (UTC)It's not easy, but it's doable; you have to maintain high recruiting standards (excluding those with antisocial tendencies or intellectual deficiencies, for instance) and train with an emphasis on inculcating discipline (self and external) and honour (the real thing, not machismo-in-thin-disguise) from day one of boot camp until the day the soldier musters out. And you'll still run into problems even with all that... so you need to be ready to act on them quickly to prevent even the suggestion that such misbehaviour is condoned.
Sadly, US recruiting standards have plumetted to fill the vacancies. Stuff like this was bound to happen as a result.
-- Steve's just glad the US hasn't resorted to conscription for this; Vietnam showed the hazards of that route.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-09 03:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-09 03:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-09 04:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-09 06:59 pm (UTC)This, however, is something else entirely. It is monstrous, it is unprovoked, and it is completely unnecessary. There is no excuse for it, nor any conceivable justification: These men knew exactly what they were doing, and killed innocent people just for fun. Make an example of them now: Tie them to posts and shoot them. Let it be apparent that anyone who does what these men have done will be tied to a post and shot. Create a disincentive thereby to those who would do the same.
This happened because these men were certain they could get away with it. It is an army's responsibility to ensure, by whatever means necessary, that its troops behave reasonably.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-09 07:11 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-09 07:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-09 07:22 pm (UTC)which will display as
</tasteless sarcasm>
without Livejournal thinking it's actually a tag.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-09 07:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-09 09:44 pm (UTC)He chose Infantry, because he felt that specific calling, pretty much from the time he could talk. It wasn't for the benefits or for college funding, and it certainly wasn't for the big money. He chose to be a Grunt because it's what he's always wanted to do. And, after his training is over, he will most likely be deployed to Afghanistan, which while I worry he'll be okay, I respect, admire and support his decision.
The question has been raised how to train Soldiers to kill but to also show compassion for a fellow human being. All I can say is I hope I've instilled that in him from birth. I raised him with empathy and tolerance, and I have always said no one person is better than another, not by birth traits, capabilities or position in society.
I know in my heart Ryan is a
good boyhonorable Soldier, and I always tell him to stick up for those who cannot do so for themselves. That includes civilians, animals as well as fellow Soldiers. That is especially true for the women in uniform who are so threatened by sexual assaults they choose not to drink water in the afternoon so they won't have to walk to the latrines at night by themselves. :(Is there evil in the world? Yes. Has it spread into the military? It's always been there. But can we, one Soldier at a time, instill tolerance and compassion. Absolutely.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-09 10:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-09 11:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-10 03:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-10 12:34 pm (UTC)