On this Veteran’s Day

Many people in this country think that “supporting the troops” means waving the flag any time we send them in to a conflict. And waving the flag on Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. And waving it at parades. And saying “thank you for your service”.

The American Legion Post. Cheyenne, Wyoming, 2014

All that is nice, I suppose, but there is more. A lot more.

Here is what I just posted to Facebook on the topic (edited slightly):

“Speaking as a 21-year, career Air Force guy, a quick speech to non-military folks who support the military. Thanks, BUT…Supporting the troops doesn’t just mean giving them proper weapons, a good salary, adequate housing, quality medical care, and so on. It also doesn’t mean waving the flag during every military intervention by our country.

Supporting the troops, to me anyway, means–first and foremost–you DON’T send in the troops unless it is absolutely and obviously necessary; you don’t do it simply for purposes of national pride, revenge, defense of corporate interests, to improve the economy, based on uncertain intelligence, etc.

Supporting the troops means being a citizen who is informed enough to understand why we might REALLY be sending in the troops; a citizen engaged in a full and complete political debate. War messes people up on BOTH sides both physically and mentally and should be an absolute last resort.

If we had some sort of 18-month national service (military primarily, but also hospitals, infrastructure repair) with NO exceptions for being rich and famous maybe there would be a much broader national debate before we send in our hired guns–the lower, working and middle-class “Roman Legions”. (See the “Powell Doctrine” for a good framework on using the military.)

Sorry to get on a soapbox, but I feel strongly about this.”

A warm salute to the troops on this Veteran’s Day. Lets make sure we really support them.

NOTE: For more interesting reading on this topic, see my other blog posts, Support the Troops! (June 2, 2013) and Iraq, Ten Years After (March 26, 2013).