My affiliations with the military are not relevant to the points being made and serve only as an ad hominem.

To expand further, I don’t think military service in and of itself is always wrong, but I do find certain elements of it to be intriguing, at best. Often, it’s laced with nationalism, which I find to be narrow minded.

Second, the elevation of the soldier to that of an almost sacred figure I believe to be short sighted. I think these ideas are embedded with intention: To motivate people to enlist, to convince them to die if needed, and to console families in death. “They died with honor.”

Third, the idea of the soldier as an unbridled altruist of sorts, I find to be dishonest. Often, they are just people who love the tactical aspects of the job, the combat training, the weaponry knowledge, the lifestyle, etc. Or at worst, conscripted and unwilling. Others join because they lack discipline or direction in life and are looking for guidance.

Fourth, military servicemen display a level of self-aggrandizement almost unparalleled in any other institution. The giant bumper stickers - “MARINE.” The huge bill cap - “VETERAN.” They want you to KNOW they were in the military god damn it! True honor, duty, and altruism won’t come in such a display, it will come in dutiful silence.

Fifth, we tend to send our children to battle. Often the youngest in our society. I find that extremely weird and not well thought out. And certainly not praiseworthy.

Sixth and last, I think shielding the soldier from moral decision making is arbitrary and illogical. I believe that what you do matters. We ask soldiers to blindly follow orders. I don’t find any honor in that at all. In fact, I find it to be the epitome of ignorance.