Richard
09-22-2009, 07:35
Jerry Hogan is a retired LTC who served in the 10th SFG in the early days of SF and who volunteers to write these weekly columns for local papers here in the DFW area - he also sends these out for review and comment by a number of us here in the area prior to their being sent to press. ;)
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Why the Best?
Jerry Hogan, The Military View, 21 Sep 2009
Each year there is a poll taken by the Harris organization of fifteen national institutions. In this Harris Poll, adults are asked to rate their confidence level in the people running these national institutions. Not surprisingly, each year the military ranks highest of all the organizations considered. It has been like this over the last twenty years.
In the annual survey conducted in February of this year, adults with “a great deal of confidence” in people running these institutions, today versus last year, showed:
2008 - 2009
US military 51% - 58%
Colleges 32% - 40%
White House 15% - 36%
Medicine 28% - 34%
TV News 16% - 22%
Why then do the military services continually rank as the highest organization in the country in terms of the degree of confidence the citizens have in that organization? Three major reasons.
First, our citizens know that the military has never let the American people down; the military does what America asks it to do. Think about the issues over the various recent wars our country has been involved with. In World War I, the war to end all wars, the issue was whether we should have entered the war, not the way our Soldiers fought the war. In WWII there were strategic choices that were made and there were production issues, but never on how the American fighting man fought the war or the leadership in the Pentagon or on the battlefield. In Korea, the issues were political in terms of the 38th parallel and the stalemate that developed, but again not how the war was fought. Vietnam was strictly a political war, to include what bombing raids would be made and how they were to be made, being directed from the Washington political establishment. The military continued to advocate for more military control of the battlefield with little success. America lost its heart for this war and our fighting men and women were unjustly accused of acts that still bother Vietnam veterans, but even with all of this, America continued to believe in its armed force, just to a lesser degree.
The wars in the Middle East, 1992 and 2002, brought confidence back to the American people in its military. Excursions into Bosnia, Kosovo, and Croatia were again successful extensions of American projected power and criticism of the military never became an issue. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan caused much political rhetoric, but never criticism of our fighting forces. America’s military delivered on what they were asked to do!
Second, the American military polices itself and cleans up its own messes. Think about the scandals that surround some of our political leaders; infidelity, theft, bribery, tax evasion, lying, misuse of power and influence, etc. But how many of these events are ever taken to their rightful conclusion in a courtroom or in a public removal of the person from office? You can cite the same type problems with the other organizations considered. None of them have the ability or the will to clean their own dirty linen.
It’s not like that in the military. Each person in the service is under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Simply put, this is the code of law that all military personnel follow. This military justice code defines in detail how a service member will conduct themselves and it defines the various violations of the code that will subject the individual to judicial action. These violations range from sleeping on guard duty, to disrespect to a non-commissioned officer or officer, to murder, to adultery, to conduct unbecoming a Soldier, and the list goes on and on. And most importantly, every person in the service knows they fall under this code, they all have received training on the code, and they all know if they violate the code, THEY WILL BE CHARGED AND MILITARY COURTS ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST THEM. It makes no difference if one is a Private First Class, a Sergeant, or a General. They all fall under the same code and they all are subject to the action outlined in the Uniform Code.
This code sets a standard of acceptable behavior for each service member. Combine it with a tradition of service that goes back several hundred years, with a corps of leaders that have developed a philosophy of life that centers on “Duty, Honor, Country,” and a common goal that all members subscribe to for the defense of the United States and its citizens, then you see that the organization and its people simply will not put up with anything that violates the code.
Third, and just as important as the other two, is the fact that thirty million Americans have served in our armed forces. Every one of these veterans can tell stories about the good things and the bad things of being in the military. Some can even tell of bad things they observed while they were serving. But almost none will tell you stories of where people violated the code and got away with it.
Those thirty million men and women set the standard and lived the standard for how our military operates. They understand how it works and they know it is an organization that they can be proud of…they helped make it that organization. Sure, they will complain and they will tell you the horrible stories of how tough it was, but very rarely do you hear a veteran who doesn’t tell you that serving was one of the best things they ever did, they made the most enduring friendships, and they got the greatest personal satisfaction.
And that’s why the American military continues to lead the hit parade on most admired organizations in America. And that is why we too should be proud of our military and our men and women who continue to serve and set the standard for all the men and women to follow. Please tell them hello and thanks when you get the chance.
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Why the Best?
Jerry Hogan, The Military View, 21 Sep 2009
Each year there is a poll taken by the Harris organization of fifteen national institutions. In this Harris Poll, adults are asked to rate their confidence level in the people running these national institutions. Not surprisingly, each year the military ranks highest of all the organizations considered. It has been like this over the last twenty years.
In the annual survey conducted in February of this year, adults with “a great deal of confidence” in people running these institutions, today versus last year, showed:
2008 - 2009
US military 51% - 58%
Colleges 32% - 40%
White House 15% - 36%
Medicine 28% - 34%
TV News 16% - 22%
Why then do the military services continually rank as the highest organization in the country in terms of the degree of confidence the citizens have in that organization? Three major reasons.
First, our citizens know that the military has never let the American people down; the military does what America asks it to do. Think about the issues over the various recent wars our country has been involved with. In World War I, the war to end all wars, the issue was whether we should have entered the war, not the way our Soldiers fought the war. In WWII there were strategic choices that were made and there were production issues, but never on how the American fighting man fought the war or the leadership in the Pentagon or on the battlefield. In Korea, the issues were political in terms of the 38th parallel and the stalemate that developed, but again not how the war was fought. Vietnam was strictly a political war, to include what bombing raids would be made and how they were to be made, being directed from the Washington political establishment. The military continued to advocate for more military control of the battlefield with little success. America lost its heart for this war and our fighting men and women were unjustly accused of acts that still bother Vietnam veterans, but even with all of this, America continued to believe in its armed force, just to a lesser degree.
The wars in the Middle East, 1992 and 2002, brought confidence back to the American people in its military. Excursions into Bosnia, Kosovo, and Croatia were again successful extensions of American projected power and criticism of the military never became an issue. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan caused much political rhetoric, but never criticism of our fighting forces. America’s military delivered on what they were asked to do!
Second, the American military polices itself and cleans up its own messes. Think about the scandals that surround some of our political leaders; infidelity, theft, bribery, tax evasion, lying, misuse of power and influence, etc. But how many of these events are ever taken to their rightful conclusion in a courtroom or in a public removal of the person from office? You can cite the same type problems with the other organizations considered. None of them have the ability or the will to clean their own dirty linen.
It’s not like that in the military. Each person in the service is under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Simply put, this is the code of law that all military personnel follow. This military justice code defines in detail how a service member will conduct themselves and it defines the various violations of the code that will subject the individual to judicial action. These violations range from sleeping on guard duty, to disrespect to a non-commissioned officer or officer, to murder, to adultery, to conduct unbecoming a Soldier, and the list goes on and on. And most importantly, every person in the service knows they fall under this code, they all have received training on the code, and they all know if they violate the code, THEY WILL BE CHARGED AND MILITARY COURTS ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST THEM. It makes no difference if one is a Private First Class, a Sergeant, or a General. They all fall under the same code and they all are subject to the action outlined in the Uniform Code.
This code sets a standard of acceptable behavior for each service member. Combine it with a tradition of service that goes back several hundred years, with a corps of leaders that have developed a philosophy of life that centers on “Duty, Honor, Country,” and a common goal that all members subscribe to for the defense of the United States and its citizens, then you see that the organization and its people simply will not put up with anything that violates the code.
Third, and just as important as the other two, is the fact that thirty million Americans have served in our armed forces. Every one of these veterans can tell stories about the good things and the bad things of being in the military. Some can even tell of bad things they observed while they were serving. But almost none will tell you stories of where people violated the code and got away with it.
Those thirty million men and women set the standard and lived the standard for how our military operates. They understand how it works and they know it is an organization that they can be proud of…they helped make it that organization. Sure, they will complain and they will tell you the horrible stories of how tough it was, but very rarely do you hear a veteran who doesn’t tell you that serving was one of the best things they ever did, they made the most enduring friendships, and they got the greatest personal satisfaction.
And that’s why the American military continues to lead the hit parade on most admired organizations in America. And that is why we too should be proud of our military and our men and women who continue to serve and set the standard for all the men and women to follow. Please tell them hello and thanks when you get the chance.