Does serving take away from our freedoms?

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 22:37:58 -0500

Service members are property of the government. We give up many freedoms with our oath. We give up our freedom so our citizens can have theirs? Some of us have never thought about it like that. Just look at the UCMJ and especially Article 138.

Response by SFC Josh Jackson made Nov 13 at 2014 10:38 PM

SFC Josh Jackson — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 22:38:14 -0500

How are you defining freedom? Do you mean freedom to come and go as we please? Yes, we're beholden to our employer, but isn't that also true of civilians? Like us, they are expected to be at a certain place at a certain time, and are required to perform certain tasks. It was an agreement they entered into with their employer in exchange for a paycheck. We signed a contract.

Do you mean economic freedom? I would argue that service members (particularly active duty) enjoy greater freedom than civilians. Yes, there is a drawdown underway, but civilians are still at greater risk of losing their jobs than we are. I don't worry about where my next paycheck comes from. That's freedom.

I'll grant you one particular area where we are less free: health care. Military medicine is socialized medicine. I don't get to choose my doctor in most cases, and the process of receiving specialized treatment is slow and laborious. But what I don't worry about is paying for health care. I don't worry about paying for doctor visits, tests, medications, etc.

Also, why do you reference article 138 of the UCMJ? Article 138 is about petitioning the commander for redress of grievances.