Duty, Honor, Country

2014-04-18T02:52:39-04:00

How many still believe in the concepts of Duty, Honor, Country as they apply to the reason we signed up and swore the oath of office for soldiers in the military? I know I did then, all 4 times, and still do now even after 12 years of civilian life. Some may say that these ideals are antiquated or down right extinct. I would like to also know why or why not. There are no right or wrong answers here this is just a friendly exchange of beliefs.

Response by CW2 Joseph Evans made Apr 18 at 2014 3:26 AM

2014-04-18T03:26:28-04:00

Duty, Honor and Country.<br>Great sentiments. Dangerous sentiments if executed without knowledge, intelligence, or morality.<br><br>Duty, Honor, and Country without fail, but not in ignorance, stupidity or vice.<br>

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Apr 18 at 2014 9:36 AM

2014-04-18T09:36:53-04:00

Duty and honor are still clearly important, but I think globalization and interconnectivity are slowly revealing the folly of "country". For the sake of brevity, I should acknowledge that I think nationalism is silly. When I hear "patriotism" I hear "my country is better than your country because I was born here".

In order for there to be an "us" there has to be a "not us". We need to get rid of that nonsense and think bigger then our small little worlds. Humanity is far larger and more interconnected than petty labels can give justice to.

I don't believe national origin is any more relevant than foot size. The only thing that matters is what you DO. Your successes, your failures, your interaction with your fellow human beings, these are the things that define you. I want to see people help each other, not because of their color, or what flag they pledge allegiance too, but simply because they are another human being in need of help.