How do we "share the moral burden of war"?

2014-09-29T16:03:10-04:00

Sebastian Junger's 2013 article "U.S. veterans need to share the moral burden of war," argues for a nation-wide acceptance of responsibility and accountability for the waging of war. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/sebastian-junger-us-veterans-need-to-share-the-moral-burden-of-war/2013/05/24/726d7576-c3b9-11e2-914f-a7aba60512a7_story.html

In the article, Junger acknowledges the growing Military-Civilian divide, and makes the especially strong point that it is the Service-member, not the non-uniformed civil servant or private industry employee, who is asked to justify his or her individual participation in the prosecution of warfare.

Junger notes that older and ancient civilizations conducted ritual burden-sharing with the communities for which they waged war.

How would or should such burden sharing look like in the United States?

I could certainly see a military panel, composed of a diverse array of Services, ranks, jobs, and combat experiences, even including civilian leaders from DOD, DOS, and Congress, address the national audience on what GWOT has looked like in execution, on the ground.

Any other thoughts are welcomed.

Sebastian Junger: U.S. veterans need to share the moral burden of war

If a soldier inadvertently kills a civilian in Iraq, we all helped kill that civilian.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 29 at 2014 4:47 PM

2014-09-29T16:47:28-04:00

Excellent question! Difficult to answer. From memory I recall a number... about 0.45% of the American population has volunteered for the military. That number may be inaccurate by a factor of say, 10, maybe. That still means a huge number of our citzenry have met anyone, know anyone or have anyone in their family that has served in the past 20 years. Fewer being involved means even more don't have a reference point to refer to in order to even begin to understand.

Television and the internet is our worst enemy in my opinion. People can sit in their homes and see all gory details without feeling the adrenaline rush, feeling the pain, smelling the cordite much less shitting and pissing one's pants (guilty on more than one occasion) or puking ones guts out after trying vainly to save your buddy (yep, guilty). There's no way to describe the euphoria of knowing you lived while sitting next to a dead comrade after going through a situation.

Perhaps we're too good.....

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Sep 29 at 2014 5:16 PM

2014-09-29T17:16:12-04:00

Well, the reason why ancient civilizations shared the burden is because in ancient times EVERYONE who was able bodied contributed to the defense of the state. As long as you have a small professional military, you will have a military-civilian divide. As long as you have a disengaged electorate who cares more for their own personal whims vs the national need, you will have that divide.

Response by SSG Dwight Amey MSA, MSL, BS, AS made Jan 7 at 2015 7:58 AM

2015-01-07T07:58:24-05:00

This is a difficult concept for me. I have 4 years in Iraq off and on from OIF I ending with Operation New Dawn October of 2011. I think to get though the experience morals can not exist. In my opinion, the enemy uses abstract ideas like morals against us. For example, throwing children in front of a convoy for the purpose enhancing an ambush.

War cannot be controlled once the battle kicks off. Fighting to the death is unpredictable.