America's War-Weary

AM (an American combat aviator with an inquiring mind):  Gentlemen, as I currently endure a once, highly acclaimed health system attempting to minister to the accumulated bodily (my wife would include mental as well) wear and tear stemming from my three decades of military experiences, I can’t help but snicker at absurd “war-weary” complaints (see also here, here, and here).

Old Gadfly:  There is a lot to unpack in what you just said.  We all know that the Affordable Care Act, in concert with a bloated and highly inefficient, government-run Veterans Administration healthcare system, has swept in a nearly fatal blow to America’s healthcare system.  So, let’s focus on the “war weary” comment.

AM:  First of all, you will not hear complaints from those who actually wear the uniform of our armed forces.  And, they represent only 1% of our population.  Add another 6% for those who are living and have worn a military uniform.  The complaints come from the ranks of the remaining 93% who have been kept safe by that 7%.  Imagine:  only 7% have invested their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to preserve our freedoms.

Old Gadfly:  They understand what is at stake.  I recall a very powerful reflection by General Douglas MacArthur, who fought in World Wars I and II, the Korean Conflict, and other expeditions and conflicts. 

On May 12, 1962, MacArthur spoke about “Duty, Honor, Country,” to the Cadet Corps at the United States Military Academy at West Point.  As we talk about America’s “war-weary,” there is a particular passage in MacArthur’s speech that especially resonates with those of us who have actually served in our profession of arms:

The long gray line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses, thundering those magic words: Duty, Honor, Country.

This does not mean that you are warmongers. On the contrary, the soldier above all other people prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato, that wisest of all philosophers: “Only the dead have seen the end of war.”

IM (an American citizen with an inquiring mind):  We seem to have lost that sense of leadership among our civilian political leaders.  Look at how our nation turned on George W. Bush.  Armed with a bipartisan Joint Resolution from Congress, Bush had the courage to actually force the removal of a fascist tyrant to allow an educated population an opportunity to advance the concept of self-governance.  Sure, the effort was far from perfect.  But, when members of a political faction realized they could not stomach Bush’s 90% public approval following the 9-11 attacks and then the more than 70% when attacking Hussein, they had to politically assassinate Bush as indicated by an internal memo by Senator Jay Rockefeller (the memo was originally released by the Hill.com, but has since been removed).

Old Gadfly:  What we are witnessing is how political elite have shaped a war-weary narrative for political purposes.  This political faction was very successful in convincing America that the wars we were fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan were wrong and immoral—because Bush, a Republican, made the decision to commit our armed forces to these endeavors.  They conveniently forget the political momentum that had developed well before Bush entered the picture.

IM:  Then, when we see how national debt now exceeds our GDP, for the first time in our history, we seem powerless to reverse the pattern of behavior that got us to this point.  Labor participation rate is still the lowest since 1978.

Old Gadfly:  Speaking of 1978, international and national conditions called for courageous and wise leadership.  Just the other day, I located the First Inaugural Address that Ronald Reagan gave on January 20, 1981, and listened very closely. 

 

AM:  Reagan spoke of American heroes, a characteristic unique to being an American.  He also understood that peace could only be secured through strength, economically and militarily.  Here is a telling picture of shifting priorities based on government budget data between 1962 and now:

So, you see that our investment in preserving liberty is becoming overshadowed by a push for greater dependency on “entitlements” controlled by the government.

IM:  Obama either does not comprehend the same concepts and principles advanced by Reagan, or he has a completely different vision of America—one that needs no heroes because political elite, at the helm of a large and powerful central government, will provide what Americans need.
 

          Old Gadfly:  Reagan’s leadership was unifying, uplifting, and constructive.  Even more so than in 1981, we badly need a Reagan today.  Has America lost its capacity for heroic behavior?  I hope not. 

Honor versus Dishonor

IM (an American citizen with an inquiring mind):  Gadfly, I have done my homework on progressivism and believe I am ready to contribute to our conversation.  Meanwhile, AM, are you aware of the cheating scandal by missile officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana?

AM:  (an American combat aviator with an inquiring mind):  Yes, I am.  There was a national outcry because these officers have nuclear ICBM responsibilities.

Old Gadfly:  Yes.  And, it was especially noted that some of the officers were Air Force Academy graduates, who were taught the importance of an honor code.

IM:  Perhaps the Academy failed to instill an enduring sense of honor.

Old Gadfly:  A very wise idiom claims “one swallow does not make a summer.”  The wisdom cautions against the tendency to generalize.  Yet, generalizations are made or implied (also, here and here) about honor violations associated with the Service Academies, which diminishes the value of such institutions that exist within the broader culture of society.  Keep in mind; cadets arrive at the Academy from society at large.  The Josephson Institute recently indicated that while there seems to be some improvement over the past 2 years, the percentage of American high school seniors who admit to lying, cheating, or stealing is 55%, 51%, and 20%, respectively.  The recent Academy chemistry cheating scandal included 40 first-year cadets.  Among the more than 1,000 first-year cadets, that represents 4%.  Among the entire cadet wing, this number represents 1%.  I say all this not to exonerate dishonorable behavior, but to put it into context.

AM:  Just this morning, I read a letter from the wing commander at Malmstrom to members of his command.  Several lines in Colonel Stanley’s letter caught my attention:  “We've seen the reputation of our beloved wing and America's ICBM mission tarnished because of the extraordinarily selfish actions of officers entrusted with the most powerful weapon system ever devised by man.”  Here Stanley acknowledges the seriousness of this breach of honor. 

AM:  Stanley then goes on to say:

Our amazing airmen and their families, the astoundingly supportive community and the successes of Wing One have far outweighed the bad. Just being allowed to be a small part of your lives is a memory that Cheryl and I will cherish forever. But, like all things of great value, such blessings come with equally great costs. I represent this wing to the world, and we let the American people down on my watch. 

With that realization, and the genuine hope that my action will stir even the most apathetic hearts to action, I have decided to volunteer my resignation from this post effective immediately. This request has been accepted. I have also requested, and been approved for, retirement from the United States Air Force. If this sacrifice by Cheryl and me influences just one airman to stand up for what's right the next time they are confronted by immorality, it will have been worth every tear and sleepless night.

IM:  So, not only did Colonel Stanley assume responsibility for what happened under his command, he held himself accountable by resigning and retiring from the Air Force.  By doing so, he is demonstrating character-based leadership to inspire others to act when needed.

AM:  Yes.  Think about it.  Colonel Stanley did not cheat.  But, it happened under his leadership.

Old Gadfly:   Stanley was the proverbial captain of the ship.  IM, do you remember our conversation about the empty chair?  You mentioned a Wall Street Journal editorial published on May 14, 1952.  A collision between the USS Wasp and USS Hornet on April 26, 1952 resulted in the loss of 176 crewmembers.  You said, “The editorial claimed that with responsibility comes accountability.  Without accountability, there is no responsibility.”  You then reminded me that our President is the captain of our ship of state, and quoted a passage from the editorial:

It is cruel, this accountability of good and well-intentioned men.  But, the choice is that, or an end to responsibility and, finally, as the cruel sea has taught, an end to the confidence and trust in the men who lead, for men will not long trust leaders who feel themselves beyond accountability for what they do.

AM:  Colonel Stanley also passed on an important lesson:  “Had just one solitary airman spoken up for integrity, our leadership team would have been able to take action immediately.”

Old Gadfly:  Do you think this lesson applies to just those who serve in our armed forces?

AM:  Of course not.  The former Secretary of State “took responsibility” for the tragedy at Benghazi; but, where was the accountability?  Perhaps her advice to the Secretary of Defense and general officers regarding the Malmstrom incident might be, “what difference does it make”?

IM:  IRS’s Lois Lerner was directly involved in violating the Constitutional right to speech for many conservative groups between the 2010 and 2012 elections, yet invoked the Fifth Amendment when she had an opportunity to achieve accountability. 

IM:  And then, the same commander-in-chief, who said there were merely stupid mistakes made by rogue members of the IRS and claimed Obamacare would let people keep their doctors and plans, offhandedly referred to the Benghazi attack (and by implication the four American deaths) and other Middle East unrest as “speed bumps.”

AM:  The editorial talked about accountability of well-intentioned men.  I see this happening at Malmstrom.  Elsewhere, I see a lack of accountability of not so well-intentioned people, who seem to be getting away with their ideological agenda of fundamentally transforming America, despite occasional speed bumps. Will America turn out to be that “cruel sea” that will demand “an end to the confidence and trust in the men who lead,” because “men will not long trust leaders who feel themselves beyond accountability for what they do”?

Old Gadfly:  One can only hope.  Meanwhile, it remains important for us to support and encourage character development for future leaders at the Academies.