2. POLITICIAN He is expected to lie in a political season under the guise of campaign promises. He is expected to renege on most, or even all, of them.
SOLDIER He is required to be truthful in all he Reports. He promises, under solemn oath, to give all for the mission, including his life. Nothing less is expected or accepted by his peers.
3. POLITICIAN He continues to debate the fight, even after it is joined. He smirks and threatens to cut off the very funds that sustain the Soldier on the field of battle.
SOLDIER He goes to war with the equipment and manning the politician gave him. He would never say no to a mission to fight because he is short of men and equipment. He is expected to fight and to prevail with what he has been given.
4. POLITICIAN He may vote to send the Soldier to war. Then, on a whim or to gain political advantage, he can change his mind. (This is called the John Kerry I voted against the war before I voted for the war rule.)
SOLDIER His word is his bond and can be relied on to be the same next year as it is this year. He has no political agenda. Whims are not allowed in his unforgiving part of the world.
5. POLITICIAN He calls a hearing with witnesses and then spends the better part of the hearing going down the line of fellow politicians bragging, thanking each other and getting face time on C-Span. All the while, those who are there to provide the actual data cool their heels and stare in disbelief. They may have damned a Soldier to the press just minutes before and then want him to call them sir and shake their hand. Alan Simpson (6-foot-5 inches tall) was the designated hit man on me. He called me dishonorable and the purveyor of false hope to the families. My answer was simple: I dont know how they handle this type of thing where you are from (Wyoming), Cowboy, but out where I come from, we settle things like men. If you wish to challenge my honor I suggest we go into the parking lot to settle it. Then we can come back and discuss the subject at hand, POWs. POWS. The tall Senator chose not to participate. After all, it was all just a stunt for face-time for him. I am a Soldier. We wouldnt let that pass unchallenged in a bar full of bikers. They are not from our world in Washington, D. C.
SOLDIER He is ordered to appear and honor bound to answer as truthfully as he can. He is called into the company of professional liars who know little of the subject at hand. They have aides feeding them the questions. These are the true arrogant scums in the endeavor. The man from the battlefield is held in contempt by those not qualified to be a clerk in his unit. In movie terms, it is Darbys Rangers and Blackhawk Down vs. Attack of the Nerds. He has no place here, for he is a better man than they will ever be.
Next time you see a man in uniform testifying before Congress, take careful note.
If he is abused, called a liar or so on, I would ask you take the time to dash off a message to the politicians and press.
I am one American who is tired of having our brave, including our General Officers, treated with disdain by self-serving fools. We put those suckers up there to work for us, and part of that US are our men and women in uniform.
Maj. Mark A. Smith, U.S. Army (ret.), served in Vietnam and Cambodia. He also was a Prisoner of War.
