Hi Ken and Ski,

Thanks for the responses . While I'm in the mood to say things I probably shouldn't, I'd like to tag nto a comment Ski made

You ask what we get for serving? A profession. That's what the military is today. You might say differently, but that's all it is from my limited view of the world. Sure, people are real nice to you in airports or train stations when you have a uniform on, but what else? I had a guy ask me to my face yesterday if I had killed anyone in Afghanistan. First question out of his mouth. Sigh. I don't ask for any special favors as a member of the military and quite frankly I don't want any. The country has spent their tax dollars on my education, training and experience, and I only hope that I've been able to pay it back with results that are for the country's benefit.
Let me play academic for a minute and make a couple of observations:
  1. I totally agree that it is a profession in the modern sense of the term.
  2. I have a feeling that both you, and Ken, are thinking about "profession" in the older sense of the term, i.e. something to profess as "good".
  3. I get the feeling that you believe that you have a "calling" to the profession of arms.
I must say that I've seen a lot of things that indicate this type of attitude here at the SWC. Personally, I am really, really, glad to see it.

So, having made those observations (and shifted the discourse), can I ask both of you if you believe that the this will be enough to staff the armed forces for the long war? Also, what do you think can be done about shifting the social and cultural emphasis against the military as a calling and profession?

Marc