".... other than why would you kill people you don't need to kill? " (W.F. Owen)
That pretty much sums it up in my opinion. I think discipline in the ranks is as good as it has ever been historically, maybe better in some respects because of our logistics. Morale can be boosted much faster than before and Officers and senior NCOs are better able to spot bad stress developing in the ranks. My uncle was in N. Africa WW2 and he told me when his outfit was close to civlians, they didn't get to eat much chocolate because they gave most of it to kids. This kind of conduct is not isolated and rare, its pretty much the norm and part of national character - ROE be damned, it has little to do with the number of civilans killed in these modern times of ours.
Bookmarks