Modern American Warrior culture is no longer an institutionalized presence in our military. The SOF community and elite regular formations like the Marine Corps and the 82nd Airborne do their best to keep our culture as warriors and of honor alive, but in the face of command incompetence and mismanagement, along with a sea change towards the garrison, that culture is slowly being chipped away and covered over in favor of politically pleasing buzz words, as combat experienced officers, NCOs and joes are pushed out to make way for politically acceptable garrisson soldiers with polished boots and clean service records.
Under all the dog shit piled on American warrior culture by incompetent yes men, cowards and generals more concerned by seven figure jobs after retirement then giving their soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen the tools and leadership they need to be victorious. It lives on, in the grunt still pulling long patrols in the desert, the NCO getting in the dirt with his men to ensure they're the best they can be, they maintenance crews pulling 18 hour days to keep birds in the air to support the men in the fight. That's what a warrior is. You can kill him, but you cannot break him, even when the forces that seek to destroy him come from within.
Men of iron and steel. America's warriors remain. I am proud to have stood next to them, laughed with them and celebrated, cries and mourned that which we have left behind... and when some of them moved on and I remained, I buried them with pride at having known them, singing their death song in my heart to any god that would listen, grateful that such men had existed, and that when the call came they answered with clear hearts.
It was us, weeping alone in dark rooms, lonely bars and at gravesides where we would not be seen, longing for the brothers and sisters that are gone from us, before looking forward and taking the weight, carrying their memories with us. As we remain it is our duty and honor to remember them, when all others forget, and to live well for them, that we might join them with our heads held high and our honor intact when we return to be amongst them once again. Until then our place is here, fighting. Twenty two casualties a day is more then enough proof that the war didn't end when our comrades came home. When we were let out into civilian life once again. We must continue to struggle and fight, even if we never raise another weapon the war for the lives of it brothers and sisters is now.
That is America's warrior culture. We who remain. Honor and our duty and loyalty to each other are what we have left... May we keep those ideals close to heart, on active service or back here in the world.
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Topic: Blog Thread 4; Live Free or Blog Hard - 'cos we all like blogging (Read 572245 times)