The Price of Mistakes

February 8, 2007 By CJ
Posted in Guest Blogger

[Here is another Guest Blog post from CJ at soldiersperspective.us]

One of the downsides to military service is the microscope that Soldiers operate under. Many times our successes are forgotten but our failures amplified and oft-discussed.

For example, many Americans think that we lost the Vietnam War because we were forced to pull out. What they forget is that from 1969 through 1971 the RVN and US were making great strides in the defeating the North Vietnamese. By 1972, we HAD won militarily even though were in the middle of a phased withdrawal from the country. Most studies of the Vietnam War focus on the years up until 1968 when progress was slow and casualties high. But this isn’t a post about the Vietnam War.

We have had our share of problems in Iraq. The most famous being the Abu Ghraib disgrace. I was one of the first Soldiers to speak out publicly about the treatment of detainees at the prison. The actions of a few rogue Soldiers has blackened the eye of every military member - and even gotten a few killed. The first people to complain should have been those NCOs on the ground the moment they saw illegal behavior.

As Soldiers, we must remember that we honor a code and fight for a reason. War is admittedly ugly and does horrible things to a person’s psyche. One of the reasons we train so hard is to combat the natural man (and woman) in each of us as we prosecute the enemy with direct fire engagements. It’s easy to see them as something less than human. The purpose of us as leaders is to constantly evaluate those placed in our care to ensure they understand their limitations while keeping the legalities of combat action foremost in our minds.

An important part of the Soldier’s Creed reads:

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I’ve highlighted a few key words here. The bottom line is that if we are disciplined, mentally tough, and professional we will always do the right thing and winning any conflict will come naturally. The world may not take notice of our successes, but those lives that are saved through our actions will be worth the energy expended in maintaining our dignity and respect. We must always be professional. Ours is a profession of arms. Seventy-four percent of those surveyed in Gallup’s 2005 confidence poll said they have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the military. That’s more than any other institution, to include religious, economic, medical, business and news organizations. We should be proud of that fact and live up to the expectations of those who have so much confidence in us.

As we deploy, we need to be aware of our brothers and sisters to our right and left. We need to lean on each other and ensure that they are doing the right thing. The biggest problems start as small words. Though the Code of Conduct was written primarily for situations in which we find ourselves as prisoners of war, there are still lessons to be learned in abiding by its principles. Article VI of the Code of Conduct states:

I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free.

Some could argue that being in a war zone is sort of like being a prisoner of war. Or more like a prisoner TO war. The enemy we face in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and future wars will not fight clean. They will use degrading and inhuman tactics to win. As they do, their support will wain as it did after the desecrated bodies of four American contractors were hung from a bridge in Fallujah. Our actions in response to these sick episodes will speak volumes about who we are as Soldiers and Americans. It is important to avenge the deaths of our comrades, but not at the expense of our credibility.

The inhumane and illegal treatment of prisoners puts us on the fast road to disrespect and dishonor. The actions of just one Soldier on the battlefield can affect the lives of hundreds of Soldiers. All it takes is one of us to snap and make a wrong decision. There is a difference between mistakes and choices. Abu Ghraib was a choice. Shooting on a vehicle that ran a checkpoint and killing innocent people inside is a mistake. Mistakes are forgivable, choices are not. Bad choices get Soldiers and innocents killed. Soldiers need to KNOW they will not be treated lightly for violating their responsibilities in protecting detainees.

About a year ago, I wrote on my site, A Soldier’s Perspective:

As an NCO in the Army, I live by a creed. This creed is well defined and has been around for about 3 decades. When I was young Specialist, I memorized and recited the entire creed to the board of First Sergeants and a Command Sergeant Major with pride in order to become a Sergeant. Our mission is quite simple, while complex at the same time. Our focus is on the mission and soldiers. As a matter of fact, there’s a line in the creed that reads: “My two basic responsibilities will always remain uppermost in my mind - accomplishment of my mission and THE WELFARE OF MY SOLDIERS?” The line that always sticks out to me says, “I know my soldiers, and will ALWAYS place their needs above my own.”

Unfortunately, we seem to be losing this in the NCO Corps today. Taking care of soldiers doesn’t seem to be a priority any more. Too many NCOs aren’t placing their soldiers’ needs above their own. I don’t think that our young Sergeants and Staff Sergeants understand that the way they treat their soldiers doesn’t just affect that soldier; it affects the entire Army. At a time when we need to retain soldiers more than any other time in recent history, we’re pushing them away from Army service.

I urge every military member reading this post to evaluate their actions. Remember where you came from and act accordingly. As Americans, we protect the innocent. If you are a leader, talk frankly with your troops and ALWAYS set a positive and honorable example. By following our core values and “choosing the right”, we can’t fail no matter what obstacles are put in our way.

Finally, with politically stupidity on both sides of the aisle, we must continue to boost the confidence of our Soldiers. It’s a rare thing to hear good news about something good going on inside the military. Our many successes and positive missions are overshadowed by the incessant reporting of death statistics and supposed failure. 1LT Ehren Watada, the first officer to refuse deployment to Iraq and facing a court-martial that started yesterday, gets more national press than former Iraq KBR truck driver Cindy Morgan who volunteered to join the military late in life and has a son in the military as well.

We need to educate our Soldiers about the successes that they can’t see to their left and right. Soldiers are mission focused and tend to see only what’s in front of them. Often times, they may not see the big picture of what they’re doing in Iraq. It’s a tough job multi-tasking in a combat zone, but I think taking care of Soldiers is a part of the job, not an addition to it.