Stripes letters: one, telling, the other, NBC, shame on you

[lebkuchen]

Marine didn’t see big picture

The writer of “Army can learn from Marines” (letter, July 22) contends that the Army asked the Marines to return to Iraq because we could not handle the situation, so we called them. Could it be that the joint operations doctrine called for units that are more suited for urban operations? Could it be that the Marines are better trained for urban operations? After all, we spent years training for open-land warfare for larger wars that thankfully never happened.

Or did the writer feel that the fat soldier was inferior to him and he naturally assumed the Army has neither discipline nor values? The writer equates Velcro to laziness? That’s weak. This is a difficult time for the Army. We are facing a manpower shortage and must compete with the writer’s service (the Marines) to recruit young men and women, and must attract four times as many to survive. When it comes to getting the job done, having a fat soldier here is better than none. Forgive us for doing the best we can.

As a noncommissioned officer, if the writer saw this soldier doing something wrong, he should have corrected him. If he just wasn’t living up to the writer’s standard, then tough.

The writer talks of values. You want him to have pride? Treat him with respect for simply wearing the uniform. Discipline? Show some yourself. I have never seen a fat Marine, but that’s because they take great pride in their well-known traits — courage, honor, tenacity and even professionalism and humility. The letter writer lacked those last two.

We are the best-trained military because we have leaders who know the difference between pride and spite. We are moving toward a larger joint environment, sergeant, so you have some adjusting to do.

Sgt. 1st Class Pat McCormack
Logistics Support Area Anaconda, Iraq


‘Military Fear Factor’ insulting

The idea that NBC is now recruiting Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans to exploit them is an insult to every self-respecting American (“Been deployed? Eat bugs? ‘Fear Factor’ wants you,” article, July 26, Europe edition; “Been deployed? Eat bugs? NBC wants you,” Mideast edition). Although the idea itself has no class at all, it is likely to draw interest (and ratings) from the oceans of mindless, desensitized viewers in search of kicks; and the generous prize money offered will certainly pave the way. It is unfortunate that at some point, some returning war veterans will be cast in the show. But “we the people” cannot allow NBC trash-scouts to mock our veterans for entertainment purposes.

Military training is designed to help deployed servicemembers endure extreme hardship, accomplish their missions and come home alive, not to make spectacles of themselves; especially when many sustained devastating shrapnel and bullet injuries, loss of limbs, loss of sanity and even loss of life.

Network television “trash” producers have been force-feeding their twisted, brain-damaging, pseudo-reality scam TV shows down our throats for many years now, with no end in sight. Now they want to pay our returning heroes to make utter jackasses of themselves on national television — brilliant! I invite everyone to stop watching this particular (and other) objectionable, controversial, and degenerate network TV shows.

Any veteran considering such a dud career should think five or six times before signing on those dotted lines. Think about your friends back at your unit, and especially about those who got injured and even killed in combat. If you really need money that bad, use your GI Bill and go to college.

NBC: American war veterans are not for sale.

Capt. Raphael Eredita
Ramstein Air Base, Germany

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=30765

[aquart]

1. The vet might be thinking about his wife and kids.

Because George and Congress aren't.