DoD employees can accept small food and drink items as long as it’s not part of a complete meal. So, coffee is okay if that helps you make amends. From my foxhole, I might suggest you reconsider your mindset that produces the following statement:

But I haven’t always differentiated between the cause for which men and women fight and those men and women themselves

I, of course, can’t speak collectively for my fellow military brothers and sisters. But, I, and many of my peers, never consider a specific operation, campaign, or conflict as “our cause.” Our oath is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same. We contribute in various ways to the goals of forming a more perfect Union, establishing Justice, insuring domestic Tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general Welfare, and securing the Blessings of Liberty.

Perhaps I’m disturbed by my perception of your use of “cause.” The usage appears connected with a specific Administration, party, or political ideology. It leads to perilous situations such as the one some of my left leaning friends found themselves in last fall in deciding whether to wish for “bad” news in Iraq/Afghanistan to weaken the President’s reelection bid (yet usually involving casualties) or good news in Iraq at the potential cost on Senator Kerry’s chances.

This point is not to claim supporting the troops means agreeing with the government. Citizen have the right,arguably the responsibility, to question how (ends, ways, means) the government builds and uses the military instrument of power to protect the nation and its interests. If they find the government wanting, then they should avail themselves of the appropriate and legal methods to change the policies or policymakers.

I believe (most) Americans support the ideals embodied in the Constitution. There are clearly divisions in how to achieve them. Perhaps I’m being too nuanced with the semantics, but I think cause is not the right term for disagreement on the political objectives for using military power, at least when used as you did in the post.

I do also believe that most people are unfamiliar with the powers outlined in the Constitution (Articles I and II) with regards to the military. Congress authorized the use of force (with support of both parties). Congress overwhelmingly voted to fund, and continues to fund, operations (the Administration is generally not allowed to “budget” for actual combat operations). It’s good to read the Constitution every now and then.

Mythago - Most of my peers don’t really agree with Dr. Grossman either.

John - I’ve been fortunate to work with members of the New Zealand and Australian Armies. All have been great credit to their respective nations.

BTW: It occurred to me that approaching a soldier and thanking him, completely without caveats, might be a more difficult make-up than many of the other suggestions here. And it seems to touch more closely to the original transgression. What do you think?

Dad,

I am writing a little essay on this very topic. Please read my essay and then you will have all the response you need.

Please tell the guy that simply telling a soldier “Thank You ” is all the atonement he needs to perform.

Know that I Love you and am anxiously awaiting our reunion.

Until Next Time

Love

Your son Josh

The Shia Muslims of southern Iraq have put together a team, which has gone into Faluja to clean up the streets and help the Shiite Muslims rebuild.

Shiite should be Sunni.

Thank you for posting that. It was nice to come home from spending time with one of my exchange students, a young lady from Montenegro, to find such a thoughtful post.

Many of the teens with whom I work are growing up in countries which have a much more recent history of war and battlefields than does the US - Serbia, Montenegro, Azerbaijan, etc. Thankfully, the recent revolution in Ukraine was a “peaceful revolution.” My Ukrainian “son” didn’t have to worry about his natural family’s safety while he was here.

The most promising news I hear from the Middle East has nothing to do with the factions that choose to arm, including the US military presence. The promising news, instead, is of non-militant peace teams working to bring all sides of any conflict together. Have you heard of the Muslim Peacemaker Teams that the Omams have put together with the assistance of the Christian Peacemaker Team present in Iraq? The Shia Muslims of southern Iraq have put together a team, which has gone into Faluja to clean up the streets and help the Shiite Muslims rebuild. This is turning the tide of the distrust and suspicion that comes from having an invading force in a country’s midst.

There are more organizations such as these working in Gaza and the West Bank. Anywhere that there is conflict, behind the scenes, unseen on the popular media, are teams of people working together to bring about peace without violent means. These people are spreading God’s love in ways that it will never be possible for guns and weapons of war to do.

I see hope.

One of my uncles didn’t go into the military and avoided the draft because he was a conscientious objecter. He objected to all wars. To him all wars were unjust. Nobody ridiculed him or tried to convince him he was wrong. Most people knew that discussing whether or not WW II was just or not was a waste of time.

Whether or not a war is just or unjust is a subjective thing and arguing about it is usually just mental masterbation. For example, I assume the people the Saddam gang were murdering and torturing thought getting rid of Saddam was a just thing to do and I assume that Saddam and his gangster cronies thought the was an unjust thing to do.

When a person is in the military they can discuss anything they want but when the orders come, then they have to go and all discussions become moot.

One friend tells me how he had 20 some confirmed kills. That fact earned him some metals. After the war, while teaching at a community college, he killed his girlfriend. I don’t know why. He didn’t tell me. That earned him a life sentence in prison. He tells me that is confusing to him.

I have another friend who flew airplanes in WW2. He flew 150% of the maximum allowed missions from England to drop bombs in Berlin during the final weeks of the war. This led to the liberation of the camps. He has been able to talk to people other than the men with whom he flew these missions only in recent years. He is in his 80s. He and I both weep when he tells me these stories. We also weep because his daughter-in-law was on American Airlines flight 11 on September 11, 2001 and perished survived by her husband and 3 children.

My next-door neighbor’s Marine Corps sergeant-son-in-law took to group of 18-year-olds into Iraq during the initial invasion. He came home to a party on the block to accept accolades and congratulations. He showed us a piece of tile from one of Saddam’s palaces. He told us later how conflicted he is about the whole war, its personal cost on soldiers and the perceived benefit.

I have walked with marchers in protest to nuclear arms build up of the Reagan administration and the first gulf war. Mennonite friends of mine are proud of their college-age-children who are protesting the current wars.

I used to know a lot about war and my so-called position. Today, I don’t know much except that the world is a broken up place. There is some comfort in knowing your position and hiding behind it. A “step-nephew” showed us pictures from his tour in Iraq over the last 8-months. One of his uncles told me about the “flash-backs” that are recurring for him about his own tout of Viet Nam.

I told some of my nephews that I have commitments from Mennonites in Mexico and Canada who would be willing to house them if they were interested in relocating in the event of re-instatement of a mandatory military conscription. I do have those commitments. My nephews expressed interest. I would do whatever it took to help them relocate.

I would like to hear a lot more public discourse on what, if anything, makes a just war. I want to remain a “biblical pacifist.” Interesting post. Keep it up, Hugo.