Duan Xuan
This ia your life and your decision, don't let others degrade you choice.
for other, this has always been a Hot Topic for me. So I am going to roll one down the middle of the lane here;
As for choice in talking about American wars, this refers only to those of voting age and THOSE that voted (US Citizens). If you voted or choose not to vote, you are responsible for the government we have today and the policies we live with day to day. Either thru the Primaries or elections of either parties at any level (City to President), choosing the right person from even your own party was your choice and yours alone. And if you didn't vote, well you have no voice that was heard then, and should not be heard now after the fact.
As with any State in this world US doesn't get permission from another states to take what course its elected government chooses. As neither does NZ, England, Canada, Germany, or the 150 plus other governments sharing this planet.
As for those under voting age (US Citizens), this is still a land of freedom of choice. Maybe a little history on the armed forces of US might be helpful and not a five minute news item on CNN. Each armed forces has save thousands of American Citizens and other Nationals that disregard State Department Travel Warnings about travel to certain world States. Who goes in to get them out? Not you. The USN, USA and special forces thats who. And being Americans their sue the government for airfare for first class fare back to the USA.
Duan Xuan made his choice for his country. It was the military. For those that look down on the military. How many of you have spend half your weekends each year helping the Homeless? in Soup Kitchens? In Hospitals? Going house to house for Toys for Tots. Which for the mislead was a program started decades ago by the USMC!. Its the USMC that does the work, look for them in the background of the TV Cameras, doing their job and working nights and weekends for kids that really go needless. All the while making less that a fair paycheck.
These men and woman do things like this for a higher calling, some of which many of you will never understand.
My son is a Captain in the USAF, 4th Tour in Iraq. He loves his job, and has a bound with his men that is strong. He doesn't think about if the war is just or not. Is concern is bring home his men to their wifes and children in one piece. He's not a fighter jock, he in Intel, running up to the minute intel to the patrols. Not a place a father wants a son at or doing. But its was his choice, and he doing it to keep another American soldiers alive so they can see their families again.
Myself I spent 26 years as a Senior Chief Telecommunications Specialist (Radioman in the old days) in the US Coast Guard. In those years I passed on thousands of distress calls to small boats, Helios, and planes. I can't remember the names of any of them. The ones I can remember are the ones that caused a Coast Guardsmen life, because they disregard small craft warnings. Or oh so many that failed to carry the equipment needed to be on the water. Hope you never have to heard children crying for help because their fathers and mothers failed to have life jackets for them. And pray to hell your not the young man or woman that picks up the bodies the next day. Its not TV or a game, its life and I haven't seen anyone yet no react to it. No matter how much of a man you think you are in your own mind.
As for soldiers of other nations I have be lucky enough to meet some from, AZ (Station in Barrow, AK for a project after Nam), Russian Military (FriendShip Team up), Nato (ex). They all have something in common, a bound with their fellow teammates, that goes beyond the job. Something I have seen very little off in Civilian life in the last 11 years.
You should be supporting you Friends in the military. They are the last ones that want to go to war. If you want to blame someone blame yourself, it was your voting record or non voting record that gave us the government we have. Don't repeat the great minds of the collage educated that welcome soldiers back from Nam with tomato's and stones. They were smart to be rich to get out of the draft and dumb enough not to learn how our government works. Maybe thats why 40 years later we have a government like we do {?}.
If I sounded a little harsh, well flame me, but its my opinion, also IMO Duan Xuan was sharing something special to him with the people he likes, and I doubt he meant it to be a discussion on views on the President of the US, or the Gulf War.
Duan Xuan stay out of trouble, or at least don't get caught, and if you do, at (the sea services call it) "Captains Mast" admit it and take the punishment. You will get more respect for it in the long run, than lying. At the same time showing responsibility for your own actions and those men and woman you are responsible for.
Take that advice from someone that was busted twice and still made E-8
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- Archangel