By DAVID EPPS
Pastor

I was listening to a radio talk show the other day during “drive time” and the subject was the war in Iraq. One irate young man called in and said, “We need to get the U. S. troops out of Iraq right now!”

When pressed, the caller admitted that he had a brother in the Army currently stationed in Iraq and said that he didn’t want to see his brother “come home in a body bag.” He went on to declare that, “My brother didn't join the Army to go to war. He just enlisted to get a college education.” First of all, if that statement is actually true, I blame the United States Army’s recruiting and public relations personnel for the message that has gone out.

Several years ago, the Army’s recruiting slogan was “Be all that you can be in the U. S. Army.” The advertisements showed people in school, working on machines, at the beach-any place but at war. The idea that came across is that the U. S. Army is a soft of finishing school or charm school for young men and women. You might be a lump of coal but, under the Army’s tutelage, you can become a diamond! Who wrote this stuff, Anthony Robbins? Of course, recruiting leaflets proclaimed the great choice of training, jobs, duty stations, travel, veteran's benefits, and just about every other carrot that might be held out to a hungry young person seeking a career and direction. But you didn't see scenes of war.

As bad as that recruiting campaign was, in my opinion, it pales in comparison to the absolutely awful “Army of one” advertisements. What is, pray tell, an “Army of one?” In reality, someone who wants to be an “army of one” winds up being a dead soldier. The Army PR people have done a great job tapping into the spirit of autonomous individualism in America's young but have they prepared them for war?

When I enlisted in the Marines back in February of 1970, the recruiting poster of the day featured a tough looking Marine drill instructor smack in the face of a young hapless recruit, shouting his lungs out through gritted teeth. The caption was, “We don’t promise you a rose garden.” Later, when the military fell into a state of unpopularity, the Marines’ new campaign was, “Nobody like to fight, but somebody has to know how.” An earlier poster proclaimed that the Marines were the “first to fight” Somewhere in there, the Marines were “looking for a few good men” and a more modern poster depicts a young man in combat gear with the caption, “Spirit of the Warrior.” The message is clear-if you join the Marines and there is a war, you’d best be prepared to fight.

Now, I’m smart enough to know that, from the moment a young Army recruit hits the dirt at Fort Jackson, drill sergeants are not-so-gently informing him that his real role is to take up arms and defend his or her nation against those who want to kill and destroy us. I am also aware that the young soldiers who defeated the army of Iraq in a matter of weeks and made warfare history are among the brightest and best that the United States Army has ever produced. I’m just saying that the man who called in to the talk radio show can’t really be blamed for being confused about the role of soldiers in the Army.

I say, get rid of the smarmy, feel-good, new-age Army ads and replace them with ads that truly challenge the youth of the land. The Marines have been doing that successfully for decades. Not that “be all you can be, army of one” stuff.

Why not capitalize on the fact that the United States Army is the best in the world, that when politicians get out of the way, no one can beat them? Why not advertise what every father used to tell his son — that a “stint in the Army will make a man out of you?” Why not appeal to the desire in every young man to be a warrior? I have several soldiers in my congregation and they are warriors, every one. And they are or were a part of an Army of Tradition, an Army of History, an Army of Millions — not an “army of one.” A soldier, after all, is a great and honorable thing to be.

Listen kids, here’s the truth: If you are looking for direction, discipline, a proud fraternity, a chance to belong to something meaningful and larger than yourself, the military might be a good place to consider. It’s true that you will grow up, learn important skills, and gain confidence in yourself. You will be pushed, tested, and strained to the limit and, if you don’t quit, you will prevail and you will be forever changed. And being a soldier, a marine, a sailor, or an airman will open doors for you in the days ahead. You will earn your pay and, someday, you will be an honored veteran and a respected member of the community.

But make no mistake — the military is about killing people, destroying things, and trying desperately not to get killed yourself. It’s not for the cowardly, the squeamish, or the weak. If a war comes, you will be called upon to go meet the enemy and fight him on his own soil and keep him away from your girlfriend, your wife, and your momma. You will lonely, scared, and far from home. Yet, you will protect your buddies, listen to your commanders, follow your orders, and, live or die, you will do your duty.

Just do yourself a favor — ignore the recruiting ads. Instead, go rent the movie, “We Were Soldiers” or “Black Hawk Down!” and then decide if you really want to be a warrior.

[Father David Epps is rector of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church. He may be contacted at FatherDavidEpps@aol.com or at www.ctkcec.org.]

Back to thø Opinion Home Page| Back to the top of the page