The Military Today: Heroes or Dirtbags?

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We have had so much cheering and chanting for our military heroes over the past decade. I am proud to see America step up and support our military families. But I get a little twitchy, shall I say, when I consider the blanket statement that our military service members  are ALL heroes. Because you know what, there are a lot of dirt bags in the military. There is crime and corruption at every level. Here's an article titled When Officers Become Criminals that is pretty shocking.

There are arrogant, egotistical jackasses who like nothing better than to make life miserable for everyone around them, especially those who report to them. There are leaders who will throw a wrench in things just to be jerks. There are some who will do anything to hold other people back and promote their own agenda, their own promotions and their own retirement regardless of what is best for the military, other service members, or the country.

There are gang members in the military, full blow criminals who are there to learn the art of war to bring back to their gangs. There are scandals involving trading military secrets for whores for Pete's sake! And this is by military leaders! There are military "heroes" who have killed their spouses, who have affairs indiscriminately and destroy families at will. There are sex offenders, child porn dealers, and more. There is a reason why the military has a maximum security prison like Fort Leavenworth. Do we know how many JAG staffers spend their days investigating and prosecuting criminals within the U.S. military ranks?

If there is anyone doing damage to the high regard the military should engender it the the military service members themselves! This infuriates me. It all looks so glossy in the recruiting brochures. So noble in the change of command services. So lovely in the homecoming videos on YouTube.

But there is a dark and ugly side to our military world that needs more recognition, focus and correction. It cannot just be swept under the flag, behind medals and below the deployment homecoming headlines. As a military community we owe our country better and we owe it to ourselves to reflect that sense of sweet nobility that has been wrapped around us by our fellow countrymen since September 11, 2001.

The military top brass have a responsibility to clean ranks and set a tone and standard worthy of the highest  ethics of our country. It's time to speak it out loud and expect more from our military. This is especially deserved by all the wonderful, noble Americans who join the military with good intent and real desire to serve and who do uphold the highest moral code even when they don't see it from above and suffer the consequences of refusing to bend to pressure to give up their high standards to fit in.