…pro patria mori

Say what you will about the military – in particular, the enlisted men who “chose” to do whatever it is they’re obliged to do in the name of whatever it is they’re still fighting for. Whatever obligation is imposed by the military “contract” needs an objective end – something far short of indefinite and constant deployment. Is this man any more than a slave, if he’s forced to return for a fifth tour of duty in the GWOT?

”We were in a wartime situation,” he said. “I did what they asked me to do. I went over and did it. And then when I was leaving, they told me I could leave. They told me to get on with my life, and I did. Now it seems they’ve changed their mind.”

There is Milton Friedman’s economic argument: that this young man will earn an income as an Engineer with Sikorsky (a defense contractor) that far outweighs his potential contribution as a soldier on the battlefield. That the taxes levied on his legitimate income will sufficiently provide the training and equipment for his successors in combat. That he’s more valuable, socially, as an engineer than as a grunt.

There is the argument from adhesion: that is to say, a military “contract” is a contract of adhesion – it is not negotiable. Accordingly, benefit of doubt, when doubt arises, should go in favor of the enlisted man. I submit that it is practically inconceivable for any number of reasons, that A) anyone would be ordered to serve 5 tours of duty, and that B) a 20-year old enlistee would accept that sort of unconditional condition. Since he could not possibly have expected this, he could not possibly have consented to it.

There is the argument from mockery of justice, insofar as this is the only sort employment “contract” for the breach of which you can be jailed court-martialed. I may break an employment contract and be forced to pay back part or all of my pay, my employer may seek an injunction based on an existing non-compete agreement, and so-on. But I won’t go to jail for it.

Furthermore, an argument from equity would stipulate that none of these pseudo-slaves should have to serve a third tour, until every last one of them has served two, and therefore nobody should serve five unless everyone has served four. Somewhere, there’s a perfectly capable reservist who hasn’t been over there, and this poor bastard is being ordered back –again and again and again and again and again.

But most importantly, there is simply an argument based on an appeal to basic human decency and common sense. I can’t tell you what the obligation was, but I can tell you this much: there is a line in the sand, somewhere, and Botta’s about a thousand fucking miles beyond it.

…you will do what I say, when I say
Back to the front
you will die when I say, you must die
Back to the front
you coward
you servant
you blindman… – Metallica (1986)