Originally Posted by
Denzark
The purpose of breaking someone down during recruit training is not simply to enable them to kill. Its not. It is about putting service before self. It is about obeying orders immediately. Note immediately - not unquestioningly - immediately. Sure that order might be to kill. Sometimes it may be 'don't kill'. Sometimes in combat you may see you mate's head get blown off, then all of a sudden, just when you have his killer at your mercy, that killer surrenders. You are expected to stop trying to kill them and give them first aid, in accordance with triage - yes, you might treat them before your own comrades if medically necessary.
But its not purely about killing. No matter how many times you've seen Full Metal Jacket and watched marines shout 'what makes the grass grow' etc it is not purely about killing - that is merely a useful aspect. Basic training is a lot softer now, and the military discipline system a lot laxer, fairer, more sensible in punishments. But even in the old days - the bad old days where recruits were beasted and beaten - figures show as high as 50000 rounds per enemy casualty in WWII. Because people don't want to kill - but the trick of rendering someone to their basic psychological blocks is still just as prevalent today - to get people raised on a diet of x-factor and instant gratification, to conform to something.
The reason I have gone off topic on this is as follows. The idea of a mindless automaton who wants to kill so joins the military, is balls. Similarly the idea that only no-hopers use it as a last chance saloon isn't just wrong - its offensive. For sure some soldiers will be in that position, but by no means a significant proportion.
People come on these forums and say 'GW should do this because I got a 2:2 in business studies from Lancaster Polytechnic' or 'GW's marketing should do that because I run the adverts for the Lincolnshire Echo'. Well I'm coming on this forum and telling you, having been a commissioned officer in the RAF for 15 years, having seen basic training, having served alongside the Army and the Navy in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan - and finally finding myself at a tri-service establishment delivering basic training - the stereotype being portrayed, is quite simply that - a stereotype. It is an insult to the quality, motivated, self aware young men and women coming through to state that was their only chance in life, and that all we do is teach them to kill people.
I can't be arsed to deconstruct the piece about officers and class with current figures suffice to say in the RAF we send our officers to do the fighting nowadays - all combat aircraft are exclusively crewed by officers. The idea of high class toffs largeing it up in a chateau whilst sending their troops forward to be killed is just Ben Elton/Blackadder bollocks - have a look at the casualty rates amongst 2Lts in Afghanistan, and also amount of decorations won - as a proportion. In the UK Armed Forces leading from the front is inculcated to leaders at all levels, from Lance Corporal upwards.