Support Our Troops

"Support our troops" is a phrase that is really beginning to bug me. Not because I don't think the troops deserve support - they certainly do. The phrase bugs me because it is used to justify telling us what to think and it only seems to appear during certain events.

I'll tackle the second issue first. Not all of the fatalities in Afghanistan are combat related. Some have died from the same kinds of things that were killing service members before we ever packed up and headed somewhere with lots of sand. Things like vehicle roll-overs. Before you start to think that I am suggesting these soldiers don't deserve our respect I want to make it clear: THESE SOLDIERS DESERVE OUR RESPECT - the same respect given to their comrades that die from combat. The thing is, the ones that die in-service here in Canada ALSO deserve our respect, no matter the end cause. In these situations the soldier was carrying out his/her duty to our country. The cause of death is not important. What is important is that they died doing their job - one which by it's very nature is a service to the country. But, here is where it gets really hairy - service members were dying on duty long before we ever heard of Al Queda or Taliban or even Saddam Hussein. They will still be dying in service after we have forgotten those names too. So, please respect all of those members that give the ultimate sacrifice in service - no matter the cause, location or time.

Now the issue that really, REALLY, twists my "short and curlies" into a knot: supporting your troops means realizing that a soldiers duties are not always pleasant, and yet understanding that someone needs to do them and that someone needs to feel appreciated in her/his job the way we all do. However, it does not mean that you have to agree with the reasons the soldier has been asked to do those things, nor does it mean that disagreeing with your country's political direction (etc.) disrespects the soldier (some soldiers need to sit up and take notice here as well). Many people though would have you believe that voicing opposition to a current political view that involves sending troops to foreign locations means you don't support those troops.

There are also people that believe they cannot support the troops if they do not believe in the politics. I am here to say that these are mutually exclusive. You can absolutely abhor the reason a soldier is sent on a mission - and yet still support the soldier for doing the job given to him/her. Take your opinion where it should be heard - to the soldier's ultimate masters - the politicians. If you change their minds then they will change the soldier's mission (and s/he will then tackle the new mission). Soldiers are required to obey orders - whether they agree with them or not. The rest of us have a duty to ensure they are given the correct orders.

One last note: occassionaly soldiers go beyond the morally (and legally) acceptable. It has happened in the past (most recently Canadians will remember what happened in Somalia) and will undoubtedly happen in the future. Blind support of the troops is nearly as bad as not supporting them when they are just carrying out their (lawful) orders. Thankfully these situations are not the norm. It is incumbent on the rest of our society to watch for these situations, and occassionally to censure those who go too far.