"To get peace," said General Dwight D. Eisenhower in World War II, "you've got to fight like hell for it."
I have seen reports in the news media that a major weakness of the Iraqi army is that many of its soldiers are reluctant to fight. I can imagine many reasons for this. Iraq is basically three nations - Kurdish, Sunni and Shia. They don't trust each other very much. It is as if in the early 1860s the Union and Confederate governments sent out joint military operations against some common foe. They would have been more at odds with each other than with the enemy.
But I am worried about our own situation. Not about our soldiers who are unfailingly brave and willing to sacrifice themselves, but about the American people as a whole. Only a tiny handful of Americans, about 1 percent of the population, are engaged in the military. Were we to find ourselves in a major conflict, I can only wonder where we would find millions of soldiers to carry the load as we did in WWII.
Our reliance upon the volunteer army has become engrained and anyone who questions it is automatically dismissed as a crank. I have been admonished repeatedly that the political situation would never permit a return to the draft. So much for that.
Patriotism still gets favorable reviews on holidays and at sporting events where men and women in uniform are honored and everyone stands for the national anthem. But national defense requires more than honorifics. It requires people who are willing to sacrifice of themselves for our country, to the death if necessary.
Down through history, since the days of ancient Rome and before, the great nations have depended on their people to project power and protect their citizens. As former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates put it, "It's always about people."
Even under dire circumstances, most people tend to do what is expected of them, even if it involves risk. Our people are not craven nor are they unpatriotic, but under the current system very little is expected of them. Fighting our nation's enemies is some else's job. What's missing is a national consciousness of commitment, an assumption that positive action is expected of everyone. It does not necessarily have to be about service in the military. We have many needs, especially among our poor people who lack the basic amenities and opportunities to contribute and improve their lot. Everyone in good health should be expected through national programs to contribute to our country. National service should be expected of all of us.
The world is full to overflowing with violent people who have contempt for our country and our values. The time will come, as it always does, when we need all hands on deck to fight for our freedom again as previous generations have done. I hope and pray we will be able to rise to the occasion, but the prospect troubles me.
Lt. Gen. Clarence E. "Mac" McKnight, Jr., (USA-Ret) is the author of "From Pigeons to Tweets: A General Who Led Dramatic Change in Military Communications," published by The History Publishing Company.
Advertisement