I am a disabled American veteran. I have fought in declared wars and I have taken part in UN sanctioned police actions. I have been wounded, and I have killed. Above all else, the fact is that I volunteered. The United States military today is an all volunteer force. When we enlisted, we took an oath to defend our country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I will never take my my oath as just something I said years ago. I will carry that oath with me today and every day until I die.

Our country was not founded on cowardice, but that is what we are seeing today. We have had army soldiers in Iraq that refused lawful orders to resupply troops at the front lines that were being shot at because they might have been shot at themselves. That is called mutiny. Those spldiers are a disgrace to all that have worn the uniform before them.

There is a Code of Conduct for military personnel. Article VI of the CoC states:

"I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America."

It is not fair for civilians who never served our military to judge its traditions or its code of honor. When one enlists they are sacrificing their freedoms in order to provide civilians theirs. We don't question marching orders, we follow them. Very rarely have there been unlawful orders given. The events at Abu Ghraib were not endorsed by any military command. These were the acts of stupid reservists that thought they could get away with bad behavior. This is not a snapshot of the entire military, but yet it blemishes it.

Rosie O'Donnell has said that there are three kinds of people that join the military: stupid people, people with social problems, and poor people. I fell into none of those categories, as I am certain that nearly all in the military don't either. The men and women I served with in the Marine Corps were the among the best people I ever met. It does our country a great disservice to have celebrities saying these things about us.

In 1775, if the people of of this country didn't take a stand and ready themselves for a fight for their beliefs, we quite possibly would not have the great nation we do today. Freedom is not free. Some things are worth dying for. There are some of us out there that know this. They are called soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines.

If, in 1988 when I enlisted, my recruiter said that I would be sent off to a foreign country to die for my country, I probably wouldn't have signed the contract. Who would? It is not our duty to die for anything. It is our duty to stand up and fight for what is fundamentally right. If that means I might die for my beliefs then so be it. That takes character. When people come forth as conscientious objectors to a conflict I disagree. The soldier does not have the right to question orders, only to follow them. Sometimes those orders put us in harms way. We accept that because it our belief that what we are doing is fundamentally right.

Our military is not and will never will be an evil entity. The good that is done by it far outweighs any of the bad. Soldiers and veterans don't ask for much, if anything, in return for our service. Perhaps a little recognition from our government in the form of medical benefits and maybe some loan assistance. Generally though, a simple "Thank You" is enough.

Semper Fidelis.

Learn more about this author, Shawn Cape.
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