Positive Aspects of our Warriors

What is a warrior?  I've not addressed this question much (yet) but I'll briefly state that, while we have some very strong virtues associated with bieng a warrior, there are traits that are often NOT associated with being a warrior (such as mercy and compassion).  These are at odds with our belief that to be a warrior is to be able to quickly and decisively kill.  

However, the warriors from this nation's ranks are members of this country.  They are, I believe, among the best that this country has to offer.  To put it in 'plain speak', we want to be good men and women, we want to do what it 'right' and 'just' and we have this inherent belief that we 'wear the white hats' (are the good guys).

Our defined virtues of our military culture may not have space or distinct values as what is in this video, but our best soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, all carry the virtues in this video.  What happens, then, if you take good people of moral character and place them in a war where they have to do or witness things that are at odds with the people that we are?  It is an eventful occurence and one could shut down the human side and become only the soldier.  Yet what soldier, with honor, does not understand the human cost?  I argue that one cannot have honor without such a moral weight, that honor is indeed much more than simply a keeping of one's promises.

And what is moral conscience without emotional weight in our dealings with other people?  And what is this without a sense of jus ad bellum?

Here are some positive examples of what our warriors are.  We are ruthless, fast, efficient, and if need be, incredibily violent and brutal.  But we are also human, caring, sacrificing, and hopeful.  

Spem semper habemus

(we always have hope)