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In a chapter he contributed to a new book called
Spirit, Blood, and Treasure, Rehberg analyzes how
the breakdown of American culture has affected the
military. "Never before has there been such a chasm
of values between society and what is required of
good officers and NCOs," he observes. "The culture
recruits come from is antithetical to military character
and even simple issues of right and wrong." Rehberg
foresees that "the military will continue to spend
millions of dollars teaching basic values and ethics
that should have been taught at home, school, and
church and reinforced in communities."
Rehberg recommends establishing "policies that
will reward those of strong and honorable character."
He argues that military culture must change so that
"truth and responsibility become the impulse, instead
of damage control and protecting service or unit
images." Rehberg calls for "a more comprehensive
educational plan dealing with the concepts of unlaw
ful orders and ethical dissent. Ethical dissent and
development of the 'will to dissent' should be a part
of all character education and training," he argues. In
addition, there must be "systemic changes that
reinforce our ethical ideals and senior leadership that
have the moral courage to resign for just cause."
In another chapter of the book, former military
tactics instructor John Poole charges that "Pentagon
procurers have been slow to admit that human beings
can outsmart machines. The U.S. military has also
relied heavily on the promise of newer technology and
the wisdom of higher rank," he adds. "When certain
things are overemphasized, other things tend to suf
fer." Poole suggests that "overemphasis on rank, tech
nology, and long-range warfare may have created a
deficiency in individual initiative, small-unit skills,
and short-range warfare in general." He worries that
such a deficiency might "cause young Americans to
suffer unnecessarily in the next war."
According to Poole, "Enemy capabilities change
so rapidly that headquarters cannot keep everyone
apprised of opposing weapons systems, much less
how to defeat them. The enemy's tactical techniques
-- the devious ways in which he maneuvers -- often
constitute a greater threat than his weapons," he em
phasizes. "For an infantry element of any size, over
control by its headquarters can pose as big a problem
as the enemy." Poole concludes that the U.S. military
"must depend less on all-knowing generals and colo
nels and more on self-starting privates, corporals, and
sergeants. They are, after all, the ones who must do
the fighting (and dying)."
Duplantier is the author of Politickles: Limericks Lampooning
the Lunatic Left (Merril Press, 2000), available at The Conservative Bookstore and other online locations.
Published by permission.
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