I get where you're coming from on this. I have a similar ideology, but of the mental plane and not the physical one. If there is a major point in difference between what I think and what you do about this, it would revolve around putting your life on the line. I would never do that unless the stakes were low, and the rewards exceeding high. You can't appreciate anything if you're dead.
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Yeah.
I consider standard armies and garrisons as such, but perhaps there's something that can be learned from these men over time. It seems that the only difference between the most units and these elite few is the amount they've indulged themselves into an ideology. Typically, the stronger the faith in a concept the more dangerous and victorious that specific war band is.
When you look at history and you start to see that standard mindsets don't get the job done. Any army that still held onto selfish concepts or simply the feared for their lives never made it far. These few groups took it farther, sacrificing their humanity to become something more than a man, monsters on the battlefield that have shown results. A fine example is the Maori warriors, who believed their ancestors smiled upon the act of war, that by killing and cannibalizing their enemies they gained "mana" which roughly translates out to spiritual power and prestige. Unlike most standard cultures, they were never conquered and still exist today.
Throughout history there have been countless war cultures, all of them eerily share similar if not the same values. From the Nazi's all the way back to the Spartans they all hold these same concepts.
- Sacrifice: All of the most revered and elite war bands served unquestionably to some higher concept. With the Aztec Jaguar Warriors it was in the form of service to their deities, for the Samurai it was for the honor of their family and their shogun, for the Spartans it was simply the glory of battle itself and for Americans it was the concept of freedom. By having the strength to willingly give up their own interests for the progression towards a collective goal that was other wise unobtainable, gave these men an unrivaled sense of entitlement which leads to the next concept.
- Superiority: Simple and plain every notable fighting force has it in a large degree. I can tell you from my own experience that the USMC breeds it through training and shedding light on one's true capabilities when the fear of bodily harm is able to be put aside. For the the Inca's Warriors it was the belief that they were handpicked by the gods to fight.The most obvious case is the 3rd Reich who believed they were naturally superior than all other beings and that they deserved the Sudetenland and any beyond. With unrivaled confidence you see these groups grasping victory out of unfavorable terms, the mindset in itself granted these warring tribes victories and snowballed their confidence. This is where groups like the Persian Immortals gained their nicknames.
- Valor/Honor/Glory: The system would never work without a reward. With yourself completely dedicated to a cause and a massive superiority complex built from previous victories it's not that hard to lay your life on the line, especially when doing so is rewarded with admiration and a deep respect by your peers. Even today look at the attention a veteran receives after obtaining a combat injury. Hell I remembered when i came back in uniform an obviously pregnant woman opened a door for me. In many of these notable cultures there is no higher honor than death in battle.
I feel a sense of brotherhood when I read about these men. I understand them and am honored to be among their ranks. My cause, the reason I wish to fight isn't up there. I want challenge, the Art of War is the purest and most concentrated form of adversity. There hasn't been anything I couldn't achieve or obtain through shear willpower. I want to use all of it and see my true potential, I want it enough to willingly risk my life for.
That's the doctrine, but the reality is men on horses chasing down deserters from the front lines and killing them dead.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertion#Vietnam_War
Vietnam War[edit]
Approximately 50,000 American servicemen deserted during the Vietnam War.[31] Some of these migrated to Canada. Among those who deserted to Canada were Andy Barrie, host of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Radio's Metro Morning, and Jack Todd, award-winning sports columnist for the Montreal Gazette.[32] Other countries also gave asylum to deserted U.S. soldiers. For example, Sweden allows asylum for foreign soldiers deserting from war, if the war does not align with the current goals of Swedish foreign policy.Iraq War[edit]
According to the Pentagon, more than 5,500 military personnel deserted in 2003–2004, following the Iraq invasion and occupation.[33] The number had reached about 8,000 by the first quarter of 2006.[34] Another report stated that since 2000, about 40,000 troops from all branches of the military have deserted, also according to the Pentagon. More than half of these served in the US Army.[35] Almost all of these soldiers deserted within the United States. There has only been one reported case of a desertion in Iraq. The Army, Navy, and Air Force reported 7,978 desertions in 2001, compared with 3,456 in 2005. The Marine Corps showed 1,603 Marines in desertion status in 2001. That had declined to 148 by 2005.[34]
Mutiny?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutiny
Mutiny is a criminal conspiracy among a group of people (typically members of the military; or the crew of any ship, even if they are civilians) to openly oppose, change, or overthrow a lawful authority to which they are subject. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among members of the military against their superior officer(s), but can also occasionally refer to any type of rebellion against an authority figure.
Whatever. Same deal.
In Vietnam they didn't even make it that far to begin deserting.
"In the United States military parlance, fragging (from fragmentation grenade) is the murder of members of the military, particularly commanders of a fighting unit or manipulating the chain of command in order to have an individual or unit deliberately killed by placing the personnel in harm's way. An example would be to order a soldier to perform a particularly hazardous task and continue to repeat the task until the soldier met his death. Originating among United States troops during the Vietnam War, the term was most commonly used to mean the assassination of an unpopular officer of one's own fighting unit."
"Lower enlisted-rank soldiers used the threat of fragging to influence officers. Sometimes a warning would be given to the target by placing a grenade pin on his bed."
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