never a soldier

nidal hasan was never a soldier. not in our army. not in my army. he wore the uniform and lived in the housing, worked in the facilities, drew his pay and accepted the salutes of those he was appointed over. but he was never a soldier.

he was a doctor, never went to the field, or even deployed from the states. what is a soldier? it's the kid down the street, who can't get along with his dad, cause they are too much alike. he is a patriot who wants to give back, serve. or who can't currently find a job in the civilian sector, due to high unemployment, like the 10.2% we currently have with obama. it's the guy bored with the confines of his small to medium sized town or the ridiculous crime rates in his big city, longing for something else, an adventure. or who needs a way to save for college.

once in, he discovers he is just like the rest of the shaved heads in camo. he becomes a boot size, pants size, blouse size, weapons number. he becomes 7 out of the next 6 in the chow hall. he is fire guard from 0100 to 0300 or CQ from 2300 to 0100. after the basic stuff he begins to learn a skill. he becomes an 11B, 13C, 19K, 21E, 31B, 42A or 68W.

as he builds skill and learns and demonstrates leadership qualities, he advances. and makes friends that last a lifetime. and due to being taken out of the comfort zone that is his neighborhood or hometown, he learns responsibility and trust. and respect. that is something nidal hasan never learned, in my opinion.

i doubt nidal hasan ever saw the soldiers creed, or read it or understood its meaning and significance. some will see it as just words, but it is a pact. an agreement between me and the guy to my left and right. i am here with you, rely on me, together we can do this, you are not alone.

nidal hasan put self before others and a radical ideology above his duty to what were supposed to be his brothers in arms. a true soldier shares his food, water, shelter, socks, whatever with another troop. and have given up their lives on so many occasions, for men they don't even know, just because 'those guys are pinned down', or 'that guy in the open has been shot by a sniper and needs help.'

he never understood this, others over self, sacrifice, only blind following of his faith, and slaughtered his brothers. strip him of the uniform and any decorations, he was never a soldier.