War From a Soldier Point of View
A soldier in a combat unit is not train to befriend the enemy, his mind must be on alert, it is a kill or be killed. The enemy includes all individuals member of the invaded country, especially, when the enemy is engaged in guerilla warfare–IED, and suicide bombing- and moreover, when the enemy does not have a uniform–all members of the country are enemies.
My experience: 1982 Lebanon War, IDF
I was in the Israeli Defense Force in Lebanon fighting Hamas and Hezbollah fighters. On patrol I told my officer, that if anyone approaches the vehicle, I shoot to kill-
Do not bring me drinks, flowers, or food- I am a soldier at war, I have a gun in my hand–Logic says: stay away from me.
The officer told me that it was unacceptable. One is allow shooting only if a gun is seen, or shoot at.
If I am the enemy, then I use these idiotic rules against you. This is one of the reasons, for so many casualties.
There is nothing nice about war. A soldier is send to butcher people whom he or she doesn’t know- Just because he or she was ordered to do so-
Let the soldiers do their war.
The politicians are quit to use the soldiers to do their dirty work, in the name of national security, so at least let them do their work, for which they have been trained.
Does not use soldier as policemen; this is two different jobs, with different skills and requirements.
What do they do to a soldier in is first day of arrival to a boot camp?
They shave his head; give him a uniform, and a number by which he or she will be identify. Then they go on to humiliate, and break the recruit both physically and mentally, to prepare him or her to KILL
Because killing is not as easy as it seems.
And the memory never leaves.
But, if a government going to send troops to war, then let the soldiers be what they were trained to be–KILLERS