A Tale from Inside the Wire
by Robert Russo
A rare topic on this site is the military, which some Libertarians vehemently oppose and others strongly support, although war stories have been posted before. Like most people I have a friend in Iraq, although he is in relative safety and luxury far from the front lines. This is not a war story nor would I try to evaluate his experiences over there, but this particular one has relevance to the cause of liberty.
My friend is one of the most liberal, non-uniform people I know. Although he is a minister with a conservative interpretation he is also a model of the hip domestic lifestyle, whose joy comes from the latest comic books, video games, fantasy novels, sci-fi television and other literature. Most people of this description (myself included) cannot succeed in the military profession or any job in which a behavioral code is enforced on one's personal life (like ministry). So when he decided to enlist as an army chaplain I was shocked and dismayed for him. But in doing so he has opened a window for me into that mysterious world an anti-military freethinker will never see, and he has succeeded. Here are his words...
I'm officially a Soldier but I don't feel much like one. They still say and do things that I don't really understand. There's a certain slang that I haven't picked up yet. I feel like an infiltrator. I still do everything I used to do except I wear a uniform. There's more physical training which I pretty much avoid. I will be tested on it though so I should probably get on it. I definitely have more status than I had in youth ministry. Here I'm a Chaplain and a Captain. As such I get a lot of leeway. I can do and say things that would get most people in trouble. ...I really do like being around them and I think they like me. The Soldier swears and cusses almost every other word but whenever anyone is around me they don't, because I'm a Chaplain, in fact if one does swear, the others will yell at them and tell them so show some respect! As a Captain I'm pretty high up the chain of command and there are very few people who can actually tell me what to do and the ones under me are "extra nice" when I'm around. Chaplains don't have any command ability. I can't really tell someone what to do, but if I do they will generally do it right away. ...I'm like a Soldier but not a Soldier. I feel like these guys need someone who's different from everyone else. I really like my job.
I don't know if most readers can understand what it means to see someone very much like myself in "the lion's den", where just the presence of a freethinking person makes a difference in the lives of men stripped of their individuality and identity; wondering how they can make life and death decisions and be respected with various parts of their lives missing. Usually you see more commonly sympathized injustices like the war itself, its horrors and the pain of separation.
My friend has bridged the gap between a group I thought had no tolerance for liberals, libertines, individuality itself, and I wish him well. Stories from troops in Iraq and Afghanistan can be read at gocomics.typepad.com/the_sandbox.
Question of the Week: How has the war affected you as a libertarian or as a citizen? Were you or a friend put in a situation where personal liberties took a dive either at home or abroad? Send your experiences to russo@richmondliberty.org.
If you have topics of interest to libertarians please let us know. We welcome your input!