Here is it - our first service story. Hopefully this is just the beginning as we try to compile as many peoples’ experiences as possible in the days and months ahead.
Nathanial Fick – former Marine Officer and author of the best-selling ONE BULLET AWAY – has agreed to answer a few questions of mine regarding the nature of service. (one note – the questions and answers were exchanged via email.)
1) What was the nature of your service?
I served as a Marine Corps infantry officer from 1999-2004, including combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
2) Why did you decide to serve? What was the driving force behind this decision?
My decision to serve in the military grew from a talk I heard by Tom Ricks in 1997, when he was the Wall Street Journal's Pentagon correspondent. Tom came up to Dartmouth, where I was a junior, and advocated strongly for the presence of ROTC on college campuses. A professor challenged him, saying that ROTC would "militarize the campus and threaten our culture of tolerance." Tom replied that she was wrong, and that it would instead liberalize the military. He didn't mean liberalize in a political sense, but rather it would help
to ensure that there are people from all walks of life and all corners of America in our armed forces, so that when we go to war, we ALL go to war. That message really resonated with me.
3) How do you feel about your service now?
I'm very proud of having served as a Marine. My closest friends are my buddies from the Corps, and I learned things in my early 20s as a Marine that may have taken me decades to learn otherwise. My dad had a prophetic message for me when I first hold him that I'd signed up for OCS: "They will teach you everything I love you too much to teach you." He was right. Leading a platoon in combat was the best--and hardest--job I've ever had.
4) Do you think there should be a military draft? Do you think there should be mandatory National Service of some kind, whether military or civilian in nature?
I actually do not believe that we should have a draft in this country (for the reasons outlined in a NY Times op-ed...to be posted shortly) and I am not a supporter of mandatory national service. It's a nice ideal, but it runs contrary to my views of human liberty. I don't think the state should be able to compel any of us to spend our time in some particular way. Instead, I'd like to see incentives established and cultural norms shifted to encourage people to serve voluntarily. But it should not, in my view, be mandatory.
So, with that I want to thank Nate for his time and open the floor for any reader comments. I'll be posting my own thoughts on some of the issues he raised in the coming days. But, I'll leave you with one question - Do you agree with Mr. Fick's opinion that the state should not be able to compel any of us to spend our time in some particular way?
2 comments:
I agree with Mr. Fick with respect to not forcing people to mandatory military service, nevertheless I do believe that we should have some form of civilian national service in place. I think it would be ideal for every young adult to have to give back to their country in some way. Whether it be volunteering at a local hospital or even working at a clothes drive. Anything would help and would teach all of us to do something for others instead of just worrying about ourselves. An incentive for giving back would definitely help in encouraging people to do so.
I am actually Nate Fick's father; and this is the first time I have (on any article or such board or topic) offered a comment. Here goes:
I have changed my view from thinking that there should be a compulsory 2 year public service, which may be military or non-military, at any time during the ages 17 - 26, to voluntary service, absolutely. I also now support the incentivization of such service. My reason for even wanting this 2 years of encouraged dedication of self to public service has four underlying thoughts: FIRST: I do think that you grow out of yourself, and selfishness, in all such situations, and learn to dedicate yourself to a team, to tasks, to goals of the organization -- you are part of something much larger than yourself. SECONDLY: Nowhere on this earth will you again have such a multi-cultural experience; learn true diversity, and develop a much greater experience of have v. have not, of how very little race matters. THIRDLY: It would definitely have the side-benefit of not only the opportunity of whatever is selected and all education, training, and experience which flows from that, but also breaks the cycle in "the hood" ... wherever that hood might be. Too many folks live and die in a "hood." (in effect) and get immersed in that smaller vision and smaller view of life and of themselves. The travel and cultural shift of such service is expansive. And FOURTHLY: I am convinced that those who serve come out as better, more appreciative, and more thoughtful citizens of the United States. Best regards to all, Nathaniel Fick (the father).
Post a Comment