First I saw a report that a Leading Seaman had written a letter admitting to crimes. Then I read Lex’s posts here and especially here and it all really got me thinking…
I never gave much thought to most of the Code of Conduct for the first 15 years or so of my time in the Navy, except for Articles 1 and 6. That’s what being in the service is all about. But the ones in between, the ones dealing with being captured…no.
Being on a submarine these days, you don’t much worry about capture, you just hope you go quick should something happen. Not that you discussed it much. That would be bad luck, and sailors are superstitious, even if they say they aren’t. The sea is a harsh mistress. So unless you take a direct hit from a USET-80, you are not going to experience the true horror of war, the true pain of being wounded or your best friend dying, and you certainly are not going to be captured. Oh no, you are going to die, and it is going to suck as you drown or as you are crushed by overwhelming sea pressure or freeze to death. Nah, capture is not even an option.
Not to mention the submarine way of warfare way was has gotten rather antiseptic: shoot a TLAM and watch it go away to deliver its deadly cargo. Or shoot a torpedo (not in vain, lately) and allow it to home to its final destination. Things blow up a long way off. No, we did not worry about capture.
These days, with the advent of a number of Navy reservists being called to backfill Army jobs in OIF and OEF, however, it has taken a new meaning and urgency for me personally, should I have to go. You read the words and it brings home how serious what we do is, how serious it is for the folks on the front lines. You kind of wonder about where guys like Scott Speicher or Keith Maupin or Ahmed Altaie are and how they are holding up.
Yes, there are now lots of opportunities for Navy folks, both active duty and reservists, to serve on the ground OIF/OEF/HOA. Folks who have spent their whole career on a ship or submarine (aviators I will classify differently since they have the SERE school requirement). In some cases, there may be folks who have never gone to sea or even been overseas who are getting the call. When you read it, the Code of Conduct that is, it really brings it home. I realize that for you Army and USMC types and to a certain extent Air Force, too, this is the way you live. For those of us who go down to the sea in ships, it is somewhat of a new ball game. Not bad, not scary, just new.
When I read the Code of Conduct, I think of the words inscribed on my class ring, the ones I read every morning when I put it on: “Honor Above Self.” That was our class motto. That, to me, is the Code of Conduct.
Bull, Sir.
Sea Stories please…
And then I’ll tell one
Respects,
Richard
PS: Joined the Navy to see the world..got The Pink Palace and Oak Knoll..nuf said….
Bull, Who knows….maybe in a couple of weeks you will have a shooting Navy war too. Hmmmm…Code of Conduct for us government civilian contractors over here?
Ben 79
The best training of my Air Force career was SERE. Every time I see any kind of hostage situation it reminds me of that training and what I learned about myself. Graduation Day from the Air Force Academy was great, but Repatriation Day at the POW camp was by far more intense.
Bull….burp ..SIR,
Grace…get BACK in bed!!…No Honey I was just …yeah I know it’s late but…O.K!!!! I’ll get in bed soon just let me finish this post..yeah I over did it again…but…but..
Damn Bull a SEA STORY PPPPLEEEASE….
Richard
Richard – I know, I know, I know. Been busy with work and things around the house lately. I will try to have one for you soon…
Mike Speicher… his tragic story is a real stain on the trust between the American government and its military.
Anyone interested on his story wander over to the Virginia Pilot online. I think they have the series written about his story archived somewhere.
Why he never got the press coverage he deserved (even by Bill O’Reilly and the “news commentators”) is beyond me.
Went thru SARE in 1981 at Fairchild AFB. When ever I see the tapes of the captured Brits and others its apparant they had no training in E&E.
Not only has POW status changed in the press but I have also noticed that troops dont get “wounded” any more they get “injured” or “hurt”.
And remember that the Geneva convention rules do not apply to American troops and now British troops. Notice that there are no howls of protest of the left ie. ACLU, Amnesty Int. Red Cross and other save the planet orgs.?
American troops are captured, tortured and killed and not a peep of protest, go figure.
SERE..
Live it. Love it, learn it.I was war criminal 63. And that’s all you’ll hear from me if it’s not over a beer.
;-)
Anything else would endanger lives. But I do have the distinct privilege of working with Doug Hegdahl, of Hanoi Hilton fame. Great guy.
Positive Mental Attitude. PMA. It will save your ass.
Joel – I have followed CAPT Speicher’s story over the years and it is definitely one that has seemed to have been forgotten.
Geneva Convention – why is it that as signatories to this set of rules, it is never brought up as written? At Gitmo, we treat the “unlawful combatants” far better than required. Yet ours and the UK troops are treated far worse.
And yes, “wounded” vs. “injured”…remember the press just wants to make a buck…
Pow
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