Veterans Day

Today, Veterans Day is being honored in the United States.

For a large number of people, it will simply be the culmination of a three-day weekend although I suspect that most Americans will fully appreciate the significance of the day and the importance of recognizing national service in the military.

Even among those individuals, the military often exists as something "other people do"; an activity so remote from the usual lifestyle it might as well be engaged in by Martians.

When I served in the Army years ago, I learned how the stereotypes of the military held by many civilians are both false and harmful. My colleagues weren't mindless automatons who couldn't find jobs elsewhere; for the most part they were extraordinarily talented. The education level was higher than in most of the organizations, both public and private, that I've encountered in over 20 years as a consultant. [It was not unusual to meet officers with doctorates and masters degrees were common. Today, the level is even higher and many of the NCOs have graduate degrees.] There was racial and ethnic diversity in command positions and a serious commitment to root out bigotry. There was training and more training and a sincere interest in the welfare of the lowest-ranking soldiers.

I also gained a strong appreciation for the difficulty of the military's mission. Consider the logistics of moving large groups of people around the world in an organized fashion to achieve a major goal, then factor in other people and groups who are trying to thwart that mission and you'll have a hint of the complexity. I'm less impressed with brain surgery.

It is strange that so many people regard the military as inferior to most parts of the civilian sector. The reality is exactly the opposite.