The purpose of military training is to take the civilian and transform him into a soldier capable of functioning in combat and being a part of a team. This sometimes takes very drastic action. Military indoctrination begins as soon as the troops arrive in boot camp. They are immediately greeted by a cadre of active duty troops whose job is to make them realize that they are in a different environment. The recruit is immediately stripped of everything that remains of his or her civilian lifestyle. The symbolic cutting of the hair removes one of the last vestiges of individuality. The recruit is issued military clothing to wear while in boot camp and not allowed to wear any civilian clothing whatsoever. He or she is not allowed the luxury of TV or radio during this time.
The recruit is indoctrinated to believe that all aspects of their civilian life were somehow tainted and that they are in some sense lower class citizens than the troops who train them. They are not referred to in respectful terms when their civilian life is talked about. Civilians may be called freaks, and recruits are called by such endearing terms as nut, or maggot.
The irony of this is that in order for the recruit to survive he or she must accept this socialism. In order for the recruit to excel in their new environment they must embrace this sociology. The new recruit is rewarded whenever they display behavior consistent with the established guidelines of behavior.
Free time becomes a privilege and is rewarded when the powers who represent the established order say that it is OK. The new recruit is given a totally new value system and expected to embrace it fully. Physical punishment may be used for any behavior which is inconsistent with that declared by the established order.
The Rifleman's creed. "This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. My rifle and my self know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit. My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage as I will ever guard my legs, my arms, my eyes and my heart against damage. I will keep my rifle clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will. Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and my self are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life.
This is one of the many creeds that the recruit has to learn. You can easily read through it and see exactly how it attempts to change the mindset of the recruit. These techniques are time proven and successful. They have been used for years to indoctrinate civilians into the military lifestyle.
You may ask the question of whether this type of training is ethical or not. I am not here to say whether it is. I know that it is necessary in order to transform the civilian into a combat soldier capable of defending this country.
Military Ring Express
