Another victim of 'The War Against Terrorism'

Damn, no excuses, the soldier is not a biker, hes a professional. Apparently the one who stepped in the cage needs some discipline. The one who shot the tiger, its a mixed call, hes protecting his fellow trooper , at a great expense.
Thats the trouble with 18 yeqar olds in position of power. Theyre still kids .

You are right, farmerman.

(Hope, you are all right [re electricity et. al.] over the weekend!)

naaah, we are gonna be without full power for days. I have a generator run through my tractor but its kinda loud. We need theminimal power for water pressure and refrig. All else is unusable. NO TV ,

Hate to say it, but not something I wouldn't expect from an American troop. Despite the enticements thrown out by recruiters, the average US soldier is neither the best or the brightest. I recall a large number of long bone and c-spine injuries from the Rangers at Ft. Lewis, who would get liquored up and practice their PLF's out of the third story windows in their barracks.

were all the cast members of Jackass (the movie) in the military? NO. Hell, look at 18 year old college kids. Im not totally surprised but I am saddened. We dont need this kind of rap.

And why are most recruits in the 18-25 range? After that age one loses one's sense of invulnerablitity and desire for "brain off full speed ahead" activities. Been there, done that, much more sedate now.

Sure, that age group thinks it's immortal. They also heal quicker.

I'm quite glad I turned 36 this year. I am no longer facing those tornadoes in Karate tournaments any more. Instead I can face folks like me, who think both of strategy and our orthopedic/dental bills.
However, in the military, many in that age group are in leaderdship positions. Granted, I knew more really competent, compassionate 23 year old E-5s than I did poor ones, but the few bad examples will always overshadow the positive ones. Whoever was in charge of the brave tiger fighter and its killer should be relieved. In that kind of an environment, going off to "get drunk" is like going off to commit suicide! The situation in Iraq seems (from my perspective in Denver, not Iraq) to be one where the platoona nd squad leadership needs to be activley involved with every soldier. Yes, the soldiers may resent it, but they are more likely to remain in one piece!

yeh I agree. Good leadership tries to keep your troops safe for battle (this includes leading them so they dont hurt themselves), for no reasons

Stories like this really tick me off to no end. This makes me very angry and sad, to say the least.

Stupid, stupid people!!!!!!!!!

ARSEHOLES, total fvcking ARSEHOLES.

Just following the lead of their boss.

They're killing children, they're killing animals-how about going after Saddam?

How foolish of me. They only fight those who cant fight back.

Thats a bit harsh. I think what you have is a buch of young, scared kids with firearms. Not pleasant, not safe, not very bright. But, the average squaddie isn't a malignant toad. That is a job for elected officials!

And they do such a magnificent job of it.

But at some point, those carrying the guns have got to start shouldering some of the blame. 'just following orders' is getting a bit old.

What an odd position for me to be in..hmmm..here goes...
The US military is a microcosm of middle and lower middle class America. There is an over-representation of those with poor social skills and poor impulse control skills. The Army has long sold itself as an alternative to higher education, or as a pathway towards achieveing the cost of higher ed. In addition, the Enlisted Corps of the US Army tends to promote a lifestyle that can be described as "extended adolescence." Delayed gratifications are not encouraged, and a premium is placed upon macho exhuberence when off duty.The official distaste for alcohol related offences is directly countered by the importance of alcohoil as a social fluid in lower enlisted society. Holding one's drink,and the ability to "party hearty" are highly valued attributes of the lower enlisted soldier. Many soldiers express pride in drinking to stupor every night.
With this thrill seeking behaviour is also taught a peculiar attitude toward authority. Although ostensibly based on the concepts of duty and responsibility, the modern Army embraces a philosophy of doing as little as possible,and misbehaving as much as possible. "Shamming," avoiding duty by any means possible, is a valued skill for junior enlisted. Also valued is the ability to circumvent major rules and regulations and not get caught.
With the above principles in place, it becomes easy to understand that personal responsibility is not a valued trait among junior enlisted. Therefore the incidents of killing/wounding of unarmed civilians and various furred mammals should become understandable. Since no one is willing to take responsibility for anyone's actions, a sort of anarchy occurs.
I hope this has helped, although I think I have just confused myself. I will sleep on this and try to clarify tomorrow.

Anyone who is stupid enough to walk into a tigers cage shouldn't be in the military. In fact, the man shouldn't even be able to walk the streets since he is obviously insane and a danger to himself, not to mention others. What does the govenment expect when the put guns in the hands of these children and teach them how to kill, then send them to war where they can be killed at any moment.

Here was this tiger minding his own business and now he's dead for no good reason at all. That just brings tears to my eyes!