ZenGum |
12-09-2009 06:24 AM |
This one
Quote:
Selfless Service
Put the welfare of the Nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own.
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appeals to me a lot as a military virtue.
I absolutely despise commanders and generals who do not care for and value their troops.
Caesar, while conquering Gaul, refused to let his men engage the enemy in battle in certain circumstances. His men challenged him, why won't you let us fight them? He explained that they did not have as much of a strategic advantage as he believed they could get by some more maneuvering, and he didn't want to lose any of them unless he really couldn't help it. I'm sure he said it better, and in Latin, but that was the general point.
By contrast, compare some comments from WWI generals: "What do you mean, we've only lost eight thousand men today? The plan was to lose ten thousand! Send two thousand more!"
Examples abound. Patton's behaviour in Sicily was just as bad, sending a division into battle merely to prevent it from being transferred to a different general (against orders).
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