If you looked into the heart of your enemy, what do you think you would find that is different from your own?

SFC A.M. Drake — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 11:22:37 -0500

Response by CPT Brandon Christensen made Feb 22 at 2014 11:30 AM

CPT Brandon Christensen — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 11:30:47 -0500

How fast it beats

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 22 at 2014 11:56 AM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 11:56:13 -0500

I looked into the dead corpse of one about three days ago, all I noticed was an alarming lack of hygiene. I guess eventually that might lead to the problems with the heart....

Response by TSgt Christopher D. made Feb 22 at 2014 12:37 PM

TSgt Christopher D. — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 12:37:44 -0500

I'm disturbed by the other answers here (2 as I write). I guess I shouldn't be, since the  mission of the military is to kill and destroy.<div><br></div><div>In order to properly answer the question, I think we have to put ourselves in their shoes; a simple exercise of empathy. What if another country decided to invade us, and we had their equivalent of an armed force, and they had ours? What if we did not understand the reason, or sympathized with the objectives of the group that brought such an invasion upon us? What if we watched planes drop bombs on our neighborhood and killed many people we knew? What if we saw these people hunt Bob down the street because they said he was a turrst? Would we stand idly by and watch without resisting? I think not. </div><div><br></div><div>In these situations there are prime movers (or directors and agendas behind these operations), and there are prime losers. Too often the prime loses have no idea what's going on, but are simply doing what they can to survive, or get revenge against those they blame for the death of a friend or loved one. This is why the GWOT can never end... anyone who resists is, or will be labeled a turrst. That we watch this happen all around us without more of us raising questions is disturbing. But Kissinger made it clear what he thought of military men: "Military men are just dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy." Comments devoid of empathy for our 'enemy' and blind to behind-the-scenes agendas make it appear that in many cases, he was right.  </div>

Response by SSG Laureano Pabon made Feb 22 at 2014 1:27 PM

SSG Laureano Pabon — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 13:27:33 -0500

<p>SFC M.D I would see the cause he is fighting is not the same as mines.</p><p>In battle he would fight for his country as I would for mines, making us soldiers fighting for opposite reasons we both don't agree upon.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 22 at 2014 1:47 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 13:47:50 -0500

Absolutely nothing.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 22 at 2014 4:39 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 16:39:31 -0500

SFC AMD.

In my time, in Vietnam men and women on both sides fought to overwhelm and completely eviscerate each other in the field. Many were so very severely wounded, burned, or blown apart they were barely recognizable.

That said, I was surprised and so deeply heart warmed when our guys would call nurses across the ward to tell us an enemy combattant in the next bed may need additional sedation or pain relief. When combattants are wounded and in hospital they are all the same people with the same kind of humanity.

The only exceptions were psychotics like some of our own, friendly, and enemy interrogators and others who, perhaps because they have lost everything that ever mattered to them, have lost their humanity and either directly or indirectly by their behavior commit atrocities and all too often kill helpless long term captive men and women.

Perhaps our men and women in the field in harms way retain these same feelings today.

Wamest Regards, Sandy

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2014 2:16 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 02:16:03 -0500

I think and have always said that the warrior across from us has the same concerns.   The health and relative safety of their children, wife and family.   They would not be savages and I wince sometimes at the names to Asian people.   Too much but then I do see the environment they were in and take it into account.  

Response by SPC David Wyckoff made Feb 23 at 2014 11:49 AM

SPC David Wyckoff — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 11:49:03 -0500

<P>It's not so much our differences in the heart as it is the mind. I was going home and I was going to do my dead level best to bring my brothers home, preferably in one piece. If doing that meant my enemy did not, then so be it. </P>
<P>That mindset served me well in my law enforcement career after I got out too. </P>

Response by Cpl Ray Fernandez made Feb 23 at 2014 11:54 AM

Cpl Ray Fernandez — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 11:54:13 -0500

If I looked into the heart of my enemy and looked for a difference I'd hope for two things one it's not beating and  it's riddled with bullets, or if I looked into their mind the last thing going through it would hopefully be a single well placed round. <br>

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2014 12:47 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 12:47:11 -0500

It would not be beating, since I probably would have to cut him open to see it

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2014 1:18 PM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 13:18:37 -0500

Answer: My Kabar.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2014 2:11 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 14:11:33 -0500

Hate versus a genuine concern for my teammates. <div><br></div><div>I fight for the men and women beside me so that we may all come home.  The enemy seems to fight out of hatred for our ideology. Other than that I don't think much would be different. </div>

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 24 at 2014 9:19 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 09:19:24 -0500

The perseverance to outlast the invaders and the determination to put my way of life ahead of all reason.<br>

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 27 at 2014 10:36 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 10:36:47 -0400

Lead

Response by TSgt Kenneth Ellis made Jun 11 at 2015 3:52 PM

TSgt Kenneth Ellis — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 15:52:01 -0400

I have a different view then I would have had before the he Gulf War.

Response by PO2 John Drillock made May 11 at 2022 6:30 PM

PO2 John Drillock — Wed, 11 May 2022 18:30:01 -0400

Paint peeling!