Big Boy Rules: Part 2 "Warrior Worldview"

"If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared"- Niccolo Machiavelli

Many people prefer to talk about a code, philosophy or trait. These are all synonyms for Ethos. Ethos is a "shared fundamental traits: the fundamental and distinctive character of a group, social context, or period of time, typically expressed in attitudes, habits, and beliefs." A lot has been discussed on this subject, so for the time being I'll skip it. Instead, I want to talk about the Warrior's "worldview."

Why a worldview? A worldview is the overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world. This is important to whether you are trying to understand yourself, trying to help a loved one or have a heart for vets and want to help them.

It is important because the Warrior views the world differently than others. Their calling is different from the calling of other people who desire to serve, whether as a first responders (police/firemen/EMTs), social workers or preachers, or simply desire to protect, defend or improve their neighborhood, town, state or society (I prefer to just use tribe). How they do it is much different from the Warrior. They are inwardly focused, they usually work within the tribe, living among their people to make this change.

The Warrior is outwardly focused, defending or strengthening his tribe through both defensive and offensive actions. I think the major difference between a Warrior and others is their view toward violence. A police officer is capable of violence in defense of himself or others, but it is always a last resort. When the warrior is called by his tribe, all other options have already been used. The warrior is the last resort, so his primary option is violence.

“There are no substitutes for violence of action and volume of fire. Move forward and shoot, always forward and shooting. The enemy will choose to fight and die or live and run. Either way, move forward and shoot and he will fear you absolutely.”- Otto Skorzeny

A warrior is home in the chaos and carnage of the battlefield. War is his calling, and he fulfills this calling in the death and utter destruction of his enemy. He wins when his enemy, completely broken, begs for mercy and throws his weapons down in surrender.

The Warrior uses whatever instrument of death is available to kill as many of his foe as quickly and violently as possible. It is why we are taught when initiating an ambush, to always open up with the most casualty-producing weapon. We don't announce ourselves and then ask for them to surrender. We use speed, surprise and violence of action to kill, maim and destroy. The more violence at the onset, the more disoriented the enemy will be, which prevents them from being able to effectively retaliate, and therefore easier to kill. 

Everyone who has gone through bayonet training during Basic will recognize the chant....

"WHAT IS THE SPIRIT OF THE BAYONET?" "TO KILL, KILL, KILL WITHOUT MERCY!!!" 

"WHAT MAKES THE GREEN GRASS GROW?" "BLOOD!!! BLOOD MAKES THE GREEN GRASS GROW!!!"

It is used as an attempt to motivate and create the Warrior spirit within new recruits. It is an attempt to teach them what they are now a part of. They are not made to be peacekeepers, nation builders or police. They are made and will be used to close with and kill the enemy. To shoot, stab or beat their foe until only one walks away. It is a calculated culture of violence.

FM 23-25 WAR DEPARTMENT BASIC FIELD MANUAL, BAYONET from Sep 1943 states:

THE SPIRIT OF THE BAYONET: The will to meet and destroy the enemy in hand-to-hand combat is the spirit of the bayonet. It springs from the fighter's confidence, courage, and grim determination, and is the result of vigorous training. Through training, the fighting instinct of the individual soldier is developed to the highest point. The will to use the bayonet first appears in the trainee when he begins to handle it with facility, and increases as his confidence grows. The full development of his physical prowess and complete confidence in his weapon culminates in the final expression of the spirit of the bayonet—fierce and relentless destruction of the enemy. For the enemy, demoralizing fear of the bayonet is added to the destructive power of every bomb, shell, bullet, and grenade which supports and precedes the bayonet attack.

3. PRINCIPLES OF BAYONET FIGHTING: a. The bayonet is an offensive weapon. With it, aggressiveness wins. Hesitation, preliminary maneuvering, and fencing are fatal. The delay of a fraction of a second may mean death.  

b. The bayonet fighter attacks in a fast, relentless assault until his opponent is destroyed. He takes instant advantage of any opening; if the enemy gives no opening, the attacker makes one by parrying his opponent's weapon and driving blade or butt into him with killing force.  

c. As the throat area is especially sensitive to attack by the bayonet, an opponent will act instinctively to protect this area from a thrust. By threatening his opponent's throat with the point of the bayonet, the attacker will frequently cause him to uncover other vulnerable parts of the body. Other sensitive parts frequently exposed to the attacker's thrust are the face, chest, abdomen, and groin.

That is the Warrior worldview - aggression, violence, destruction, attack, killing - all words that are seen in a negative light in today's civilized, PC world. It is why the Warrior is feared, even by his own people.

The police go out and attempt to either prevent crime, or to incarcerate those who have broken the societal code. It is their code to keep the peace or protect and serve (as it states on their vehicles), not to kill and destroy. It is why police snipers only shoot to save a life, whereas a military sniper goes and kills without warning someone who may not be actively fighting.

They are two very different ways to look at the world, as they should be. Both police and Warriors will run to the sound of gunfire, but their reasons are different. They are different because of their worldviews. The police officer goes to help and protect, and he will stop the perpetrator either through arrest or, as a last resort, to kill. At the sound of gunfire, the Warrior comes alive. His heart rate increases, adrenaline surges and senses are heightened. He runs toward it because that is where he belongs, that is where he wants to be. It is his chance to go toe to toe with his enemy once again. His chance to do what he was made for: killing his enemy.

Why does this matter? Why did I spend so much time defining these two things? I did it in hopes of helping people who may be struggling with some of the same things I did. People whose guts tell them that there is nothing wrong with them, but all "the Normals" keep saying they need help. They need to see a shrink, be on medication, go to the VA to get put on disability for PTSD.

The Normals seem to think they know better than us what we need. I'm hoping to share some of my story in order to help a certain group of Vets who are struggling, but don't need to be. I'm hoping that the thoughts which I write down will allow someone to change how they look at their experience.

I've been blessed by people around me who have helped me gain greater insight into who I am, and why I am this way. Some are beliefs that I've had since before I joined the military, and others are relatively recent. I have put them together in a way that makes sense to me, and I hope they make sense to others. Some of the things that I have and will share are things that I haven't shared with many people. Not because I'm ashamed, but because most people won't understand. I've stopped caring how the Normals will judge or look at me.

It is part of my journey and one of those stories not many people know. It won't be pleasant, to some but it will resonate with others. It is why the definition of Warrior and explaining the Warrior worldview were important to this process.

In Part 1, I used the famous line from the movie Conan where he says, “crush your enemies, see them driven before you and to hear the lamentation of their women.” That line has stuck with me, because every time I heard it, it brought up something that I had struggled with for many years. The part about lamentation of their women. I know that sound. I've heard it. Lamentation is more than sadness or crying - it is the sound of utter loss, regret and horror. It is defined in the bible as, "To mourn; to grieve; to weep or wail; to express sorrow." And it is the book traditionally ascribed to Jeremiah, who is lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem which is the most important and holy city to the Jews. It is more than an emotion, it is the sound of someone who has had a piece of their soul ripped out.

We had hit a target north of Baghdad in the middle of a densely populated town. We landed a couple miles away, and had walked into town and surrounded the house where our target was reported to be. We set up blocking positions on the corners of the block, set the charge, and initiated.

The target was located in a town that was, shall we say, not overly friendly. As soon as we breached all hell broke loose. It was like a kid kicking an ant hill. Armed men rushed out of their house attempting to protect the man we were after. The blocking positions on each corner opened up and they began falling.

It was unfortunate that they decided to fight in the street right outside their homes. The wives and children were just inside the doors and saw what was happening to their men, but could not go to them. For the rest of the time that we were on target, the night was punctuated by the roar of gunfire and the lamentations of those whose loved ones were laying dead, bleeding in the streets. As we moved off target and walked down the street and out of town, we stepped over and around the bodies strewn all over.

I said I had struggled with this, but not for the expected reasons. I struggled because I felt like I should be bothered by it, but wasn't. In fact, all I felt was pride. Pride in a successful mission, pride that we had been better than our enemy, and pride that we got the guy we were going after. This was our sixth attempt at him, he had always managed to get out right before we got there. The epic firefight almost seemed fitting as a final chapter in our pursuit of him.

I questioned why I wasn't bothered. In my gut I knew that I wasn't broken, but I couldn't explain why this or any other experience I had didn't keep me awake at night, or cause me to suffer the vivid nightmares and flashbacks that you hear so much about. Even without talking about this with people, I kept getting told that anyone who deployed so much was bound to be affected, encouraging me to get help, get fixed. They sensed the difference in me and just assumed I needed to be fixed.

I was really close to believing them, too. I was different than before, I've deployed so much that maybe there really was something wrong with me. Even in my doubt, my gut kept telling me that I was fine. How does one go against everyone and everything and instead trust their gut.

It wasn't until I was talking to a former Army psychologist who explained the difference between PTS and PTSD that I had my "AHA" moment. That is when I started writing and wrote The Stigma of PTSD. In Part 3, I begin talking about the real issue that many have. The guilt of what they have seen or did. The loss of brothers and the survivor's guilt that so often comes with it and the "horrors of war" that are destroying so many of us.

I don't claim to have a magic spell that will fix everyone, hell it might not help anyone. I very well could just be that fucked up, but I don't think so. I'm hoping that, if nothing else, it lays a seed for people to come back to and think about. Maybe it will help people accept and embrace the Warrior that they are. Not to be ashamed of their experience, but to be proud of it, to truly understand and believe that it is the nature of war to be ugly and learn to accept it. Honor the sacrifice of the Warriors who didn't make it home and let go of the guilt that does not belong to them.

Author's Notes

I hope no one thinks that I am saying once you hang up the uniform you are no longer a warrior. Once you have made that choice it is who you are until you meet your brothers on the other side. The only way it is lost is if you violate the code, bring dishonor on your society or tribe. Much like shunning or in the case of SF, revoking their Tab. It lets them, and everyone else in the society, know that they have brought shame or dishonor on their tribe.

I used police officers, not to minimize them, what they do, or their sacrifices, but as a way to contrast the difference of view between them and the Warriors. I also used them because I know many cops view themselves as Warriors, which I personally think is a bad thing, because of my views of what a Warrior is.

I purposefully avoided traits of the Warrior like loyalty, courage, honor, fidelity, honesty or strength. As with the first essay, I wanted this worldview to be able to be used for any Warrior throughout history. mercy for some would be a good trait, for others mercy was considered a weakness.