Ask a Soldier

[MobBoss]

Oh, we have one or two decent ones left in NZ

Isnt that the guy from 'The Hangover'?

 

[Bugfatty300]

That's just a promotion shot from a new Tairy Greene movie.

 

[frekk]

Legally, since the order 'kill jews' could not ever have been construed as legal and was not given 'down the chain' - it was given to individuals and troops rather than armies and divisions - it was a duty of anyone recieving it to refuse to comply with it. Personally, I hope that I would have done so, although I more than sympathise with those who didn't. It's far from easy to disobey orders from senior, more experienced people whom you trust and respect and who are shouting in your ear and will cart you off to jail if you disobey them.

Some killings occurred in the field, of course, but nobody was ever under any duress to be a guard at one of the death camps. It was entirely optional, at the discretion of the individual. Many of the guards chose to be transferred there because it was a way of getting out of duty on the Eastern Front.

 

[Dragonlord]

Legally, since the order 'kill jews' could not ever have been construed as legal and was not given 'down the chain' - it was given to individuals and troops rather than armies and divisions - it was a duty of anyone recieving it to refuse to comply with it. Personally, I hope that I would have done so, although I more than sympathise with those who didn't. It's far from easy to disobey orders from senior, more experienced people whom you trust and respect and who are shouting in your ear and will cart you off to jail if you disobey them.

Morally, I fully agree - but the legality is somewhat more ambiguous. The Bundeswehr (and, I guess, most other modern armies) have rules that illegal orders may not be obeyed - no such rule existed in the Wehrmacht, though. There was no right, much less the duty, to disobey an illegal order - there was a strong likelihood of being shot or sent to a penal battalion (also very close to a death sentence), in fact.

That said, in actuality most murders (Jews and others) were committed by special units (SS and police battallions), who were mostly volunteers. I don't know of any cases where soldiers were actually executed for not following orders to kill Jews - but it was certainly a possibility.

Some killings occurred in the field, of course, but nobody was ever under any duress to be a guard at one of the death camps. It was entirely optional, at the discretion of the individual. Many of the guards chose to be transferred there because it was a way of getting out of duty on the Eastern Front.

Unfortunately, it was more than 'some' killings in the field - the Police Battalions killed many thousands of Jews, advancing right behind the Wehrmacht ... as said, these were usually volunteers also, though.

 

[civ_king]

Oh, we have one or two decent ones left in NZ

Who is that?

 

[otago]

Who is that?

Corporal Willie Apiata VC NZ SAS, a class bloke, donated his Victoria Cross to the people of New Zealand.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10506177

 

[Frank Drebin]

after having killed other humans in war, how easy is it to come back home and re-integrate into a supposedly civilized society?

 

[Flying Pig]

Some killings occurred in the field, of course, but nobody was ever under any duress to be a guard at one of the death camps. It was entirely optional, at the discretion of the individual. Many of the guards chose to be transferred there because it was a way of getting out of duty on the Eastern Front.

A lot of things in the army are 'optional' on paper but far from that in real life. For example, before applying on a physically arduous course I was 'persuaded' by the RSM to join the boxing team (passed the course, so fair play to him). Bear in mind that if His Majesty 'advises' that you do something and you refuse, he's still essentially rules your life for the forseeable future so it's a bad idea to annoy him.

Corporal Willie Apiata VC NZ SAS, a class bloke, donated his Victoria Cross to the people of New Zealand.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10506177

Obviously trying to blend in with the enemy in the other photo

Serious note: a hero, nothing short. Our cousins down under have really distinguished themselves in these current conflicts; I think they've had the VC three times between them and we've had two (although nobody seems to know about the second).

after having killed other humans in war, how easy is it to come back home and re-integrate into a supposedly civilized society?

Right. First of all, despite our reputation (it's fair to say that we have one in the rest of the army), paratroopers are not always aggressive, dangerous people. One of the tests during P Coy, unique to our regiment (as far as I know), is milling - like boxing, but where points are scored for displays of sprit and controlled agression. Emphasis on controlled. We're paras; one of the great things about that is we can when required go through a trench full of the enemy, screaming at them and tearing them down with the bayonet, and we can also stand by in the Bogside when a crowd of Ulstermen come to throw petrol bombs at us. Before anyone says it, Bloody Sunday was a major exception and a serious screw-up.

Secondly; airborne troops do often have more difficulty than other partly due to this training in aggression but also because we to get home by aircraft rather than by ship far more often than other capbadges, so we have far less time between war and peace to adjust, as it were - most dramatically seen after CORPORATE. That said I never really found it much of a problem; I have the ability to turn on the aggression on the battlefield, rugby pitch or boxing ring and then turn it off when I step out of that role.

 

[Frank Drebin]

so basically you're handling it by viewing the battlefield and home as two competely different universes?

 

[frekk]

A lot of things in the army are 'optional' on paper but far from that in real life. For example, before applying on a physically arduous course I was 'persuaded' by the RSM to join the boxing team (passed the course, so fair play to him).

Yes, but this is not true in the case of the death camp guards. All camp guards had the option to be transferred to the Eastern Front. In fact, this was often done as a disciplinary action. At the trials of Treblinka camp guards, it was in fact revealed that this was the standard action taken against personnel who refused to carry out orders at the camp: they were simply transferred to the Eastern Front, with no other disciplinary action taken against them.

At least, that is true as far as the men go. Many of the female guards (about 1 in 15 guards were women) were conscripted.

 

[GoodGame]

What's your favorite machine gun?

What's your favorite "sniper" rifle?

What's your favorite man-pad "anti-tank" weapon?

Do you think mortars should be banned?

 

[MobBoss]

Do you think mortars should be banned?

Why should mortars be banned?

 

[PeteAtoms]

I had a soldier in a class of mine a couple of semesters ago, and I can't tell if the story he told me was a bunch of BS or not:

Apparently there is a firearm that the soldiers encounter in the middle east that creates a bullet wound just the right size... It was just the right size for a tampon to be inserted into the wound and stop the bleeding. So apparently a few guys carried a tampon around with them at all times. It sounds like BS, but I think it might be true

Do you (or any other soldiers) have any weird stories like that?
Or what are some common superstitions that soldiers might have?

 

[GoodGame]

Why should mortars be banned?

Just asking.

 

[Lord of Elves]

I had a soldier in a class of mine a couple of semesters ago, and I can't tell if the story he told me was a bunch of BS or not:

Apparently there is a firearm that the soldiers encounter in the middle east that creates a bullet wound just the right size... It was just the right size for a tampon to be inserted into the wound and stop the bleeding. So apparently a few guys carried a tampon around with them at all times. It sounds like BS, but I think it might be true

Do you (or any other soldiers) have any weird stories like that?
Or what are some common superstitions that soldiers might have?

In feudal times, man went off to war with a kiss from his wife and his shield on his back. In imperial times, man went off to war with a steel helmet, luck, and a rifle. In the Information Age, man goes off to war with a tampon.

 

[GoodGame]

I had a soldier in a class of mine a couple of semesters ago, and I can't tell if the story he told me was a bunch of BS or not:

Apparently there is a firearm that the soldiers encounter in the middle east that creates a bullet wound just the right size... It was just the right size for a tampon to be inserted into the wound and stop the bleeding. So apparently a few guys carried a tampon around with them at all times. It sounds like BS, but I think it might be true

Do you (or any other soldiers) have any weird stories like that?
Or what are some common superstitions that soldiers might have?

I'd heard from medics that tampons actually make ok ad hoc bandages due to their ability to absorb blood, but I don't believe that they'd be carried just for the caliber of hole.

 

[PeteAtoms]

After being a soldier (or while serving), has your opinion of war movies changed? Which war movies do you love and which war movies do you hate?

What do you think about "support the troops" becoming a political statement for "pro-war" citizens?

 

[MobBoss]

Just asking.

Ok. But what is the basis of why they should be banned? Aside from you just thinking they should be....

Re: Tampons. Any soldier will tell you that a tampon (or similar cotton product) can be useful in a number of ways on a battlefield, from ad hoc bandanges, to helping clean weapons/equipment, to wicking mosture away from a place its undesired. I've heard of soldiers also putting condoms around the ends of their rifles to keep out moisture and dust/dirt as well.

There is a term for this kind of thing. Its called being 'field expedient'.

 

[otago]

Just asking.

Well, it would save a few aching backs in support companies

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

How much can a civilian be justified to know about military operations and events? I suppose everyone would agree operational plans, equipment specifications, and doctrine should be kept secret from the public. What about collateral damage reports? Friendly fire incidents? The opinions of soldiers and officers on their service and the battles they fight? What about everything else?