Deserters Will Be Shot

[Thaluikhain]

Look up the spontoon.

It was used less actively as a weapon and more as a arm to keep men corralled and in formation as maintaining formation more than anything kept men from breaking and running, hence why cavalry charges only worked on shaken, disorganized troops - the group kept them together with bayonets pointing at the cav instead of feeling alone and the desire to break and run overtake them.

Ah, a half-pike. That seems fair enough.

 

[FalloutJack]

heh

You can't make something up without inspiration first. We didn't just pull it out of our ass. People were actually shit to other people on purpose to bring it up. But hey, if you have a developed stance on the matter, why not pop into the R&P and discuss it there?

 

[BadNewDingus]

I would only feel bad if they were forced into service. If they volunteered, that's on them.

 

[Vivi22]

That was quite the politically correct ramble there. The problem is that basically of that is far left spoon fed political nonsense. Especially the part of demonizing terrorists. I'm sorry but these people demonize them selves, mutilating women, forcing children to fight, murdering anyone who is disagrees with them in the most brutal inhumane ways. Then you go on and demonize the military branches of the western world, who are the ones who serve willingly to protect the right for you to say what you did.

For the record, no war the US has been involved in in many decades has been fought to protect your freedom. Everyone who told you this is a liar.

 

[Chefsbrian]

For the record, no war the US has been involved in in many decades has been fought to protect your freedom. Everyone who told you this is a liar.

One could argue that Vietnam would count as a protective war, as it was a fairly major proxy battle of the cold war. The Gulf wars and current conflicts though, I'm with you. Probably how the next few will be too, honestly. Wonder how long the US can keep it up, before someone else steals that power mantle from them.

 

[chuckman1]

It may not be right morally, but it will keep more of your men fighting.
In war morality is not the concern, but having as many of your men to eliminate the enemy.

At least today it's usually just prison sentences. Not to say I wouldn't get scared and desert as a soldier. But if you let one go free, 1000 will follow.

 

[BoogieManFL]

Well, Stalin is credited with saying: "One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic."

So it's not hard to accept that such a person would easily throw lives away en masse. Be it throwing them at the enemy with little hope of survival to shooting the soldier who fled because he didn't even have a weapon let alone the training. People who were more civilian than soldier.