Professional Heroes

This article is another must read, written by a surgeon working in Iraq.

What strikes me is the professionalism here that was absent in depictions of past military doctors, such as M*A*S*H. In fact, I keep noticing it every time I read something about the military today. Soldiers today seem more professional and high-speed compared to what we've seen in the past, both real-life and fictional. Sure, we still have Abu Graib perverts and folks who decide they don't want to do their jobs anymore, but look at any other war and you'll find the same.

But now I'm seeing an esprit de corps and a professional ethic like what was once the exception. This is due in large part to the fact that these guys are all volunteers. No draftees here. I think this alone dramatically reduces the number of slackers and foot-draggers. The entire military is now on par with what WW2 paratroopers and submariners used to be: volunteer, professional, a cut above.