War Stories
Time for another rant. War Stories.
I've been lucky to have been in professions where the term "Hero" is thrown around at times.
The reason these professions appear to be so heroic, is because of the work of a team. While one individual may wind up being the ultimate focus of all of the efforts of this team, it should always be remembered that there is usually a team behind that made everything happen.
The Team is what keeps all members safe.
The Team ensures that everyone goes home at the end of the day.
The Team is what achieves super-human goals.
It is the combined efforts of all members that keep a team running safely, and efficiently.
When a member of a team goes off on his own, it places the entire team at risk.
Too often, the war stories that I hear are about someone doing something extremely risky, in the name of accomplishing something. In their story telling, they emphasize the risk they take, gloryifying it. Too often they tell these stories around young, impressionable ears.
This is not the crap that I need to hear. While you are patting yourself on the back, I'm picturing a team at risk. I'm picturing one person putting themself ahead of the rest of their colleagues to achieve something that could be done with less risk.
The lengths that these teams will go to, in order to save an injured comrade is extreme. Knowing that the guy in front of you, and behind you, in a stack, will move mountains to come to your aid is part of what being a team is all about. But this comes with a massive responsibility. To intentionally put yourself at unnecessary risk in this type of environment is a shrugging of that responsibility. To do so without consulting your team is the ultimate act of betrayal.
This is not to say that these actions aren't justified at times. Heroes such as Audie Murphy, and Alvin York are good examples of individuals facing great risk to achieve "heroic feats". It should be noted that Murphy worked to ensure his team's safety, while York worked with his team to overcome overwhelming odds.
There is room for heroes. I have a tremendous amount of respect for those that give their time and efforts for the safety and betterment of others. My short time in law enforcement has shown me how misunderstood that profession is. While I don't believe all of them are heroes, the majority of them do deserve our respect. The loss of this respect has caused a tremendous number of problems in this day and age.
There are those that will say "You don't get it. You don't understand"
Maybe I don't. Maybe I'll never understand why you would put yourself at risk to do something that your team could accomplish with much less risk. Maybe I'll never understand why you would put your team at risk. I hope I'm not in the stack with you, but if I am, I'll be there to do what I can to bail you out. I hope you consider this fact before risking your team's collective necks.
I've been lucky to have been in professions where the term "Hero" is thrown around at times.
The reason these professions appear to be so heroic, is because of the work of a team. While one individual may wind up being the ultimate focus of all of the efforts of this team, it should always be remembered that there is usually a team behind that made everything happen.
The Team is what keeps all members safe.
The Team ensures that everyone goes home at the end of the day.
The Team is what achieves super-human goals.
It is the combined efforts of all members that keep a team running safely, and efficiently.
When a member of a team goes off on his own, it places the entire team at risk.
Too often, the war stories that I hear are about someone doing something extremely risky, in the name of accomplishing something. In their story telling, they emphasize the risk they take, gloryifying it. Too often they tell these stories around young, impressionable ears.
This is not the crap that I need to hear. While you are patting yourself on the back, I'm picturing a team at risk. I'm picturing one person putting themself ahead of the rest of their colleagues to achieve something that could be done with less risk.
The lengths that these teams will go to, in order to save an injured comrade is extreme. Knowing that the guy in front of you, and behind you, in a stack, will move mountains to come to your aid is part of what being a team is all about. But this comes with a massive responsibility. To intentionally put yourself at unnecessary risk in this type of environment is a shrugging of that responsibility. To do so without consulting your team is the ultimate act of betrayal.
This is not to say that these actions aren't justified at times. Heroes such as Audie Murphy, and Alvin York are good examples of individuals facing great risk to achieve "heroic feats". It should be noted that Murphy worked to ensure his team's safety, while York worked with his team to overcome overwhelming odds.
There is room for heroes. I have a tremendous amount of respect for those that give their time and efforts for the safety and betterment of others. My short time in law enforcement has shown me how misunderstood that profession is. While I don't believe all of them are heroes, the majority of them do deserve our respect. The loss of this respect has caused a tremendous number of problems in this day and age.
There are those that will say "You don't get it. You don't understand"
Maybe I don't. Maybe I'll never understand why you would put yourself at risk to do something that your team could accomplish with much less risk. Maybe I'll never understand why you would put your team at risk. I hope I'm not in the stack with you, but if I am, I'll be there to do what I can to bail you out. I hope you consider this fact before risking your team's collective necks.
posted by Static at 11:56 AM
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