A SOLDIER'S DUTY

To some ears, Gordon O'Connor's comments surrounding the death of Corporal Anthony Boneca, a 21-year-old reservist killed in a firefight west of Kandahar, undoubtedly seemed harsh. "You don't opt out once you're in," the Defence Minister said Monday in response to reports that Cpl. Boneca had been miserable and seeking a way out of Afghanistan prior to his death. "You don't get a choice about what you do or don't do. This is the military."

But however Mr. O'Connor's message may have been delivered, it was the right one. And if anything, it was actually a service to others of Cpl. Boneca's mindset.

It's all too easy for those on the outside to view the military as being like any other workplace -- one that can be opted in and out of at pleasure. To some extent, the military plays into this misconception itself with sunny recruitment campaigns focusing on education opportunities and a sense of adventure. But even those who merely join the reserves, as Cpl. Boneca did, are willingly placing themselves under the authority of others, and must be prepared to unquestioningly put their lives on the line when called upon to do so. Whereas free thinking is to be encouraged in most workplaces, allowing too much of it to creep into the military culture would have disastrous consequences -- both for the success of our missions and for soldiers.

While Cpl. Boneca's apparent complaints about a lack of adequate supplies for troops in Afghanistan merit some attention from military brass, sympathy for the fallen reservist and his family should not affect the way that our Forces are run. It is unfortunate that a man who was apparently ill-suited to combat in Afghanistan found himself there. But the answer is to ensure that recruits know what they're getting themselves into before they enlist -- something Mr. O'Connor's comments should go some distance toward achieving

PUBLICATION: National Post
DATE: 2006.07.12
SOURCE: National Post