I broke with regulations (self-imposed) here and put up two pictures that I did not take. 

 

 

 

We have a volunteer Armed Services. There are no conscripts. They are for the most part a decent group (a cross-section of what Americans are), and a committed group—and today, a group that realizes the potential to be called into combat. They know when they sign up what they are going to do. They have a high sense of patriotism. And tha should be capitalized on and developed, nurtured and cultivated.

 

Here is my proposal:

As a recruit goes through basic training, I strongly believe that an essential element in that training should be indoctrination in the history and guiding principles of the United States of America. Yes, I used the word indoctrination. I mean just that. It denotes teaching doctrines, and connotes winning the hearts and minds—and wills—of each troop who will wear the uniform of this country and put his life in the service of this country. He should know more about this country, and what it stands for, than the everyday citizen. He should not be called upon to give his life for something he does not completely understand and support. I believe the indoctrination, or training, should continue throughout the length of service. I believe active-duty troops who are not deployed to a combat zone should have this training once a month, and Guard troops should receive this training as a part of each month’s drill. I believe this training should be on the core doctrines of our nation, and on the history of our nation. The first elements of this training should be an understanding of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. These should be studied in basic training to a certain extent, then throughout the career of service. Other core documents such as the inaugural addresses of presidents; certain documents elucidating the philosophy of our Founding Fathers; certain documents from moments of great import, such as the Gettysburg Address; and prominent “doctrines” set forth by presidents that have guided national and foreign policy, such as the Monroe Doctrine and the Bush Doctrine. Our military should study essential moments and elements in our history. They should study the thought and actions of our Founding Fathers. They should know something, for example, of the setting and the efforts of the Constitutional Convention. They should study major military conflicts of our history, with a view to understanding how our nation is like no other.

 

I believe the training in “Americanism” should be intensive in basic training; but thereafter should be short and sweet, in the monthly sessions. That is, it should be an hour once a month, impactful, packaged and produced in the most interesting way, then delivered partly as a prepackaged presentation, with follow up discussion. Then there should be a reading assignment to be completed before the next month’s session. But with all this, the challenge is to keep it from becoming politicized, co-opted in any way by any faction with an agenda. The agenda is to be knowledgeable about the country they are defending.