Just a thought...

I live in a 1960's (probably, guessing by the decor) eight unit apartment building. Its construction does not lend itself to close quarters living, i.e. thin walls, poor layout leading to acoustic problems, little to no insulation, and leaky connections. This all contributes to poor acoustic separation. I live on the second floor (more like one and a half) and my neighbors below are with the Big Red One at Fort Riley (local Army base).

Typically, every Friday and Saturday and sometimes on Sunday, a hip-hop party with bass so loud my pictures shake. Its funny, the music is so loud in the living room, most of the party goers congregate in the kitchen to yell at each other. hmmm.

Speaking of yelling, the evening typically ends with a domestic dispute of some kind...yelling, car door slamming, some scuffling, and more yelling. If I was to pyscho-analyize, this is what they are supposed to do, as they are 'warriors' and battlers trained in confrontation and aggression.

As of late, the parties have been silent. My guess, they are either in tight training preparing for Iraq or they (their friends also) have already gone.

And it makes me think...these are the people we are sending over there. Sure, they aren't all, but stereotypes and assumptions grow from experience. My experience with military folk of this age are as follows above. Rowdy, partiers, confrontational, and not folk I would classify as upper middle class.

Makes sense too. People need money for college, training, easy escape from situation = military service. Whoops, we're in a war now and I have to be a soldier.

These people don't want to be a soldier any more than I do. They're not really the type of person I would consider to be a 'good' soldier. Maybe they have discipline when they are 'on duty,' but true discipline is a life style. Maybe they are rowdy and party obnoxiously because they go places like Iraq. Understandable.

I feel that if you're going to be in the military, be there. Don't let them into the general population until their service is up. Put them on base, keep them there, and make them live the live they have chosen: discipline, order....weekend passes not withstanding. maybe some of the results in Iraq might be different (performance, scandal, dissent...) The majority of the blame lies with leadership at all levels...but the leaders at the unit level are the same...

Maybe I'm just tired of living next to bad neighbors and broadly making assumptions about the military...maybe not.

military, yeah i support them, doesn't mean i can't criticize them.