“That’s pretty good,” he sez. “A better tailor. You’ve got a point there, Corporal Nunzio … but that wasn’t what I was referring to.”
He drops his grin and gets back on track.
“What we need are leaders. You can train men to shoot, but you can’t train them to lead. Not really. We can show them the procedures and tell them the principles so they can at least go through the motions, but real leadership … the charisma to inspire loyalty and the guts to act in a crisis … that can’t be taught.”
He picks up the report and tosses it back down careless-like.
“Now, publicly we have to discourage our soldiers from fighting with civilians, whatever the provocation. Any other position would endanger our welcome in the community … such as it is. We are aware, however, that there are those who try to exploit our men at any opportunity, and many who frankly resent us … though I never could understand why.”
I am willin’ to let this pass, but Nunzio doesn’t.
“Maybe it’s because the army is the major recipient of their tax money,” he sez.
“But their taxes are being lowered, not increased by our campaigns,” the captain frowns.
Just as it did the first time I heard it, this statement strikes an impure note in my mind. Again, however, I am not allowed time to pursue it.
“Whatever,” the captain sez, shakin’ his head. “The truth of the matter is, that while we cannot publicly condone incidents such as the one you were involved in, there are far worse things in the army’s eyes than to be willing to fight for your men and the Military Code. The fact that you were willing to take this stand against civilians, police even … and after only three weeks in the army too … Tell me, have you men given any thought to going Career? Of making the army your permanent occupation?”