A German take on the difference in the definition of 'patriotic' in US and GDR

[ehrnst]

[ExciteBike66]

1. I agree, except

last I checked, Germany had soldiers in Afghanistan. Looks like they send their own 18 year olds out to fight as well, huh?

[DetlefK]

2. German soldiers volunteer for combat-missions abroad.

First Germany had a draft and "soldier" as a profession. The drafted soldiers got shit to do except training, domestic disaster-relief and being ready for... nothing.

The draft was stopped ~10 years ago and the only soldiers Germany now has do this for a living.

And for joining combat-missions abroad, e.g. Afghanistan, you have to volunteer for that and get transfered to units who do just that.
It's a compromise: On one hand your paycheck will be much bigger. On the other hand war.

[ExciteBike66]

5. Ok

not sure what that has to do with my post.

You have to volunteer to join our Army as well...

[DetlefK]

6. The point is, they are not "sent out".

As I said, going on combat-missions in foreign countries is voluntary. If you don't want to, fine.

[ExciteBike66]

7. Ah ok, we agree.

My point was that the message in the OP does not agree with us, or at least he overlooks his own country's deployment of their military while criticizing the US.

[Phoenix61]

3. They are there as part of NATO in a non-combat role

https://www.bundesregierung.de/Content/EN/Artikel/2016/11_en/2016-11-16-bundeswehrmandat-afghanistan.html

[ExciteBike66]

4. Yep

and supporting the sending of other young 18 year olds who may end up in wheelchairs. Also, ISIS and the Taliban have no compunction against killing soldiers deployed in a "non-combat" role.

There is little difference between the moral stance of the US and Germany in this mission. That difference is what the OP was getting at, and I thought he was a bit quick to criticize.