The perils of slobbering praise

Steve Benen linked his readers to a story about a Air Force sergeant who is exiting the service because "he read on the Internet that President Barack Obama’s long form birth certificate is a fraud.” Nitwits, like bad weather and taxes, will always be us, even in the US military. Obviously, the airman is not representative of service members. But in pointing out that fact, Benen jumped the shark: "The overwhelming majority of servicemen and women in the U.S. military are extraordinary professionals and American heroes." [My italics.] Most active duty personnel (and military veterans like me) would cringe at this statement. It may come as a shock to some, but military folks are people, too -- warts and all. Contrary to urban myth, most are not 12 feet tall. Nor can they leap tall battlements in a single bound. Most are no more or less "extraordinary" than their fellow Americans. Most are common men and women who sometime perform with uncommon valor in battle or service. And not one of them would call themselves a hero, even when the appellation is deserved. In other words, they are you. Benen means well and the praise is nice (and appreciated). But frankly this is part of the guilt-ridden "thank-you-for-your-service" syndrome that is currently plaguing the nation. Simply noting that the airman in question was an idiot would have sufficed.