“Any time I have heard words to this effect, they were generally accompanied by a phrase such as “It’s his own damn fault, he never should have gone there (or been doing that, etc.) in the first place.” To me that places it back on the soldiers themselves.”
Some of it does need to be put on the soldiers themselves. Not everyone is cut out to be a Marine, and anyone interested in joining any branch of the US military should know their limitations. I do think some people join hoping to get their college education paid for without realizing what they’re getting into. The US military is not for the weak, both in mind and body. You have to remember that these men and women are being trained to fight in battle. At VMI, they are being trained to be officers. An officer needs to have a level head and be able to keep their emotions in check. Every person fighting in any battle in any war is depending on his or her commanding officer to hold it together and lead. If that person doesn’t have the mental toughness to handle the stress, then a career as a military officer is not for them. That doesn’t make them “weak” or a bad person, just not the right person for this particular job.