When is it "OK" to talk about what we did in the Military?

When we admit to killing it is "OK" because Killing always happens in war.

What if a soldier admits to rape or to beating their spouse when they return home? These things too happen in all war, but if a soldier returns home and talks about these things we tell that soldier to shut up and sit down in disgrace. When we do this we are no better then the war makers who hide the true reality of war.

We are either ready to hear ALL the shit that makes up war or we are not.

I was on a Generals staff in Iraq so I cannot pretend to know what it is like to look through the rifle sights and kill a civilian who did nothing to me or my country but I have heard many stories from veterans about exactly this act. During these often emotional stories no one ever began to attack or ridicule the veteran.

I cannot ever know what anyone has done in or out of combat other than how I have seen my experiences, but I find it hard to believe that no soldiers admit to things that women in the military report often.

I was talking the other day with an Army wife who was asking me why all her friends know of at least one Army wife who has been abused but no soldiers know anyone doing the abusing.

Are they not saying or are we not listening?

I am not excusing these horrible acts anymore than I am the murder of civilians but if we are going to listen to the soldiers' stories we have to be able to hear the worst of the worst because when we get rid of the TV BS all we have left of war is the worst of the worst.