Arrogance & Brutality Are Anathema to Military Ethics

Dear Editor:

Thank you for giving me space in your paper to reflect my thoughts and contribute to the recent debate on the ranks of Colonel Sarr and Captain Ebou Jallow.

I am a Gambian in active service in The United States Army but the recent contributions I have come across in The Gambian online papers by Gambians who are allegedly serving in the US Armed Forces made me put my head down in shame.

The military of a country, of any nation in the world is one of honor, courage and sacrifice. It is not one where soldiers count their “kills” or exhibit arrogance, brutality and lack of respect. For those of us who have been in combat, life will never be the same again. Sometimes, in my quite moments I wish I could change one thing in my life, I wish I could change the day I set foot in a foreign country to fight a war.

I struggle to find words Mr. Editor, words to describe what war is like, but I can’t because it’s not something, which I want to remember. Not now, not ever again in my life. The layman can only image the things that happened to thousands of my fellow soldiers and I after we came back from deployment.

The endless nightmares, the fear and reaction to the slightest noise, the lack of trust in people, strange sounds, strange thoughts that people looked at you funny or talked to you in a way that they should not, treat you like you were the scum of the earth just because you served for duty honor and country. This was the way we all felt, it was a feeling that our parents, wives, children, brothers, sisters and friends could not even begin to understand but to us it was something we could talk about, feel and comfort each other about.

The happiest thing for me was to see my wife and children after being away for a year. That happiness was short lived for my family. I could not sleep, neither could anyone else in the house, my wife later told me that when I tried to sleep, I would sweat all night and wake up calling names and shouting out orders. For the two weeks I was here, I lived in fear that someone was going to harm my wife and children, little did I later realize that that someone was me, I was the danger to my family.

After two weeks, my wife bought me a ticket and asked me to go visit my mother and sisters in Banjul. My flight from New York to Dakar was also filled with agony, I would sit up when the lights were switched off during the flights because I could not stand people walking down the aisle and pass by me in the dimly lit aircraft.

For some reason, I can’t still explain, when I finally landed in Banjul it felt like the biggest burden in my life had just been lifted from my back, everything suddenly changed; I became the man I was before I was deployed.

A true soldier is not a man who talks about his “kills”. A soldier is a man of honor and courage who goes to combat to face another man of honor and courage. 

The statements by Mr./Sergeant Saine are typical fantasies and Hollywood imaginations of a would be/want to be soldier. There is absolutely no pride or honor in his claims and I apologies on behalf of Gambians who are currently serving in the Armed Forces for such irresponsible statements, such an act of incompetence should not in any way reflect upon us or our country of origin.

To Colonel Samsudeen Sarr I say thank you for serving and to Captain Ebou Jallow I say “Semper Fi” keep up the good work. I will end by giving you the last verse of The Noncommissioned Officers Creed and a full version of The Soldiers Creed.

Last Verse NCO Creed- United States Army

“Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, Noncommissioned Officers, leaders!”

Soldiers Creed For the Entire US Army reads

“I am an American Soldier.
I am a Warrior and a member of a team.
I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.
I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the
United States of America in close combat.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an American Soldier.”

Mr. Editor, with these profound ideals I cannot still understand what Solo Saine’s motives are in bragging about his killing accomplishments. Until we see the picture of this “brave soldier” in the pages of The Echo, allow me to thank your contributor Momodou Badjie for his wise words of wisdom and I hope Gambians will learn from him.

Thank you so much for the space.