bigwater
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- Jan 3, 2010
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In the post I quoted, RGINN never mentioned a firefight. It was about fear in general. In general, fear will get you killed. For example, I paddle class 5+ whitewater. If I scout a rapid that has huge standing waves, crazy swirling currents and gigantic boulders in it and get afraid of it, I'm going to get killed when I attempt to run it. I respect the river, plan a course of action, and react accordingly when going through it in my boat. That is what keeps me alive.Shortstack said:bigwater said:I don't think that I agree with that statement. Fear itself is the killer. Respect and reaction is what keeps you alive. Like FDR said, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself". What's the name for the phobia of being afraid of being afraid?RGINN said:And the person who claims to fear nothing is a fool and is not long for this world.
RGINN is absolutely correct in his statement. If you get into a firefight and aren't afraid, you're a fool (and probably dead). The point is to control the fear and channel that adrenalin to help your survival. Anyone who's ever been in combat and says they weren't afraid is lying to you.
One more thing, too. That big talker in the rear area, is usually the first to die when the shooting starts. The quiet guys are the ones to get the job done. Every person who's ever been awarded a combat medal for valor has been the quiet, low profile guy, while in the rear areas.
But just to appease you on thef firefight issue, if you know anything about the development of the human mind, you'll know that it's not fear that keeps a soldier alive. There is a singular reason that combat soldiers are in the 18-24 year old age range. It is because their minds have not fully associated the concept of risk vs. consequense at that age. The same respect, planning and reaction that I mentioned above is why you don't see our field commanders coming home in body bags very often. By the time they've reached the age it takes to obtain their rank, they've developed the association between risk and consequences.