Reality vs. Expectations of U.S. Soldiers

Last week there was a tragedy in Afghanistan.  The least expected action from a U.S. soldier occurred.  The expectations of soldiers in the U.S. Army is so high, yet the reality is, they are humans too.  A lone gunman left his base and according to a Washington Post article, is “held accountable for the worst atrocity by a U.S. service member in the decade-long war.”  He went on a shooting rampage and shot 16 civilians, including nine children, allegedly shot by a rogue U.S. soldier in southern Afghanistan the day before.  This is a crisis that one would not expect a solider to be responsible for.  We put our soldiers on such a high pedestal because they are representing our country.  The reality is that this soldier was probably extremely troubled, and though his horrible actions cannot be justified, he is a human too.  I feel extremely awful for the families impacted by the shooting, but I also feel sorry for the soldier and his family.