It makes a fellow proud to be a Soldier.

[yggdrasil_]

There's no army like the US Army, and it should come as no surprise one that its finest boys should be accorded respect not shown to regular mortals. This, at least, according to US Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker, who has ordered that military texts use the word Soldier capitalized like a proper noun - a form of respect often accorded

Comments

Errr...

[ygurvitz]

Bloody stupid, true, but I don't think that is actually militarization of the American public. The texts are military texts, presumably read only by military personnel and some academics. The American army is anything but a sample of the American people, and has had its own culture for at least two decades (for instance, children born to officers and NCOs, and raised on army bases, are a distinct subgroup from other children/teenagers, and is referred to as "Army brats"). The civilians and the soldiers - especially the career soldiers - are very different from each other, and the army rarely influences general culture. For instance, military slang, unless it manages to crawl into some big-hit movie, is unlikely to become accepted speech.

Re: Errr...

[yggdrasil_]

I should have quoted the original in full:
"...He has, furthermore, requested that the Associated Press stylebook and Webster's dictionary adopt his proposal.
...
'The change gives soldiers the respect and importance they've always deserved, especially now in their fight against global terrorism'"

Re: Errr...

[ygurvitz]

Well, that's reason for dismissal on grounds on unfathomable stupidity. Do you know, perchance, their precise response?