Mate... what are we fighting for?

I occasionally have the opportunity to enjoy old war movies and westerns, and recently watched an old Sam Peckinpah movie called 'Cross of Iron', starring James Coburn, Maximilian Schell and James Mason, which tells the story of the Nazi Army as they retreated in tatters from Russia in WW2.

Coburn's character was interesting. He played a man in a war he didn't really want to fight, yet he became the greatest hero, simply because he was in it more for the 'mates' he'd made, led and trained during that retreat, than for his 'Leader'. He was more concerned about getting his platoon through to the end of the war than for victory.

It makes me wonder how many ADF troops are fighting in Iraq for principles, for their country, or to support their mates. Mateship is great Anzac commodity. It has caused us to have a triumphant attitude even in the face of defeat, as at Gallipoli, and to be victorious against all odds, as at Kakoda.

It can't be easy to be in a foreign land making a stand as a buffer as a totally different culture rages around you. It would be hard to fight for a nation which could end up with a society which is highly critical of our western style of democracy if it becomes a strongly Islamic state, or even a Muslim dominated secular state. Removing Saddam was an important part of changing the Middle East, but the outcome could still be volatile. Hopefully the positives will be seen to outweigh the negatives not just in the long term, but during the time our armed forces are stationed in Iraq.

Our soldiers deserve all the praise we can give them for the efficient way in which they have gone about their work. Theirs is not to reason why... but I believe their heroism, unity and strength come from the same kind of 'mateship' shown by the miners who risked their lives at Beaconsfield, and the community which prayed, hoped and watched for them, a community which has inspired a nation, and really reminded us what 'Aussie values' are.

Our soldiers might not have a choice about whether or not they have to fight for our government's purposes, but they don't have to speculate about the politics of this war when they are standing next to the main reason for being on the alert - the safety of their mates.