From a very broad (even abstract) definition of “all of a country’s military personnel” (e.g., “how many soldiers does China have?”), they are arguably all “soldiers” in that context. (And, lordy, it’s a better term than “warfighters.”)
But, when one is talking about members of a specific military organization, then, as noted by many posters already, there are usually specific terms – which are often not “soldier” – which are properly used to refer to members of that organization. And, hence, when talking about members of, say, the USMC, they aren’t "soldiers.’
God, yes. What a cringeworthy term. I feel like it’s a term thought up by REMFs to disguise the fact that they are REMFs.
So of course it’s being pushed hard by the biggest wannabe “warfighter” and REMF of all: the current SecDef. And don’t get me started on his new moniker.
Believe it or not, after the post-Thirty Years War professionalization of European armies, “soldier” became the preferred term. “Warriors” were brigands and savages who committed indiscriminately massacres.
I think this take is a bit silly. Do soldiers fly helicopters? Do they treat wounds and perform surgeries? Do they cook delicious meals?
There’s the colloquial term soldier, which encompasses ground fighting forces like infantry, and I assume that’s the definition you’re using.
But the US Army has pilots, doctors, and chefs, and all of them are called soldiers. Because the army wanted a collective term to refer to the servicemembers in their branch.
The Marines also have doctors, pilots, and chefs, and they are all called marines.
The Air Force also has doctors, pilots and chefs, and they are all called airmen.
I get it. I personally would call all of the above soldiers, because they wear uniforms and their job is to fight wars. I’d also refer to them by their specific job: soldier serving as infantry, soldiers serving as doctors, soldiers serving as pilots, soldiers serving as chefs and so on. They’re all equally soldiers, each with their own role to fill.
I was around ten years old when I decided I wanted to be a career soldier. I won’t bore you with the wall of text explaining how I ended up as a sailor instead , but I spent 21.5 years as one.
I totally get your point, but the Marines don’t actually have doctors or medics. The physicians and nurses who treat Marines are Navy personnel, including the medics (corpsmen) on the battlefield.
There are Marine lawyers, though (if A Few Good Men is any guide).
My uncle (I had more than one) was in the seabees (CBs) and his opinion was fuck the Marines being first in…they were the first in. He told a story of him trying to prepare a beach for a landing while US battleships were pounding the shore a bit over his head and the Japanese were shooting at them.
Helluva a thing to be in. Maybe he was embellishing the story but I do not think so.
“You’re a soldier first, a tradesman second” is something every British soldier has heard. In the US it’s “you’re a soldier first, a (MOS) second.”
In the US Army, every A-school class is taught all day by instructors in the specialty, but they’re under the direct care and feeding of cadre noncoms imparting “soldierization,” only slightly less strict than they’d known a few weeks earlier in boot camp.
Now you did it. You are making it more complicated. A trooper is a member of a cavalry unit. In the cavalry a company is called a troop and a battalion is a squadron.
Funny thing about Ted Williams, time has glossed over the fact that he tried very hard to get out of being called up both times. He felt that taking a great player away from baseball was a waste. Going off to war was for people who couldn’t hit a curveball. The very public resentment he showed was forgotten about and later in life he spoke fondly of his time in the Marines.
Interesting. I’ve only read one book about him and while IANA history expert of him or the military, Williams was quite abrasive towards the press and it cost him during his career. Unlike Joe DiMaggio who was more gracious and became quite beloved. Williams was more of a jerk. I love the Williams quote about the Marine Corps but what you say is very consistent with his character, especially in his younger years.
Having read quite a bit about him, as a baseball fan, this rings true. He was one of the most supremely talented hitters in baseball history, but also had an enormous ego, and often lacked filters. An an older person, he seemed to have mellowed somewhat, but still could be an abrasive jerk.
…and the Space Force decided to call themselves “Guardians” because calling themselves “Spaceman” would have been too easy an invitation for ridicule. (OR maybe Ace Frehley wanted a royalty, who knows.)
(And they decided have ALL their lower enlisted grades be “specialist (grade number)” because apparently they could not figure out a gender-neutral rank title that was not being used by any of the other forces)
I always do a double-take when I see this term for the Chinese navy. Because the only other time I see the term “Army-Navy” is the annual football game between West Point and the Naval Academy: the Army-Navy Game.
, but I spent 21.5 years as one.