Article November 17, 2003 ISSUE

INDEPENDENT THINKING in the military

By Ryder Stevens

I SERVED IN the military for over 23 years in a variety of units and often under trying circumstances. I have seen the positive and negative sides of the military up close.

In the military, where uniformity and disciplined action are rigorously stressed, there is a strange paradox—this citadel of conformity also values the independent thinker. In fact, in times of trial, the independent thinker with the moral courage to speak truth for the good of the unit is a highly valued person.