Well, they finally found the body of Capt. Michael Scott Speicher after 18 years. At least that’s one nail finally driven home. One of the things our military promises is never to leave one of its own behind on the field of battle. Now that might not sound like much, but it means a lot to our service personnel, and not finding Capt. Speicher’s body (the first casualty of the First Gulf War) was letting a very necessary shoe remain loose. Recruitment is all we have to keep our military forces up to fighting form, now that the public has lost its stomach for national service. If we aren’t willing to draft soldiers, then we have to induce them to join, and one of the ways we do that is by letting them know the military feels an obligation to them. Not finding Capt. Speicher’s body was letting doubt creep in, and doubt will erode confidence. But now that chapter is closed, that nail is driven home, and that shoe is securely in place: we won’t lose the kingdom for want of that nail, at least.
