Other.

This is coolbert:

From that prior blog entry:

"Two retired U.S. Army generals have blasted President Barack Obama’s decision to send U.S. troops to West Africa to battle the Ebola virus epidemic, saying the military is to fight wars, not disease."

Again we can find fault with this argument the American military the role of which is to "fight war" to the exclusion of all else!

This being so at least during the last one hundred years the fighting of wars and winning of same the primary role of the American military man but not totally so within the historical context since the time of George Washington.

During that period at least prior to the Great War [WW1], the career American military officer predominantly serving in a capacity other than a combat commander. A military man his mission quite often beyond that of the soldier on the battlefield. Missions and duties quite often to include but not limited to:

* Explorer. Clark/Lewis/Pike.

* Cartographer. John Fremont.

* Civil engineer. R.E. Lee.

* Territorial governor. Lew Wallace.

* Medical administrator. William Gorgas.

* Diplomat. W.T. Sherman.

* Educator. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

It can be noted that Fremont, Jackson, Lee, Wallace and Sherman all did see active service in a combat role during the American Civil War. NOTE also that their military duty PRIOR to that conflict quite often NOT that of the combat commander!

coolbert.