I wonder if the doctor is former military? I’ve read that our guys are trained to think for themselves, and to adapt and improvise and deal with things as they come. Whereas in the Communist countries they must send the information up the chain of command and then wait until they get an answer in return. Hmm - in re-reading the below, I guess in most armies they need to do that.
Reminded me of this great article on American soldiers in Afghanistan. Written by a French soldier - in awe of our guys.
https://warriorlodge.com/blogs/news/16298760-a-french-soldiers-view-of-us-soldiers-in-afghanistan
The entire article is great. Here is an excerpt:
This, in fact, is the basic philosophy of both British and Continental soldiers. ‘In the absence of orders, take a defensive position.’ Indeed, virtually every army in the world.
The American soldier and Marine, however, are imbued from early in their training with the ethos: In the Absence of Orders: Attack! Where other forces, for good or ill, will wait for precise orders and plans to respond to an attack or any other ‘incident’, the American force will simply go, counting on firepower and SOP to carry the day.
I love our military—not necessarily the political type generals, but our guys are all volunteers which make them heroes to me. Thanks for the article.