What this country needs is catchall term for those in military uniform: Any ideas?

STLtoday.com ^ | 12-27-03 | Harry Levins

[FairWitness]

Each year, Time magazine picks the "Person of the Year" (formerly known, in less sensitive times, as the "Man of the Year"). This year, that person is "the American soldier," and the magazine's cover shows three of them, all from the Army's 1st Armored Division.

[FairWitness]

Warrior? Protector? Defender? Champion? Hero? Combatant? Fighter? Shield?

Whatever we call them, God Bless them for their service and sacrifice.

[CWOJackson]

Soldiers, sailors and airman.

[Az Joe]

Call them all Sub Sailors, that way we won't be downgrading any of them.

[John Beresford Tipton]

They are sometimes called "servicemen and women"

[CGASMIA68]

"The Armed Forces" may work......

[DJtex]

Our Military.

[Servant of the 9]

When a DemonRat is in the Whitehouse they think of them all as "CannonFodder", or as "Household Servants".

So9

[al baby]

Awesome

[A.A. Cunningham]

Bubbleheads are bottom feeders.

[Johnny_Cipher]

Warrior? Protector? Defender? Champion? Hero? Combatant? Fighter? Shield?

Works for me.

[FairWitness]

They are sometimes called "servicemen and women"

Accurate, and sounds O.K. too. I gather what the author is looking for is a term that is not too "wordy" - something that fits in a headline without taking up all the space, for example.

[A Navy Vet]

1. So the word "troops" has morphed into meaning all military. So what? Works for me, unless you're addressing a specific branch.

2. Why can't Time ever get it right? While I appreciate them acknowledging our military for a change, why did they only show soldiers and use that name in the title. Guess no one pointed out to them that the WOT involved all branches, including CIA combat operatives. Could they not fit 5 or 6 people in their respective uniforms on the cover?

[CWOJackson]

American Patriots.

[FairWitness]

- - Defender? - - -

Works for me.

Defender is a good word, though you could argue that that term also applies to firemen and policemen.

[FairWitness]

Could they not fit 5 or 6 people in their respective uniforms on the cover?

It was probably too confusing to the poor folks at Time to decide on the right racial and gender mix if they expanded the number of people in the photo. < /sarcasm>

[Johnny_Cipher]

Defender is a good word, though you could argue that that term also applies to firemen and policemen.

Indeed true. I of course would include firefighters and police officers within that rubric.

[Erik Latranyi]

Why are we even engaging in this politically correct nonsense?????

Is this FreeRepublic or DU?

There is nothing wrong with servicemen.

"...all men are created equal..." applies to both genders.

[river rat]

Ass Kickers

Semper Fi

[Redwood71]

Military Members.