General Sir John Hackett: “The military makes demands which few if any other callings do. And of course emotionally disturbed people talk about being trained to kill.

The whole essence of being a soldier is not to slay but to be slain. You offer yourself up to be slain, rather than setting yourself as a slayer. Now one can get into very deep water here, but there’s food for thought in it.”

 Omaha Beach. Scene from Saving Private Ryan.

The function of a soldier is to become a sacrificial victim. The perpetuation of warfare is based on our belief that sacrifice is good. Soldiers are good because they are willing to sacrifice their lives for their nations.

Soldiers are "the chosen ones:” human beings who take upon themselves the burden of "dying for their country." Their job is to devote their lives to their nation & possibly to die for it.

To be willing to sacrifice one’s life for one’s country is the essence of national goodness. Wars give soldiers the opportunity to demonstrate their goodness. The soldier symbolizes the sacrificed Christ, dying for all of us—so that we may live.