a:c wakeup:call

Being all we can be.

Every year for the past 15, on the first weekend of October, San Francisco has played host to Fleet Week. The event is enough to give any self-respecting dot-commer a massive insecurity complex.

Touted as an “exciting high-profile celebration of the relationship between the U.S. Navy and the San Francisco Bay Area,” Fleet Week activities include the Parade of Ships (where naval vessels stream under the Golden Gate and into port), ship tours, and the requisite recruiting efforts. The highlight of the weekend is the Naval air show, and the highlight of the air show is the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron.

Without fail, Bay Area denizens (a disproportionate number of whom work for, or provide services to, technology companies) pour onto the pristine Marina Green or into posh Pacific Heights houses (with roof decks, preferably) to drink cocktails and watch the affair. Invariably, once the Blue Angels finish their remarkably inspiring performance, and not long after everybody rids their system of the obligatory “Top Gun” quotes (eg “I feel the need… the need for speed,” and “That’s right Iceman, I am dangerous,” and the ever-popular, “Wooo-hooo, Jester’s dead!”), conversations turn to figuring out exactly how cool it must be to be a Blue Angel.

These discussions, though usually light-hearted (eg “those guys must get laid constantly”), are laced with chagrin; and the thinly veiled subtext is often that the great majority of us under 45 years old feel the inadequacy of never having served in the military. There is little doubt that those who have served in a war (and, for that matter, those currently doing battle in the Balkans, in the Middle East or in Africa) would scoff at our regretting good fortune, and consider us blessed. Nevertheless, on some level, we feel cursed.

The United States is now a full generation removed from the end of the Vietnam War (4/30/00 marked the 25th anniversary of the US troop “withdrawl”), and the threat of being conscripted into a prolonged overseas conflict has never existed for Generation X. Further, we're now nine years from the end of the Cold War (12/25/00 will mark the 9th anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union), and Generation Y has a fully developed political conscience free of any immediate threat to The American Way. Sure, the potential for isolated outbreaks overseas and domestic terrorist attacks pose a certain threat, but it’s difficult to imagine either escalating into another Vietnam or precipitating global thermonuclear war.

The result is that, unlike previous generations, those under 45 are not forced to consider ethereal and gallant social concepts like the survival of democracy or battling in defense of our country. Rather, the greatest sources of social anxiety to the Internet generation are decidedly simpler and far more wimpy—like how a collapse in the stock market might effect the value of one’s stock options, or how a glitch in one’s Internet service might inhibit Web access or delay email delivery. It’s little wonder, then, that of all this year’s Presidential campaign issues, domestic economic concerns rank highest amongst younger voters, while foreign policy and military spending are considered low priorities.

And it’s no wonder that those of us at Internet ground zero, toiling at companies called “Yahoo!,” “Google,” and “Yodlee’ (or, alternatively, working at sissy publications which write about such companies), feel such existential angst when confronted by those who are on call to fight at the front lines. Indeed, we can’t handle the truth.

Quite ironically, balm for the wounded pride of the military unready can be found all over the Internet. Take solace that—though you will never actually serve in the military—by educating yourself beyond quotes from war movies, you can be a military enthusiast. And won’t that impress your friends and co-workers when next year’s Fleet Week rolls around:

The launching pad into the universe of military Web sites should begin at the official Department of Defense site. The DoD offers an incredible amount of informationÑin addition to links to the site of each military branch, there is an introduction to the DoD, and a virtual tour of the Pentagon, which includes an overview of US military structure.
Ever thought, even for just a moment, that you might be a great soldier? Check out the truly incredible stories behind the 3,410 soldiers who have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor Citation, the highest military honor in the land. Be prepared to weep like a child when you read these tales of conspicuous gallantry.
Interested in boning up on military trivia? The DoD offers a dictionary of military terms, the CIA World Fact Book, a selection of fact files on weapons, ships, aircraft and related equipment, and a quick guide to military rank insignias.
Want to know where US troops are deployed? The US State Department Web site offers regional reports on US activity in every sector of the world.
For a more global flavor, check out the official United Nations site, which outlines all UN peacekeeping operations, including general facts and figures on current and completed operations, as well as deployment maps and, morbidly, fatality statistics.

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