如何识别一个作战老兵？
How do you spot a combat veteran?
译文简介
他们是我见过最善良的一群人之一。无论对方是否是退伍军人，无论你和他们的观点是否一致，都要尊重老年人（或是和你同龄的人）。
正文翻译
How do you spot a combat veteran?
如何识别作战老兵？
Bruce F. Kinsey
Disabled Combat Veteran
Upvoted by Barney, Retired US Marine
布鲁斯·F·金西
作战残疾老兵
获美国海军陆战队退役人员巴尼点赞
PTSD is a common disorder for anyone who’s had a beyond normal negative experience. Veterans who have been in a war zone may have had dozens of these experiences. I took part in the first PTSD study completed in NH in the 80s. Even though I had been in at least 11 heavy combat battles, I was declared “straight arrow” by one of the study’s authors. My life was a good one, designing products and working with at-risk children. I never talked about my war stories.
创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）对于任何经历过超乎寻常负面事件的人来说都是一种常见疾病。曾身处战区的老兵可能经历过数十次这样的负面事件。20世纪80年代，我参与了在新罕布什尔州（NH）完成的首个创伤后应激障碍研究。尽管我至少参加过11次激烈的战斗，但该研究的一位作者仍称我为“品行端正的人”。我当时的生活很顺遂，从事产品设计工作，还与有风险的儿童打交道。我从不谈论自己的战争经历。
25 years later, the VA wanted to interview me again. By then the bar had been lowered and I was declared 30% disabled by PTSD. I am non-violent, non-suicidal and have no outward appearance of combat inflicted PTSD. I know since Vietnam I have had bouts of depression, and discussing this with VA mental health personnel apparently my issues stem from the children I saw who lived in the war their entire lives.
25年后，美国退伍军人事务部（VA）希望再次采访我。那时，诊断标准已经降低，我被确诊因创伤后应激障碍导致30%的残疾。我没有暴力倾向，没有自杀念头，也没有任何因作战引发创伤后应激障碍的外在表现。我知道自越南战争以来，我就时常感到抑郁，与美国退伍军人事务部的心理健康工作人员交流后发现，我的问题显然源于我所见到的那些一生都生活在战争中的儿童。
Today, I am no different than anyone else you see. But up to a year or so after I was discharged from the Marines. Photos of me have a dead, lifeless stare… the same stare the Vietnamese children had.
Unless time has been cruel or they haven’t worked through their issues, older combat vets can’t be spotted, but just maybe, combat soldiers who’ve just returned from battle can.
Just look at the eyes.
如今的我，和你见到的其他人没什么两样。但在我从海军陆战队退伍后的大约一年时间里，我照片中的眼神是呆滞、毫无生气的……和那些越南儿童的眼神如出一辙。
除非岁月无情，或是他们未能解决自身的心理问题，否则很难识别出年长的作战老兵，但对于刚从战场上归来的作战士兵，或许还能识别出来。
只需看看他们的眼睛。
Roland Bartetzko
Logistics in Ukraine (2022–present)
罗兰·巴尔特茨科
乌克兰后勤人员（2022年至今）
Last week, I was in Poland to pick up some equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I passed a guy sitting on a bench.
He wore shorts, and I could see the scars on his shins, from shrapnel. I’ve seen these kinds of scars many times in army hospitals in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Ukraine. “Ukrainian on medical leave. Lucky enough to have kept both of his legs,” I thought.
上周，我在波兰为乌克兰武装部队领取一些装备。途中，我经过一个坐在长椅上的人。
他穿着短裤，我能看到他小腿上由弹片造成的伤疤。在波斯尼亚、科索沃和乌克兰的军队医院里，我曾多次见过这类伤疤。“他是一名正在休病假的乌克兰人，很幸运，两条腿都保住了。”我心想。
The guy looked up and saw me looking at his legs. He realized I knew how he got those scars. I gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, and he nodded back.
A civilian bystander wouldn’t have noticed what was happening. Two combat vets, recognizing each other.
那人抬起头，看到我在看他的腿。他意识到我知道那些伤疤的由来。我轻轻点了点头以示认可，他也向我点了点头。
旁的平民不会注意到这里发生了什么，但我们两个作战老兵，认出了彼此。
Shaine Mcmillan
沙因·麦克米兰
You don't, we don't look any different than anyone else. That's why issues like stolen valor are so hard to spot. I am a disabled veteran. I did the invasion of Iraq with the 3rd infantry division which spearheaded the invasion in the south. I went from Kuwait to fallujah. I have many different friends with different experiences while we were there. We don't behave in some different ways than anyone else. All though much like anyone that lives or has lived in bad parts of towns we are more observant than others. We do tend to get a little more agitated in crowded spaces. Groceries stores, restaurants, and movie theaters are the bane of my existence, but I don't stand out in a crowd.
你无法识别我们，我们看起来和其他人没什么两样。这也是为什么“窃取荣誉”这类问题如此难以察觉。我是一名残疾老兵，曾随第三步兵师参与伊拉克入侵行动，该师是南部入侵行动的先头部队。我从科威特一路打到费卢杰，在那里结识了许多有着不同经历的朋友。我们的行为举止和普通人并无二致，不过和那些在城镇危险区域生活过的人一样，我们会比别人更敏锐。我们在拥挤的地方确实更容易感到烦躁，杂货店、餐厅和电影院都是我最头疼的地方，但我在人群中并不显眼。
The biggest difference between a civilian and a soldier or ex-soldier is the way in which we walk. We move with a sense of purpose. They pound taking 30 inch steps so much into your routine that it becomes natural to take full strides.I get agitated when walking with others. Most soldiers or ex-soldiers eat the same way. You eat like you got places to go and no time to spare. Thanks to my time in the war I've spent enough time at the VA hospitals and care centers to tell you without a doubt you would not be able to pick us out of a line up.
平民和士兵（或退伍军人）最大的区别在于走路的姿态，我们走路时目标明确。部队里反复强调要迈出30英寸（约76厘米）的步伐，久而久之，大步流星就成了我们的本能。和别人一起走路时我会觉得不耐烦，大多数士兵或退伍军人的吃饭方式也都一样，吃得飞快，仿佛赶着要去别处，分秒必争。凭借在战争中的经历，我在退伍军人事务部（VA）的医院和护理中心待了不少时间，我可以肯定地告诉你，你绝对无法从一群人中把我们认出来。
Roland Bartetzko
Logistics in Ukraine (2022–present)
Upvoted by Damien Leimbach, former Avionics Technician at U.S. Air Force (2001-2007)
罗兰·巴尔特茨科
乌克兰后勤人员（2022年至今）
获美国空军前航空电子技术员达米恩·莱因巴赫（2001-2007年任职）点赞
Originally Answered: How do you tell if a soldier has been in combat?
In Ukraine, you go to a city where a combat unit has its barracks and compare the soldiers there to the “posers” in Kyiv. You’ll immediately spot the differences:
Combat soldiers, not only in Ukraine, are often lean and mean. You see the same body types in every war and on every side. In the French Foreign Legion, they call them “chats maigres” (skinny cats).
原问题：如何判断一名士兵是否参加过战斗？
在乌克兰，你可以去有作战部队驻地的城市，将那里的士兵与基辅的“冒充者”对比，立刻就能发现区别：
不仅在乌克兰，所有作战士兵通常都身形瘦削、神情坚毅。每场战争中、每一方阵营里，你都能看到这种体型的士兵。法国外籍军团称他们为“瘦猫”。
They have a tan. It’s summer in Ukraine and freaking hot. Impossible to stay on the frontline digging trenches and return without a dark skin tone.
A combat medic from a unit we support near the frontline.
The famous IDGAF attitude. Combat soldiers don't care. Not for their haircuts (most of them have them ultra-short), their uniforms (many do not even change their clothes when they return to the barracks), or what other people think of them.
他们都晒得黝黑。乌克兰的夏天异常炎热，在前线挖战壕的士兵，不可能全身而退却没有一身深色皮肤。
（注：以下为我们支援的前线附近部队的一名战斗医疗兵的补充说明）
标志性的“毫不在乎”态度。作战士兵什么都不在乎，不在乎发型（大多留着超短发），不在乎制服（很多人回到驻地甚至不换衣服），也不在乎别人对自己的看法。
High-quality personal gear. The soldiers of the elite assault units do not go into battle with cheap sh*t. They are all wearing high-quality stuff. So, if you see a guy wearing a pair of well-worn 250-dollar boots, he’s probably the real deal.
Lack of badges. Combat units in Ukraine don’t wear their unit emblems on their uniforms (for Opsec-operational security reasons).
And, last but not least:
Wartime injuries. Sadly, most combat soldiers get to see the cities only after they’ve been injured on the battlefield. Many soldiers have bandages and casts and make use of a walking stick or even a wheelchair.
个人装备质量上乘。精英突击部队的士兵不会带着廉价货上战场，他们穿的都是高品质装备。所以，如果你看到一个人穿着一双磨损严重但价值250美元的靴子，他很可能是真正的作战士兵。
没有徽章标识。出于行动安全（Opsec）考虑，乌克兰的作战部队不会在制服上佩戴部队徽章。
最后但同样重要的一点：
战时伤病。
遗憾的是，大多数作战士兵只有在战场上受伤后，才有机会去城里。许多士兵身上缠着绷带、打着石膏，需要拄拐杖甚至坐轮椅。
Ghostfacekiller...
鬼脸杀手...
Originally Answered: How do you tell if a soldier has been in combat?
It varies from war to war because of the type of fighting involved . For the United States Military the Global War on Terror is not like past war's. Yes one can get ptsd from one close call because they are pumped up for action in the zone but never actually see it . Within the United States Army especially, their are obvious tells . Most common is the combat patches worn on ones chest and few Brag about the experience unless they are trying to pass on lessons learned to turtles. Because no one wants to get the FNG upto speed so he or she can perform adequately as the one they are replacing . Combat discipline is usually ingrained in those who have been or seen Combat , alot of them practice the Combat disciplines as a way of life , noise, light, ammo, food, camouflage and weapons maintenance and equipment checks .
原问题：如何判断一名士兵是否参加过战斗？
答案因战争类型而异，因为不同战争的作战方式不同。对美国军队来说，全球反恐战争与以往的战争截然不同。有人可能在战区时刻准备行动，却从未真正经历过战斗，但一次死里逃生就可能让他们患上创伤后应激障碍。尤其是在美国陆军中，有一些明显的特征。最常见的是胸前佩戴的作战徽章，很少有人会吹嘘自己的战斗经历，除非是想把经验教训传授给新兵。因为没人愿意让新来的菜鸟尽快上手，以便他们能胜任接替的岗位。作战纪律通常已深深烙印在那些亲身经历或目睹过战斗的人心中，他们中的许多人将作战纪律融入日常生活，比如关注噪音、光线、弹药、食物、伪装，以及武器保养和装备检查。
Of course one's Military job has a lot of tells like those of us in the Infantry, little things like keeping one dogtag on the right boot covered in 100mile tape . Always cleaning weapons and magazines, including optics . And keeping all the blades razor sharp . Everything from a Machete, boot knife, bayonet, straight razor and 3 throwing knives . And of course sound proofing your gear . People looking at you sideways because you're shooting eye is bandaged up an hour before dark . Then there's the movement difference between those who have played the adult game of ultimate dodge ball versus those who don't even know what that is … Lasty it's usually always in the eye's of those who have taken life .
当然，军人的兵种也会留下很多痕迹，比如我们步兵，会有一些小习惯：把一个身份牌用百英里胶带（军用绝缘胶带）固定在右靴上，总是清洁武器和弹匣（包括瞄准镜），让所有刀具都保持锋利，从弯刀、靴刀、刺刀、直剃刀到三把飞刀无一例外。还有给装备做隔音处理，天黑前一小时包扎好射击眼（主视眼），让旁人投来异样的目光。此外，那些玩过“终极躲避球”成人版（暗指实战）的人和完全不懂其中含义的人，行动姿态也截然不同……最后，真正的答案通常藏在那些夺取过他人生命的人的眼睛里。
Clyde Plunkett
Former Corpsman (medic) USN/FMF & Med Dept Merchant Marine (1972–1998)
克莱德·普伦基特
美国海军/舰队陆战队医务兵、商船队医疗部门成员（1972-1998年）
Originally Answered: What are some ways to tell if someone has been through combat?
not just combat but living in area that had combat the person my be extremely jumpy at sounds that sound like gun fire or something moving very fast near them that was not expected.
I grew up in Saïgon, Viêtnãm 1958 to 1969 then family was transfered to Africa {Dakar, Sénègal} landing in middle of a coup d’êta. I was so jumpy in boot camp that when they fired the salute canon I jump looking for a hole or baricade, so on graduation day I was placed in back of company and the 3 biggest guys woud grab hold of me just before the salute cannon fired.
原问题：有哪些方法可以判断一个人是否经历过战斗？
不仅是经历过战斗的人，即使是生活在有战斗发生地区的人，听到类似枪声的声音，或是身边出现意想不到的快速移动的物体时，也可能会表现得极度警觉。
1958年至1969年，我在越南西贡长大，之后家人被调往非洲（塞内加尔达喀尔），抵达时正赶上一场政变。我在新兵训练营时极度敏感，当礼炮响起时，我会立刻跳起来寻找隐蔽处或障碍物。所以毕业典礼那天，我被安排在队伍的最后，礼炮即将发射时，三个最高大的家伙会紧紧按住我。
While in Saïgon I did not live in the American compound but in the local ville and went to the local school & shops had no American friends only French & Viêtnãmes and at time did not speak American so i experienced 75 x 20 mm rounds through my roof, Had a 50 cal sung on me firing, bedroom window blown out by a mortar round, guy broke into the house set a 50 cal machine gun in my bathroom window shooting at anyone attempting to come over my back fence, piece of srapnel explode my breakfast and enbed itself in the floor, etc…. at school a rocket hit the principals office while he was in, a classmate was standing up answering the teacher his head exploded etc,,,
在西贡时，我没有住在美军基地，而是住在当地社区，就读于当地学校，去当地商店购物。我没有美国朋友，只有法国人和越南人，有时甚至不会说美式英语。我经历过75×20毫米的炮弹击穿屋顶，被50口径的机枪扫射，卧室窗户被迫击炮弹炸碎，有人闯入家中，在浴室窗户架起50口径机枪，扫射所有试图翻越后院栅栏的人，弹片炸飞了我的早餐，还嵌进了地板里等等。在学校里，一枚火箭弹击中了校长办公室，当时校长正在里面；有个同学站起来回答老师的问题时，头部被炸得粉碎，诸如此类的事情不胜枚举。
To this day i am still jumpy. if a car back fires i will duck down so litte of my body is exposed even if I am driving i like the view of 4th july fireworks but watch them from far enough away i can not hear the explosion.
直到今天，我依然很敏感。如果有汽车回火，我会立刻蹲下，尽量让身体少暴露在外，即使正在开车也不例外。我喜欢看独立日的烟花，但会站在足够远的地方，远到听不到爆炸声。
my last assinment to USMC unit a bunch of young 18 - 20 year olds got in trouble and were punished by the 1st sargent for not reacting appropriatley. One marine had turned on firing line and fired a round off which went by me, I hit the dirt until i could determine: cause and possible danger while the young Marines keep standing and laughing at my action, the 1st sargent told them that had the one let off the one round had continued to fire they would all be dead as they took no action while I had taken appropriate action for the situation
我最后一次被分配到美国海军陆战队部队时，一群18到20岁的年轻人因为反应不当惹了麻烦，被一级准尉处罚。有一名海军陆战队员在射击线上转身开了一枪，子弹从我身边飞过，我立刻卧倒在地，直到确认情况：枪声的起因和可能的危险。而那些年轻的海军陆战队员却站在原地，嘲笑我的举动。一级准尉告诉他们，如果那个开枪的人继续射击，他们所有人都会丧命，因为他们毫无行动，而我做出了符合当时情况的正确反应。
Lee Weidner
Former Retired
李·韦德纳 前退休人员
I have only encountered rwo people in my life who I knew were combat veterans. I worked with both of these guys. The first one had that 1000 yards stare, when you talked to him, he looked right threw you. The second guy would be a little jumpie at loud noise, but was a very quiet individual. He became one of my best friends. We even ended up in the same therapy group at the V.A.
我这辈子只遇到过两个我能确定是作战老兵的人，我都和他们共事过。第一个人有着“千里凝视”的眼神，和他说话时，他的目光会直接穿透你。第二个人听到巨响会有点警觉，但他本身是个非常安静的人。他后来成了我最好的朋友之一，我们甚至一起参加了退伍军人事务部的同一个治疗小组。
Adam Hand
Former Infantryman at U.S. Marine Corps (2000–2009)
亚当·汉德
美国海军陆战队前步兵（2000-2009年）
Related
How can you tell if someone is a veteran?
Usually by our bearing. How we carry ourselves is an easy one. We're all a little different though. I work with a guy who was a Chief in the Navy. You'd never know it now though. Dude has gauges in his ears and if you just went by looks alone, he looks like a gigantic gamer nerd that probably watches anime. He says he doesn't but I'm not entirely convinced. Some guys, all it takes is to look at their vehicle. Vanity plates, an “I served" sticker, probably some unit and service stickers, all sorts of stuff. Some guys don't talk about it, while others can't shut up about it. I was guilty of being in this category up until I was about 30. That's all I had done my entire adult life up to that point and I was, and still am, damn proud of my time in. The difference between those time frxs is that for the former, that's who I was. For the latter, that was just a chapter. An extensive, adventure-filled chapter. Now I'm on to the next ones.
相关问题：如何判断一个人是否是退伍军人？
通常可以通过仪态判断，我们的举止姿态很容易暴露身份，但每个人又各有不同。我共事过一个人，他曾是海军上士，但现在你根本看不出来。这家伙耳朵上戴着扩耳器，单看外表，他就像一个喜欢看动漫的巨型游戏迷——他说自己不看，但我不太相信。有些人，只要看他们的车就能判断：个性化车牌、“我曾服役”的贴纸，可能还有一些部队和服役相关的贴纸之类的东西。有些人从不谈论自己的服役经历，而另一些人则滔滔不绝。我30岁之前就属于后者，成年后的大部分时间我都在服役，当时我为那段经历感到无比自豪，现在依然如此。不同之处在于，以前那段经历就是我的全部身份，而现在它只是人生的一个篇章，一个漫长而充满冒险的篇章，如今我已经翻开了新的一页。
Jay Keaty
Former Navigation Electronics Technician (ET) at United States Navy (USN)
Upvoted by Brad Scardino, Sergeant in the Marine Corps
杰伊·基蒂
美国海军前导航电子技术员（ET）
获美国海军陆战队中士布拉德·斯卡迪诺点赞
Related
What exactly defines a combat veteran?
相关问题：作战老兵的准确定义是什么？
It took me a long time to accept that I could actually be a combat veteran. After 30 years, and learning that I, technically, am one, I had to think about it, but yeah. I am an SSBN Combat Veteran, though many would not see me as one.
The term “Combat Veteran” is almost as Nuanced and complex as the word “Veteran” by itself.
我花了很长时间才接受自己确实是一名作战老兵的事实。30年后，当我得知从技术层面来说自己属于这一身份时，我认真思索了很久，最终承认了这一点。我是一名弹道导弹核潜艇作战老兵，尽管很多人并不这么认为。“作战老兵”这个词和“老兵”本身一样，含义微妙而复杂。
Imagine having to be ready, willing and capable of inflicting damage of a biblical scale on any nation within range. Vaporizing millions, eventually killing hundreds of millions and directly partaking in a series of events that would all but guarantee the extinction of the human race within a couple of generations. All with the push of a few buttons, done in the time span that it would take to read this essay. People that we have never met, never spoken to, never seen, never even thought of. Who were just carrying on with their daily lives because their government didn’t want a mass panic to add to the suffering, were about to be vaporized in a fireball of unimaginable destruction. Many of those that survived the initial blasts would die from the massive radioactive fallout, others would eventually die because there would be no food, no medicine or social infrastructure to aid in their survival.
试想一下，你必须时刻准备着、愿意并且能够对射程内的任何国家造成毁灭性打击。只需按下几个按钮，在读完这篇文章的时间里，就能让数百万人灰飞烟灭，最终导致数亿人死亡，并直接引发一系列事件，几乎可以肯定人类将在几代人内灭绝。那些我们从未见过、从未交谈过、从未留意过、甚至从未想过的人，他们只是照常过着日常生活——因为他们的政府不想让大规模恐慌加剧苦难——却即将在难以想象的毁灭火球中化为乌有。许多在最初爆炸中幸存的人会死于巨大的放射性尘埃，其他人最终也会因缺乏食物、药品和社会基础设施支持而死亡。
It wasn’t enough to just have the ability to do this, or to know how to carry out this mission, but we had to constantly drill. Drill to overcome any obstacle that could hinder our ability to carry out our mission. Drill to deal with any one of the numerous catastrophic mishaps that come with the unnatural act of driving through the ocean in an artificial bubble, hundreds of feet below the surface, at depths no human could possibly survive. Drill to actually carry out this act of unimaginable cruelty.
仅仅拥有这样的能力、知道如何执行任务是不够的，我们还必须不断训练。训练克服任何可能阻碍任务执行的障碍，训练应对在数百英尺深的海底——人类无法生存的深度——驾驶人造“气泡”（潜艇）在海洋中航行这一非自然行为可能引发的无数灾难性事故，训练实际执行这一难以想象的残酷行动。
This was the daily life, during a nearly 3 month long patrol on board a Nuclear Powered, Nuclear Armed Ballistic Missile Submarine. A long metal tube, designed to virtually disappear for an indefinite period of time, remaining hidden and silent with the ability to start the final global apocalypse at will.
这就是我在核动力弹道导弹潜艇上执行近三个月巡逻任务时的日常生活。这艘长长的金属“管子”设计目的是能无限期地隐形，隐蔽而安静地潜伏着，却拥有随时引发全球最终末日的能力。
When we were at sea. We had to be prepared to carry out the orders of the man in the oval office in 20 minutes or less. The direct orders that would completely bypass any formal declaration of war by Congress. There would be no time to say goodbye to our families, or to prepare for their safety. We were not to question, or ponder our actions. We were to carry out an entire war that would last only about two hours. The successful deployment of a strategic launch was an actual failure in our mission; To be a Strategic Deterrent to Nuclear War.
出海期间，我们必须准备好在20分钟或更短时间内执行白宫椭圆形办公室里那个人的命令。这些直接命令将完全绕过国会的任何正式宣战程序。我们没有时间和家人告别，也没有时间为他们的安全做准备。我们不能质疑或深思自己的行为，只需执行一场仅持续约两小时的完整战争。战略发射的成功实施，实际上意味着我们任务的失败——我们的使命本是对核战争形成战略威慑。
There was no procedure for after a strategic launch. Once those missiles had left the tubes, we weren’t really expected to return to a world that saw us as heroes. There would be no victory parties, no ticker tape parade. Either mutual mass destruction or being proven to be a bunch of psychopaths that did not value human life.
战略发射后没有任何后续程序。一旦导弹离开发射管，我们就不指望能回到一个将我们视为英雄的世界。不会有胜利派对，不会有彩带游行，等待我们的要么是相互大规模毁灭，要么是被证明是一群不珍视人类生命的精神病患者。
Then comes the very real threat by the enemy’s mission; to hunt, find and prepare to kill you if it appears that you are preparing to launch. Their version of a Fast Attack Submarine. We didn’t stand a chance against one of those things that are smaller, more maneuverable, and armed tot he teeth in weaponry that is designed for one thing, to destroy Fleet Ballistic Missile Subs. Even if we did have torpedoes.
此外，敌人的任务还带来了非常真实的威胁：如果发现我们准备发射，他们就会搜寻、定位并准备消灭我们。他们的快速攻击潜艇就是为此而生。这种潜艇体型更小、机动性更强，武器装备精良，唯一的设计目的就是摧毁舰队弹道导弹潜艇——即便我们配备了鱼雷，也毫无胜算。
Our only real defensive weapon was being able to hide. Be a hole in the ocean, be deep, silent and deadly. Be the ultimate threat to existence. Just imagine the immense pressure, the unbelievable stress that this involves. Not only were we having to fear for our lives, but for a good portion of the world’s population.
我们唯一真正的防御武器就是隐蔽。成为海洋中的一个“洞穴”，深藏海底、寂静无声且极具致命性，成为对人类生存的终极威胁。试想一下这其中蕴含的巨大压力和难以想象的紧张感——我们不仅要为自己的生命担忧，还要为世界上很大一部分人的生命负责。
Imagine being a willing participant to that, before you are old enough to realize exactly what you are doing. Now imagine decades later, thankfully not having to pull that trigger. Waking up, in a cold sweat from the nightmare of what could have been. Once we realize that we were literally at war the entire time that we were out there, just not one that most would recognize as such.
试想一下，在你还不够成熟、未能完全明白自己在做什么的时候，就自愿参与到这样的任务中。几十年后，庆幸的是你从未按下那个扳机，却会时常从关于“可能发生的灾难”的噩梦中惊醒，浑身冷汗。这时你才意识到，我们在海上的那段时间，实际上一直处于战争状态，只是大多数人并不认可这种战争形式。
No, this isn’t like eating sand for months in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan.
No this isn’t like the horrors of war on the ground.
This isn’t like taking fire from insurgents and radicals, or being blown up by an IED.
This was a different kind of warfare. One that I don’t wish on anyone.
Yes I volunteered, yes I did my job. I did it willingly. Would I do it again? Probably. Because I would rather take that responsibility to assure that we don’t launch unless it is absolutely necessary than to leave it to someone that thinks that this was simply a game.
不，这不像在伊拉克和阿富汗的沙漠里啃几个月的沙子，不像地面战争的恐怖场景，不像遭到叛乱分子和激进分子的枪击，也不像被简易爆炸装置炸伤。这是一种截然不同的战争，我不希望任何人经历。
是的，我是自愿的，我尽了自己的职责，而且是心甘情愿地去做。如果再给我一次机会，我可能还会这么做。因为我宁愿承担这份责任，确保只有在绝对必要的情况下才会发射导弹，也不愿把这份责任交给那些认为这只是一场游戏的人。
So while I am technically considered a ‘Combat’ veteran according to the standards set by the Veteran’s of Foreign War, I almost cannot consider myself one, except that I am aware of the stress involved with Strategic Deterrence. Essentially having a finger on the trigger that can start a chain of events that every single person on the planet would regret.
因此，尽管根据美国海外战争退伍军人协会（Veteran’s of Foreign War）的标准，从技术层面来说我是一名“作战”老兵，但我几乎无法将自己归入这一类别——除了我深知战略威慑所带来的压力。本质上，我们的手指就放在扳机上，一旦按下，就会引发一连串让地球上每个人都后悔莫及的事件。
The nightmares that we have are of sometimes of something that hasn’t happened and hopefully never will.
Just food for thought.
我们的噩梦，有时源于那些未曾发生、也希望永远不会发生的事情。
仅供思考。
Xavier Singh
泽维尔·辛格
Related
How do you easily identify a veteran?
Well, there is no sure way of knowing, but I volunteer around veterans sometimes, so this is what I got:
相关问题：如何快速识别退伍军人？
其实没有绝对可靠的方法，但我偶尔会在退伍军人身边做志愿服务，所以总结出了一些观察结果：
They usually like to wear a shirt or a hat that says their unit, division, or what war they served in. If they were navy, it would be their ship.
If they seem younger, they are usually still pretty buff from their time in the military, with a confident tone in their voice. Mind you, I usually work with older veterans, but for some reason a lot of them LOVE beards.
他们通常喜欢穿印有部队、师部编号或服役战争名称的衬衫，或是戴这类主题的帽子。如果是海军退伍军人，衣物上可能会印有他们曾服役的军舰名称。
如果看起来比较年轻，他们通常还保留着军队时期的健壮身材，说话语气也很自信。不过要说明的是，我平时接触的大多是年长的退伍军人，不知为何，他们中很多人都特别喜欢留胡子。
It could also be on their car, like bumper stickers or their license plate (I’ve seen some like ‘SEMPER FI’ and ‘3RD ARMRD’)
But with the older veterans, it may be hard to distinguish with just regular old people.
线索也可能在他们的车上，比如保险杠贴纸或车牌（我见过一些写着“永远忠诚”（SEMPER FI，海军陆战队座右铭）和“第三步兵师”（3RD ARMRD）的车牌）。
但对于年长的退伍军人，很难将他们与普通老年人区分开来。
But I can say this with certainty-they are some of the kindest people I have ever met. No matter if they are a veteran or not, always treat the elderly (or just someone who might be your age) with respect, no matter your views with them. I hope this answer helped!
不过我可以肯定地说，他们是我见过最善良的一群人之一。无论对方是否是退伍军人，无论你和他们的观点是否一致，都要尊重老年人（或是和你同龄的人）。希望这个回答对你有帮助！
如何识别作战老兵？
Bruce F. Kinsey
Disabled Combat Veteran
Upvoted by Barney, Retired US Marine
布鲁斯·F·金西
作战残疾老兵
获美国海军陆战队退役人员巴尼点赞
PTSD is a common disorder for anyone who’s had a beyond normal negative experience. Veterans who have been in a war zone may have had dozens of these experiences. I took part in the first PTSD study completed in NH in the 80s. Even though I had been in at least 11 heavy combat battles, I was declared “straight arrow” by one of the study’s authors. My life was a good one, designing products and working with at-risk children. I never talked about my war stories.
创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）对于任何经历过超乎寻常负面事件的人来说都是一种常见疾病。曾身处战区的老兵可能经历过数十次这样的负面事件。20世纪80年代，我参与了在新罕布什尔州（NH）完成的首个创伤后应激障碍研究。尽管我至少参加过11次激烈的战斗，但该研究的一位作者仍称我为“品行端正的人”。我当时的生活很顺遂，从事产品设计工作，还与有风险的儿童打交道。我从不谈论自己的战争经历。
25 years later, the VA wanted to interview me again. By then the bar had been lowered and I was declared 30% disabled by PTSD. I am non-violent, non-suicidal and have no outward appearance of combat inflicted PTSD. I know since Vietnam I have had bouts of depression, and discussing this with VA mental health personnel apparently my issues stem from the children I saw who lived in the war their entire lives.
25年后，美国退伍军人事务部（VA）希望再次采访我。那时，诊断标准已经降低，我被确诊因创伤后应激障碍导致30%的残疾。我没有暴力倾向，没有自杀念头，也没有任何因作战引发创伤后应激障碍的外在表现。我知道自越南战争以来，我就时常感到抑郁，与美国退伍军人事务部的心理健康工作人员交流后发现，我的问题显然源于我所见到的那些一生都生活在战争中的儿童。
Today, I am no different than anyone else you see. But up to a year or so after I was discharged from the Marines. Photos of me have a dead, lifeless stare… the same stare the Vietnamese children had.
Unless time has been cruel or they haven’t worked through their issues, older combat vets can’t be spotted, but just maybe, combat soldiers who’ve just returned from battle can.
Just look at the eyes.
如今的我，和你见到的其他人没什么两样。但在我从海军陆战队退伍后的大约一年时间里，我照片中的眼神是呆滞、毫无生气的……和那些越南儿童的眼神如出一辙。
除非岁月无情，或是他们未能解决自身的心理问题，否则很难识别出年长的作战老兵，但对于刚从战场上归来的作战士兵，或许还能识别出来。
只需看看他们的眼睛。
Roland Bartetzko
Logistics in Ukraine (2022–present)
罗兰·巴尔特茨科
乌克兰后勤人员（2022年至今）
Last week, I was in Poland to pick up some equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I passed a guy sitting on a bench.
He wore shorts, and I could see the scars on his shins, from shrapnel. I’ve seen these kinds of scars many times in army hospitals in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Ukraine. “Ukrainian on medical leave. Lucky enough to have kept both of his legs,” I thought.
上周，我在波兰为乌克兰武装部队领取一些装备。途中，我经过一个坐在长椅上的人。
他穿着短裤，我能看到他小腿上由弹片造成的伤疤。在波斯尼亚、科索沃和乌克兰的军队医院里，我曾多次见过这类伤疤。“他是一名正在休病假的乌克兰人，很幸运，两条腿都保住了。”我心想。
The guy looked up and saw me looking at his legs. He realized I knew how he got those scars. I gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, and he nodded back.
A civilian bystander wouldn’t have noticed what was happening. Two combat vets, recognizing each other.
那人抬起头，看到我在看他的腿。他意识到我知道那些伤疤的由来。我轻轻点了点头以示认可，他也向我点了点头。
旁的平民不会注意到这里发生了什么，但我们两个作战老兵，认出了彼此。
Shaine Mcmillan
沙因·麦克米兰
You don't, we don't look any different than anyone else. That's why issues like stolen valor are so hard to spot. I am a disabled veteran. I did the invasion of Iraq with the 3rd infantry division which spearheaded the invasion in the south. I went from Kuwait to fallujah. I have many different friends with different experiences while we were there. We don't behave in some different ways than anyone else. All though much like anyone that lives or has lived in bad parts of towns we are more observant than others. We do tend to get a little more agitated in crowded spaces. Groceries stores, restaurants, and movie theaters are the bane of my existence, but I don't stand out in a crowd.
你无法识别我们，我们看起来和其他人没什么两样。这也是为什么“窃取荣誉”这类问题如此难以察觉。我是一名残疾老兵，曾随第三步兵师参与伊拉克入侵行动，该师是南部入侵行动的先头部队。我从科威特一路打到费卢杰，在那里结识了许多有着不同经历的朋友。我们的行为举止和普通人并无二致，不过和那些在城镇危险区域生活过的人一样，我们会比别人更敏锐。我们在拥挤的地方确实更容易感到烦躁，杂货店、餐厅和电影院都是我最头疼的地方，但我在人群中并不显眼。
The biggest difference between a civilian and a soldier or ex-soldier is the way in which we walk. We move with a sense of purpose. They pound taking 30 inch steps so much into your routine that it becomes natural to take full strides.I get agitated when walking with others. Most soldiers or ex-soldiers eat the same way. You eat like you got places to go and no time to spare. Thanks to my time in the war I've spent enough time at the VA hospitals and care centers to tell you without a doubt you would not be able to pick us out of a line up.
平民和士兵（或退伍军人）最大的区别在于走路的姿态，我们走路时目标明确。部队里反复强调要迈出30英寸（约76厘米）的步伐，久而久之，大步流星就成了我们的本能。和别人一起走路时我会觉得不耐烦，大多数士兵或退伍军人的吃饭方式也都一样，吃得飞快，仿佛赶着要去别处，分秒必争。凭借在战争中的经历，我在退伍军人事务部（VA）的医院和护理中心待了不少时间，我可以肯定地告诉你，你绝对无法从一群人中把我们认出来。
Roland Bartetzko
Logistics in Ukraine (2022–present)
Upvoted by Damien Leimbach, former Avionics Technician at U.S. Air Force (2001-2007)
罗兰·巴尔特茨科
乌克兰后勤人员（2022年至今）
获美国空军前航空电子技术员达米恩·莱因巴赫（2001-2007年任职）点赞
Originally Answered: How do you tell if a soldier has been in combat?
In Ukraine, you go to a city where a combat unit has its barracks and compare the soldiers there to the “posers” in Kyiv. You’ll immediately spot the differences:
Combat soldiers, not only in Ukraine, are often lean and mean. You see the same body types in every war and on every side. In the French Foreign Legion, they call them “chats maigres” (skinny cats).
原问题：如何判断一名士兵是否参加过战斗？
在乌克兰，你可以去有作战部队驻地的城市，将那里的士兵与基辅的“冒充者”对比，立刻就能发现区别：
不仅在乌克兰，所有作战士兵通常都身形瘦削、神情坚毅。每场战争中、每一方阵营里，你都能看到这种体型的士兵。法国外籍军团称他们为“瘦猫”。
They have a tan. It’s summer in Ukraine and freaking hot. Impossible to stay on the frontline digging trenches and return without a dark skin tone.
A combat medic from a unit we support near the frontline.
The famous IDGAF attitude. Combat soldiers don't care. Not for their haircuts (most of them have them ultra-short), their uniforms (many do not even change their clothes when they return to the barracks), or what other people think of them.
他们都晒得黝黑。乌克兰的夏天异常炎热，在前线挖战壕的士兵，不可能全身而退却没有一身深色皮肤。
（注：以下为我们支援的前线附近部队的一名战斗医疗兵的补充说明）
标志性的“毫不在乎”态度。作战士兵什么都不在乎，不在乎发型（大多留着超短发），不在乎制服（很多人回到驻地甚至不换衣服），也不在乎别人对自己的看法。
High-quality personal gear. The soldiers of the elite assault units do not go into battle with cheap sh*t. They are all wearing high-quality stuff. So, if you see a guy wearing a pair of well-worn 250-dollar boots, he’s probably the real deal.
Lack of badges. Combat units in Ukraine don’t wear their unit emblems on their uniforms (for Opsec-operational security reasons).
And, last but not least:
Wartime injuries. Sadly, most combat soldiers get to see the cities only after they’ve been injured on the battlefield. Many soldiers have bandages and casts and make use of a walking stick or even a wheelchair.
个人装备质量上乘。精英突击部队的士兵不会带着廉价货上战场，他们穿的都是高品质装备。所以，如果你看到一个人穿着一双磨损严重但价值250美元的靴子，他很可能是真正的作战士兵。
没有徽章标识。出于行动安全（Opsec）考虑，乌克兰的作战部队不会在制服上佩戴部队徽章。
最后但同样重要的一点：
战时伤病。
遗憾的是，大多数作战士兵只有在战场上受伤后，才有机会去城里。许多士兵身上缠着绷带、打着石膏，需要拄拐杖甚至坐轮椅。
Ghostfacekiller...
鬼脸杀手...
Originally Answered: How do you tell if a soldier has been in combat?
It varies from war to war because of the type of fighting involved . For the United States Military the Global War on Terror is not like past war's. Yes one can get ptsd from one close call because they are pumped up for action in the zone but never actually see it . Within the United States Army especially, their are obvious tells . Most common is the combat patches worn on ones chest and few Brag about the experience unless they are trying to pass on lessons learned to turtles. Because no one wants to get the FNG upto speed so he or she can perform adequately as the one they are replacing . Combat discipline is usually ingrained in those who have been or seen Combat , alot of them practice the Combat disciplines as a way of life , noise, light, ammo, food, camouflage and weapons maintenance and equipment checks .
原问题：如何判断一名士兵是否参加过战斗？
答案因战争类型而异，因为不同战争的作战方式不同。对美国军队来说，全球反恐战争与以往的战争截然不同。有人可能在战区时刻准备行动，却从未真正经历过战斗，但一次死里逃生就可能让他们患上创伤后应激障碍。尤其是在美国陆军中，有一些明显的特征。最常见的是胸前佩戴的作战徽章，很少有人会吹嘘自己的战斗经历，除非是想把经验教训传授给新兵。因为没人愿意让新来的菜鸟尽快上手，以便他们能胜任接替的岗位。作战纪律通常已深深烙印在那些亲身经历或目睹过战斗的人心中，他们中的许多人将作战纪律融入日常生活，比如关注噪音、光线、弹药、食物、伪装，以及武器保养和装备检查。
Of course one's Military job has a lot of tells like those of us in the Infantry, little things like keeping one dogtag on the right boot covered in 100mile tape . Always cleaning weapons and magazines, including optics . And keeping all the blades razor sharp . Everything from a Machete, boot knife, bayonet, straight razor and 3 throwing knives . And of course sound proofing your gear . People looking at you sideways because you're shooting eye is bandaged up an hour before dark . Then there's the movement difference between those who have played the adult game of ultimate dodge ball versus those who don't even know what that is … Lasty it's usually always in the eye's of those who have taken life .
当然，军人的兵种也会留下很多痕迹，比如我们步兵，会有一些小习惯：把一个身份牌用百英里胶带（军用绝缘胶带）固定在右靴上，总是清洁武器和弹匣（包括瞄准镜），让所有刀具都保持锋利，从弯刀、靴刀、刺刀、直剃刀到三把飞刀无一例外。还有给装备做隔音处理，天黑前一小时包扎好射击眼（主视眼），让旁人投来异样的目光。此外，那些玩过“终极躲避球”成人版（暗指实战）的人和完全不懂其中含义的人，行动姿态也截然不同……最后，真正的答案通常藏在那些夺取过他人生命的人的眼睛里。
Clyde Plunkett
Former Corpsman (medic) USN/FMF & Med Dept Merchant Marine (1972–1998)
克莱德·普伦基特
美国海军/舰队陆战队医务兵、商船队医疗部门成员（1972-1998年）
Originally Answered: What are some ways to tell if someone has been through combat?
not just combat but living in area that had combat the person my be extremely jumpy at sounds that sound like gun fire or something moving very fast near them that was not expected.
I grew up in Saïgon, Viêtnãm 1958 to 1969 then family was transfered to Africa {Dakar, Sénègal} landing in middle of a coup d’êta. I was so jumpy in boot camp that when they fired the salute canon I jump looking for a hole or baricade, so on graduation day I was placed in back of company and the 3 biggest guys woud grab hold of me just before the salute cannon fired.
原问题：有哪些方法可以判断一个人是否经历过战斗？
不仅是经历过战斗的人，即使是生活在有战斗发生地区的人，听到类似枪声的声音，或是身边出现意想不到的快速移动的物体时，也可能会表现得极度警觉。
1958年至1969年，我在越南西贡长大，之后家人被调往非洲（塞内加尔达喀尔），抵达时正赶上一场政变。我在新兵训练营时极度敏感，当礼炮响起时，我会立刻跳起来寻找隐蔽处或障碍物。所以毕业典礼那天，我被安排在队伍的最后，礼炮即将发射时，三个最高大的家伙会紧紧按住我。
While in Saïgon I did not live in the American compound but in the local ville and went to the local school & shops had no American friends only French & Viêtnãmes and at time did not speak American so i experienced 75 x 20 mm rounds through my roof, Had a 50 cal sung on me firing, bedroom window blown out by a mortar round, guy broke into the house set a 50 cal machine gun in my bathroom window shooting at anyone attempting to come over my back fence, piece of srapnel explode my breakfast and enbed itself in the floor, etc…. at school a rocket hit the principals office while he was in, a classmate was standing up answering the teacher his head exploded etc,,,
在西贡时，我没有住在美军基地，而是住在当地社区，就读于当地学校，去当地商店购物。我没有美国朋友，只有法国人和越南人，有时甚至不会说美式英语。我经历过75×20毫米的炮弹击穿屋顶，被50口径的机枪扫射，卧室窗户被迫击炮弹炸碎，有人闯入家中，在浴室窗户架起50口径机枪，扫射所有试图翻越后院栅栏的人，弹片炸飞了我的早餐，还嵌进了地板里等等。在学校里，一枚火箭弹击中了校长办公室，当时校长正在里面；有个同学站起来回答老师的问题时，头部被炸得粉碎，诸如此类的事情不胜枚举。
To this day i am still jumpy. if a car back fires i will duck down so litte of my body is exposed even if I am driving i like the view of 4th july fireworks but watch them from far enough away i can not hear the explosion.
直到今天，我依然很敏感。如果有汽车回火，我会立刻蹲下，尽量让身体少暴露在外，即使正在开车也不例外。我喜欢看独立日的烟花，但会站在足够远的地方，远到听不到爆炸声。
my last assinment to USMC unit a bunch of young 18 - 20 year olds got in trouble and were punished by the 1st sargent for not reacting appropriatley. One marine had turned on firing line and fired a round off which went by me, I hit the dirt until i could determine: cause and possible danger while the young Marines keep standing and laughing at my action, the 1st sargent told them that had the one let off the one round had continued to fire they would all be dead as they took no action while I had taken appropriate action for the situation
我最后一次被分配到美国海军陆战队部队时，一群18到20岁的年轻人因为反应不当惹了麻烦，被一级准尉处罚。有一名海军陆战队员在射击线上转身开了一枪，子弹从我身边飞过，我立刻卧倒在地，直到确认情况：枪声的起因和可能的危险。而那些年轻的海军陆战队员却站在原地，嘲笑我的举动。一级准尉告诉他们，如果那个开枪的人继续射击，他们所有人都会丧命，因为他们毫无行动，而我做出了符合当时情况的正确反应。
Lee Weidner
Former Retired
李·韦德纳 前退休人员
I have only encountered rwo people in my life who I knew were combat veterans. I worked with both of these guys. The first one had that 1000 yards stare, when you talked to him, he looked right threw you. The second guy would be a little jumpie at loud noise, but was a very quiet individual. He became one of my best friends. We even ended up in the same therapy group at the V.A.
我这辈子只遇到过两个我能确定是作战老兵的人，我都和他们共事过。第一个人有着“千里凝视”的眼神，和他说话时，他的目光会直接穿透你。第二个人听到巨响会有点警觉，但他本身是个非常安静的人。他后来成了我最好的朋友之一，我们甚至一起参加了退伍军人事务部的同一个治疗小组。
Adam Hand
Former Infantryman at U.S. Marine Corps (2000–2009)
亚当·汉德
美国海军陆战队前步兵（2000-2009年）
Related
How can you tell if someone is a veteran?
Usually by our bearing. How we carry ourselves is an easy one. We're all a little different though. I work with a guy who was a Chief in the Navy. You'd never know it now though. Dude has gauges in his ears and if you just went by looks alone, he looks like a gigantic gamer nerd that probably watches anime. He says he doesn't but I'm not entirely convinced. Some guys, all it takes is to look at their vehicle. Vanity plates, an “I served" sticker, probably some unit and service stickers, all sorts of stuff. Some guys don't talk about it, while others can't shut up about it. I was guilty of being in this category up until I was about 30. That's all I had done my entire adult life up to that point and I was, and still am, damn proud of my time in. The difference between those time frxs is that for the former, that's who I was. For the latter, that was just a chapter. An extensive, adventure-filled chapter. Now I'm on to the next ones.
相关问题：如何判断一个人是否是退伍军人？
通常可以通过仪态判断，我们的举止姿态很容易暴露身份，但每个人又各有不同。我共事过一个人，他曾是海军上士，但现在你根本看不出来。这家伙耳朵上戴着扩耳器，单看外表，他就像一个喜欢看动漫的巨型游戏迷——他说自己不看，但我不太相信。有些人，只要看他们的车就能判断：个性化车牌、“我曾服役”的贴纸，可能还有一些部队和服役相关的贴纸之类的东西。有些人从不谈论自己的服役经历，而另一些人则滔滔不绝。我30岁之前就属于后者，成年后的大部分时间我都在服役，当时我为那段经历感到无比自豪，现在依然如此。不同之处在于，以前那段经历就是我的全部身份，而现在它只是人生的一个篇章，一个漫长而充满冒险的篇章，如今我已经翻开了新的一页。
Jay Keaty
Former Navigation Electronics Technician (ET) at United States Navy (USN)
Upvoted by Brad Scardino, Sergeant in the Marine Corps
杰伊·基蒂
美国海军前导航电子技术员（ET）
获美国海军陆战队中士布拉德·斯卡迪诺点赞
Related
What exactly defines a combat veteran?
相关问题：作战老兵的准确定义是什么？
It took me a long time to accept that I could actually be a combat veteran. After 30 years, and learning that I, technically, am one, I had to think about it, but yeah. I am an SSBN Combat Veteran, though many would not see me as one.
The term “Combat Veteran” is almost as Nuanced and complex as the word “Veteran” by itself.
我花了很长时间才接受自己确实是一名作战老兵的事实。30年后，当我得知从技术层面来说自己属于这一身份时，我认真思索了很久，最终承认了这一点。我是一名弹道导弹核潜艇作战老兵，尽管很多人并不这么认为。“作战老兵”这个词和“老兵”本身一样，含义微妙而复杂。
Imagine having to be ready, willing and capable of inflicting damage of a biblical scale on any nation within range. Vaporizing millions, eventually killing hundreds of millions and directly partaking in a series of events that would all but guarantee the extinction of the human race within a couple of generations. All with the push of a few buttons, done in the time span that it would take to read this essay. People that we have never met, never spoken to, never seen, never even thought of. Who were just carrying on with their daily lives because their government didn’t want a mass panic to add to the suffering, were about to be vaporized in a fireball of unimaginable destruction. Many of those that survived the initial blasts would die from the massive radioactive fallout, others would eventually die because there would be no food, no medicine or social infrastructure to aid in their survival.
试想一下，你必须时刻准备着、愿意并且能够对射程内的任何国家造成毁灭性打击。只需按下几个按钮，在读完这篇文章的时间里，就能让数百万人灰飞烟灭，最终导致数亿人死亡，并直接引发一系列事件，几乎可以肯定人类将在几代人内灭绝。那些我们从未见过、从未交谈过、从未留意过、甚至从未想过的人，他们只是照常过着日常生活——因为他们的政府不想让大规模恐慌加剧苦难——却即将在难以想象的毁灭火球中化为乌有。许多在最初爆炸中幸存的人会死于巨大的放射性尘埃，其他人最终也会因缺乏食物、药品和社会基础设施支持而死亡。
It wasn’t enough to just have the ability to do this, or to know how to carry out this mission, but we had to constantly drill. Drill to overcome any obstacle that could hinder our ability to carry out our mission. Drill to deal with any one of the numerous catastrophic mishaps that come with the unnatural act of driving through the ocean in an artificial bubble, hundreds of feet below the surface, at depths no human could possibly survive. Drill to actually carry out this act of unimaginable cruelty.
仅仅拥有这样的能力、知道如何执行任务是不够的，我们还必须不断训练。训练克服任何可能阻碍任务执行的障碍，训练应对在数百英尺深的海底——人类无法生存的深度——驾驶人造“气泡”（潜艇）在海洋中航行这一非自然行为可能引发的无数灾难性事故，训练实际执行这一难以想象的残酷行动。
This was the daily life, during a nearly 3 month long patrol on board a Nuclear Powered, Nuclear Armed Ballistic Missile Submarine. A long metal tube, designed to virtually disappear for an indefinite period of time, remaining hidden and silent with the ability to start the final global apocalypse at will.
这就是我在核动力弹道导弹潜艇上执行近三个月巡逻任务时的日常生活。这艘长长的金属“管子”设计目的是能无限期地隐形，隐蔽而安静地潜伏着，却拥有随时引发全球最终末日的能力。
When we were at sea. We had to be prepared to carry out the orders of the man in the oval office in 20 minutes or less. The direct orders that would completely bypass any formal declaration of war by Congress. There would be no time to say goodbye to our families, or to prepare for their safety. We were not to question, or ponder our actions. We were to carry out an entire war that would last only about two hours. The successful deployment of a strategic launch was an actual failure in our mission; To be a Strategic Deterrent to Nuclear War.
出海期间，我们必须准备好在20分钟或更短时间内执行白宫椭圆形办公室里那个人的命令。这些直接命令将完全绕过国会的任何正式宣战程序。我们没有时间和家人告别，也没有时间为他们的安全做准备。我们不能质疑或深思自己的行为，只需执行一场仅持续约两小时的完整战争。战略发射的成功实施，实际上意味着我们任务的失败——我们的使命本是对核战争形成战略威慑。
There was no procedure for after a strategic launch. Once those missiles had left the tubes, we weren’t really expected to return to a world that saw us as heroes. There would be no victory parties, no ticker tape parade. Either mutual mass destruction or being proven to be a bunch of psychopaths that did not value human life.
战略发射后没有任何后续程序。一旦导弹离开发射管，我们就不指望能回到一个将我们视为英雄的世界。不会有胜利派对，不会有彩带游行，等待我们的要么是相互大规模毁灭，要么是被证明是一群不珍视人类生命的精神病患者。
Then comes the very real threat by the enemy’s mission; to hunt, find and prepare to kill you if it appears that you are preparing to launch. Their version of a Fast Attack Submarine. We didn’t stand a chance against one of those things that are smaller, more maneuverable, and armed tot he teeth in weaponry that is designed for one thing, to destroy Fleet Ballistic Missile Subs. Even if we did have torpedoes.
此外，敌人的任务还带来了非常真实的威胁：如果发现我们准备发射，他们就会搜寻、定位并准备消灭我们。他们的快速攻击潜艇就是为此而生。这种潜艇体型更小、机动性更强，武器装备精良，唯一的设计目的就是摧毁舰队弹道导弹潜艇——即便我们配备了鱼雷，也毫无胜算。
Our only real defensive weapon was being able to hide. Be a hole in the ocean, be deep, silent and deadly. Be the ultimate threat to existence. Just imagine the immense pressure, the unbelievable stress that this involves. Not only were we having to fear for our lives, but for a good portion of the world’s population.
我们唯一真正的防御武器就是隐蔽。成为海洋中的一个“洞穴”，深藏海底、寂静无声且极具致命性，成为对人类生存的终极威胁。试想一下这其中蕴含的巨大压力和难以想象的紧张感——我们不仅要为自己的生命担忧，还要为世界上很大一部分人的生命负责。
Imagine being a willing participant to that, before you are old enough to realize exactly what you are doing. Now imagine decades later, thankfully not having to pull that trigger. Waking up, in a cold sweat from the nightmare of what could have been. Once we realize that we were literally at war the entire time that we were out there, just not one that most would recognize as such.
试想一下，在你还不够成熟、未能完全明白自己在做什么的时候，就自愿参与到这样的任务中。几十年后，庆幸的是你从未按下那个扳机，却会时常从关于“可能发生的灾难”的噩梦中惊醒，浑身冷汗。这时你才意识到，我们在海上的那段时间，实际上一直处于战争状态，只是大多数人并不认可这种战争形式。
No, this isn’t like eating sand for months in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan.
No this isn’t like the horrors of war on the ground.
This isn’t like taking fire from insurgents and radicals, or being blown up by an IED.
This was a different kind of warfare. One that I don’t wish on anyone.
Yes I volunteered, yes I did my job. I did it willingly. Would I do it again? Probably. Because I would rather take that responsibility to assure that we don’t launch unless it is absolutely necessary than to leave it to someone that thinks that this was simply a game.
不，这不像在伊拉克和阿富汗的沙漠里啃几个月的沙子，不像地面战争的恐怖场景，不像遭到叛乱分子和激进分子的枪击，也不像被简易爆炸装置炸伤。这是一种截然不同的战争，我不希望任何人经历。
是的，我是自愿的，我尽了自己的职责，而且是心甘情愿地去做。如果再给我一次机会，我可能还会这么做。因为我宁愿承担这份责任，确保只有在绝对必要的情况下才会发射导弹，也不愿把这份责任交给那些认为这只是一场游戏的人。
So while I am technically considered a ‘Combat’ veteran according to the standards set by the Veteran’s of Foreign War, I almost cannot consider myself one, except that I am aware of the stress involved with Strategic Deterrence. Essentially having a finger on the trigger that can start a chain of events that every single person on the planet would regret.
因此，尽管根据美国海外战争退伍军人协会（Veteran’s of Foreign War）的标准，从技术层面来说我是一名“作战”老兵，但我几乎无法将自己归入这一类别——除了我深知战略威慑所带来的压力。本质上，我们的手指就放在扳机上，一旦按下，就会引发一连串让地球上每个人都后悔莫及的事件。
The nightmares that we have are of sometimes of something that hasn’t happened and hopefully never will.
Just food for thought.
我们的噩梦，有时源于那些未曾发生、也希望永远不会发生的事情。
仅供思考。
Xavier Singh
泽维尔·辛格
Related
How do you easily identify a veteran?
Well, there is no sure way of knowing, but I volunteer around veterans sometimes, so this is what I got:
相关问题：如何快速识别退伍军人？
其实没有绝对可靠的方法，但我偶尔会在退伍军人身边做志愿服务，所以总结出了一些观察结果：
They usually like to wear a shirt or a hat that says their unit, division, or what war they served in. If they were navy, it would be their ship.
If they seem younger, they are usually still pretty buff from their time in the military, with a confident tone in their voice. Mind you, I usually work with older veterans, but for some reason a lot of them LOVE beards.
他们通常喜欢穿印有部队、师部编号或服役战争名称的衬衫，或是戴这类主题的帽子。如果是海军退伍军人，衣物上可能会印有他们曾服役的军舰名称。
如果看起来比较年轻，他们通常还保留着军队时期的健壮身材，说话语气也很自信。不过要说明的是，我平时接触的大多是年长的退伍军人，不知为何，他们中很多人都特别喜欢留胡子。
It could also be on their car, like bumper stickers or their license plate (I’ve seen some like ‘SEMPER FI’ and ‘3RD ARMRD’)
But with the older veterans, it may be hard to distinguish with just regular old people.
线索也可能在他们的车上，比如保险杠贴纸或车牌（我见过一些写着“永远忠诚”（SEMPER FI，海军陆战队座右铭）和“第三步兵师”（3RD ARMRD）的车牌）。
但对于年长的退伍军人，很难将他们与普通老年人区分开来。
But I can say this with certainty-they are some of the kindest people I have ever met. No matter if they are a veteran or not, always treat the elderly (or just someone who might be your age) with respect, no matter your views with them. I hope this answer helped!
不过我可以肯定地说，他们是我见过最善良的一群人之一。无论对方是否是退伍军人，无论你和他们的观点是否一致，都要尊重老年人（或是和你同龄的人）。希望这个回答对你有帮助！
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