CommonWealth Magazine: Lecturer Jeffrey Chin Corrects Misconceptions about Life in the Military
Football star Tom Brady’s recent comments comparing professional sports to military deployment drew criticism from veterans and military families. In an op-ed to CommonWealth Magazine, BU School of Social Work Lecturer Jeffrey Chin reflects on his own military experiences and addresses common misconceptions about service members and their families, which are reflected in comments like Brady’s.
Excerpt from “Brady Comments Reflect Growing Disconnect about Military Life” by Jeffrey Chin:
Tom’s leadership style in particular earned him fans among us here in the New England region…Which makes his recent comments comparing the grind of NFL life to a military deployment all the more disappointing and, ultimately, educational.
Before I am accused of excessive pearl-clutching in the face of an increasing use of military metaphors to describe hardships — particularly in the NFL, where 300-pound men colliding with one another is described as being ‘in the trenches’ – I am shining a light on what is an unfortunate truth. Tom Brady’s words reflect a growing disconnect between the general public and its understanding of what it means to live a military life, both as a service member and, perhaps more poignantly, as a member of a military family. Brady represents the reflection too many in our society see in the mirror when it comes to truly understanding what military members and their families endure – and not just during a deployment, but in their everyday lives.
Brady’s use of these terms don’t just diminish the actual significance of the sacrifice service members and their families undergo, they demonstrate the widening gap in understanding between military families and their civilian neighbors about what military life actually entails.”