[QUOTE=shanzo;52200811]In general conversation I see it this way; soldier = combatant.
Being a soldier is a way of life, a career and a mindset. For me it would sound weird to say "He's a true sailor" instead of a "soldier" when it comes to any branch of military.
Then again I feel this conversation pops only with US military. Other countries are less picky.[/QUOTE]
No it's just that you hear about the US military a lot more
honestly i've never cared or seen why i should care if they're running a trench, storming a beach, loading a torpedo or taxiing on a runway - if the person in question is a uniformed, armed and enlisted member of a national or international military force, to me that person is, ultimately, a soldier. a soldier in the marines, a soldier in the special forces, but still a soldier without any fancy ego-boosting taped on top. the Finnish language makes no real distinctions, armed military men are called soldiers regardless of specialization - an individual marine, for example, is often called a "soldier of the sea infantry".
being excessively picky about this reeks of indoctrination to me. i hear the USMC in particular tend to take being compared to mere "soldiers" as an insult.
[QUOTE=Mezzokoko;52199860]Those distinctions might make sense for someone who actually is part of the military, but I think on an internet forum it's kinda silly. As far as I'm concerned, more or less anyone employed by a military can be considered a soldier, and the point in insisting on using needlessly specific terminology eludes me.[/QUOTE]
It's just like weight vs. mass in everyday use. When someone says they weigh 80kg, you don't correct them and say "well actually you have a mass of 80kg"
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