Fun Stuff. For someone. I suppose.

Conjuring up combat images of a conflict that has killed over 2300 Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis is “fun stuff” over in the military. Let me explain.

Somehow this morning, I accidentally clicked on something, or it was a pop-up ad, but one way or another I found myself looking at www.military.com. I would not normally have reason to visit, but there I was faced with it on my browser screen.

As I moved my mouse to click the window shut, it moved across the tab at the top marked “Home” and a drop-down menu flashed on the screen. One of the bold headings was Fun Stuff, and hey, I like Fun Stuff, so I paused to look.

The first link under Fun Stuff was “Shock & Awe Photos and Videos.” We are talking “Raw Military Video, Photos, and Much More,” according to the site.

I am not sure if the “Shock and Awe Photos and Videos” are taken from actual combat, or if I am supposed to think they are because they are named for the “Shock and Awe” combat strategy/concept that is virtually synonymous in the public mind with the 2003 invasion of Iraq. I was willing to take a peek to know for sure, but you have to register to see them, and I was not interested in hearing pitches about the benefits of joining the armed services.

Is there anything inappropriate about labelling that Fun Stuff?

Over 2300 Americans dead and tens of thousands of Iraqis dead in a war launched with “Shock and Awe,” and we can see the “raw military videos, photos” with that label under the heading of Fun Stuff?

I know that our military recruiters are having a tough go of it:

The operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and for homeland security have required large numbers of personnel, which magnified recruiting challenges. In 2005, the military had to retain tens of thousands to maintain its 2.7 million force.

Last year, five of the 10 services – the Army, Army Reserve, Army National Guard, Air National Guard and Navy Reserve – missed their recruiting goals by 8 percent to 20 percent.

In Alabama now, new enlistees to the Army National Guard are now receiving $20,000 bonuses. (Every silver lining has a cloud. The Alabama Army National Guard recently announced they are nearly doubling the number of guardsmen in Iraq by sending nearly 600 more Alabamians over between now and June.)

But is this what it takes to recruit these days?

While I never expect the armed services to represent the pinnacle of high culture, I question the tastefulness of putting “Shock and Awe Photos & Videos” under the heading of Fun Stuff on a public web site. (Not to mention off-color jokes even involving fornication with animals. On a public web site. Representing the U.S. Government.)

Is this what we have come to?

I know we are all less than our best selves on occasion, but I still hate to see it.