Generally when a soldier carries a rifle and has to shoot back at the enemy in order to defend their position, he has walked amongst the corpses of friend and enemy soldiers, has helped load wounded buddies onto the MEDEVAC choppers they have a much "closer" view of how, why and when it is permissible to "scare the living sh*t" out of an enemy soldier in order to obtain critical information.
Your general attitude about Col. West is one of a guy who sat in a covered foxhole while mortars thundered down around you, never seeing the enemy soldier face to face and considered himself in combat.
There is a large difference between that and the guy who has to shoot back just to keep his position from being overrun by the enemy soldier.
Which of the two have you done, both?
I don't have to justify my experience to you.
You ask questions, imply me to be a coward, and all the while never showing your experience, if any.
You sound like a hollywood veteran to me.