# THE MILITARY SKULL ART INSPIRED BY THE PUNISHER



## Slav Defence

The “Deuce Four Skull” – clearly inspired by The Punisher’s skull symbol.
Marvel Comics character The Punisher first appeared in _The Amazing Spider-Man_#129 (cover-dated February 1974). Created by writer Gerry Conway (with input from publisher Stan Lee, who suggested the character’s name) and artists John Romita, Sr. (who tweaked Conway’s design for the character, specifically putting a large skull symbol on the character’s chest) and Ross Andru (who first drew the character for publication), The Punisher was initially an antagonist to Spider-Man; as a vigilante, The Punisher is relentless in killing criminals, which puts him at odds with Spider-Man and other Marvel superheroes. However, over the years, the character evolved into a sympathetic antihero that remains popular with many comics fans. It appears that some of those fans are in the United States Armed Forces.





Both The Punisher and his skull symbol are frightening to evildoers.
The Punisher is Frank Castle, a Marine Corp veteran with Special Forces training; his family – after they witness a Mafia execution in New York City’s Central Park – is killed by mobsters. To avenge his family, Castle becomes a vigilante who kills criminals; he wears a black costume with a large white skull symbol emblazoned on his chest. Unlike other costumed comics characters with superpowers or specialized non-lethal weapons, The Punisher uses handguns, sniper rifles, grenades, knives, and sometimes his bare hands to stop criminals – permanently.

The Punisher is one of Marvel’s most popular characters. In the 1990s, The Punisher starred in three ongoing comic book titles (_The Punisher_, _Punisher War Journal_, and _Punisher War Zone_); it’s rare for a character to headline multiple, concurrent ongoing titles, with Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man as examples of the few other popular comics characters to do so. The Punisher is also the protagonist of multiple films –_ The Punisher_ (1989),_The Punisher_ (2004), _Punisher: War Zone_(2008), and the fan film _Dirty Laundry_(2012).




A serviceman’s “Deuce Four Skull” tattoo.
The Punisher’s popularity among United States military personnel is evidenced by the incorporation of the character’s distinctive skull symbol into artwork generated within the military, most notably by the United States Navy’s Sea, Air, Land Teams (“Navy SEALs”) and the United States Army’s 24th Infantry Regiment. There is a long tradition – dating back to colonial times – of American military personnel using skull imagery in officially unauthorized-but-allowed insignia artwork. The Punisher’s fans in the military continue this tradition with the creation of unit insignia based on the character’s skull symbol.




Note the “Deuce Four Skull” painted on the wall in the bottom right corner of the picture.
The 24th Infantry Regiment’s “Deuce Four Skull” insignia is clearly based on The Punisher’s skull symbol. The 24th Infantry regiment was deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004, and the “Deuce Four Skull” was painted on the walls of buildings where the regiment killed enemy combatants; the symbol became a fearsome calling card for the regiment.




Military tactical gear with The Punisher’s skull symbol painted on the back.
The Navy’s SEAL Team 3 paints The Punisher’s skull symbol on its military gear. Reporting on former SEAL Team 3 sniper Chris Kyle (who claimed to have made 255 kills, which would make him the most lethal U.S. sniper in history), the _Daily Mail_ notes that for SEAL Team 3 the “action was enough that the members of the unit adopted the white skull of the gun-wielding comic book vigilante The Punisher. They painted the symbol on their body armor, their vehicles and even their weapons.” _The New Yorker_, reporting on Kyle’s death, also notes the use of The Punisher’s skull symbol by SEAL Team 3: “Kyle seemed to consider himself a cross between a lawman and an executioner. His platoon had spray-painted the image of the Punisher—a Marvel Comics character who wages ‘a one-man war upon crime’—on their flak jackets and helmets.” Kyle liked the skull symbol so much that he incorporated it into the logo of his company Craft International, which provides tactical training for military and law enforcement personnel.




Craft International tactical gear – note the skull symbol painted on the helmet and emblazoned on the uniform patch.
The Punisher has many fans, but given the incorporation of his skull symbol into military artwork, it’s unlikely that the character is appreciated by America’s enemies.




A military unit patch with a skull symbol inspired by The Punisher.
*NOTES AND FURTHER READING:* The website SpecialForces.com has an excellent article on the history and traditions of skull art in the U.S. military, which can be found here.

Information about Chris Kyle and the use of The Punisher’s symbol by SEAL Team 3 and Craft International can be found here.

More information about Chris Kyle and his experiences as a sniper are detailed in Kyle’s book _American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History_. Kyle was killed at a shooting range on February 2, 2013, apparently by a Marine Corp veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, whom Kyle was attempting to help.

The images above are the property of their respective owner(s), and are presented for educational purposes only under the fair use doctrine of the copyright laws of the United States of America.

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## Slav Defence

@SvenSvensonov @jhungary @Gufi @Akheilos @Secur @TankMan and others

I wonder that those mindsets are attracted towards military which are:

1-Religiously motivated
2-Patriotic
3-Looking for establishing their career in respectable fields etc.

My question is that inspiration from a comic story has nothing to comment about.However, it appears that these people haven't joined military due to political or religious motivation.
Humans at their teenage always look for a character to be inspired of?seems like they haven't spend much time in thinking about certain things.Any intellectual idea highlighting their psychology would be definitely appreciated.
Regards

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## Dubious

Slav Defence said:


> There is a long tradition –* dating back to colonial times *– of American military personnel using skull imagery in officially unauthorized-but-allowed insignia artwork.


Well Punisher wasnt introduced to them back then!
It is something that existed back in colonial times only god knows which black magic it originated from


Slav Defence said:


> The *Punisher’s fans* in the military continue this tradition with the creation of unit insignia based on the character’s skull symbol.





Slav Defence said:


> Military tactical gear with The Punisher’s skull symbol painted on the back


Not sure who is following what ....But* if it existed before the comics *we cant conclude much now can we?


Slav Defence said:


> I wonder that those mindsets are attracted towards military


Some are just trigger happy...

Others prob had a disturbed background and going into the military was the only way to get away from whatever they didnt like or where they didnt belong - basically some form of anger management....

Others had parents / family to influence them or if parents were in uniform they didnt have much choice when your home is full of it 24/7

Some prob got attracted by crime comics like Punisher, cartoons like G.I.Joe and other stuff...

And finally the last group who just joined coz they thought their country needed them!

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## Slav Defence

Akheilos said:


> Well Punisher was introduced to them back then!
> It is something that existed back in colonial times only god knows which black magic it originated from
> 
> 
> Not sure who is following what ....But* if it existed before the comics *we cant conclude much now can we?
> 
> Some are just trigger happy...
> 
> Others prob had a disturbed background and going into the military was the only way to get away from whatever they didnt like or where they didnt belong - basically some form of anger management....
> 
> Others had parents / family to influence them or if parents were in uniform they didnt have much choice when your home is full of it 24/7
> 
> Some prob got attracted by crime comics like Punisher, cartoons like G.I.Joe and other stuff...
> 
> And finally the last group who just joined coz they thought their country needed them!


Miss Akheilos,
G.I Joe was original event about some C-company operating in Tunisian desert during WW2,if I am correct.They were made "trigger happy" because of all hardships they were bearing including U.S military's ignorant behavior towards them.I had discussion with Mr.Gary on such topic and I appreciate his honesty ,that he clearly described various backgrounds of people joining military.
From G.I Joe it is learnt that the best way to prevent your soldiers from turning into trigger happy people is to give them care and focus upon their psychological frustrations.Your soldiers are your asset and they themselves deserve some maintainace and care.
The problem is that you must have clear objective to put your soldiers into warfare and your personnel must be psychologically mature to understand seriousness of giving and taking lives.
A soldier is a part of nature. He becomes a vector of saving or taking lives. A soldier is not just some random moron working for government services but he is actually serving God's purposes. He can be with angel of death or life saving element and his actions during field work are most important than any other task assigned to any company for any purpose.
The bigger challenge during warfare is to distinguish between innocent and terrorist for a soldier and I,at this point salute those armies of world including my army,who recognized,saved their lives and escort them out from such hell(rescue missions)
Regards


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## Dubious

Slav Defence said:


> The problem is that you must have clear objective to put your soldiers into warfare and your personnel must be psychologically mature to understand seriousness if giving and taking lives.


Have we seen any level of maturity in many of the American soldiers? Claiming theoretically what should be doesn't always reflect the practical...



Slav Defence said:


> A soldier is a part of nature. He becomes a vector of saving or talking lives. A soldier is not just some random moron working for government services but he is actually serving God's purposes. He can be with angel of death or life saving element and his actions during field work are most important than any other task assigned to any company for any purpose.


I am not talking about an everyday soldier who is on the border risking his life for a better tomorrow of his people but the soldier who goes country to country kicking down doors and scaring the locals there for life...Some kids who see their neighbour, uncle, father get shot without an explanation that they were doing bad! What is worse than making an orphan is leaving him without answers!



Slav Defence said:


> The bigger challenge during warfare is to distinguish between innocent and terrorist for a soldier and I,at this point salute those armies of world including my army,who recognized,saved their lives and escort them out from such hell(rescue missions)


 It is true it is tough to distinguish people as it is not written on their faces...however, you have derailed from what you opened the thread about....The thread is not about Pakistani soldiers saving their own borders but has more to do with what inspires some soldiers who take their symbols from a comic...How mature is that?

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## Hamartia Antidote

Akheilos said:


> The thread is not about Pakistani soldiers saving their own borders but has more to do with what inspires some soldiers who take their symbols from a comic...How mature is that?



I think skull symbols have been used for eternity. The Punisher version is just a reinterpretation of an old image.


Google "skull military patch"

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## Gufi

Slav Defence said:


> I wonder that those mindsets are attracted towards military which are:


I will be posting detailed answer tomorrow....


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## Slav Defence

Peter C said:


> I think skull symbols have been used for eternity. The Punisher version is just a reinterpretation of an old image.
> 
> 
> Google "skull military patch"


Peter,
It is just a comic character-nothing more than that.This thread is not initiated to throw BS at any US soldier.Just an attempt to understand that how much comics can influence individuals serving at important sectors of country.It is media- and it reflects it's power greatly.
regards



Akheilos said:


> Have we seen* any level of maturity in many of the American soldiers? Claiming theoretically what should be doesn't always reflect the practical...*
> 
> 
> I am not talking about an everyday soldier who is on the border risking his life for a better tomorrow of his people but the soldier who goes country to country kicking down doors and scaring the locals there for life...Some kids who see their neighbour, uncle, father get shot without an explanation that they were doing bad! What is worse than making an orphan is leaving him without answers!
> 
> It is true it is tough to distinguish people as it is not written on their faces...however, you have derailed from what you opened the thread about....The thread is not about Pakistani soldiers saving their own borders but has more to do with what inspires some soldiers who take their symbols from a comic...How mature is that?


Miss akheilos,
No.I haven't derailed over my Pakistani soldiers.My main focus is still over determining that what they seek and ended up in joining army and how treated by their central commands.
I believe that US is a diverse country,so it's people.If you will research,then you will find those soldiers who made a difference.
The problem is that a soldier is ''obedient'' towards those orders issued by political establishment.What do expect them to do if some insane mindsets are issuing orders such as by Mr.Donald Rumsfeld:

Donald Rumsfeld | The Center for Torture Accountability
Carefully click to the references and see for yourself.

Another wonderful and interesting read:
Driving People Insane

Hence,the case is:
>To train recruited individuals.
>Checking their backgrounds before recruiting.
>Always provided them psychological therapist.
>Allowing them to communicate with families.
>Effective training.
>Taking survey,asking about their preferences.

Plus,Individuals like Mr. Rumsfeld must never be assigned to take responsibility for instructing armies.

regards


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## Dubious

Slav Defence said:


> My main focus is still over determining that what they seek and ended up in joining army and how treated by their central commands.


Ok then you should highlight every army and not start by a skull on American army...Unless that was to start the discussion but a point or 2 about how the objectives and reasons of joining differ in other armies would be appreciated! 



Slav Defence said:


> It will not be correct to point fingers at every American soldier serving in US military.US is a diverse country,so it's people.If you will research,then you will find those soldiers who made a difference.


I never said EVERY US soldier...Sure there are good and bad everywhere...I prob misunderstood the thread based on the 1st post which was really focusing on 1 type of people and their interest in going into the army....



Slav Defence said:


> The problem is that a soldier is ''obedient'' towards those orders issued by political establishment.What do expect them to do if some insane mindsets are issuing orders such as by Mr.Donald Rumsfeld:


Well, there is obedience and then there is humanity both can co exist and dont need to be alien to each other!

When you find an order being inhumane, I am sure there are bodies to go to to complain and stuff...US Army also has great soldiers who literally threw away medals because they found it was not justified to be honoured for certain deaths...That is where humanity kicks in...

However, obedience with a low IQ is bad! And if the process is selecting such people who are yes man coz they cant think beyond a certain given frame than that is bad and something scary! This is the police but if the same thing is applied on soldiers than that is reason for concern! However, if it isnt then all is safe.....and obedience wouldnt or "technically" shouldnt get in the way!

Court OKs Barring High IQs for Cops - ABC News


Police Officially Refuse To Hire Applicants With High IQ Scores




Slav Defence said:


> Hence,the case is:
> >To train recruited individuals.
> >Checking their backgrounds before recruiting.
> >Always provided them psychological therapist.
> >Allowing them to communicate with families.
> >Effective training.
> >Taking survey,asking about their preferences.


Fair enough! I am sure almost every army has this set written, how much 1 follows is something that cant be quantified so it is assumed all is well!

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## jhungary

Maybe I am freezing my arse off at the moment I don't quite understand what you are asking of?

You want to ask what motivate people to become a soldier? Or what motivate the patch and mascot of a unit?

For the first part.

There are a million reason why a person sign up. From patriotism, money, religious (Tho quite unlikely in the US Military), future to being ask to do so by court.

You have to remember whatever the reason behind the motivation, most are kids ages 18-22, yes, there are mature recruit from time to time but most of them are teenagers and what did teenagers like? Comic.

I mean I was young once too, and I like comics, manga and animation when I was about that age, maybe even younger, and all we saw back then is the "Hero/Heroine" side of a comic book, between good and evil and justice, that's why young people like comic books.

And in the end, being a soldier, no offence, but you have to be have a bit of stupidity, as a lowly soldier, you do not think, nor would your commanding officer want you to think, with the chain of command, the higher up want you to do, not to question the order, and a degree of naivetés is expected.

For the second part.

Units have their own "calling card" some unit uses death card, some paint their unit on the wall, some uses scout, some painted skull, some uses suit of cards, and some simply use their own imagination.

It kinda like marking your territories, you want to know others (friends and foes) know that you *WERE HERE* and you are responsible of this AO, and tell people not to mess with your unit.



Slav Defence said:


> @SvenSvensonov @jhungary @Gufi @Akheilos @Secur @TankMan and others
> I wonder that those mindsets are attracted towards military which are:
> 1-Religiously motivated
> 2-Patriotic
> 3-Looking for establishing their career in respectable fields etc.
> My question is that inspiration from a comic story has nothing to comment about.However, it appears that these people haven't joined military due to political or religious motivation.
> Humans at their teenage always look for a character to be inspired of?seems like they haven't spend much time in thinking about certain things.Any intellectual idea highlighting their psychology would be definitely appreciated.
> Regards

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## Gufi

Slav Defence said:


> I wonder that those mindsets are attracted towards military which are:
> 
> 1-Religiously motivated
> 2-Patriotic
> 3-Looking for establishing their career in respectable fields etc.



Okay I will try and answer this in parts because there are two distinct topics here... First these questions then the Punisher and what it means in my opinion. To help understand the transitions and the methods of recruitments that are employed now I will see how US army recruitment has transitioned through history from the first war and compare it to the America today.

The US army has gone through many phases through which is has recruited soldiers. A brief look into the history books can tell us that there is a long history of volunteers and at the same time there is another side which was conscription.

The first major war that was fought in American history that is remembered is the American civil war. Fought over the issue of slavery it divided the nation between the industrial north and the cash crops(cotton) growing south. The main issues I want to bring into focus here are the recruitment at different stages of the war and with recurring examples we will see patterns building.
The war was fought on two different stances, pro and anti slavery. The first recruits were those who had idealistic reasons. There were both gentlemen and serfs who stood up for what they believed in. They were the first to enter the war and many of them perished in the war. But this war was long and draining, and as the casualties grew there came a time when the volunteers dried up and they moved on to the incentive of freedom in the case of the blacks, people in jails, and paid mercenaries who were recruited to fight. As the war got even more bloody, the recruits started drying up. As they started drying up there came a time when there were no more willing people ready to fight and that is when the Draft laws came. With both the South and the North adopting the draft, which in simple words is a lottery which if won, takes one to fight in the war. There was a severe discrepancy in the draft, with substitutions, buying your way out of the draft, and certain industries exempt from the draft. Through out history the draft, or conscription, has always been opposed on the basis of lack of choice.

Rather then dissect every war I would like to just take the above mentioned war, and look for trends that are part of the American recruitment thought process.
The first type of recruits are those have a proud past with generations serving in the US army. These are the ones who are born soldiers and train themselves to excel as soldiers. This population does not fluctuate with ideological beliefs or the morals of the war, rather these are bred and born patriots who fight, no questions asked.
The second type of recruits are the idealogical soldier who recruit for a certain cause, and these are a very variable number. They can be seen from the early days of American history. They are those who believe in a cause and are ready to fight for it, and want to fight for the betterment of America or the world in their eyes. These can be seen in the gentlemen fighting in the civil war, the surge in volunteers after Pearl harbour in World war 2, or those signing up post 9/11.
The third group are those who are those who want an adventure, and these are the type who are more interested with the mechanical aspect, the mystery of the foreign land or the thrill of battle after movies or video games. This number is fairly small but a constant in every war you will find these people.
The fourth group are those who are offered incentives. This group of economically handicapped people are constantly targeted and they form a sizeable number in any war. They include those who are recruited in schools, in malls, and in poorer sectors of American cities and towns. These people are those who are too young to drink, yet are signed up to fight in wars. Whether it is the paid jobs, or the help to go through college, these are the ones mostly signed up exploiting their youth and/or their financial condition. They see the Military as a way out of the condition they are in.
These four groups are a constant through out American History, with the fifth group, of the draftees being a constant till the Vietnam war. This method has been revoked from law by Regan and has been given life again during the Iraq conflict but was voted out by over whelming numbers.
There is no real religious motivation other then a small number who believe they are part of the crusade, there used to be a part who fought for their families and the fear of invasions and those have also decreased considerably, but the patriots are growing or are at the very least, constant. Recently there is a drive for a system that was stopped, which is offering citizenship to those who fight in the army, and that is a small amount of people who qualify and it is under consideration also.
@Slav Defence Hope this is what you were looking for, I spent an hour writing this  (punisher will have to wait till tomorrow but it shows a worrying trend in my opinion )
@WAJsal an analysis on American soldiers and their drive to enlist
@SvenSvensonov please tell me how wrong I am and why

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## Slav Defence

Gufi said:


> Okay I will try and answer this in parts because there are two distinct topics here... First these questions then the Punisher and what it means in my opinion. To help understand the transitions and the methods of recruitments that are employed now I will see how US army recruitment has transitioned through history from the first war and compare it to the America today.
> 
> The US army has gone through many phases through which is has recruited soldiers. A brief look into the history books can tell us that there is a long history of volunteers and at the same time there is another side which was conscription.
> 
> The first major war that was fought in American history that is remembered is the American civil war. Fought over the issue of slavery it divided the nation between the industrial north and the cash crops(cotton) growing south. The main issues I want to bring into focus here are the recruitment at different stages of the war and with recurring examples we will see patterns building.
> The war was fought on two different stances, pro and anti slavery. The first recruits were those who had idealistic reasons. There were both gentlemen and serfs who stood up for what they believed in. They were the first to enter the war and many of them perished in the war. But this war was long and draining, and as the casualties grew there came a time when the volunteers dried up and they moved on to the incentive of freedom in the case of the blacks, people in jails, and paid mercenaries who were recruited to fight. As the war got even more bloody, the recruits started drying up. As they started drying up there came a time when there were no more willing people ready to fight and that is when the Draft laws came. With both the South and the North adopting the draft, which in simple words is a lottery which if won, takes one to fight in the war. There was a severe discrepancy in the draft, with substitutions, buying your way out of the draft, and certain industries exempt from the draft. Through out history the draft, or conscription, has always been opposed on the basis of lack of choice.
> 
> Rather then dissect every war I would like to just take the above mentioned war, and look for trends that are part of the American recruitment thought process.
> The first type of recruits are those have a proud past with generations serving in the US army. These are the ones who are born soldiers and train themselves to excel as soldiers. This population does not fluctuate with ideological beliefs or the morals of the war, rather these are bred and born patriots who fight, no questions asked.
> The second type of recruits are the idealogical soldier who recruit for a certain cause, and these are a very variable number. They can be seen from the early days of American history. They are those who believe in a cause and are ready to fight for it, and want to fight for the betterment of America or the world in their eyes. These can be seen in the gentlemen fighting in the civil war, the surge in volunteers after Pearl harbour in World war 2, or those signing up post 9/11.
> The third group are those who are those who want an adventure, and these are the type who are more interested with the mechanical aspect, the mystery of the foreign land or the thrill of battle after movies or video games. This number is fairly small but a constant in every war you will find these people.
> The fourth group are those who are offered incentives. This group of economically handicapped people are constantly targeted and they form a sizeable number in any war. They include those who are recruited in schools, in malls, and in poorer sectors of American cities and towns. These people are those who are too young to drink, yet are signed up to fight in wars. Whether it is the paid jobs, or the help to go through college, these are the ones mostly signed up exploiting their youth and/or their financial condition. They see the Military as a way out of the condition they are in.
> These four groups are a constant through out American History, with the fifth group, of the draftees being a constant till the Vietnam war. This method has been revoked from law by Regan and has been given life again during the Iraq conflict but was voted out by over whelming numbers.
> There is no real religious motivation other then a small number who believe they are part of the crusade, there used to be a part who fought for their families and the fear of invasions and those have also decreased considerably, but the patriots are growing or are at the very least, constant. Recently there is a drive for a system that was stopped, which is offering citizenship to those who fight in the army, and that is a small amount of people who qualify and it is under consideration also.
> @Slav Defence Hope this is what you were looking for, I spent an hour writing this  (punisher will have to wait till tomorrow but it shows a worrying trend in my opinion )
> @WAJsal an analysis on American soldiers and their drive to enlist
> @SvenSvensonov please tell me how wrong I am and why


Very well posted.At least you understand what I was looking for
Exactly, if we look at history throughout ,we will be observing group of patriots serving and they belong to very good backgrounds. They also have greater cause to fight,motivation and maturity. Plus,if we compare environment and society at early times,then we will sense that 23 year old were very much mature as compare to 23 year old of today.The reason behind it was they were exposed to lift up responsibilities.It was considered as honor to fight and serve for "cause".If Americans keep their objectives as defensive and trust me,you can attract better people out of their home for warfare if you portray your objective as defensive.However,if you go offensive then individuals seeking bounties would join you more.The reason is simple. Those who will join you for more stressful objectives will be stronger generation as compare to the ones inspired by video games.I sense that these young teens need more training and with history they must be taught the philosophy of warfare.
But what Mr.Gary says is true as well.They don't need people capable to think at lower level...and this only happens when your seniors want soldiers to do dirty work at lower ranks.Later on many of these are promoted on basis of their exceptional skills or performance then imagine of dire consequences.
I ask you that from where those seniors come from?okay let us assume that some of them must have initiated their jobs at lower levels and then promoted to higher ranks.Imagine,you have destroyed his /her skill to think and you are giving them to do all dirty work,then actually you are destroying their capacity to think.
Hence the only solution left is either you don't promote young ppl working at lower levels and set eligibility criteria for every rank you are offering.,(this is usually done)

I believe that american society has been declining over past decades, and it is effecting upon morals and thinking of young teens.Besides military at every level one needs to provide great stuff for good nourishment for youngsters. Tell your kids at home that war is not like a video game nor comic story.It is a matter of life and death.
This topic is huge I tell you and few posts cannot cover it completely.
Regards



jhungary said:


> Maybe I am freezing my arse off at the moment I don't quite understand what you are asking of?
> 
> You want to ask what motivate people to become a soldier? Or what motivate the patch and mascot of a unit?
> 
> For the first part.
> 
> There are a million reason why a person sign up. From patriotism, money, religious (Tho quite unlikely in the US Military), future to being ask to do so by court.
> 
> You have to remember whatever the reason behind the motivation, most are kids ages 18-22, yes, there are mature recruit from time to time but most of them are teenagers and what did teenagers like? Comic.
> 
> I mean I was young once too, and I like comics, manga and animation when I was about that age, maybe even younger, and all we saw back then is the "Hero/Heroine" side of a comic book, between good and evil and justice, that's why young people like comic books.
> 
> And in the end, being a soldier, no offence, but you have to be have a bit of stupidity, as a lowly soldier, you do not think, nor would your commanding officer want you to think, with the chain of command, the higher up want you to do, not to question the order, and a degree of naivetés is expected.
> 
> For the second part.
> 
> Units have their own "calling card" some unit uses death card, some paint their unit on the wall, some uses scout, some painted skull, some uses suit of cards, and some simply use their own imagination.
> 
> It kinda like marking your territories, you want to know others (friends and foes) know that you *WERE HERE* and you are responsible of this AO, and tell people not to mess with your unit.


Don't freak out.relax.I just wanted to discuss that nowadays what percentage is likely to join US army and what concepts are build up in their mind with respect to life and death but well since it is a huge topic,therefore one has difficulty to initiate with same point.Hence everybody took initiatives with different reasons,aspects and logical points:
Akheilos-believed that individuals inspired by these comics are immature people.
PeterC -Focused more on symbol.
Gufi-He got me and addressed it correctly.
You-Albeit, you didn't exactly answered what I was asking ,but you still wonderfully added your point.
Regards


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## Oldman1



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## WAJsal

Slav Defence said:


> The “Deuce Four Skull” – clearly inspired by The Punisher’s skull symbol.
> Marvel Comics character The Punisher first appeared in _The Amazing Spider-Man_#129 (cover-dated February 1974). Created by writer Gerry Conway (with input from publisher Stan Lee, who suggested the character’s name) and artists John Romita, Sr. (who tweaked Conway’s design for the character, specifically putting a large skull symbol on the character’s chest) and Ross Andru (who first drew the character for publication), The Punisher was initially an antagonist to Spider-Man; as a vigilante, The Punisher is relentless in killing criminals, which puts him at odds with Spider-Man and other Marvel superheroes. However, over the years, the character evolved into a sympathetic antihero that remains popular with many comics fans. It appears that some of those fans are in the United States Armed Forces.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Both The Punisher and his skull symbol are frightening to evildoers.
> The Punisher is Frank Castle, a Marine Corp veteran with Special Forces training; his family – after they witness a Mafia execution in New York City’s Central Park – is killed by mobsters. To avenge his family, Castle becomes a vigilante who kills criminals; he wears a black costume with a large white skull symbol emblazoned on his chest. Unlike other costumed comics characters with superpowers or specialized non-lethal weapons, The Punisher uses handguns, sniper rifles, grenades, knives, and sometimes his bare hands to stop criminals – permanently.
> 
> The Punisher is one of Marvel’s most popular characters. In the 1990s, The Punisher starred in three ongoing comic book titles (_The Punisher_, _Punisher War Journal_, and _Punisher War Zone_); it’s rare for a character to headline multiple, concurrent ongoing titles, with Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man as examples of the few other popular comics characters to do so. The Punisher is also the protagonist of multiple films –_ The Punisher_ (1989),_The Punisher_ (2004), _Punisher: War Zone_(2008), and the fan film _Dirty Laundry_(2012).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A serviceman’s “Deuce Four Skull” tattoo.
> The Punisher’s popularity among United States military personnel is evidenced by the incorporation of the character’s distinctive skull symbol into artwork generated within the military, most notably by the United States Navy’s Sea, Air, Land Teams (“Navy SEALs”) and the United States Army’s 24th Infantry Regiment. There is a long tradition – dating back to colonial times – of American military personnel using skull imagery in officially unauthorized-but-allowed insignia artwork. The Punisher’s fans in the military continue this tradition with the creation of unit insignia based on the character’s skull symbol.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Note the “Deuce Four Skull” painted on the wall in the bottom right corner of the picture.
> The 24th Infantry Regiment’s “Deuce Four Skull” insignia is clearly based on The Punisher’s skull symbol. The 24th Infantry regiment was deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004, and the “Deuce Four Skull” was painted on the walls of buildings where the regiment killed enemy combatants; the symbol became a fearsome calling card for the regiment.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Military tactical gear with The Punisher’s skull symbol painted on the back.
> The Navy’s SEAL Team 3 paints The Punisher’s skull symbol on its military gear. Reporting on former SEAL Team 3 sniper Chris Kyle (who claimed to have made 255 kills, which would make him the most lethal U.S. sniper in history), the _Daily Mail_ notes that for SEAL Team 3 the “action was enough that the members of the unit adopted the white skull of the gun-wielding comic book vigilante The Punisher. They painted the symbol on their body armor, their vehicles and even their weapons.” _The New Yorker_, reporting on Kyle’s death, also notes the use of The Punisher’s skull symbol by SEAL Team 3: “Kyle seemed to consider himself a cross between a lawman and an executioner. His platoon had spray-painted the image of the Punisher—a Marvel Comics character who wages ‘a one-man war upon crime’—on their flak jackets and helmets.” Kyle liked the skull symbol so much that he incorporated it into the logo of his company Craft International, which provides tactical training for military and law enforcement personnel.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Craft International tactical gear – note the skull symbol painted on the helmet and emblazoned on the uniform patch.
> The Punisher has many fans, but given the incorporation of his skull symbol into military artwork, it’s unlikely that the character is appreciated by America’s enemies.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A military unit patch with a skull symbol inspired by The Punisher.
> *NOTES AND FURTHER READING:* The website SpecialForces.com has an excellent article on the history and traditions of skull art in the U.S. military, which can be found here.
> 
> Information about Chris Kyle and the use of The Punisher’s symbol by SEAL Team 3 and Craft International can be found here.
> 
> More information about Chris Kyle and his experiences as a sniper are detailed in Kyle’s book _American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History_. Kyle was killed at a shooting range on February 2, 2013, apparently by a Marine Corp veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, whom Kyle was attempting to help.
> 
> The images above are the property of their respective owner(s), and are presented for educational purposes only under the fair use doctrine of the copyright laws of the United States of America.


I have seen this before, is it old?


Gufi said:


> @WAJsal an analysis on American soldiers and their drive to enlist


Very well put together. Very well indeed.

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## WAJsal

Slav Defence said:


> I wonder that those mindsets are attracted towards military which are:
> 
> 1-Religiously motivated
> 2-Patriotic
> 3-Looking for establishing their career in respectable fields etc.
> 
> My question is that inspiration from a comic story has nothing to comment about.However, it appears that these people haven't joined military due to political or religious motivation.


I think these logos or whatever are there for motivation, for moral. 
Other than that people enlist for many reasons, as explained by Gufi. Some come to kick terrorist ***, some want to serve there country, very few join just for adventure and other reasons.

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## Slav Defence

WAJsal said:


> I have seen this before, is it old?
> 
> Very well put together. Very well indeed.


Yes.You have seen this skull in different forms in different cases.The "skull" in general is adopted by not only american armed forces but also different armies of the world.I will show you some interesting examples:
1)The case which I have uploaded from an article simply shows you an inspiration from marvel cartoon adopted by some soldiers.Some more examples are as follows:






1/7 Fighter Squadron, France.





Charlie Company, Thirty-sixth Commando Battalion, Iraq.





The Llanera Brigade, Philippines.





Second Lancers Regiment, Portugal.





Kornilov Assault Regiment, Russia.





Eighth Lusitania Light Armored Cavalry Regiment, Spain.





Military Assistance Command Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group, United States
.......and let me recall you most interesting fact "unleashed" :







Remember?The terrorists who blew himself up in Peshawar tragedy, calling us k-a-f-i-r?
Regards

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## WAJsal

Slav Defence said:


> Remember?The terrorists who blew himself up in Peshawar tragedy, calling us k-a-f-i-r?
> Regards


WTH, interesting and yet so mysterious.


Slav Defence said:


> Yes.You have seen this skull in different forms in different cases.The "skull" in general is adopted by not only american armed forces but also different armies of the world.I will show you some interesting examples:
> 1)The case which I have uploaded from an article simply shows you an inspiration from marvel cartoon adopted by some soldiers.Some more examples are as follows:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 1/7 Fighter Squadron, France.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Charlie Company, Thirty-sixth Commando Battalion, Iraq.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Llanera Brigade, Philippines.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Second Lancers Regiment, Portugal.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Kornilov Assault Regiment, Russia.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Eighth Lusitania Light Armored Cavalry Regiment, Spain.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Military Assistance Command Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group, United States


Interesting.

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