Now you might not believe it, but under fire Animal Mother is one of the… finest human beings in the world. All he needs is somebody to throw hand grenades at him the rest of his life.  — Full Metal Jacket

I’ve known a lot of people who were absolutely brilliant in high pressure situations, but turned into complete jackasses during downtime.  Soldiers that were awesome when on duty almost had to have a minder on the weekends or after we got back from the field.  Their behavior, so long as it didn’t hurt anyone, would usually be forgiven because, in every way except acting like one, they were a good soldier.

I think of this as the warrior versus the soldier.  You see, a warrior is outstanding in battle.  He prepares himself to a very fine edge for it, and executes as flawlessly as possible.  His knowledge of all things related to his chosen avocation is boundless, and he is always straining to improve.

The soldier, on the other hand, is everything the warrior is, and more.

The warrior may be outstanding at shooting his weapon, either at the range or in combat, but the soldier not only qualifies as an expert marksman, but also knows how to teach others about the weapon and how to shoot it.  A warrior may be able to drive like a mad man to save a comrade or close with the enemy, but the soldier also knows how to properly do checks and maintenance on it so that it runs when it’s needed.  The warrior makes sure that his subordinates know everything they know to be great warriors, too, but the soldier makes sure they are given opportunities to learn and lead so that they can become more.  A warrior is disciplined when it comes to the art of war, while a soldier is disciplined in all things.  A warrior brings glory to himself and to the military when he goes to war.  A soldier brings honor to the military no matter where he is.

In short, it’s not enough to be a badass in battle.  You have to be more.  There isn’t always going to be someone chucking hand grenades at you, and you have to be willing to do the right thing in their absence.