A Gulf War veteran's account of how combat wipes out sympathy for the enemy raises a warning about loose talk from Washington on the use of force — a sobering angle for anyone watching U.S. military morale and the debate over fighting for Israel.

• Once soldiers see friends killed or their tanks blown up, sympathy for the enemy disappears, and many come to feel everyone in front of them deserves to die.
• Officers exist to stop that impulse, impose order, and make sure the laws of civilization are not thrown out in a fit of emotion.
• Recent remarks from Hegseth on the use of force show little grasp of the emotions war unleashes; people who have actually fought are far more careful about what they say.
• Online chatter suggests the U.S. military is not bloodthirsty but tired, does not want to be deployed, and especially does not want to fight for Israel — though that picture may be shaped by social media algorithms rather than reality.

Outlook: Expect continued friction between political leaders' tough talk and a weary force, with the question of whether U.S. troops should fight on Israel's behalf staying a live political flashpoint.