Soldiers are trained to do one thing, and one thing only - and no Myrtle, it isn't woodworking, crocheting, or saving kittens from trees - it is how to most effectively, swiftly and economically kill as many other human beings as possible, specifically the ones pointed at by their officers, read: their countries' politicians. I.e. to win wars.
I should have nuanced my previous entry somewhat: The only justification possible, philosophically, in my view, is when you perform soldierly duties defending you own country on its own soil - no "forward defence doctrines, please".
As is stated correctly above here, in this thread, the United Staes, for one (the U.K. has a similar record) has not conformed to this doctrine of domestic self-defence for about 200 years, but has since that Napoleonic era invaded some 50 to 75 other countries all around the world, some of them several times (Dominican Republic). some not so heroically (Grenada, Somalia).
And some of you don't buy my statement re pillaging? Just remember the movie Catch 22 - GI's carting off statues from antiquity for shipment "back home", daubing red paint serial numbers on them - from Italy, a friendly country they had just "liberated" in 1944..... (recent enough?).
And about rape - remember what happened in the former Yuogoslavia, not even 15 years ago? Mostly perpetrated by "men in uniform"....?
Come on, guys, you can call me names as much as you like, I don't care - but I am still waiting on the one who categorically and clearly dispels my theories to the empire of fables...... (cuz they can't... LOL).
And to think I haven't even begun about the exorbitant profits generated by mostly the already rich, famous, powerful elites through wars and their massive financial spin-offs - usually the ones clamoring for war the most loudly of course (the ones that coined the phrase "cannon fodder" for the millions of poor clueless recruits they sent off to their deaths throughout the centuries) - another stinking sewage chapter of boundless proportions involving "humanity"'s brief history on this planet