I would suppose if the risk of Mr & Mrs Importance's sons & daughters facing combat were as true today as it was in WW2, Korea & Vietnam, the big shots would not be so eager to commit the troops.
A funny incident was related to me this past week;
The story centered around a local Vietnam veteran named Larry. Larry was one of those guys in Vietnam who routinely asked to be assigned to go back to the jungles. He was wounded more than once and came home with many earned medals. He was restive and spent a couple years dealing with his own demons. Finally, he got squared away, got into the sand & gravel business and is now partnered in a successful ready-mix company.
Larry told us that he was visiting a brother-in-law who is a recently retired cop. Here in NY, retirement pay for state and big city employees usually ranges from riduculous (ridiculously high) to the sublime. Larry's B-in-law had just gotten a major raise and when Larry remarked that it seemed a very extravagant increase; his b-in-law said "Well, I deserve it "! When Larry asked .."How so"?
The man replied..."well, I put my life on the line"!
Larry simply replied " Yeah, tell me about it !"