Quote:
Originally Posted by Azure Blurr
Should have been public.
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I purposely kept it Private. Someone might have enlisted and got booted out and be bitter about their time in the military. Also someone who never really considered it when they were younger may now regret it. The two listed examples above may not want to participate in a public poll but would in a private one.
Military service is not for everybody. You have a small window of opportunity in your life if you want to try it due to age requirements (usually 18-27).
My story --- At age 18 Vietnam was still going gangbusters and the draft was in full swing. The Nation was divided over the war with protests and even if you worked in the chow-hall serving mash potatoes for your entire enlistment at Ft Dix, NJ people called you a "baby killer". When I started college, a few of my former high school team mates who were several years older were returning from their two years in the Army after getting drafted. They were basically ostracized by many of the students who didn't know them before and even some who knew them had turned against them for their part in the war. I had a high draft number and rode it out for a year as 1-A while going to college. By my second year, 1972, Vietnam was winding down for the ground forces and my chances of getting drafted were practically nil. I had talked to a recruiter on the campus but at $110 a month, I felt I could do better even at a minimum wage job as a civilian. Five years later, at the "old age" of 24 I decided I wanted to join and did. It was the post-Vietnam military but you still never talked about it much and the women most certainly weren't impressed by short hair and military guys. The pay had "shot-up" to $320 a month. It ended my first marriage but if it wasn't meant to be it wasn't meant to be. It also allowed me to meet another great gal that I've had for 30 years now. That's two decisions I'm glad I made and I've got over 30 years with both of them (LOL).
It wasn't like today in the post 9/11 World where you're considered a hero (even if you're still stationed at Ft Dix serving mash potatoes) for being in the military. The pay is not too bad once you get a couple of stripes. The benefits today are fantastic and people are proud to say that they are serving. It's a much smaller military and the people are more professional and deserve increased pay as many of their skills are highly technical.
Times have changed greatly over the last 40 years in the military and the country. This may sound funny but I don't put down or think badly about guys in the 40's or 50's who never served. As long as they're productive citizens and paying their taxes I'm grateful and thank them for supporting the country. When they were younger it wasn't a grand and noble thing like it is today and the pay was not much back then. It's one thing to say you regret not serving but it's nothing to be embrassed about.
I salute those who served and thank those who support them.
