Back in High School, we took the ASVAB test. Shortly thereafter when we got the scores, they had a representative from the local National Guard come in and talk with us. I did fairly well, and he was promising us an exciting career in the military.
After I graduated high school, they somehow contacted me again. They set up an appointment with me. I meet them at the depot and they let me sit in this flight simulator, check out some tanks, and almost sell me on the idea. I go home with this bundle of papers to fill out and his card.
That night, as I am looking through the papers, there are sheets of fine print about having to get vaccinations, what is expected of me. Basically, they are wanting me to sign away my sovereignty. I call up the recruiter and tell him that I want to think about it. He calls up a few days later and I tell him I decided not to for now.
Since then, both my brothers went through the military. My oldest was a nuke, maintaining the nuclear reactor in submarines. My other brother wanted to make it short, so he became an infantry scout, was with a squad that operated an M-60. Thankfully, this was before 2001, so he just ended up marching around with the fire ants in Texas. I have a couple other friends that did see action in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. One of them saw some things that messed him up a bit.
There are times that I have regretted stepping away from the military, but in reality, I wouldn't have done much there. The time for me would have been during the PAX Americana in the 1990's, so probably I would have just marched around here in the States, or at best, got deployed to some base in Germany. In retrospect, I also wouldn't of had near as many student loans.
What think ye?
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