"joined the National Guard to earn some extra money"
Wrong motivation. I joined the Navy to serve my country, earn a living, get some training. I did all that by staying on active duty for more than 27 years.
I am not impressed by whining wimps like this.
Guns, a lot of people join the service for a variety of motives, and not everyone chooses to make a career of it. There's nothing dishonorable about that.