[Newbomb Turk]

I am retired from the U.S. Army. I’m not sure why anyone would join todays military. I would not recommend it to anyone. Only poor kids sign up. Most with no other options. You can expect to fight and die for a government that is only using you as a pawn in some larger affair. A government that won’t even secure our own countries borders. Wealthy families don’t risk their kids by letting them join. But they sure enjoy the freedoms of this country.

While I am proud of my service, I look at the time I spent in the Middle East and wonder, for what. What was gained and how many young lives were lost. All for oil ? All for the industrial military complex to profit greatly off goods that support wars ? Now the Army’s leadership is just some woke, transgender loving joke.

[mosaicwolf]

"I look at the time I spent in the Middle East and wonder, for what."

I retired with 30 years starting with than wonderful "Police Action" called Vietnam. When someone thanks me for my service I ask the same question you have Brother.

[Myrddin]

My dad was in the Navy. Port 5 inch gunnery officer on USS Iowa in Korea. Engineering officer on aircraft carrier DeHaven. XO of destroyer USS Marshall, destroyer tender USS Prairie, communications ship USS Arlington, then XO of 32nd St Naval Station San Diego. He had a 2 year billet in Honolulu at CincPacFlt and 2 1/2 years at the Pentagon as program officer for the patrol gunboat hydrofoil program (PGH1/PGH2). About the time Elmo Zumwalt became CNO, my dad's view of the Navy shifted to being an unfavorable career to pursue. I eventually ended up doing DoD contracting and making deliveries to STRATCOM, SHAPE and NATO installations in Belgium, Germany, Italy and Turkey. Supporting the troops at the office and in the field. Not the same as serving in uniform, but valuable to the mission.