At north of 65, I can look back on my life and say without hesitation that my 2 years active duty and 7 years overall reserve duty were, besides my 2 children and 3 grandchildren, the highlight of my life that I am so thankful for today.
That said, I guarantee I would have told my CO that he could put me in the brig but I am not sitting in a CRT class!
We are the same age and my thoughts are the same. My 4 1/2 years of active duty were the defining years of my life. I was raised in a good family but in bad neighborhoods. I realized pretty quickly when I came back that I didn’t want to be trapped in the same old place. It changed the trajectory of my life. I’m very proud to have served and done my small part for my country.