[jothamdorn]

Her perspective is not unusual in the reserves. I did 4yrs active with the 82d airborne which was alright and everyone I served with knew that we were never more than a week away from getting shot at but when I got out and went into the Guard while doing college I met some guardsmen and reservists who were only in it for the educational benefits and the beer money (space available flights etc.) basically bums with short hair and shiny boots. That was before the gulf war, things may have changed since then but your post makes me think it hasn't changed very much.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

I will take a guard unit over an active duty unit any day. The troops don't have to move from job to job and become very good at what they do.

[Prodigal Son]

No, they haven't changed at all. I was in until 98 and both times my unit deployed in that time period the "pucker factor" went sky high. These weren't reservists either. Mostly guys on a two year stint for college $$$. You'd hear that a lot- I just joined for the money, I didn't want to go to war. When we used to ask these guys why they chose a combat MOS?- "I wanted to shoot guns and stuff".

It's the young people today. When I was a kid we used to dream of the day when we could enlist.
Check out this thread on DU to see what I mean about today's youth. They're busy bashing the name Operation Noble Eagle. It's a disgrace. With countrymen like these- who needs enemies?