“The Constitutional definition of a “Militia” should, with no doubt, include all honorably discharged U.S. military veterans. (I’d prefer ARMY, but - anyway.)”
Some of us in the Navy knew/know how to use a weapon properly. :)
I will admit that many sailors should never be near a loaded weapon. For that reason, I was very glad that our main protectors were US Marines.
i was a salior,i forgot more about guns than you will ever know.
My thoughts, exactly. However, when I was Navy, we had to qualify on shotguns,M-16's, and 1911.45's yearly off the fantail. Still, my biggest respect goes out to infantry Marines and Army. They are the guys always in the suck. Marines are my favorite branch. Of course there are SEALs and Air Force ground spotters that are as capable, but they are few as compared to the grunts.
Plus, Coast Guard rescue divers are no slouches either. They may not face bullets or ied's, but they jump into the freezing waters in angry seas of the north Pacific to risk their lives for dumb asses who don't know when to head to port. They go through very intense training after boot and lose a swimmer every so often. The movie, The Guardian, gives a glimpse into the SAR unit training and rescues. Think about being a rescue diver jumping out by yourself of a perfectly safe helo into the the churning maelstorm below.
The above said, I give kudos to every specialty in the Armed Services from office clerk to SEAL. All have done their duty if honorably discharged.