Cowgirl, you're right on the money:
People are called to serve in many different ways. Dick Cheney has proven his love for his country and the troops during his years of public service including work for four different Presidents.
Honorable, patriotic service is "service," whereever and however it is rendered.
I believe most would accept my "right" to opine on this -- I spent a year dodging B-40s driving a PBR in 'Nam (not drafted, volunteer all the way), and I've also served as a full-time LEO, a part-time firefighter, an elected prosecutor, and a judge. I consider all of those "service," and I consider all those who've served honorably in any of those, and many other government and private jobs, as having served me, an American citizen.
Some of the "logic" I've seen on this thread is ludicrous; followed through, it would have us shunning those who spent a career in the military but never saw combat, or insisting that our leaders demonstrate "service" as an enlisted person, rather than as a "privileged" officer. That sounds like other systems, not ours...
When the rockets started flying in VN, and I got on the radio, I was glad someone was trained and ready to send me help -- and I didn't begrudge him his air conditioning or his ba muy ba!
Today, I'd rather have Dick Cheney helping out back in Washington than wearing a couple of stripes and dodging bullets; I feel the same way about the up-and-coming Dick Cheneys who are in training now for their leadership later. As a nation, we've decided many times to exempt, or defer, some people from the draft; most of those decisions were made for the good of the country, not the coddled.
There are really two almost unrelated isssues here: First, military service is neither the test of service to one's country nor necessarily the best training for all kinds of such service. Second, we need the right people in the right jobs; how many Dick Cheneys, George W. Bushes, and Donald Rumsfelds do you know? Do you want them in harm's way for its own sake, or working where we need them (even if that's working their way up "through the ranks" in civilian government service or gaining business experience)?
Serving as a Reserve pilot while training for the presidency of the greatest country on earth is "service," as is training for the vice-presidency, even without Reserve duty, and the value of that service is laid out for all to see today. I'd much rather have the CIC and VP we have right now than a lot of veterans who want the job, and I'm truly grateful for all of their service.
Hackworth needs to lighten up on the elitist bit (and that's all it is); if he keeps it up, I'll start telling everyone he's chicken for never running for local office -- soldiers can shoot back ;-).
u