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If they let me just do the job and nothing else, maybe, I really am not into all the non-job related military BS that comes with being in the military, like uniform inspections and liberty restrictions.
I would serve in a non-joining the military capacity though.
No, I would not. Every war we've been involved in since WWII has been a political engagement and of no purpose to the US. Let the useless politicians go fight it themselves. I resent our government trying to police the world.
In this day and age in today's politically correct military.....probably not. If I had it to do all over again back when I was in my late teens I probably would but would most certainly take the officer (with college) option after my first enlistment was up.
at this point in my life, I couldn't serve again. War is a young person's to do, sadly. Got to know your limitations
When I was back in OEF X-XI, we had a COL who was called out of retirement. He was an advisor and his work schedule was much lighter than ours. We used to escort him out of the wire to meet with politicians. He would take his body armor off and go inside to speak with the Afghans. I picked up his body armor one day and realized that he did not wear the ceramic plates on the sides, just the front and back plates. He also did not have any water in his camelbak. He had his interpreter carry his M9 pistol for him. It was then that I realized how he managed to walk so much quicker than the rest of us.
He appeared to be in his late 50's, he had the the look of a grandfather. Super nice guy, though.
As to the question from the OP, I'm still active duty and the only way I would go back after getting out is if I could go instead of having my kids go. War is absolute hell and I would do it 10 times again if it spared my children.
Now if we're talking about garrison life, the kids can suck it up.
No, I would not. Every war we've been involved in since WWII has been a political engagement and of no purpose to the US. Let the useless politicians go fight it themselves. I resent our government trying to police the world.
I would have to say "It depends..."
I am a former "Cold Warrior", medically retired in 1982 (involuntary). I was a volunteer, and, at the time I thought that I was doing my 'patriotic duty' and I was proud of it. I was ignorant. I thought that I was defending the country from the communists that 'they' pointed us at and said were going to blow us to smithereens...but it was just a diversion and the most dangerous commies were sneaking in the back door of the White House.
Much older (and a little wiser) now, I would have to agree that nearly every 'conflict' (including those which were not much publicized) in which we have been involved since WWII, and our 'foreign policy' [in general] has been 'misguided' (at best).
The US gov. backed a lot of 'tin pot' 'strong men', and I can't think of very many who haven't turned around to bite us in the butt one way or another. We've been involved in a lot of BS 'wars' brought about by gov't, through the military and CIA (and other 'alphabet soup' 'spook shops') meddling in the affairs of other countries under the guise of 'advising' and 'assisting'.
Personally, I think we would have been much better off to maintain a policy of "Walk softly, and carry a big stick", as someone once said.
Personally, I had thought that the politicians would have learned a hard lesson from Viet Nam, but it seems that I was mistaken.
It is impossible to say no when I still wear the uniform today. Yes in the National Guard (also full time), but still serving. Getting to the point of non-deployable but not quite yet. I hope I never get deployed again but if called I will go.
As for what you do as someone mentioned war is a young person's job. But for every infantry soldier there is at least 3 and at one point in time I believe it was 5 support soldiers.
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