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I consider frontline fighters/peacekeepers and people directly providing support to make these tasks possible are all essentially 'combat crew'. If you're in the enemy's territory and in some danger to any degree then I also consider that above and beyond expectation from any citizen.
My brother-in-law(BIL) migrated from southeast asia at 17yo. He's Asian so I find it slightly harder to zip it about this chosen identity (My sister and I are Asian too but moved here as IT professionals). My BIL got into the military for college but he was sickly so he got assigned to desktop IT stuff. He did his time required in exchange for the schooling I believe and just stayed in that base in NC. He married my sister and move to TX and worked in private corporations.
I was set to make good friends with my BIL when I moved from NYC to TX, I could really use a best friend and so does he IMO. He's into guns and he kinda want me to be interested too, so I did and wanted to buy a handgun to start with. He offered to use his veteran's discount but I didn't take it, mainly because $100 savings is not worth an unpayable favor. That ticked him off a bit and also other times I didn't want any savings for me and my family thru his veteran ID card. Well one day we had that conversation about veteran's day and what I think 'veteran' actually meant to me and everything went down the drain after that day.
I've always felt I should at least make suggestions that might help people readjust their overconfidence a little bit, hopefully they'd be more realistic. I basically told him as responsible men, good able bodied citizens and future parents, we are expected to keep a job. We are expected to punch in and dress up for work and do as the job description says. There's a federal holiday for that. If you get promoted to leader or manager, we can celebrate because that's an achievement from probably giving it everything you got. Then I pointed out that his stint with the airforce was just keeping a job expected of everyone. I added that policemen are exposed to danger in routine traffic stops than he was during his military-days and yet I'm supposed to be thankful for his service. That can't be right.
Well that's the end of that friendship. I have been struggling to analyze what just happened though, I'm thinking in hindsight I'm pretty sure I could have handled that a bit better
You apparently do not understand the military. Only a very small proportion of the men/women will ever be deployed for combat. Some will be in friendly countries such as stationed in England, France, etc., on bases in those countries. Some will be on ships at sea that never see combat. Some will be stationed in the U.S.
I was also in the Navy, and was stationed in the U.S. I was the Air Terminal Chief for half of my enlistment, which means I was in full charge of an air terminal which is to say in charge of all passengers, and cargo disbursement right in the San Francisco bay area. Before that I had been in Hawaii, in charge of the cargo being received and shipped overseas. My squadron, was the ones that shipped the nukes and test equipment to the Islands where they tested them. I had to have top secret clearance to be able to handle the paperwork, and to account for every item we shipped which was several plane loads. I and the Commanding Officer were the only ones with this level of clearance, and I had to accept Top Secret items shipped by courier when he was not on the base, as I was the only one available with Top Secret Clearance. I was called in on a day off to receive something. It would come in inside a locked briefcase, handcuffed to the courier.
Yes, I was a Veteran. I was being used, where the navy thought I was most needed. The same is said for your relative. There is a bond, that is formed between veterans that those that have never served do not understand. Yes he earned the right to celebrate Veterans Day with the other veterans.
If the military thought he was needed where he was, then he was needed there and that is the only reason he was stationed where he was.
No offense, but that's just A JOB... a respectable one that puts food on the table and possibly give our lives some meaning while we support some other guy's business. These days the private sector handle rockets and explosives and require security measures too. They launch rockets on desolate places in kazahkstan or explore for minerals where theyre not welcomed. certainly not in Hawaii
and BTW, I applied to join the US Navy. It's a privilege for people from the Philippines. I did that because I needed something from them (citizenship) and I'm not embarrassed to admit it that it could have been a mutual relationship if I was picked. Now that I am a US citizen coming from H1B, I happily pay my taxes. I am just part of the whole operation, like you were
When people say every veteran coming back is a "hero" I wince.
No they are not. The ones that are wounded or killed are truly heroes.
I understand your feelings but there are many levels of heroism. From a civilian perspective there are those who served and those who didn't. For you heroes are those who were killed or wounded but for others they can represent the stupid, the careless, or just those who were unlucky. Personally, I think that when we start to establish these stratification for those who serve their country we lose sight of the simple fact that each and everyone who serves in the military is in fact putting themselves in harms way in service to their fellow citizens just like those who sat at a desk in the Pentagon on 9/11 who weren't doing anything heroic but deserve our recognition nonetheless.
No offense, but that's just A JOB... a respectable one that puts food on the table and possibly give our lives some meaning while we support some other guy's business. These days the private sector handle rockets and explosives and require security measures too. They launch rockets on desolate places in kazahkstan or explore for minerals where theyre not welcomed. certainly not in Hawaii
and BTW, I applied to join the US Navy. It's a privilege for people from the Philippines. I did that because I needed something from them (citizenship) and I'm not embarrassed to admit it that it could have been a mutual relationship if I was picked. Now that I am a US citizen coming from H1B, I happily pay my taxes. I am just part of the whole operation, like you were
No offense, to you, it is just a JOB, to some other Veterans, it is a life style. Different people joined the Military for different reasons.
When my brother joined the Marine corps, he was only a kid. Our family didn't need his "military benefits", my parents would be more than happy to pay for his college tuition as well. But he CHOSE Marine corps OVER anything else. That was his dream.
What my brother learned in the Marine corps will stuck with him for the rest of his life I am pretty sure.
No offense, to you, it is just a JOB, to some other Veterans, it is a life style. Different people joined the Military for different reasons.
When my brother joined the Marine corps, he was only a kid. Our family didn't need his "military benefits", my parents would be more than happy to pay for his college tuition as well. But he CHOSE Marine corps OVER anything else. That was his dream.
What my brother learned in the Marine corps will stuck with him for the rest of his life I am pretty sure.
He is CLEARLY who we thank and celebrate on Veteran's day. I know he knows that but kindly give my thanks, not necessarily for his service(job) to this country and its allies but for developing his entirety mentally and physically to be prepared for the call of duty (whether it came or not)
Same goes to you Caleb. I was an athlete for my university and my training was peanuts compared to what you guys put yourselves under to prepare for the tests of wills. In most cases, families and friends gave the support you needed and I believe we should thank them too, especially the ones who have lost
I have a BIL that walks and talks 'ex-military', 'proud airforce' and like camo, big SUVs and guns and all-american stuff, he's extremely fat now and he's taking so much credit for everything US military especially on Veteran's day when he has his kids have a special Dad time him in the park with some vets/flags and all. Only his immediate family knows he was never deployed or even left his base, he was some desktop support guy in the base so probably never issued a gun. Is he really a veteran we celebrate and thank on Veteran's day??
I always thought it was about military who actually fought in a war? This is all new to me, my SO fought in Desert Storm, was deployed 3 times. He (SO) surely doesn't play it up the way it sounds like your BIL does.
I always thought it was about military who actually fought in a war? This is all new to me, my SO fought in Desert Storm, was deployed 3 times. He (SO) surely doesn't play it up the way it sounds like your BIL does.
I've done some searching, I'm 100% wrong. It's about anyone who has served, period. Thank you to all of you have done so.
I have a BIL that walks and talks 'ex-military', 'proud airforce' and like camo, big SUVs and guns and all-american stuff, he's extremely fat now and he's taking so much credit for everything US military especially on Veteran's day when he has his kids have a special Dad time him in the park with some vets/flags and all. Only his immediate family knows he was never deployed or even left his base, he was some desktop support guy in the base so probably never issued a gun. Is he really a veteran we celebrate and thank on Veteran's day??
His swagger, etc. may be offensive; however, without the work of non-combatant service members I imagine the armed services wouldn't be winning many wars.
Personal I don´t care if I am considered a Veteran or not. I joined the army for the experience, I choose infantry although I had entrance test scores it the top 5 percent in all categories because I wanted the "Army" experience, I had no interest in a military career. No wars at that time but I was prepared to go if it came to that. 3 years active 3 years reserve.
Glad I did it glad I got out. Would have gone to war if called on. Honorable discharge 1 month before the 1st Gulf War.
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