A Career as a Target
To Consider: Who in their right mind would ever consider a career in the armed forces these days, what with the possibility of going to the Middle East and ending up hurt, dead, or worse, unless you had some sort of great aspirations of heroism or patriotism?
I have a few friends in the forces at the moment. One is in Iraq right now and regrets getting involved in the Army in the first place because she’s stuck in that hellhole. Another is going over shortly and he’s excited for it simply because of the experience he’ll get in his field, but isn’t very amused at the idea of leaving his family behind.
But the one that really flabbergasts me is a woman I know through my wife who is going into the forces simply because it’s good money. What???!? Are you crazy? Sure, being a mercenary or an assassin is good money, too, but you could end up DEAD, very easily, and what good is the money then?
I simply cannot fathom what goes through these folks’ heads. Do they not read the news? See the pictures of people brought back in boxes? Families torn apart because their father or mother is a corpse thanks to some random bomb or bullet in a foreign land?
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a million times — “Oh, the recruiter says they won’t send me over.” Bull. Shit. Folks, they’re thinking of reinstating the draft for the love of god, and you think they’re not so short on people that you won’t go over? Hah, Hah, and Double Hah. If you trust the word of the military, I have a pretty golden bridge out west that I’d love to sell you.
Don’t get me wrong — I have nothing against the troops and I support their work greatly. Of course, I disagree with what they’re doing in the first place, but my beef is with the administration, not the movers and shakers of it. Never would I want them to think that I didn’t stand behind the fact that they’re throwing themselves on the line regularly for various causes. Much like being a mortician, I’m not sure I could do it, so I’m glad someone can.
My incredulousness is with the fact that people are currently entering the forces willingly for such inconsequential things such as money or education. Surely this isn’t responsible — who says, “Sure, I’ll take a high death rate for myself in exchange for some CASH!”? Yes, the government makes is MIGHTILY appealing — tons of sign-on bonuses, education credits and assistance, etc. But they know that a) nobody wants to do it right now because of the situation and b) there’s a high chance of ending up as a shrapnel pincushion. So they sweeten the deal until dollar signs cloud vision and reason both.
What do you think? Is it still smart to enter the military despite the facts at hand, or are these people just being twits? I have to think the latter, but perhaps my thinking is clouded or skewed.
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