I hear this sort of thing quite a bit from military readers or readers from military families. From a reader in a small North Dakota town:
good article. Just a couple of observations. hope they are useful. I recently had a chance to talk to my cousin for the first time since
1980. He spent 20 years in the Navy and Reserve. Very much against the
war & Bush. Went into Navy (as a wing wiper– aviation) for education
first, adventure last. Two of my brothers and a bunch of my friends, by
comparison went into the Marines and Army. They went in for the
education opportunities but also for the adventure. My brothers and
friends all support the war and the ones that have been in Iraq and
Afghanistan are the biggest supporters. (We are from a town of 1700
people and I know at least 8 guardsmen who have spent a year deployed.)
[Name withheld]