RNS has another "Support the Troops, BUT.." article

I’m not going to quote the guy, since in his first paragraph he denotes just how out of touch the radical left is, and it is just plain embarrassing.

Put simply, his point is thus: They won’t admit to it, but because that book’s author and I believe it, anyone who says they joined to serve their country or for other patriotic reasons is a liar. They may not know they’re liars, but since neither the author or I can picture “Service” or “Patriotism” there must be another answer, and we believe it is simply because enlistees are poor and/or stupid.

To counterpoint the latest “Grim Milestone”, I would like to invite RNS visitors/readers/lurkers/etc., of either current or former military service, to write why they took the oath.

This is going to probably shock some people, but I'm going to be my normal self and be brutally honest.

I joined the Marines for several reasons, not just one, and all of it for selfish reasons.

I make no bones about being an unrepentant capitalist. I believe that every action of mine should result in a reaction that is beneficial in some way or another. When I was about to end my high school career, I had an epiphany. My rank in class was exactly the middle. I had a solid C average because that was all the effort I put into school.

The real world was beginning to show its face to me, and I realized I wasn't going to go anywhere with the attitude I had, and it was apparent that that attitude needed some adjustment.

I also had to pay for my own college. I had two siblings and came from a middle class family with not a lot to spare. However, I knew from my experience that even paying for college, I wasn't going to succeed because of my laziness.

Now, before some jackass goes "SEE!!! He HAD to join the military because he couldn't afford to become a student!!!!", let me toss a little water on that ember before it hurts someone.

My options were as follows

• Join the workforce doing menial jobs to get through college which I'd probably had skipped out on or not put a lot of effort into.
• Join the workforce in an attempt to find a career that wouldn't require college.
• Join the military and get my ass in gear quicker, then go do the college thing, thus increasing my chance at success.

So, yes, I joined the military for purely selfish reasons - To help me get my act together so I could make something out of my life. I didn't join the military out of any sense of obligation to my country.

I joined the Marines because of a sense of obligation to my country.

I was accepted into every branch. Each recruiter wanted me in a bad way (I was a smart kid with high test scores). Not to dig at any of the other branches, but when I decided on the Marines, I had figured that if I was going to go through the military, I wanted to make it count in how I viewed my service. I could have joined any force, I chose the hardest.

I was told point blank that joining by the Marines, I stood a greater chance at being deployed. I knew the Marines had the hardest boot camp with the most training. I knew the discipline was intense, and I realized that by joining up, I may be required to sacrifice my own life for the defense of others.

However, I still did it for selfish reasons. Just like my rights are guaranteed only when yours are as well, by putting my own life on the line, I continued an honorable tradition of our volunteer military which in return protects my rights.

That's what these little pissants will never understand. They think their little rants online are somehow a 'natural' state of things. They think their right to freely speak out against anyone and everyone requires no effort. To them, it doesn't, but the TANSTAAFL principle applies - someone has to pay the price. They're too cowardly to do it and resent those of us who aren't.

Not everyone is military grade personnel. Lord knows I barely fit into the Marines with my strong streak of individualism. There's nothing wrong with not joining, and I've never held anyone in lower regard because of it. But talk trash about us, and the teeth and claws come out.

Freedom isn't free, and damn it at least be thankful to those who pick up the fucking check for you.