Posted on Nov 11, 2014
Can anyone 'do better' than serving in the military?
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When I was on recruiting, I would occasionally run into someone who would tell me that they could do better than the Army. Aside from filling me with indignant rage, it got me to thinking. People like this fundamentally fail to understand what it is we actually do.
We, and by that, I mean everyone who wears the uniform, perpetually create American society. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are the wellspring from which everything in the American experience emerges. Everything that 311 million Americans have in their lives ultimately comes from us. Every right, every privilege, every opportunity, everything that they either cherish or take for granted, value or squander, only exists as a direct result of our efforts to protect and preserve the American way of life.
Peace isn’t a naturally occurring phenomenon. You never hear about peace breaking out in some part of the world. The conditions for prosperity do not sustain themselves. The creation of material wealth is not left undisturbed without cause or reason. George Orwell once said, “People sleep peaceably in their beds because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” Although an oversimplification, the idea is absolutely correct.
Our way of life continues through its various iterations because there exists a group of Americans who value its perpetuation more than their own lives. A small percentage of the population recognize that the American way of life – and everything that happens as a result of it – is something that must be defended and is worth fighting for. Peace doesn’t occur as a result of the absence of conflict. It is created by a group that has shared values, - shared love of life, liberty, and prosperity – and the willingness to fight for those values more ferociously than their opponent.
I have spent the last 20 years of my life contributing to that fight. I have had the rare privilege of both having the ability and the perspective necessary to be able to contribute to that fight. There are some who do quite well with the prosperity that we provide. But I have been part of a group that does nothing less than continually recreate the United States of America every single day. That is what we do, and no one can do better than that.
What are your thoughts?
We, and by that, I mean everyone who wears the uniform, perpetually create American society. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are the wellspring from which everything in the American experience emerges. Everything that 311 million Americans have in their lives ultimately comes from us. Every right, every privilege, every opportunity, everything that they either cherish or take for granted, value or squander, only exists as a direct result of our efforts to protect and preserve the American way of life.
Peace isn’t a naturally occurring phenomenon. You never hear about peace breaking out in some part of the world. The conditions for prosperity do not sustain themselves. The creation of material wealth is not left undisturbed without cause or reason. George Orwell once said, “People sleep peaceably in their beds because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” Although an oversimplification, the idea is absolutely correct.
Our way of life continues through its various iterations because there exists a group of Americans who value its perpetuation more than their own lives. A small percentage of the population recognize that the American way of life – and everything that happens as a result of it – is something that must be defended and is worth fighting for. Peace doesn’t occur as a result of the absence of conflict. It is created by a group that has shared values, - shared love of life, liberty, and prosperity – and the willingness to fight for those values more ferociously than their opponent.
I have spent the last 20 years of my life contributing to that fight. I have had the rare privilege of both having the ability and the perspective necessary to be able to contribute to that fight. There are some who do quite well with the prosperity that we provide. But I have been part of a group that does nothing less than continually recreate the United States of America every single day. That is what we do, and no one can do better than that.
What are your thoughts?
Service
Freedom
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 12
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MSG Wade Huffman hit it on the head! It is all about personal goals. I could make far more money as a civilian doing the same type of work, but my goals and personal desires a line with the military and specifically the Air Force that the extra 25-50K a year in the civilian sector simply cannot replace.
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SFC Josh Jackson
Forty-four contracts with 100% ship. Below the USAREC average, but pretty good for the area I was in. I was the recruiter I wish I had. I wanted to make sure all of my recruits made as informed a decision as possible. It cost me a few contracts, but I maintained my integrity. I've run into a couple of my recruits at JBLM, and they were actually happy to see me. I'm even Facebook friends with some of my recruits.
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