Do you find yourself only having top-notch emotional relationships with others who served?

Thanks for writing what you did Sir. I find the idealism grand of uniformity team. It can be very protective the team uniformity against other teams of uniformity hence sports etc....But as individuals it breaks down in a real way as we are not robots uniform. I tend to have amazing strong emotional connections instant feelings if I meet another SM Vet. But then the individualism will shows its head. We end up going our own way. I am not a boy anylonger. I am a man who must examine. I have no family of my own to replace what that idealism is of service brotherhood sisterhood. It never left me those feelings adopted in bootcamp. Some senior guys in my unit were bullies in ways that disturb a young mans developing sense of trust long term. So I can see that playing in my life as I tend to be very reclusive unable to develop relationships longterm. I want to trust, but I seemingly don't know what that is like as I am waiting for bad things to happen if I let someone to close. But that can be a smart protective measure as well. Who wants to get hurt? But to be aware of being hurt as a fire that tempers steel is a unique theory. But health is better achieved in not running into fire. Then you might meet some in Va proceedings that leave trust hurt as well. Battling though it all trying to find the better chapter in this is what I continue to look for examine understand. Chapter 9 of my book will allow me to trust myself, love myself, and trust smartly. But maybe bootcamp just taught me to trust a concept and not the human. Then I realize I am a human. I think I am rebooting myself in a way. I think all these stories will be able to reduced into a few simple thoughts that will help others process. My dad was 68 Vietnam 11th Infantry I found out after I served Honorably in the Navy. Thanks for writing.