One of my dearest and longest-standing friends is a Green Beret. Another is in the National Guard. Several others are Marines and Army infantrymen, retired or otherwise. Now, another of my friends is considering joining the armed forces, and her friends are (largely) giving her flack about it because of the war in Iraq.

Among the reasons for joining the military is certainly “to fight in the present war.” But each of my friends had a different agenda going in, and that doesn’t figure high on their list of desires, if at all. But if you have friends that are in the armed forces or are considering joining them, don’t be a jerk because of your own agenda. Our men and women “over there,” wherever and whenever that happens to be, need our support. Don’t sell them short.

One of my dearest and longest-standing friends is a Green Beret. Another is in the National Guard. Several others are Marines and Army infantrymen, retired or otherwise. Now, another of my friends is considering joining the armed forces, and her friends are (largely) giving her flack about it because of the war in Iraq.

Among the reasons for joining the military is certainly “to fight in the present war.” But each of my friends had a different agenda going in, and that doesn’t figure high on their list of desires, if at all. But if you have friends that are in the armed forces or are considering joining them, don’t be a jerk because of your own agenda. Our men and women “over there,” wherever and whenever that happens to be, need our support. Don’t sell them short.