Quote Originally Posted by Mississippi Steve
As was previously stated, you haven't done your homework. I served in the military for 22 years. I retired from active duty in '96 and have been a business owner since then, providing employment and a paycheck to some of those who don't understand the sacrifices that have been made so that they may voice their uninformed opinions without fear of retribution. When 9/11 came along, I volenteered for recall to active duty(even though I couldn't afford the pay cut) for 2 reasons... First, because its the right thing to do, Second, because I have qualifications and certifications that were in very high demand(Mechanical Engineer and HAZMAT Technician Specialist).
The only reason they couldn't take me was because I couldn't pass the physical....something about back surgery.

I have earned my "mindset", and it has come at a very high price.

FWIW, In 1977, I came back from a 1 year overseas deployment, I flew into SFO. We were required to travel in uniform... When I got off the plane I got spit on just because I was in uniform. They didn't care what branch of the military, just that I was in uniform.
You can be just as ignorant as you want, hundreds of thousands of people like me have made sacrifices so you have that freedom.
Me- Viet Nam Vet, Draft casualty. I certainly wasn't stupid enough to volunteer to go to a war zone for assholes like standard oil that thought there was a huge oil deposit in the Mekong delta, and these "volunteers you talk about are a large portion of reservists and National Guard that would never have volunteered to go on IED patrol. This "we volunteered" bullshit is left for the few egomaniacs that joined the rangers or special forces. People that will never fit into a peaceful society. These are the same dudes that used to play football and pick on the less physical among them, I remember those jerks, so stop with your patriotic gibberish and face the facts: outside of a few Idiots. every one of those troops would like to come home, fuck the mission, and speaking of that, "the mission" outside of trying to stay alive, what the fuck is it. Don't give me that crap about trying to save Iraqis, we've killed over a hundred thousand and counting. The "Mission" is trying to secure the oil reserves for the oil barrons and if you can't see this then you may be retarded.