Today is a somber day. It is a day that we as a nation get to remember all those that have fallen, in order that we can have freedom. Freedoms that we take for granted. Forgetting the price that was paid. A bounty paid in blood. Truth is, we are indebted to the Veterans of this country, and it is a debt that can not be repaid. The thing about every Veteran I have ever met is this, they don't expect repayment, or even a thank you for that matter. Most shy away from the extra attention, not knowing how to accept the gratitude. They do it selflessly, a sense of duty so strong it is ingrained into their very nature.
The responsibility is a sacred one. They are charged with the safety of a nation. While we sleep they stand guard. When we are attacked, they are the ones that run towards the fight, standing for what is right, defending the defenseless. They are warriors, but they are also ambassadors, and re-builders of nations. When President Roosevelt (the first one) said to walk softly and carry a big stick... he was talking about the men and women of the armed services being the stick, our first, last,a and only line of defense.
In recent years I have had multiple conversations with multiple people regarding the the military and this country... I need to make something clear here, I love this country and the ideals it stands for, I still believe that this is the greatest country in the world. I believe that we have some serious issues, but I also believe that we are not beyond repair. I believe that in order to have peace you need to prepare for war. This last one means that we, as a country, need to have the best possible military... on the planet. I would say that our track record is pretty good, and this is only because of our Veterans. I have noticed a rise in disrespect for those men and women, and to be quite frank, it disgusts me. I often wonder if these people realize that the only reason they can voice their opinions is because of they thing they claim to hate... Irony...
What does it even take join the Armed Forces? First you have to go to a recruiter. This man or woman will already be in what ever branch you want to join. The test starts here, it is their job to weed out the weak and unreliable, They walk you through the process, making sure you are healthy enough, and smart enough. If you make it past their desk, you get the joy of boot camp.
Boot camp is a grueling nine weeks of intense training. We have all seen the movies and heard the stories. You get yelled at, you are told when you can eat, when you can sleep, and when you can shit. Any control you had over your life is gone the second you walk through those doors. You are torn down to your bones, stripped of anything that makes you an individual. Doing a task so many times it seems pointless. Exercising to the point of exhaustion, and then exercising some more. It is all meant to keep you alive, and more importantly keep you in the fight. To give you any sort of edge over your enemy. Tearing the weak you down to build up a stronger faster you. A you that is part of a much bigger machine, a very well oiled machine.
If you make it though the boot camp, you have earned the title of solider and you get to move on to a more specialized training. Depending on your scores, you could end up a cook, because even an army has to eat... All the way up to special forces i.e., SEALS, Delta Force, Special Forces, E.O.D., Green Berets... the list goes on. This training can go anywhere from ten weeks to two years for the more specialized assignments.
After all of this training, you get your orders, or assignment. Some are lucky enough to stay stateside, while others are deployed. Some on peace keeping missions, some are sent to war torn areas around the world. Lately the ladder has been the trend. The world seems to be falling apart around us, and without our Men and Women of service, it could be a much darker place. It is a strange thing to be both a sword and shield, yet the warriors in the United States Armed Forces do it everyday, making it look easy.
The best part of all of this is that we have a 100% volunteer fighting force. They are our neighbors. They are our cousins. They are our sons and daughters. They are our brothers. They are our sisters. They are our chosen ones, because they carry the weight of a nation on their backs. They don't falter in resolve, and they don't run from a fight. They are so much of what makes this country great... Words are not enough, they can not capture gratitude I feel, but they are all I have, so I would like to say thank you to all past, present, and future service men and women, I hope you know this country loves you and is forever grateful.
-Micah
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