Could be worse, though Pete - we could be in Bagdhad. Actually, sometimes I wish I could go there. I served in peacetime (actually signed up during Desert Shield and was in boot camp during Desert Storm), and although I feel I did give my country a lot, it's clearly not as much as what those kids are giving overseas today. Or what my great uncle gave in Korea, or the other great uncle gave in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.
That kind of sickening, life-changing, ball-growing, better-you-than-me type of contribution is something I haven't made and in a way wish I had. Am I a vet, or not? Sort of, I mean yes, but not a VFW or a combat vet. There's a difference there, and it's not small.
Number one thing I got from the service - if there's a 'right' way to do things, do it that way. Anything less than the 'right' way is a failure. Put another way; there are so few things in life that are black and white, that when you run into one, you bess handle it accordingly.
Kinda disgusts me how a lack of attention to detail manifests itself in the real world. Usually, I see my peers doing a lot of rework, and they tend to berate me for taking too long on stuff, thinking about it too much or being a perfectionist at the expense of schedule, etc.
Last thing. My son just started Scouts (not my choice), and I've been trying to instill in him what pride in your uniform means, and how your behaviour should change in some ways while you're in uniform and that even when out of uniform, the fact that you're a Scout means that your actions are held to a higher standard. Being 'squared away' is not just something that regular civilians understand. If there's a correct way to trim and wear your belt, do so. Every time. No exceptions. Sir yes sir, style.
