2. Things to Think About



(but will probably piss you off)


- The happiest, healthiest veteran is the one you can’t find

- Unless you’re carried off the battlefield in a bodybag, you will at some point return to being a civilian.

- Being a good civilian is considerably harder than being a good servicemember or veteran.

- The vast majority of those who serve will do so honorably; some will get out and go back to being the losers they already were.

- Military service doesn’t break people; life breaks people. Some broken people find their way into the military and, for a smaller number, the military experience breaks them a whole lot more.

- Military service has the capability of artificially sustaining some people who would have struggled with life whether they served in the military or not.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re through the worst of it. Each of these will be discussed in greater detail in later sections.



Copyright ©, Ben Shaw, 2023
no part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the author
(linking to this work, however, is deeply appreciated)

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