I got fucking lucky...
When I graduated high school in May of 2001 I was already enlisted. I went to basic in at the beginning of August. By the grace of Thor's hammer by September 11th I was already injured. My hand started really hurting in week two, but by week 3 it was unbearable.
I had broke my hand the summer before my senior year(5th metacarpal), and for some reason the way that the hand healed was causing it to get a small stress fracture along the original break. I was supposed to only have the cast for four weeks but when I went to get it taken off the orthopedic doctor told them to leave it for another 4. By the time I finally did get it off there was that patriotic surge of enlistment.
This next part pissed me off for years; until I woke up and realized how lucky I was: A civilian physician's assistant told me that I was unfit for duty. He told me that I had defrauded the Army and that I had my break well before I enlisted, and that I came to basic with that injury. He told me that I didn't come clean about my medical history and that because of that I was going to be discharged. He said if it were his choice he would make it dishonorable. Instead the worse he could do is make it 'an Uncharacterized EPTS(existing prior to service; basically no health benefits)' discharge. How/why a civilian PA had that much power is beyond me. (Also FYI: I did disclose that I broke my hand; and I eventually got the status of my discharge changed.)
For a long time I was really mad at the Army and that PA. They screwed me. I had my life set out; completely planned. I was going to become Airborne, maybe even get into RIP if I was really lucky. They took away my war; I was naive and wanted the 'glory'. Then some civi PA (not even a doctor damn it) comes and ruins it for me.
Then I started losing friends; guys I met during basic and my subsequent time as the head orderly back at the AG while my hand was in a cast. Even a guy I graduated with who enlisted because I had encouraged him to all senior year(I still feel guilty about him). I look back now and see how brain washed we were. We were all so young and eager to go to our deaths.