Tbh is it brave? Yes. But the only people I knew who joined the military were not the valedictorians. They weren't noble patriots. They were lost kids. Mostly fuck ups. People who did not do well at school. My cousin told me he was too dumb for college and really I think he was tired of being fat and desperate and realized he couldn't lose it on his own and would turn into white trash if he didn't go to the military. He would have worked in retail or at a gas station or something which is what his brother did. Other people I knew were mostly Hispanic and I think realized their peers were mostly getting pregnant or arrested young and they wanted to avoid that. I also knew some juggalo types who were thrown out of school who blatantly said they wanted to kill people. Looking back at it I was an elitist. I thought I was above the military because I was bound for college. But I recognize now how important and respectable the discipline involved is. The military approach is no bullshit and college is mostly bullshit. I looked at it like a system of reward for intelligence which we all know its nonsense. Idk if I feel like I missed out. I wish I had come closer to my potential physically and mentally like I think these guys do. But I also saw them as brainwashed, often traumatized or injured. And I see the military as a predatory force who tricks kids into signing their lives away. In my cousins case pretty badly injured and they wouldn't pay for his schooling even though they clearly promised they would. The response was something like what are you going to do about it? It has plusses and minuses certainly but I never had national pride when I was young which is something I still don't get really. It seems like an antiquated notion. I appreciate this country, I consider st myself very fortunate for being born here but I am not really willing to die for it or risk my life to fight for it. That said, i certainly appreciate the hell of our the sacrifice that guys make regardless of their intention going into it. I of course stand for the national anthem and all that. I just... Can't lie to myself and act live I believe these young guys are sacrificing their lives to protect us because they love America and I should to. That's... Just... Naive. That's the opposite extreme of delusion to what the anti American left believes. I think that's a bit of propaganda. It's certainly spinning a lot of facts. Plenty of military people are shit heads just like civilians.