What would you say?

nemo, it must leef great to get off your chest. Some people stile live n the dark ages and has not fllowed throus history. woman how serve today are a lot braver than many men, how many times you had to push of doldiers with no respect is also brabably meed bothelly. You know your wourght. e proud.

As a woman, I have had people ask if my medals belonged to my grandfather.

Another thing pisses me off is people thinking my military pension is coming out of their pocket (I paid into it just like civvies pay into theirs) and that my pension means I am financially well off.

Hey all.Yeah I that is the first question I get (how long did you serve) and the second one that usually follows is "did you kill anyone or shoot at anyone" and that one pisses me off the most!

Every time I get down or the pain is too much for the meds to cover and I walk a little worse and stutter and stagger and someone asks me was it worth it. I stand a little straighter and say yes id do it all again the same way cause so many lived cause of what I did. They say even getting hit? I say especially that id do it all over cause now I can see what good I did and the lives that have changed people have lived because of me. It was so worth it.
Be Proud Very Proud of what you did. We are the few. None of those people even most military have never been tested. We are the few that stood our ground or took the leap and grabbed the brass ring. you held it in your hands even if only for a fleeting moment you still held it. Most of them have never even seen the brass ring.

edit in - Now for those that did not get to close with the enemy and were hurt in training same goes for you if you feel you were left out of my comments. think of your brass ring as "He Who Dares! you took the leap in training we of us who got to the enemy are just lucky cause of that intense training made me better on the battle field you fell at training to make me better. so you dared!!!! you got me to the enemy you hold part of my prize. Cause without the training that hurt you id never have won the day when the 13 met the 10,000. And won.

I feel the same way at times Georges, the thought that I put my life on the line for some of the people I have met. I shake my head.

bigrex, that's wy our lives are so painfulltoday. Every day I see human stupidity. Lives are lost, bodyare scraped for life. For what? being in a hurry, chating on a phone!!!! I've streched my neck pout a few times for the peace and liberty of peoplethat throw it away for nothing. Complainning seems to be there favorite pass time. Wasto weeks in th dessert with one liter of water per day, never complained! My body is 15 years older than I am but I do not complain. Even wors is that I petty thous how petty me. I am proud of what I did, but ometimes I feel it was a waist!

Most civies don't understand that our mundane is their extraordinary. We do things in "training" that risks lives, and have destroyed more than a few bodies. Heck I remember when I served on Terra Nova, having to climb on top of the Fire Control director (above the ships bridge) to check the locks on the radar dish in heavy sea states, and could have been lost at sea very easily on several occasions, and that was just for watch changeover.

Thank-you. Great Story.

Rags, that story gave me goosebumps.Wow

Well Id just be proud of your service getting to end of your first contract is all that matters even just passing your recruit school and hitting regiment is time to be proud of. Stand tall be proud dont compare yourself to others who served longer or in exotic places. You served thats all that matters. A small story about the measuring of our dicks as it relates to service and medals and places of tours.
Old soldier at vets reunion and parade was asked by young hard airborne soldier with lots of medals and proud set of jump wings and usual ranger tab and US goodies on his uniform. How many jumps do you have. As the old fellow looked down at his own sparse chest with a set of wings and only 2 medals he said only 1 jump. Young fellow said he had 350 and had been all over the world and he ask the old vet where he had been, he said Normandy.....on his only jump.
Kinda sums it up. be proud of what you have done.

That keeps me sane, knowing that I belong to a very special group of Patriots.
Thanks.
Dave

Sapper, it isn't where you served in the Armed Forces it is that you served.

Here is one of the questions I've had trouble with. Surprisingly asked a couple of times..."where did you fight?" Uh...in grade school...maybe a bit in Highschool. I WAS INJURED IN A GODDAMN TRAINING ACCIDENT IN THE SLESSE RANGES IN BC. YES, SMASHED BY A BLOODY BRIDGING PANEL. BROKEN SHOULDER, BACK, HIP, T SPINE...I FIGHT EVERY F284ING DAY!! Oh some civies just don't get it. I never had a chance, shortly after my base clearance our unit left for Gulf war 1. Nontheless, I am a fourth generation Canadian Soldier.
Chimo

That would not be good if BoltAction was a sniper in the service!

How about the old standby " I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you",
Ha ha ha. Tks.