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Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I would have joined active duty. My term in the Reserves was short lived, well played, and sadly missed. Most of the major drawbacks of my enlistment weren’t very major at all, and sometimes I felt as though I received respect that I didn’t even earn! Seriously, what is the point of having a Chaplains Assistant in a dental unit that doesn’t even have a Chaplain for the Assistant to assist? Heck, the worst part of my enlistment was going through AIT with a bunch of above-it-all Christian snobs who only wanted to be Chaplain Assistants to get closer to God. I do not intend that statement to offend all Christians and I certainly am not trying to be above God. I am merely emphasizing the fact that there are a few ignorant bible-pushers that simply annoy me! It’s people like that and their non-acceptance of other beliefs that start 95% of all wars in the first place.

Ok. Got a li’l off subject there.

The point I am trying to make is that the commercials shown on television to promote the US Army are not untruthful. Not only did the Reserves help me through (some) college but it also taught me some valuable life skills, allowed me to travel, gave me awesome friends, and best of all it taught me to respect the life we have all been given. Maybe all I have left are a few pictures of my term as Sgt. Grampa. But, it’s more than I would have had if I hadn’t joined at all.