A Simple Question With A Not-So-Simple Answer
“So, umm. Why’d you join?”
It’s a question at the heart of military-civilian relations in contemporary America. It’s a question that can be asked all kinds of ways, in all sorts of tones, sometimes with hidden meanings, sometimes with nothing but clean, naked curiosity. And it’s a question damn near every servicemember and vet gets asked, by friends and strangers alike. I know I’ve been.
So. Umm. Why’d you join. Question mark.
Each year, somewhere in the ’hood of 180,000 people join the armed forces, either as officers or as enlisted personnel. A Pew survey from a couple years back asked post-9/11 servicemembers and veterans to name the reasons they’d originally joined up. Patriotism/serving... Read More