Many service members don’t realize there are rewards beyond blowing shit up.

Let’s talk brass tacks. The rub. The skinny. The straight dope. The benefits, yo. Yes, the military’s an excellent place for young (and young-ish) hard-chargers and gung-hos to make a difference, to put their ideals into practice, to serve their nation, and, of course, to blow shit up with big-ass guns.

These are the usual reasons trotted out when people are asked why they joined up, and they are good reasons. Like many readers, I lived it, loved it, sometimes miss it, sometimes don’t, and know it’ll always be a fundamental part of who I am going forward.

I especially miss the blowing-shit-up-with-big-ass-guns part. There’s nothing in this world like letting a Mark 19 rip…