You just pissed me off

I was screwing around on Blog Explosion, as naturally I would, and I stumbled on to Martian Anthropologist's Site. Another blogger out there. He's a bit of a nut, who claims to be an independent. I found his comments to one of my blog buddies comments on his site, and got a little miffed so I had to post my own and make my own rant here.

Now, I don't support the war, and I think Bush is a big babbling idiot who puts us in danger every time he gets in front of a camera... He makes people of the world want to hurt Americans. That being said...
I find it an affront to my sensibilities that anyone would think that many of the guys who are "over there" joined or stayed in because they are about being "Gung Ho" patriots. Honestly- who is swallowing what they are told by the media now? They see some guys filmed by the AFN camera crews saying "I am happy to be here serving my country, and I am doing an important job." , and you think they are happy to be there? Do you think that is the package recruiter sold them on?
Sure, they may feel proud that they are a part of something bigger than them, but a little piece of their souls gets eaten away every day knowing they missed the birth of their first child just to ensure that steady paycheck and those good health benefits for little Janey Rottencrotch back home in Nowhere, USA.
The ones who do get shipped over there for 12 months at a time go over knowing there is a much higher probability of coming back divorced than coming back dead, so I guess that is some consolation.
You ask most of the young guys... not the lifers... but the kids why they joined... they will tell you... "The college money". See the US Government has this nice little package called the GI Bill, and for a bunch of kids in our generation, it is the best shot they have at getting a college education. So they figure they will pull a few years in the Army, and get out. No big deal. The Army makes it sound great too. They are kids with dreams and goals and see a clear-cut, easy path to get there, that includes a steady paycheck and benefits along the way.
While they are off humping the streets in Iraq or Afghanistan, me and the other wives get free medical care, shop at the commissary, and have a plethora of services at our disposal to meet any needs we may have, from recreation to support. I live in base housing, I pay no rent, no electric bills, no water bills. I even qualify for EIC on my taxes. No we don't have it all, and there is much about the military wife life that sucks ass, but they try to make it as comfortable as possible.
I didn't see McDonald's or Wal-Mart offering that package... nor did I see them telling a spouse that "IF you should happen to lose your husband in this deal, we'll give you $400K and lifetime benefits to thank you for your sacrifice." It seems to me the thought of "joining the military for your family's sake" being wrong is the furthest thing from these guy's minds.
So the next time you decide to jump down some soldiers ass about how his priorities are all fucked up for having a good job with a steady paycheck and kick ass benefits, go check out the pay scale at Comp USA and see how good that zit faced little prick who stocks shelves at night is doing for his family and what his future looks like... and then come talk to me about how my future looks with my husband putting his ass on line for his job.