Quote:
Originally Posted by Rochard
Sure - allow me to correct you.
I didn't join the Marines to become a grunt and be in an infantry unit. My goal in life then was to become a chef - I was in a culinary program in high school, working as a cook in a local restaurant, and my plan was to go into the Marines to be a cook for four years and then onto culinary college. Much to my surprise, I ended up in infantry as a TOW gunner.
Now that I think about it, for nearly half of my time in the Marines I was not in a combat MOS. For two years I was a combat instructor.
The vast majority of people in the military are not in combat positions. While this number varies from branch to branch, for the most part up to eighty percent of the military is support roles. The military isn't only people with guns - there is supply, cooks, fire fighters, motor transport, logistics, command, admin, police officers, doctors, nurses....
Here is a list of military occupations: ASVAB and Army Jobs | Military.com
The person who signed up to be a "Carpentry and Masonry Specialist" most likely didn't think he would end up being killed in Niger.
Some people sign up to the military hoping to go to a foreign country to kill the enemy. But most people sign up to get gain a technical skill or get money to go to college. |
The vast majority of the people that sign up for military duty all have to go through basic training. There they teach you how to shoot guns, march and other kinds of lethal combat skills. If someone doesn't want to run the risk of getting killed by a hostile enemy of the state then they should pursue their aspirations to be a culinary chef, carpenter or mason by getting an apprenticeship instead of enlisting.
In short the man knew the risks.
It's a brutal statement but it's a true statement. I'll argue that such brutal truth is a good thing because it puts an end to this pie in the sky self-delusion that joining the military to be a culinary chef is a risk free endeavor. Ultimately this might save a life.