U.S. MILITARY: Then and now...

When I turned 18 in 1965 and graduated from high school, I was required by federal law to register with the local “draft” board of the Selected Service System. I received a Selective Service Number the following year and a classification of 1-A which meant “eligible for immediate military service”.

Since I was a student at Wayne State University on a four year scholarship, I received a “student deferment” from the draft until I finished my studies. I did have to maintain a C average to keep the student deferment active.

All American males reaching the age of 18 at that time in our history, had to register for the draft and those that were not in college were drafted into the military…you had no choice…and since the war in Vietnam was going strong, you were drafted quickly.

American soldiers killed in the Vietnam War = 58,000. Not all of them were 18 year-olds but many were. These are guys that never got a chance at a life after high school. Those that survived the war were not warmly greeted when they came home. They were not hailed as defenders of our freedoms and thanked for their service to our country; after all, they were forced to fight a war not everyone agreed was even justified. Today, Vietnam is a big trading partner with the United States.

Today, military service in the United States is 100% voluntary.

People join because they need a job to escape poverty. Others want an education in a military specialty that hopefully they can use in civilian life. Some join to prove their manhood and others join because they think it will be fun and exciting. Some join because they feel it is their patriotic duty to do so.

The bottom line is that none of the soldiers of today were forced to become soldiers; all of them joined the military because that is exactly what they wanted to do and they were all told what to expect from a life in the military; no surprises.

I found that I was way too immature to remain in college and get a degree (I was in Liberal Arts /pre-med) and my grades slipped below a C average and guess what happened next…

I am trying to understand Sgt. Bowie Bergdahl and why he freely joined the military and what he expected out of his life in the military.

I suspect he had a screw loose but I will withhold my judgment till the facts come in but I am pretty sure that being “home schooled” did not do his development as an adult much good.