{Original Post date 11 November 2012}
Because of its inevitability, The Infraggable Tony-Reviews will tackle
Veteran’s Day 2012 in its review/opinion like ways. November 11, holds a
special place for a majority of Americans, especially in this day and
age since we’re only now kind of revving down from the post-9/11
hysterics that has gripped our nation for the last 11 years. That’s not
to say that 9/11 wasn’t a game-changer
for America, or indeed the world, but that’s another review for some
other time. November 11 is Veteran’s day. It is a day that honors the
men and women in uniform, past, present, and most certainly the future.
It has been bought with the sacrifice, blood, lives, and limbs of those
who came before, who have always protected the special interests of
America. It also signifies that even for one day, the most staunch of
anti-military protestor can take a break for one day and let us have a
day to be appreciated.
But, I find myself asking why do
veterans of American military wars get one day, while costumer service
has a week? Why do black people get a month, while service members get
just a day? Why does the Commercialism of Santa Claus last from
November 1 to About January 7 or so? Okay, let me clarify myself before
I go on any further. The Knight family has had three consecutive
generations of soldiers, within the U.S. Army. My grandfather, Robert
Knight was field artillery, and served at least twenty years. He was
great at what he did, and he loved the military. He made it to Staff
Sergeant before he decided that he had done everything that he felt was
necessary and then retired. My father, Bobby Knight started off as a
TOW gunner, before getting himself into the medical field as a
technician. My dad loved the military, and made it to Sergeant First
Class and had a Warrant Officer packet in. He did twenty years, retired
as a Sergeant First Class, and did what he thought was necessary. And
then there’s me. I entered as a Communications Combat Support
Specialist. I did six and a half years; went to Iraq, and decided that I
wasn’t going to do twenty years. I got out as a specialist promotable,
and couldn’t reach sergeant because there was no room for a 20 level,
and that my promotion points were maxed out. Not only that, but I was
never even considered for a promotion. While all three of us are
veterans, whether like my predecessors, retired and became veterans, or
like myself who was actually deployed to a combat zone; I feel,
personally, that Veteran’s Day does feel overrated.
Perhaps
it’s the fact that while my grandpa, and my dad started off as combat
MOS’s, and I chose strictly combat support, that makes me feel the way I
do. Over in Iraq, as a Communications soldier, and more specifically,
3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division’s only communications asset that had
mobile capability, I had to move around a lot. Which is pretty standard
for a signal soldier, but while others had to move only maybe once in
their entire deployment. My team which consisted of only me, and
another specialist, had to move no less than five times, all over Iraq.
But ultimately, with the job we had, all we had to do was set up the
equipment, and then babysit it. That was it. I’d hardly consider it
hero-work. The military looks different when that’s you’re main job. I
can’t really give an accurate picture of what an infantryman does, or a
fighter pilot, or even a cook for that matter. I’m not saying that in
my reasonably admirable time in the military, I wasn’t proud of what I
did. I was a reasonably vital part of the mission that my company had
at that time. I just wonder if I deserve to get Veteran status, because
of the broad definition of what a Veteran is.
Veteran’s Day in
this age has pretty much expanded to include anyone who has ever been
in the military, past and present. And to me, in my opinion, I feel
that such a definition for a Veteran is too broad. With the definition
that we’re operating under these days, why not just call Veteran’s Day,
“Service Member’s Day” or “Military Appreciation Day.” That really
would make more sense to me, than just Veteran’s Day. I don’t mean to
complain, or go through the semantics. I’m glad that we have a day
where Americans, and indeed the world can look to us guardians of
freedom, us fingers of justice, us protectors of the oppressed and say
“good job.” I’ve always sort of felt like a Veteran is “a service
member who has completed no less than ten years; a service member who
has fought in combat against a threat, foreign or domestic; that is a
suspected or confirmed enemy of the United States and its territories;
or a service member that has been honorably discharged for non-bullshit
reasons, i.e., retirement.” I know, this is still a little vague, and
even with that criteria, I would still be considered a Veteran under the
third criteria, but I still don’t feel like one.
I am just shy
three years removed from the Army. While I didn’t enjoy my time in the
Army, I still look back to it with mixed emotions. One thing that I
will miss is the camaraderie with my “battle buddies” and that is
something that I allowed to slip from me. They were true people that I
suppose, if we weren’t in the Army; I probably wouldn’t have liked. But
that is the strange thing about the military; is that they sort of
force these people on you, and you either hate them and distrust them,
at a moment that is critical, or you adapt, you tolerate them, and you
may even come to like some of them. It’s not quite the same with
civilians. But has three years honorably discharged after only after a
six and a half year contract with the military, give me the right to
call myself a Veteran? I honestly don’t know, nor do I really care.
Take Veteran’s day however you feel like. Me, I’m going to crack open a
beer, watch some damned YouTube videos, and say a very empathic Happy
Veteran’s Day, bitches!
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