Knee Deep in the Hooah!

The local paper did an article on Bryan’s current decision to leave a major company to join the military — front page above the fold mind you. We are famous, or are we infamous? I haven’t decided yet. Anyway, the story was pretty upbeat. When we agreed to the interview I told the paper that I would like for my husband’s recruiter to be present (if he could be, and he was), and that my goal for the story would be to encourage people in the community who may be older, well bodied, and has a desire to serve, to come and talk with the recruiter. He’s a pro now when it come to “old guys” thanks to the indefatigable Mr. Hooah!

Our local paper is a lot like other papers in that it allows for comments from readers. We didn’t have a ton of comments, but the majority of them were very positive and offered well wishes. There was one comment that really frustrated me, however, but I have chosen to not respond to it on the paper’s site. I have just learned that some people get a harping point, and there is not much you can say or do. When you get to be a certain age you can almost dance the dance by yourself. I thought of a response and could automatically hear his retorts. I knew where it would go, and to be honest I am just way too busy to engage him in this exchange. So, I let it drop there, but I want to process it here. I will admit right up front that I too have my harping points, and this point is quickly becoming a very important one for me.

The quote was not hateful or anything like that, but the man just had to point out how so many people in our area have no good jobs to go to, and so many of them use the military as an “escape” from poverty. He said it as if it were a bad thing… or some point we needed to mull over. As if I didn’t know people escape poverty by bettering their situation by finding a job that pays more and offers better benefits! Isn’t it a no brainer that people escape poverty through work? Isn’t it a no brainer that for some people the military is the perfect niche? It provides them with a way to serve their country and better their situation in life at the same time? Why is it so hard for some Americans to understand that the military IS a good job opportunity, and is just as viable a poverty breaker as education or a great factory job?

People escape poverty in many ways, but for some reason it seems as if current thought is if someone chooses the military as a viable job opportunity they must have been duped or so desperate that it was the second to the last option on their list — coming only before suicide!

As I have stated here before, Mr. Hooah holds degrees in both the arts and sciences. We have our own financial struggles as any family does, but we are not impoverished. For that, I am very grateful. I have known several young families who have chosen the military as a career for financial reasons. They were not stupid people. They really could have chosen college or worked their way up a ladder at a local company. Why is their decision to join the military looked at as an “escape” versus a career move?

I honestly don’t know where or when this mentality began to surface, but I hope we (as a military community) can break through this prejudiced view of our men and women in uniform. The next time you see a soldier I challenge you to thank him for his “intelligent and conscientious” service to our Country. Let them know that not everyone buys this negative view of their career choice!

Hooah!

Previous blog rant:

Why? Why not?