When I was a child, girls weren’t supposed to learn about military, or even really think about it. We were taught, and encouraged, to marry as well as we could. We were mostly discouraged from pursuing careers. Women are strong people though, not easily discouraged. With the environment of striving to achieve one’s dreams we have in our country, women can be downright unstoppable.
I didn’t learn anything at all about the military when I was in school, except certain events in history, and to appreciate and revere men who risked themselves in the military.
As a child I felt it was wrong to choose persons for the military by gender. I was a tough little menace; daring, athletic. I had a brother who was very emotional, and a bleeder. I felt that sending him into a battle would have no good results.
We both ended up joining the military, me first. He took a technical life which was non combatent, and did extremely well.
When I was in, women were restricted from taking combat positions. Many believed as I did, that when women were better suited they should have the chance to prove that, and the choice to train for the job they pick..
What I know about the military I learned from being in the military. I learned quite a lot. The military had a great deal to teach me. Not wanting things to be entirely one sided, I taught the military just a bit in return.
The military has many things to be learned which really has nothing at all to do with war. It is easy to resent being required to do or endure things without choosing them for ourselves. I think, however, your requirements can offer to your life knowledge and skills to benefit you throughout the peaceful years of your life. Even the boring stuff is likely to be helpful.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the world could learn a way to accept all our differences and similarities well enough that one day military training and history courses would all be the same? All in the past..