I post this, not with any bad feelings, but as more of a "head shaker"..
A few days ago, I was talking to a guy I went to high school (military school) with, who had tracked me down a couple of weeks ago.
He was talking about being "heavily recruited" by all the branches because he was a very good marksman. (He really was, too!!)
He said that he didn't go because he didn't want to kill people.
Then, in the very next breath, he made the comment that I was "only a cook" in the Army.
I passed on the opportunity to remind him that it beat the hell out of "only a civilian"...
I think the experience would've served him better than whatever he used as a substitute...
Hooah...