So, I’m not active duty anymore. However, when I was in, unfortunately during Trumps first administration, there was a lot of cognitive dissonance. Fundamentally, from my perspective, you have to understand that the military is a cult. Indoctrination is literally step 1. I would argue, in my case, it had started well before I had signed up though. Once you’re in the big army though, that’s it, there are consequences to your actions. When I began thinking for myself again, it was clear I was in a quite literal death cult, and I left. However, there was a period of time, where I was aware of this fact, and I just had to do my job. Or, face the wrath of a death cult.

The military preys upon the weak, poor, and broken. Yes, there is personal responsibility, however, you couldn’t have talked me out of joining that death cult. Even if my own political beliefs didn’t align with the military I signed up to die for, it wasn’t enough.