I'm checking my impulse to shout "horseshit". There can be many perspectives in making a decision to join the military. Patriotism, adventure, duty, boredom, poverty . . . And likewise for the choice of trade in the military. I agree that individuals should be aware that killing and dying are intrinsic to military functions. However, the possibility of either happening are low (barring a sudden outbreak of a full spectrum war) and even then for some trades, the incidence of injury or death is probably no greater (and may even be lower) than in comparable civilian occupations.
I readily admit that the "primary" motivation why I joined the CF back many decades ago was (to steal a phrase used by an instructor on my TQ3 as the reason Nflders joined in large numbers) "because the garbage cans were frozen in the winter". It was steady employment with a future (though the pay was shit back then), there were opportunities to travel (get off the rock, at least), some of the things were adventurous and yes, I'll admit that I liked wearing a uniform. Killing and dying were not factors in my decision matrix. I don't think I was lied to and, despite the many stupid things I've done in the past 65 years, I don't think I'm an idiot. And while I haven't had to personally kill anyone (
not that I haven't wanted to on occasion), I have dealt with my fair share of death, but that was part of my trade (or a couple of the trades I had during my career).
Not everyone in uniform is there to fix bayonets, shout follow me and clear Scotty Dog Wood (though I went through those phases
); a large part of the military, in many cases the best remunerated part, turn wrenches and bend metal. Should they think of themselves just as tradesmen all wearing the same colour (multi-colour) clothes, no, I'm not saying that, but neither should they think themselves lesser mortals because their stock in trade is "a trade".
