A lot of people joined the Army or Navy so they could go to college. I was one of them. At 18, though I could have won a scholarship, I knew nothing about them. My parents were not rich enough to afford sending me to college and couldn’t go themselves. They weren’t a lot of help in guiding my steps then. I don’t hold it against them. That’s just the way it was.

But the Army gave me a chance to develop some self-confidence, learn how to manage money, earn money for college, and get a leg up. It’s done that for so many others as well, including Kos:

I’ve often talked about my story — how my Army service served as a springboard for my life. It gave me discipline, pride in myself and my country, strength, and self-confidence. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, it allowed me to go to college despite coming from a family who never could’ve afforded that expense.

But I’ve drawn the same conclusion that he has. While the military is a great experience for those who want to better themselves, if it is used correctly the young man who joins can benefit as much as his country does when in need. But the way the military has been run by Bush and Co., I would caution any young man (or woman) to join today. I would tell my son, if I had one, “Don’t do it. There are other ways to achieve your goals and dreams.” I truly believe that.

This is the great casualty of the war in Iraq. The death toll is, obviously, nothing to sneeze at. My heartfelt condolences go out to all the families that have lost a loved one in this unjust war. I was one of the fortunate ones who went and returned home. Upon my immediate return, I turned in my resignation and I never looked back. You’ll never catch me in uniform again. It isn’t because I disdain the military, rather it is because I disdain those in positions of power who have the authority to misuse and abuse its tools. The Iraq War is just one of many times in our nation’s history when we acted in ways that we should not have. It likely will not be the last. But anyone who joins the military today should know what they are fighting for:

• NOT freedom
• FOR imperialism
• FOR bullying
• FOR corporate interests
• FOR the rich, comfortable lifestyle they will likely never enjoy
• FOR the prejudices of the few who claim to represent the majority

When I left active duty in 1987, I went to college. It was the Army that made that possible. In 1997, after 10 years of civilian life, I decided to join the National Guard. I didn’t want to be an active duty soldier because I did not want to participate in the types of missions the military was getting then - Bosnia, Kosovo, etc. I believed then, and believe now, that a non-interventionist foreign policy is the historical imperative. That’s what our Founders believed in and what so many others have advocated throughout U.S. history. I have since become a libertarian in the classical liberal sense.

I was in officer candidate school the first time I heard the expression “national interests” and the context was that’s what we are fighting for - “freedom and national interests.” I’ve thought about that a lot since then. National interests is a euphemism for the interests of the wealthy. Whatever the wealthiest 1% want, that’s our national interest. I’ve decided I don’t want my life to stand for that. I’d rather live my life according to the values that this nation was founded upon, not the values that the majority of Americans today claim to deny: The love of money, thirst for power, and imperial hubris. That’s not what I’m about and if you’re not about that then you shouldn’t join the military either.

I’d encourage anyone interested in joining today’s military to read (non-affiliate link) “War is a Racket,” by General Smedley Butler. General Butler was a highly decorated Marine who served in World War I. After retiring, he was an outspoken critic of U.S. war policies. Read this book and you’ll see that things have not changed.

Allen Taylor
CPT, AR
Texas Army National Guard (Resigned)
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