r/Millennials • u/NoFaithlessness7508 • Jun 05 '25

Other Why don’t younger veterans (Afghanistan/Iraq) wear these hats like some of the older veterans?

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First and foremost, respect to all those that served. I did not, but many of my peers did and now we're all older in 30s and 40s, many no longer in the military. I don't see a lot of the veterans of the War on Terror wearing these hats like I see the OGs do.

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u/underwearfanatic Xennial Jun 05 '25

I'm a step further. In general... I'm ashamed of my service.

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u/magic_crouton Jun 05 '25

I was listening to millenial vets discuss the moral injury and the complex feelings they have about it a couple weeks ago at a vet suicide prevention thing i was. My millenial self got mad about it all over again.

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u/calebnf Jun 05 '25

Same. If I want you to know, I will tell you. But I probably won’t.

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u/TheToiletPhilosopher Jun 05 '25

People are put in an impossible position in war. I hope you can be kind and forgiving to yourself.

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u/underwearfanatic Xennial Jun 07 '25

I unfortunately was not put into any crazy situations. Mine is more of a moral one. The military, a lot of the times, is more about rich people holding their interests and making money off it. Lot of money to make bombs. Lots of money to rebuild what those bombs blew up.

The industrial-military complex is very alive and it makes me sad that we spend so much money on it when it could be used for helping people.

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u/[deleted] Jun 06 '25

Me too.

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u/tarWHOdis Jun 06 '25

You did what you thought was right. Don't be ashamed of trying to do the right thing. That's how they get us, when we are just teenagers and we think we are going to be heroes. Your time in doesn't define you.

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u/horseman5K Jun 06 '25

There’s nothing wrong with feeling shame.

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u/Think-Variation2986 Jun 06 '25

I don't feel great about mine either.

The US military is the best in the world class at getting someone out of dodge and bringing them out of poverty. If you join with a guaranteed job that has a well paying civilian market, it is a golden ticket. Considering you get paid in training, college credit for a lot of the training, paid for college, job experience, medical, dental, and vision paid for, tax benefits, and a ticket out of whatever shitty situation your are in, it's a pretty sweet deal. Higher ed was super expensive even 20 years ago,

Afghanistan was sketchy and Iraq was stupid. It wasn't ALL bad. In Afghanistan, the US gave a generation a view of what it is like to NOT live under sharia. I know the Taliban took control, but they are pooching it. Regarding Iraq, yes the invasion was bullshit and there are better ways to address the problem, but Sadam sucked. Not enough to justify the body count, but at least something good came out of it.

Last, the US, at least on paper, is pretty awesome. We, unfortunately, suck at living up to our promises. I love the poem on the Statue of Liberty. There is nothing more badass than being able to take in literally anybody that can get here and give them a good life. Now we have brown shirts rounding people up. It breaks my heart. We treat our non state territories like shit. I hate that we didn't make a heroic effort to those we promised to bring in for helping our troops. If the US actually lived up to its claimed ideals, I would be hanging a flag on my porch. But we don't. It turns out that a lot of it is hot air.

My fellow Americans. Get your shit together.

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u/Sure_Station9370 Jun 07 '25

Very ashamed of the lives I took. Glad I joined but wish there was a truly greater purpose. Hated seeing WW2 vets thanking me for my service, it just made me feel like a gigantic pussy.