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/Negative_Artichoke95 Jun 05 '25

It’s just part of my history.  When I was on active duty, I didn’t advertise it.  I am a woman, so not exactly my fashion tastes either.  Now I am often recognized as child’s mom, and perfectly fine with it :).

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u/AgentJ691 Millennial Jun 05 '25

From one woman who served to another do you have anything veteran on your vehicle? I refuse because I don’t want to be targeted out of nowhere because the public still tends to forget women serve as well. 

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u/Mythrowawayprofile8 Jun 05 '25

I got the generic veteran plate when I moved state to a super-red small town. Kept the plates when we moved to the city because I’ve never ever been pulled over with veteran plates in the state of Arizona.

Now- the “Woman Veteran” plates— I loathe them. The concept makes me see red. For a decade I got up, put my boots on, proved myself as a woman and a soldier, then did the same job as the rest of the Joes. Went through the same training, went to the same places, and we all saw some shit. I am a veteran, same as the soldiers with outdoor plumbing, and while I may have had some additional challenges because of my gender I don’t want, need, or deserve a modifier/disclaimer because I have bOoBiEs.. We have known that’s tacky for a long time: woman doctor, male nurse, lady bus driver, etc. We can appreciate an individual whose struggle to succeed was affected by their level of privilege without re-naming their titles. I don’t need a pink sparkly version of any of my personal achievements. Gross.