Should a Veteran lose respect if they never saw combat or never served during war times?

Question

I work at Lowe's. One day at work another employee and I had to make some emergency deliveries because some of our drivers quit (we're not delivery drivers). The guy I was working with is an old man and wears a camo lowe's vest meaning he's a military veteran.
Since we were going to be driving for a couple of hours I started a conversation and asked about his service. He was in the Navy from 1977 to 1981 working in communications. I thought that was cool since communications are one of if not THE most important job in the military.
When I got home and told some people about my new friend at work, they said he's a pussy since he served right after Vietnam and right before Desert Storm and he didn't see combat or serve in a time of war.
That pissed me off. NONE of these people even served yet they're going to call him a pussy. I've never served either (considering it in the future), but I recognize that I enjoy privileges at the expense of other people's sacrifice. I don't know how civilians can disparage a service member because of the role they played in the military, yet don't have the stones to enlist themselves.
I'm thankful for ALL military members past and present, even the ones who play minimal roles. Whether it be reservist, guardsman, Coast Guard, suppliers, cooks, etc. When people want to talk down to their service I always tell them "if it's so easy, then you go do it" but these people can't even make it to the gym regularly.

BCA6010 · Accepted Answer

I'm going to give my 2 cents as a veteran myself:

1. It's extremely rare that a soldier gets to pick and choose, or even influence whether or not they deploy, and where they deploy to. In fact, it's pretty much impossible to do so except if you can somehow time a PCS move to a unit that is about to go overseas.

2. Even a combat deployment doesn't guarantee actually seeing combat. When my brigade went to the Middle East, our battalions and even companies went different ways, and in the end, only two platoons in my company saw ANY combat, and in both cases only involving a single squad.

3. Every soldier in a volunteer army joins knowing and accepting that they could be forced to take a life. Every soldier in a combat arms job (like Infantry, Cavalry, Armor, Artillery) trains for that exact scenario. Whether any particular soldier actually uses those skills outside of training is entirely luck of the draw. I've even known two Special Forces guys and a SEAL who all spent about 6 years in the ODAs/Teams respectively that never saw combat because of where their deployments actually took them. On the opposite end, I know a former Ranger and several Special Forces guys from the SOCOM element I was attached to who were in almost constant gunfights during their previous deployment to Afghanistan. A guy I went to OSUT with saw action in Africa on what wasn't supposed to be a real combat mission.

4. Lastly but also very importantly, just because someone is a "veteran" doesn't mean that they're a hero, or even a good person. I'd be the first to tell you that probably 20-25% of soldiers I worked with over the course of 4 years could not be relied on to do their jobs without direct supervision in the best of times, much less when sh*t hits the fan and lives are at stake. Even the so-called "elite" units have to deal with this, but they can at least enjoy the relative ease of getting rid of them. Frankly it doesn't usually require someone with time in service to identify these people either; the content of their character speaks for itself. There's a couple of these clowns that I know for certain lied their way into getting separated from the Army with full disability benefits for mental health who I would happily bash in their faces if I ever ran across them again, and another one currently serving a life sentence for murdering another soldier while the rest of us were overseas.

ChrisMaster69 · Accepted Answer

No not at all.

the big big thing is that when you join up, you are handing over your life.

it is simply luck if you do not see combat, do not get shot at, do not go on ops.

the point is that when you join up, you join up knowing your life is always on the line.

it also becomes a bit of a Willy waving thing on who did what op and how long.

I tend to recruit a lot from ex forces, the company does as a whole.

one of the girls on my software eng team was chatting to me and we were pulling up a sandbag type of things. One of the other guys had a go at her for being a girl and not knowing combat. Me and the girl both laughed, she had done 2 tours in Helmand (Afghanistan and Iraq) as a combat medic, attached to forward infantry units, witnessed a number of fatalities and come under fire and treated her mates.

I served in UK Forces and did a couple of tours to Sandy places.

it’s purely luck of the draw, that and there are a high number of training exercises.

there should be respect for (nearly) all serving and veteran personnel, no matter if saw combat or not.

FocusOfSuspicion · Accepted Answer

Hell no! Civilians don’t realize just how much service members give even outside of combat. It’s years of very little sleep, long hours, injuries and illnesses you just work through. It’s vaccines you have no choice but to get, clothes you have no choice but to wear, places you have no choice but to live. It’s mandatory haircuts, it’s being treated like a piece of shit, it’s grueling training, it’s a loss of independence and freedom to a massive degree. And it’s all so that just in case we go to war, we can be there, anywhere in the world, in a matter of days, ready to work. Just the training itself can destroy your knees, your shoulders, your hips, break your bones, etc... Even just the training means not seeing your family for months and months and months.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

The fact that he signed up for the military knowing he could go into war anytime gives him my respect. I swear people who never serve in the military are the most judgmental about people who served in the military. Looking at you former president draft dogger.

Goforit1010 · Answer

I served for 18yrs in the USAF. Took the early retirement. I never saw a moment of combat. However, I did have a flying job in the service. All the flying I did was for research and development. Several projects and programs I worked on were used in Desert Storm to defeat the Iraqi forces, and used today in some other capacity.

Prior to taking a flying job, I worked in a lab, where we were testing a machine that could recreate the x-rays of a nuclear blast. We could have a machine to test electronics for hardening against them, WITHOUT resorting to use actual nuclear weapons.

There are things I did that won't amount to a hill of beans in the overall place of life. Nonetheless, we were there IN CASE something happened. We were ready. We trained, outside of our jobs, to BE READY. You don't get a military together when you need them. You prepare a military 100% for the situations that MIGHT arise. Otherwise, you don't have a country to defend.

And yes, you're correct. Communication for the military is unbelievably important. That's why so much of it is encrypted and sent in various ways to keep our enemies guessing about us instead of KNOWING what's going on.

Exterminatore · Answer

I have served in war. The military is not a democracy. You go where they tell you when they tell you how they tell you. I know plenty of people who wanted to go to war or be in combat that never did. Not their fault. It’s not a democracy. Personally I feel bad for them. The only pussies who were in the military are those who are deserters or were discharged dishonorably, or received and other than honorable discharge or bad conduct discharge.

It doesn’t matter what branch you served in, when you served or what your MOS (job) was. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been to combat, or never served in war. At least you served and that is honorable. It is not a pussy thing to do to sign a contract knowing you could end up anywhere in danger or not.

That said, I would be personally dismayed had I not served in hostilities as I wanted to go to war and despite all I saw and did, honestly, with the exception of friends that were killed... God help me for saying it, but I liked war. Yeah, I was tied, hungry, dirty and sometimes bored a lot but it was all worth it. Frankly I wish I’d made a career out of the military.

Anyway, in regards to you considering enlisting, do it. Also join the Marines and go Infantry. Tell them Exterminatore sent you.

Andres77 · Answer

I was in a combat arms position for most of my career until I got hurt.
When I was younger I thought that if you weren't jumping out of an aircraft with a gun... you were a pussy. But... the pilot, the aircraft mechanic, the cook, the truck driver, the supply guy that gave me my body armor and night vision goggles and laser sight, the ammo guy, the weapons repair specialist and the commo guy... they all had a hand in making sure I could get to the fight so I could jump out of the aircraft with a loaded functional gun, the aircraft didn't crash on the way there and would be back to pick me up, I had a full stomach, I had plenty of batteries for my nvg's, laser sights and radios...
It takes everyone.
Just because an individual hasn't seen combat doesn't mean they didn't do their part in assisting the continuity between conflicts.
It's not their fault that the politicians didn't throw them to the wolves to cover one of their sexual indiscretions. They were there, ready to support the fight regardless.
Support guys and gals are just as important as the action guys/gals.
They're just not as visible.
I think your attitude is correct.
I had to change mine at a young age.
I'm glad I did.

Lynx122 · Answer

You have no clue where you'll end up (unless you have some connections) or if there will be a war when you're serving so every person who enlists takes the risk that they'll be on the frontline. And even if you're not risking your life you're still doing a job that's necessary for the military to function so you're serving a purpose.

I think your friends are just immature and dumb. I was in the military in my country. I knew there would be no war since we haven't been in one in like 500 years and idc if anyone respects it or not. We don't have a whole propaganda machine and culture about worshipping the military because we don't need people to sign up constantly. It's mandatory here. You can get out of it at a cost if you really want to but I didn't want to.

If my country was really attacked I wouldn't mind defending it but I don't think it will happen in my lifetime.

Avicenna · Answer

I'm a veteran who never served during wartime (I did two peacekeeping tours and also served in Korea). I'm proud of my service and the work I did was important, but I do think someone who served in WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan deserves a lot of EXTRA respect. No one who served should have respect lost for them just because they didn't serve in wartime.

hellionthesagereborn · Answer

It wasn't his choice not to serve during war time so they are blaming him for something that was outside of his control for one. For another, he was willing to put himself in danger for what he percieved was a nobel cause, which is always commendable. Then of course you have the idiocy of people who have never been in the military criticizing a military man because he entered the military in a time when we where at peace, which is idiotic because they wouldn't even make that sacrifice. They are idiots.

Apple1996 · Answer

No they definitely should still be respected since they devoted their life to our country but I do believe that those who been to combat should earn some extra respect because they've devoted and literally risked their life for us.
Maybe I only feel that way since I'm a military wife and truly know the difference for someone that is working normal everyday in the military compared to how it is when they deploy. It is really two different worlds.

ohshee · Answer

For all the people that disrespect that person fuck you that person has a balls to walk through a door and said I want to defend my country I want to defend all the people in it. Saying I want to get shot at every single day I will put my life on the line to protect all the people of this country because I believe in this country the odds of me coming home alive is 40-60 I won't make it. Fuck all the people that disrespect that person I don't care what job you have over there I don't care what job you get when you sign up for the military he signed up she signed up your friends did not sign up they are the pussies with no play I apologize for saying fuck you are fuck them but it pisses me off because your friends just disrespected that person and could care less if they're walking around free because of people like him or her fuck that I say it again fuck them

Anonymous · Answer

You are, without a doubt, a grade A+ idiot. As are the morons you associate with. Uneducated. Ignorant. And likely all chicken livered cowards who'd run to Canada to avoid war.

Now according to you & the jackass party... Communications isn't important in war? Okay, genius.

How do you think units get backup in war... smoke signals? Flare guns? Do a dance around a bonfire? How do you think jets & helicopters know to not open fire on their allies? Because they're all naked with their dicks pointed at the sky? Hmm... Hey genius, ya got any answers simpleton?

Static_In_The_Attic · Answer

When it comes to being in the service a service member is a service member & when it comes down to it someone fighting on the front lines is just important as the service member pumping jet fuel & doing any other job behind the scenes & out of the public view. Everyone is helping in someway or another & I thank them for their service as well.

Feelicks · Answer

Maybe a bit of Glory yes but not respect you still need soldiers when things are calm and it's actually quite easy to become seriously injured during training exercises. Almost anything could happen like look at what happened to these young Canadian soldiers.

https://www. theguardian. com/world/2021/may/21/canadian-soldier-cannabis-cakes-live-fire-exercise

ShadezMcgee · Answer

Comms is important. No comms, you get fucked.

But that aside just because you are not a combat MOS does not mean you are not essential or be deemed as a non veteran because you didn't get shot at. You still sacrifice your time as a volunteer to do something barely 1% of the population does. You can't get that time back.

WindAtMyBack · Answer

Most people in the military don't see combat. Even when there is an active war most don't see combat. Most are in some sort of support role. However they are all trained to fight if they ever need to. The only exception I know of might be chaplains.

Your friends saying that kind of thing are idiots. Or more likely they just think it's cool to say such things, when they are really making themselves look like fools.

NightOwl8801 · Answer

You should honor veterans regardless of what they did in their respective branch of service.  I served two years honorably as an Army Reserve MP until I messed up my hip , I never was deployed.

libsaretards · Answer

HELL NO! Just getting through basic training is an accomplishment. Also, whether or not they saw combat, EVERYONE in the military gave their lives completely to the government and said the government can sacrifice us for our nation if needed. A veteran loses respect to me if they did not receive an Honorable Discharge because that means they did something wrong that got them put out.

SlightlyEccentric · Answer

If you served your entire career honorably even if you got in some minor trouble here and there, you still deserve the utmost respect because you did more by signing on the dotted line than most people would ever consider doing.

Astarlessnightsky · Answer

In general you should respect people, even veterans. Unless they do something disrespectfull themselves, and loose your respect this way.

Anonymous · Answer

I take care of veterans who have been injured in combat and in peacetime. Injuries are injuries, and it really doesn't matter where or how someone got hurt - the effects are what they are. Anyone who volunteers and puts their life on the line to protect people deserves respect.

Jesus_is_the_guey · Answer

They should never have the respect generally every war past WW2 is iffy and some are downright embarrassing for the us. As for viewed more or less it’s all one body one can’t function unless it’s all chugging away effectively so he’s just as important

Anonymous · Answer

When I was younger I used to believe that all soldiers and sailors where heros.

I used to put them up on a pedestal believing that enlisting was some honorable prestigious thing. And I was this close to signing the next six years of my life away.

And then for some reason I grew up and realized that just enlisting doesn't make you the next Audie Murphy, and that MOST of these men are glorified government employees.

I ended up not enlisting because I didn't think I was good enough for ranger battalion and I was terrified of being a government slave working in some wearhouse for the next four years.

So no I don't believe you should ever disrespect a man because he never got the chance to be heroic. But I also believe we should stop treating ordinary men as heros just because of a uniform.

A mechanic is a mechanic whether he works on Hummvees or Cadillacs.

Should a Veteran lose respect if they never saw combat or never served during war times?

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Should a Veteran lose respect if they never saw combat or never served during war times?

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