Quote Originally Posted by Caprisun View Post

There are a number of legitimate reasons to continue to serve (and I don't really like that you call it an "excuse," Im not excusing or apologizing for anyone.) One of the most notable being there are no more American troops fighting in Iraq and the war is officially over. It also depends on what you do in the military. Special forces such as what MarineRecon is a part of do more to create peace and prosperity than most humanitarian organizations, sadly. Another person might feel compelled to protect his brothers in arms. He'll say, "as long as my countrymen are somwhere fighting and getting shot at, I want to be there with them to do my part and make sure they get home safe." That is a legitimate moral imperative in my opinion.
1. American troops may be out, but that does not mean the American presence is out. Imperialism is about leaving but making sure that you're still in control of the country. Are the American bases also going to get up and just fly out of the country?

2. "as long as my countrymen are somwhere fighting and getting shot at, I want to be there with them to do my part and make sure they get home safe." I'm sure a lot of Iraqi and Afghan "insurgents" say that to themselves too.