I had a kid come into the clinic where I work today. He was wearing a US Army t-shirt, had on a POW/MIA wrist band, and was wearing a pair of combat boots. After I took his vitals, I said, "So, I hear you saying you're considering the Army as a career."

He got vary wary, and cautiously said, "Yeah?"

I grinned, and asked, "Can I talk you into considering the Navy?"

He laughed, and said that his dad, a career Army helo pilot, would kill him. But that moment of wariness, of being prepared for the worst, concerned me. It made me wonder what other people had said to him. Maybe we who are veterans need to be more visible, so that our military doesn't become a job of last resort. 'cause, you know... if we leave our national defense to those who have no other options, we'll get the military we deserve.