There are other ways to achieve the same goals. There is only one purpose to the machine, only one.
I got through it. I didn't know things about myself that you do. Yet you and I share an awful lot of the same things. I had coordination and was athletic, certianly no star, but I could do them. There was a war on then too. I didn't make a choice to go in, I was told to. I suspect I may have had a form of PTSD before I went in or at least it was building up to the full blown. The experiance pushed it over the top. There were a few positive things about it, but nothing I couldn't have learned else where. I have very intense mixed emotions about it to this day. That was over 35 years ago. I would rather not have them.
If you think for a second being an officer is a cake walk, think again. You might find yourself in a situation where not only are you responsable for yourself, but your ability to make decisions correctly, is someone elses life or death. You ready to shoulder that just because you have a colllege degree? You very well my find yourself in the same spot, just being enlisted. But count on it even if you aren't in charge someone is making a decision that may well decide if you live or die. There is only one purpose to the machine, never forget it.
There are those that come to this site still in the services and there are those that have been in. They will have a different point of view and that's fine, this is just me. Alot of getting through it is setting your mind to do it, that's one of the lessons of basic training, I can do this, I will do this, it's in me to do it and it was. You can do that else where. There is only one reason for the machine, only one, never forget it, because the guy on the other side is thinking the very same thing. There is no glory in that at all, that is make believe if you think other wise. That world is no dream, but it can haunt you the rest of your life. You can learn self esteem and pride just fine else where, those things are not hand outs just because you were in. You have to earn them.
Hope this helped a little. It's not an easy choice sometimes. But no matter which way you pick, do it well, do it very well.
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Just enjoy what you do, as best you can, and let the dog out once in a while.