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HL's avatar

The military has always done an excellent job at giving intelligent poor kids opportunities. What’s more interesting to me is the science behind who takes advantage of those opportunities.

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DC Reade's avatar

The military isn't for everyone. There needs to be some similar institution with a benefits package, like a broad-based civilian national service program, that doesn't require everyone who joins to learn the skills required for warfare, or obligate them to deploy overseas wherever some Commander-in-Chief President orders them.

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Dean R.'s avatar

That describes me. Interesting. I was very motivated after leaving the Army. I didn't want to go back lol.

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HL's avatar

My dad was the same way! Hot mess in high school, flunked out of college and was drafted, wound up with an ivy league education and became a CEO. We have a friend who was a foster kid and the military was really his only choice. He showed an aptitude for languages so the army sent him to school, now he's very high up in the State Department.

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