[gmku]

This is just so fucking weird, to hear of people going into the army. It's not like there's a draft or anything. It's not like during Vietnam when kids were sent involuntarily to their deaths.

I understand that Guard and Reserve people who never thought they'd get sent to war have fallen victim to unfortunate timing with this war. And that is not fair. In the past, Guard and Reserve members have filled in stateside slots while the "real" army went overseas to war. In fact, Guard and Reserve members have not been used to fight since WWII. So in this sense, I think today's Guard and Reserve members have been duped and treated wrongly.

However, on some level, anybody with any kind of commitment to the military these days, whether that's in the guard or reserves or active duty, must know that going to war and fighting in Iraq is a very real possibility.