What is a vet, and why is a vet?

"Would I do it all over again? In a heartbeat. Why? It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. To serve this great nation, which I love so dearly, was an honor and a privilege."

Some of my classmates I have run into over the years, who never served, have the same thing to say. "I wish I had gone in. I feel like I really missed something." However, people that I know who are veterans, most have this to say - "I would do it all over again." That being said, every now and again, this entire veteran thing gives me pause to think. What is a vet? And why are there veterans?

To me, it all starts with why someone goes in the service to start with. When vets get together to tell "sea stories" and such, many times their origin is brought up. Some go in because their dad served during World War II, and they wanted to have that same honor of serving. Some enlisted to escape the draft during Viet Nam. Some went in because they were drafted. And after Viet Nam and the draft had ended, some went in the all-volunteer service. 

Regardless of what a veteran did in the service, be it combat or support, it all counts. Many veterans went in to do one thing, and circumstances took he or she down a different road. I am one of those. When I enlisted in the Navy in 1968, I wanted to be on an aircraft carrier. I did not care what type of job I had, I just wanted to serve on a carrier. But because of how I scored on a certain test in boot camp, I was selected to go to a school they would not tell me the name of, and study to be something they also would not tell what it was. That started my journey to be a career cryptologist. 

Veterans are a different bunch of people. It does not matter which service they were in; it does not matter if they were combat or support, and it does not matter what their MOS was. Veterans are drawn to each other like bees to honey. There is a bond which exists, which cannot be broken. I have told many who are serving, as good as it feels to serve, it also feels very good to be called a veteran.

Was every day I served a 4.0 day? Absolutely not. But many were. And most were above average. The hard days, I endured. The good days, I relished. Would I do it all over again? In a heartbeat. Why? It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. To serve this great nation, which I love so dearly, was an honor and a privilege. And that is what I should tell people when they thank me for my service. After "you are welcome", I should say the honor was all mine. And it was.