Yooper
Up. Identified. Lase. Fire. On the way.
I'll leave the Pence question aside. We disagree with what happened/what was meant in this latest with Buttigieg's on-going thing with Pence.Resume building? Is that going to be the take of being in the Naval reserves and going into a war zone? Is that what you would tell fellow Harvard graduate Dan Crenshaw ? He went into a war zone to build his resume? Come on, you know that's ridiculous.
But resume building. While I didn't say it was true, I do stand by my comment that it is possible.
In my 30-year military career I knew MANY officers whose service (to include in war zones) was in service to future opportunity. Be it promotion to higher rank, business opportunities afterward, political office, etc. Folks who put their subordinates second to their climbing the ladder of self-service.
Here's another example (sure to piss off numerous service academy-affiliated folks). I realize these days it's different (and that we shouldn't be so harsh on 18 yo kids), but back in my day (when 18 yo were demonstrably more grown up than kids the same age today) one of the admissions considerations to a service academy was the expectation that these cadets - being the best of the best and in return for a completely paid-for education and preferences that would give these young men & women a leg up on their ROTC and OCS "competitors" - would serve for at least 20 years (and maybe for the full 30).
But you know what? Most (not a few, not many, but a majority) of these service academy graduates got out after their initial commitment was up (aviators served a longer initial commitment, but the exit dynamic was the same). Why? Because for many of these young men and women (not all, but a far higher %-age than the services were thrilled with), a service academy education followed by a few years of active duty was good for their resume. (As an aside, because of this I was a career-long critic of the service academy model; preferring to see it evolve into a junior officer finishing school).
Look at the former military folks in Congress and tell me that for at least some of them this isn't the case (one example, Ted Lieu of CA). So yes, resume building. Not so ridiculous.
Finally, Crenshaw. The difference in comportment between him and Buttigieg - to my old, grizzled eyes - couldn't be more different.
I appreciate your take. I guess - at this point - we'll just have to agree to disagree. I could be completely wrong. Willing to admit it as I have often been so. Also willing to adjust my take on Buttigieg if as I see more of him it becomes apparent my first takes were perhaps too quick on the draw. But at this point, Buttigieg seems awfully like those many officers I mentioned above.
Thanks for the back and forth!
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