Military Service Isn’t for Everyone and That’s the Point

As someone who  served, I don’t romanticize the uniform, and I don’t expect anyone else to wear it.

What surprises me isn’t that 99.5% of Americans don’t serve it’s that most of us who did don’t hold it against them. We complain about gear that’s falling apart, deployments stacked back-to-back, wanting to deny or completely take away benefits. But we don’t waste breath wishing everyone else had joined up.

We know what service costs. We know what it demands. And we know not everyone’s built for it. That’s not a knock, it’s reality. The military doesn’t need everyone. It needs the right ones. The ones who can carry the weight without breaking the system.

That’s where comparative advantage comes in. You don’t do every job you’re capable of you do the one you’re best at. That’s how teams win. That’s how nations function.

I’ve seen what happens when people are thrown into roles they weren’t meant for. It’s not noble. It’s dangerous. So no, I don’t want universal service. I want people to show up where they’re strongest.

The military isn’t looking for applause or pity. It’s looking for competence. For civilians who take their own roles seriously whether that’s leading, building, teaching, healing, or holding the line in other ways.

We served. That was our lane. Yours might look different. Just make sure you own it.