A little back ground. I have served 6 years active duty and 6 years reserve. First assignment was working directly for a general, protocol. Then a full bird colonel, DCM.
Then next assignment was in a mobile communication outfit.
Ok, I have worked with and seen a lot of folks who wear the uniform.
Side note, this is my opinion and mine alone.
I have worked with a lot of top notch people. I have also worked with some real losers. I mean 10 plus years losers.
My wife will tell you, it drives me nuts to hear thank you for your service. Why you ask? I’m glad you asked. Because I either with people who were not fit to wear the uniform. But just because they wore it, accolades are expected.
Hell no. One story, I was tasked to put new covers on the 5 ton trucks. Ok, went and did it. It was an order and a detail. The sgt in charge came by and thanked me. I looked at him strange and asked why he was thanking me. He said most personal wouldn’t do it, they just pissed off somewhere.
Again, being given a task to do and left to do it. Nobody around. You do it because a) you were told to, b) it’s the right thing.
Another story, I walk into the General’s office. I look over and there sits the X/O. Feet up on the desk, kicked back, chewing out the wing commanders ass in front of everyone.
Same office, I go in to inform the General, you don’t tell a general anything, the a one star female reserve is coming to the base. Protocol calls for same rank to greet and stay with. He bluntly tells me in a voice just below a yell, that he isn’t taking any f’n bitch anywhere on the base.
So where am I going with this, glad you asked. Watching Kash be questioned by the senate. You know the one’s with the honorable so and so. They as about career agents being fired with outstanding service. My same standard applies for them. Just because they have 20 years and service awards doesn’t make them exemplary agents. I once got an Air Force accommodation award for doing a little extra in my job for 30 days. Yet guys on the flight line who keep the aircraft flying don’t get shit.
So when they question why these agents have been fired, they are just looking for sound bites and snapshots. This senators have no clue about the quality of service those agents gave unless they worked with them. So Kash firing them is none of their business because they don’t one the work ethics of those agents.

All that said, there are more good service men and women than bad.
There are more good federal agents than bad.
Trouble is you don’t know who is who unless you have personal contact with them for awhile.
Thus that is why I don’t just arbitrarily say thank you for your service. I don’t know.

Another side note, my wife and I are both disabled vets. No accolades, when she goes to VA hospital, female vets are not given the same recognition by male vets they give other male vets. Yet I hear we are all one big family.

So that’s my rant.

God Bless each and everyone of you and your families.

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