I grew up in the military. My father was a Major in the Air Force. I was surrounded by young airmen all the time. I never thought anything about it, except pride. Pride in my father and pride in the string of young airmen who had dinner with us often. They were like big brothers to me. I loved the life we had then and it has carried over into my adult life.
In recent years, I have had many friends in the military (even one I have adopted as a soldier, son, and friend). I love them all. When you see them in plain clothes, they are like any mere mortal, average Joe, but when they put on their uniforms, something changes. They stand taller, prouder and more confident. You feel safer with them. THAT is what I love about a man in uniform. That sense of pride in themselves, their country and the job they do. How can you not love that?
Lots of people love the romantic idea about the man in uniform, but they don't "get" the realities of the job; the hours they put into training and the time away from their homes and families, and the horrors that many of them see. It's why they have such a high rate of divorce. It's hard when the one you love is gone for long periods of time. It takes someone strong and confident to do it. I have always understood that. Growing up, my mother, sister and I always supported my father through cards, letters and care packages any time he was deployed somewhere. It was our job as a military family and one I was proud to do. It's something I still do. There are a lot of service men and women out there who want and need the support from home. In the last couple years, I have adopted soldiers through an organization that matches people with deployed soldiers. You can send them cards, letters and even care packages. One of those soldiers has become someone I have gotten to know and am so very proud of both as a soldier and a new dad. He'll be deploying again soon and I'll gladly adopt him again. If you haven't done something like this before, you should give it a try. It can be very rewarding and you are helping to make someone feel a little closer to home. Even if you can't afford to adopt a soldier, there are other things you can do that cost very little. The Green Bean is a coffee house located on military bases/posts all over the world. For as little as $2.00, you can donate a Cup of Joe for a Joe. It's easy to do and greatly appreciated.
So, yes, I may oogle a man in uniform, but more importantly, I admire, appreciate, and am proud to call some of them "friend".
