I’m a huge fan of the Jack Reacher series of books by Lee Child. The movies are so-so, but the books are a superb look into the mind of a professional military man turned drifter. For those of you in my age bracket, it’s like The Equalizer meets David Carradine’s Kung Fu.
I recently read The Affair, and there’s a section in the book where Reacher talks about military bums. I want you to read it and feel free to let me know what you think. I served in both the Marine Corps and the Army, and I know exactly what he’s talking about.
“You’re going to blow into town like some kind of aimless ex-military bum. You know the type. You’re going to be the kind of guy who feels right at home there, because it’s the kind of environment he’s familiar with”
“I know the type. Any soldier does. Towns near bases are full of guys who washed out for some reason or other and never got further than a mile. Some stay, and some are forced to move on, and the ones who move on end up in some other town near some other base. The same, but different. It’s what they know. It’s what they’re comfortable with. They retain some kind of ingrained, deep-down military discipline, like old habits, like stray strands of DNA…” p25
This is part of what I try to prevent by coaching veterans after military service. My goal is to help them find their place in life. If that involves the military, that’s fine, but if it doesn’t, then they sometimes need my help pulling away from that atmosphere. If you know someone that could use my help, whether an old salty veteran or someone discharging soon, please pass on my information.
This message was written by a team of geeks, nerds, gamers, and Dr. David Powers. You can always find us at www.callsignredbeard.com. Thanks for reading!
In the words of Starship Troopers, “Would you like to know more?”