No, we're not normal

Worth a full read ... but it builds on the phenomenon we discussed before - that where at social gatherings those who served seem to cluster together after awhile.

Via the RhinoDen;

What is normal to the average citizen may not be normal to the average Soldier. Does that condone atrocity, mentally unstable behavior, and unnecessary violence? Not at all. But there is no doubt that the framework of normalcy is different for Soldiers than it is for non-Soldiers. Soldiers tend to take extra risk, go the extra mile, bask in the suck, play hard, work hard, and have each other’s back. “Just act normal,” is a phrase which many a parent has uttered to their child. But this conflicts with the essence of who a Soldier is. Don’t ask Soldiers to “just act normal,” because we aren’t normal. We are the half percenters; the ones willing to leave our most cherished loved ones for years, live in abject suck for months on end, and waive the basic constitutional freedoms that many take for granted. This is the myth of normalcy. We aren’t normal, we were never meant to be so. And in our fraternity, wherein exists that code of the warrior that only we can ever understand, that’s okay.