The recent insurrection at the Nation's Capital has highlighted thr fact that belonging to the military does not automatically make you a good person. We, as a country, frequently thank our military for their efforts and actions. And rightfully so.

But, the military is not necessarily a monolithic organization. People join for a multitude of reasons. Some for patriotitic motivations, some for familial tradition, some for the benefits that the military offers, some because they come out of high school and do not know what else else to do, and some as a trade off for being incarcerated (do not know if this is done anymore).

My point, being a member of the military does not automatically make one a model citizen. The number of crimes committed by individuals during the fog of war is well documented; rape, executions, massacres (see Blackwater, Mei Lei, etc). I'm not sure good people do this, fog of war, or not.

The insurrection demonstrated this contention. The Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys, and the 3%ers are just example of military and ex-military that may not necessarily be the good military examples we look up to and honor in our various celebrations.