I served, Air Force. My experience was neutral, I'd weight it around 70% positive, 30% negative, and I'll probably never take the time to go into the details. It would take me a year+ to string my service-related experience journal entries together and I've honestly already exhausted myself bitching about the USAF/VA/DoD/Pentagon and the way they treat enlisted folks, especially our Reserve units during OEF/OIF, and our veterans.
My Uncle served, Marine Corps and then Army and he retired CW4. He died young of horrible cancers, we contend, most likely, though no one can prove it now that he's dead and forgotten, due to exposure to Agent Orange in-country in Vietnam. He spent the last ~10 years of his life fighting the VA.
My father served, Navy, he's a disabled veteran who has had the majority of his insane health complications linked to Agent Orange exposure in-country in Vietnam. I had to take 2 years off of my life to, among other things, help him fight the VA to get disability status and to get his disability / health complications service linked. The VA is still jacking him around today. He, and his cohort, have a mantra that they operate on. "Delay, deny, and hope that we die." That's how Vietnam veterans have been impacted by serving.
My brother served, Army, 10th Mountain. He had an equipment malfunction in Haiti _destroy_ his left ankle and, many surgeries later, still cannot walk properly. As a civilian, he was a line cook, then a sous chef, then a chef. He then fell in with a group of serial restaurateurs. He has spent his life on his feet in pain. He's also had to spend a ludicrous amount of time fighting with the VA.
This is a small sampling of the men in my life who have been impacted by serving. I'd say, overall, no, my family has not been impacted well by serving. And we've overwhelmingly not been served well by the US Government and VA upon separation or retirement.
My Uncle served, Marine Corps and then Army and he retired CW4. He died young of horrible cancers, we contend, most likely, though no one can prove it now that he's dead and forgotten, due to exposure to Agent Orange in-country in Vietnam. He spent the last ~10 years of his life fighting the VA.
My father served, Navy, he's a disabled veteran who has had the majority of his insane health complications linked to Agent Orange exposure in-country in Vietnam. I had to take 2 years off of my life to, among other things, help him fight the VA to get disability status and to get his disability / health complications service linked. The VA is still jacking him around today. He, and his cohort, have a mantra that they operate on. "Delay, deny, and hope that we die." That's how Vietnam veterans have been impacted by serving.
My brother served, Army, 10th Mountain. He had an equipment malfunction in Haiti _destroy_ his left ankle and, many surgeries later, still cannot walk properly. As a civilian, he was a line cook, then a sous chef, then a chef. He then fell in with a group of serial restaurateurs. He has spent his life on his feet in pain. He's also had to spend a ludicrous amount of time fighting with the VA.
This is a small sampling of the men in my life who have been impacted by serving. I'd say, overall, no, my family has not been impacted well by serving. And we've overwhelmingly not been served well by the US Government and VA upon separation or retirement.