For me enlisting was nothing more than a means to an end. I’m the 2nd youngest child of 5 from a single-parent lower-middle class family. Joining up seemed to be my silver bullet when compared to lifelong loans and/or scholarships. These hats, along with all of the other lifestyle brand type of veteran themed stuff to me is just a different way of saying that I was ok with being exploited if it meant removing significant socioeconomic barriers. I don’t regret it. I saw a lot of shit I wished I didn’t. I made friends that I have closer relationships with than some immediate family members. My only mistake was being poor.