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<p>I believe somebody - perhaps John McCain - once said that the soldiers who are the most eager to engage in combat are usually precisely the ones who have never done it before. </p>
<p>Regardless, I am quite sure that many Americans would eagerly join the military if they could be guaranteed that they would never be sent to combat. But of course the military will never provide that guarantee. That is, after all, the whole point of having a military: to fight if necessary. </p>
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<p>It’s not just about putting in the effort. After all, there are only a certain number of total fighter flight slots available and numerous candidates are competing for them. There is a strong chance that you can work as hard as you humanly possible and still not get a slot simply because others are more naturally intelligent and physically capable than you are (and also put in the effort). </p>
<p>Furthermore, you may not even be selected for any flight training at all. Many people enter OCS or the Academy hoping to become pilots and then are relegated to some other training. </p>
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<p>But how do you guarantee that you will get into one of those units? Simply put, you can’t. There is no guarantee that you’ll get the unit you want. You could very easily find yourself in a forward area.</p>