Politics, the military, and my future.

[rockymountaindem]

I've been giving this a lot of thought lately.

I would have absolutely no problem serving this country in a time of need. I would lay my life down for America if I had to without a second thought. However, I don't think that I would fit in the military culture/system. The only way I would really want to become a part of the military was if it was really necessary (like WWII or the Civil War or if I were drafted during Vietnam).

I would like to run for office someday (House, Senate, Secretary of State). It seems to me with all the talk of war, Kerry vs. Bush/Chickenhawks, etc. that for me to be elected in the future I have to serve in the military. Again, I'd like to serve my country, just not in some dull peacetime job.

There is one exception; I think it would be really cool to serve as an intelligence analyst in the reserves while working in some similar capacity at the State Dept. I hope to have my PhD by the time I'm 23 (I'm 17 and a second-semester freshman in college now). After that I could either apply for a direct commission or go to OCS. I feel like intelligence would be a place where I could make a contribution (that's not to say I'm too cowardly to fight on the battlefield). Once again, a problem arises. People respect Kerry's military service because he killed people and risked being killed himself. Certainly nobody can deny that he served our country bravely and deserves to be commended. I'm worried that even if I serve as a reserve analyst for decades the voters will still say, "well, it's just a desk job. It's not like he did anything hard". I have the utmost respect for veterans so that's kind of making me feel like I have to become one myself.

So, my question is...

Is my view on the necessity of military service incorrect? Do I really need to be in the military as a prerequisite to credibility in public life? Furthermore, do I need to kill the enemy/be wounded/lose body parts to get respect?

Thanks for taking some time to help me map out my future!