I was in a similar boat as you. Similar MOS but I was deployed once with a maintenance battalion and once attached to an armor battalion but still serving in a maintenance role. Only went outside the wire twice. Worked the front gate for 1/2 my first deployment. All that being said, quit being a whiny bitch. You didn't do shit. I didn't do shit. OP is right. Some guys got their fucking legs blown off or inhaled agent orange and I had to sit in a guard tower and try not to fall asleep. Poor me. On top of that I'd go as far as to say most veterans don't deserve any level of respect. I know dudes that were COLOSSAL pieces of shit. Garbage NCOs too stupid to do anything else until they got out and then wave the veteran card around looking for admiration and a ticket to easy street coasting on fake valor. Dumb drunk retards who couldn't lead a roped horse to a sugar cube riding around with DV plates because they have shin splints. You fucked your knees up. Boo hoo. Nobody made you sign up now you want to act like you did this country a great service. My hips are jacked. I'm not bitching about it. Realize you got fucking conned and you aren't a hero. The biggest difference between you and me is I wasn't disillusioned when I signed up.