When I worked in Air Force Intelligence, I did the very best job I could at it. I like to think that my contributions were valuable to a lot of people who remained alive and healthy due to the knowledge I gave them. I like to think that my bosses made some wise decisions based on the information that I provided to them. I like to think that my expertise in putting together random facts, and analyzing their collective significance, and reporting this to the people who could do something with the intelligence, made some small contribution to the national security of the United States.

I forgive the many people I met who repeated the old joke about "military intelligence being a contradiction in terms". They obviously did not know me and how much I had invested my heart and soul into my profession and my love of America.

They were probably thinking of the political appointees at the top of the intelligence food-chain in Washington D.C. I don't think it's the Bible that says "But the Fools you have always with you." - It must be written somewhere because it's true.

War was probably much more noble and meaningful back when you had a prince or a king leading his tribe of warriors on the battle field against another prince/king and his band of warriors. Then some asshole invented the "political appointee" assisted by "staff officers" and fcuked up the whole deal.