Perry, In my experience most people don’t join the Marines for the specialized job experience or the pay and benefits, although some certainly do. Anyone thinking of joining for purely the benefits now would likely think twice after seeing the reports from Iraq. I’m sure your friend doesn’t think of himself as a hero, but others certainly do. That’s kind of how it works you know? Ask a firefighter or police officer if they think they are heros and they will say no.

Here’s the definition of hero:

A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war.