As someone who is undergoing (finally) treatment for PTSD, I can tell you that even Basic Training, whether you go to combat or not, changes you.

Consider: All of your life you're told that it's wrong to hit someone, much less kill them. Suddenly you are put into an environment where not only is is "right" to hurt and kill, but you are trained to do so.

Perhaps you are even put into the position where you must hurt or kill someone.

Your conscience is taken away and very likely never returns. Instead, you must substitute something else to live by. Things like caring for others instead of self or finding that you get more than you give. Other vets will know what I mean.

Personally, I could kill anyone without a qualm IF the situation demanded it. So could my two brothers, two of my nephews, my father, my uncles, my great-uncles.... And yet none of us is a murderer: when it was over, we just wanted to come home and get on with life.

That doesn't happen. If you have been in the military you are changed, changed utterly, and yes, a terrible beauty IS born.