I didn't get kicked out, but 10 days after my HS graduation, I was on my way to Army basic training. Just couldn't hang living in the parental household one more day. That was my choice, not forced, and it was of the smartest things I've ever done. I was going down a destructive path, and if I'd stayed home, I have no doubt I'd be dead or in prison now.

That said, the life of a young Infantry soldier overseas got pretty wild back in the '80s, and I luckily escaped serious consequences (not for lack of trying - "Hold my beer & watch this!....). But I survived.

I've traveled the world. I've lived and worked in about thirty countries on four continents, and lived in or worked in ten states. My body has taken a beating, and I feel old as hell at 60, but my mind is still intact and active. I busted my ass, I'm financially secure, and because I retired from the military, my health insurance costs are very reasonable, unlike most people in this country. I have no regrets.

To answer your question, though, I think I, (and most of my Army buddy peers) in the early 80's, all coming from different backgrounds, some rich, most poor or lower middle class like me, we were all adolescents. We were playing Army, with real guns, in real situations, and we took that part of the job seriously, but there was a playfulness back then that does not exist any anymore (Work Hard, Play Hard).

This is a different world, and the Soldiers I work around today have a very different experience. They don't live in the same barracks, many to a room, like I did. They don't have the same disciplinary structure (Inspections, PT, road marches, etc). There is little to build unit cohesion.

I would not want to be a kid today, everyone glued to their damn phones. Honestly, I don't keep in touch with many of my old friends, but these days, how the hell do kids even make friends, when all they know is a screen name?