"I haven't served the UNSC for some time. Not since the war ended."

Not since they were sent home, left to their own devices. Broken and ground into bits and then dumped back into society with a 'here's hoping'. There's a good deal of bitterness there, even if he doesn't regret signing on.

After all, the war had shaped him. It had given him purpose. He was a soldier now, above all other things. And perhaps he'd finally found another war worth fighting for.