"My children are in the service"

[P2052 at AOL.COM]

It means, "in the military" and is used by many African-American who are
ambivalent about the nature of this "service" (proud of the child(ren)'s
being "in the service of country" but apprehensive about what the
child(ren)'s fate might be.)  I've used the phrase often in reference to my
nephew.  I can remember hesistating, though, before saying, "He's in the . .
. military," as if this less specific term would connote a less specific
activity than would "army."                                          P-A-T
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