Most people join around 18-20 years old. Not much more than children. By 25 you're much more developed mentally and might see the world totally differently than 18.

We may learn more, but just guessing, this guy probably just joined because the military functions as a jobs program for young people, mostly young like lower middle class men, to move up the economic ladder. (This is not an endorsement or saying it's good or saying people have no agency in all of this.)

once he got older he became disillusioned and was waiting to get out. Oct 7th happened, he probably heard some utterly puke-worthy rhetoric about it at work but had to remain mostly silent. Fast forward to yesterday, apparently the day he could no longer stay silent and complicit.

Again, I don't know for sure beyond his final statement. But that doesn't feel like too much of a fantasy to imagine.

It honestly makes the libs dismissing his act even more gross. This guy is the last person on earth basically who is supposed to feel empathy for Palestinians. I have to imagine he thought about a bunch of ways out or how to show solidarity and such. In the end apparently he concluded, correctly I think, that self immolation of an active duty US military member in a direct act of protest would be the most powerful and non-destructive message or action he could send or take. I'm trying really hard to feel the state of mind he must have felt near the end, the last few days, and I can't. I just know it was incredibly brave, sad, and I'll do my part to make sure the annoying libs have to think about his burning body forever. Maybe they'll give a shit about the white airman burning alive since they don't care about Palestinian children burning. If that's what it takes to make them stop signing off on genocide...

Economic pressure? Material conditions? Aggressive recruiting? Familial pressure? Nobody is immune to propaganda? Plenty of ways. Though given the age I'd bet disillusionment and. political growth is the most likely answer.