Olena,
Don't worry. Not offended. I see your distinction, though. Both the Sandpit and Germany vs. Soviet Union are/were "real" wars. The German/Soviet one was, of course much, much, much bigger (on the question of scale, destruction and loss of life, you almost cannot compare the two). What makes both of them "real" is in both cases people are/were killing each other. No-one said you can't have fun, though.
You probably can refuse to be deployed, but I should imagine it would be a career killer, not to mention you could get charged. I haven't heard of anyone refusing to go. Quite the opposite, everyone was/is quite keen.
FTI,
You're right. Everyone has their own reasons for joining. What matters most though is how you do your job when it matters.