Well, it's complicated. They both fought against the man but they were soldiers before that.
My mom dad JR was island born, but he got sent to earth for several years. While he was there he fought in the biggest war in its history, what they call the Second World War, as a US Marine. That's the nation that New York is part of.
My dad mom Shepard is from a future dimension where humans spread from Earth and made colonies. Where she comes from she's a special forces soldier that fought against a couple different alien invasions.