Poll: Ever Served In The Military?

[AhumbleKnight]

You do know when i say drone i mean like a predator gunship drone right?
or a reaper?
theres no way in hell that i can launch something like that...way to big

Drones or UAVs, come in many sizes and are built for many purposes. There are some as small as 2 feet long built for recon, others like the predator, and everywhere inbetween.

 

[McClaud]

I served in the military between 1993 and 1999.

I worked in military intelligence, and deployed to several hotspots over the world. Bosnia being the worst. I was there with the Canadian army and helping the UN peace-keeping mission after Serbia withdrew. It was a chaotic nightmare.

I have a friend who served in Somalia. She was one of the drivers in the convoy that went out to rescue the soldiers in the downed Blackhawks. She got shelled every other day in her deployment.

Both of us suffer from PTSD. I still have a few nights where I wake up in a cold sweat. I've seen things I hope others NEVER have to see. Bosnia and Somalia had ethnic genocide going on in ways that will haunt me until death.

ALSO:

I don't blame MaxTheReaper for not wanting to join the military, since he doesn't believe in it. I have to say that I was proud that I actually defended people in other countries from atrocities and psychopaths, and protected my fellow allied soldiers from hostiles. I've helped the poor and unfortunate. I've provided aid to people caught in natural disasters. The military does so much more than just shoot people.

You don't really do it for you, and you really don't do it for The Country. You do it for the people, and not only for the people of your own country, but everyone. You can tell yourself that you are doing it for good ol' USA or wherever, but that's such a shallow part of it.

 

[Artemis923]

I really wanted to join the Marines, but instead I opted to go Navy.

Going in as a Nuke, but I don't ship until Jan of 2010.

I'll pray for you.

Prepare for years of training, and subsequent under-utilization and lack of appreciation.

CHANGE YOUR ORDERS TO BE AN "IT", QUICK!


-----------------

To the rest of you bums:

You're taking this way too seriously.

More military die by mundane means than in battle. Of course, it's tragic, traumatic, and different people and for different reasons, but you get it. Normandy, this ain't.

Mortars. Mortars and IEDs are the problem right now, not the poorly trained "soldiers" with their AK's. If the enemy were plainly labeled and out and about, that's no issue at all: which is why we would totally destroy North Korea; that is, if China didn't whoop its ass first for being an embarrassing liability.

Spoiler: WARNING: Now I'm ranting about the downside of being a Navy IT.

The ENLISTED Navy, speaking from experience, is filled with people who just joined for the college money afterwards, job training, plea bargain, didn't-know-what-I-wanted-to-do, and maybe some to deliberately make it a career or out of patriotism. It feels like the next logical step for people who ran out of Unemployment checks, honestly.

I do not know any Info Sys Tech in the navy (my job), that stayed more than 10 years AND was subject matter expert on network administration. If someone gained technical, marketable skills in the Navy, they quickly see this isn't the place that rewards one's academic efforts, it's for people content with becoming managers of people who know their job, rather than being one.

Here's my chain of command:

Work Center Supervisor ("assistant manager type"): Doesn't know jack.
Leading Petty Officer (Manager): Doesn't know jack about jack.
Leading Chief Petty Officer (Manager+1): Doesn't know that LPO doesn't know jack.
Divisional Officer (Regional Manager): Knows his stuff, surprisingly, but he just got out of college with a comp sci degree, thus allowing him officer-dom.
Combat Systems Officer ("Corporate"): Doesn't know what he doesn't know.

My DIVO at this command is a fluke, my last 3 before him were largely useless, and just a buffer zone for "corporate" as it were.

To be fair, when I say they don't know jack, I'm just talking technical expertise. These people are by and large just managers for the kids 18-25 who have a drive to learn and work because they WANT the IT experience.

I've heard this kind of stuff from s lot of people. Is being a nuke really that bad?

 

[Cheesus333]

Honour isn't worth anything to a dead man.

It's worth a whole lot to the comrades he leaves behind. If you were to die in war, would you rather be shot on the front lines, so your borthers view you as a hero or kill yourself as a coward?

 

[Ledan]

No, I'm not joining the army
Serious Reasons:
I don't want to die,
I have no attachment to any country,
Less Serious Reason:
I'm not gonna be in the army, I shall command it... as Emperor of Earth...

 

[Hazy]

Why is it that Gang members who fight over "Turf" are frowned upon by the General Public, but a soldier (In all reality, doing the EXACT same thing, Albeit with more firepower) gets commemorated?
Thats not an insult to Soldiers, I have great respect for those who put their life on the line for a country. It's just something that seemed odd to me.

Anyway, back on topic: No, I'm an only child, and I don't plan on serving.

 

[Nargleblarg]

No, I'm not joining the army
Serious Reasons:
I don't want to die,
I have no attachment to any country,
Less Serious Reason:
I'm not gonna be in the army, I shall command it... as Emperor of Earth...

Couldn't have said it better myself


The only way I'm fighting is if we have terminators and or mechsuits with lightsabers

 

[fenrizz]

No, and neither do I plan too.
I see no reason to serve in the military.

 

[Beffudled Sheep]

Only if i get shipped to a place where the average temp. is 34°F or less. I can't stand the heat.

 

[Bretty]

Joining the Canadian Airforce as we speak... waiting to hear if I have been chosen for Officer Training.

God bless the Blue and Green line!

 

[Nargleblarg]

-Why do you want to be that fit?
- What skills are you going to learn which you can learn nowhere else? How to use a rifle to effectively murder someone? Not particularly high on my to do list.
- Comradeship? WHat if you end up as the 'Private Pyle' of your unit? The one who is not quite as good and gets bullied into suicide by all the others?
- Why do you want to be so diciplined?

The military carves you into a mentally damaged, physical cripple with no employable skills apart from how to kill people in a variety of interesting and creative ways. Either that or it carves you into a dead person.

The only thing you'll acheive by joining the military is the furtherance of economic dominance by the US and the EU. I hope you enjoy killing poor people

Wow, fall for hate-filled propaganda much? I joined the military and went through bootcamp having some of the greatest fun of my life. I learned a lot of skills such as seamanship, leadership, discipline, and maturity that has made me a much better person than I was before I went in. And just because a person joins the military doesn't mean they will only be learning to kill. There are literally hundreds of jobs on the logistics and support side that have nothing to do with killing or seeing action that are MORE essential than the guy who pulls the trigger. For every 1 guy pulling a trigger, there are between five and TWENTY people assisting him. And yes, logistics and support are HIGHLY skilled jobs in the civilian market. I wanted to fly for the Air Force, but with Glasses, that was out, so I joined the Coast Guard and drove ships instead. I probably had more fun doing that than I would have flying bombers or fighters.

.....what country is this that it's so fun learning to killing people, raiding, and becoming a ruthless killing machine?

 

[Tmurda5632]

Im itching to get into the Marine Corps

 

[buddee1]

i seriously am not joking
recently i was laid off from a job i worked at for a year and just recently i fugured out that we were doing accounting for the military
so yes you could say that i worked for the military

 

[Ignignoct]

I really wanted to join the Marines, but instead I opted to go Navy.

Going in as a Nuke, but I don't ship until Jan of 2010.

I'll pray for you.

Prepare for years of training, and subsequent under-utilization and lack of appreciation.

CHANGE YOUR ORDERS TO BE AN "IT", QUICK!


-----------------

To the rest of you bums:

You're taking this way too seriously.

More military die by mundane means than in battle. Of course, it's tragic, traumatic, and different people and for different reasons, but you get it. Normandy, this ain't.

Mortars. Mortars and IEDs are the problem right now, not the poorly trained "soldiers" with their AK's. If the enemy were plainly labeled and out and about, that's no issue at all: which is why we would totally destroy North Korea; that is, if China didn't whoop its ass first for being an embarrassing liability.

Spoiler: WARNING: Now I'm ranting about the downside of being a Navy IT.

The ENLISTED Navy, speaking from experience, is filled with people who just joined for the college money afterwards, job training, plea bargain, didn't-know-what-I-wanted-to-do, and maybe some to deliberately make it a career or out of patriotism. It feels like the next logical step for people who ran out of Unemployment checks, honestly.

I do not know any Info Sys Tech in the navy (my job), that stayed more than 10 years AND was subject matter expert on network administration. If someone gained technical, marketable skills in the Navy, they quickly see this isn't the place that rewards one's academic efforts, it's for people content with becoming managers of people who know their job, rather than being one.

Here's my chain of command:

Work Center Supervisor ("assistant manager type"): Doesn't know jack.
Leading Petty Officer (Manager): Doesn't know jack about jack.
Leading Chief Petty Officer (Manager+1): Doesn't know that LPO doesn't know jack.
Divisional Officer (Regional Manager): Knows his stuff, surprisingly, but he just got out of college with a comp sci degree, thus allowing him officer-dom.
Combat Systems Officer ("Corporate"): Doesn't know what he doesn't know.

My DIVO at this command is a fluke, my last 3 before him were largely useless, and just a buffer zone for "corporate" as it were.

To be fair, when I say they don't know jack, I'm just talking technical expertise. These people are by and large just managers for the kids 18-25 who have a drive to learn and work because they WANT the IT experience.

I've heard this kind of stuff from s lot of people. Is being a nuke really that bad?

Well, it has the highest suicide rate, "Nuke" is synonimous with calling someone "stupid-smart" and neurotic, and you will be working with the other engineering and mech rates, AKA, the animals. You'll be the smart guy surrounded by grunting child-mechanics and gorilla-esque supervisors. I haven't met anyone that loved being a nuke, but then again, hardly anyone loves being in the navy at all.

Remember, though, that's just what I've seen.

Do yourself a favor and get in contact with some E3/E4/E5 Nukes through your recruiter-- Er... hmmm... conflict of interest =p... Well, try that anyway. The lower enlisted won't bullshit you on what life's really like.

In fact, go to the USS George W Bush's webpage if they have one and send a request for a Nuke penpal =p. They're going underway soon.

 

[Carlston]

Just recently I had a talk about this with friends, and found it interesting how many people have no intention of serving in the armed forces. I am from Australia, and my family has served its country for generations, and I'm going to continue that legacy.
Great Grandfather - WWI
Grandfather - WWII (and First military personnel to set foot in Hiroshima after 'Little Boy')
Father - Vietnam
Uncle - Korea
Brother and Me - Who Knows

So my question to you, is:
Have you served in the armed forces, or do you plan to in the future?

Please leave a reason for your answer.
~Frosty.

I served in the US Navy, Subs. And after getting my physical body destroyed by lack of health care, people who like to watch the injured suffer to just insure they didn't get free time to recover.... Ask around.

Better yet, just chat up with a memeber. Ask about what happens when they get the flu, get hurt, and how they are treated. Also what does your country do when they used you up and spat whats left out to the civilian world. Pension? Disability? Medical care? Or just a big thanks for playing leave.

It will get you skills, it will build you into a new person and times teaches you how to just buck up and face the day... but that's little positive when you can also be stunted from getting real work again.

Do alot of homework. And keep your head down.

 

[ygetoff]

Air Force. Less chance of dying, and you get to kill hundreds of people, with no consequences. Plus the jet is air-conditioned.

 

[jad4400]

When I was younger I wanted to be a Marine, be that tough hero soldier that you see in the movies. However right around the time we invaded Iraq I realized that war was all that awsome (plus I had spent all weekend watching Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Tigerland and Jarhead). Now however given that our economy is doing badly, I have been considering joining the Navy to get some of my college paid for (I graduate from highschool in two years so who knows).