How Many Current or Ex-Military Do We Have?

[ShnOmac]

You should go down to your local recruiter and have a chat with them. Ask them what the first 2 major selling points are.....
1-Education
2-See the world

Notice in the top 2 there is nothing about patriotism...... Some have it.. Some dont...but majority dont join because of it.

[Jamie Mac]

shnomac77,

BTW, my 19 year old neighbor kid that thinks he's going to get to take my Camaro for a drive (fat chance) wants to be a full time fireman instead of just volunteer. I've highly recommended he join the service to get this training but have stressed to him what his first priority would be. The government might give him the training but its to their benefit that they do it not his. He wins they win. I just want him, our young friend on this board and anyone else to know that.

[ShnOmac]

Mods my apologies for getting off the thread subject. Feel free to delete any of the above posts. If this conversation is to be continued it will be continued in PM's.
-Mac-

[Jamie Mac]

"Wow.... I am completely dumbfounded over your statement. Just because someone is not in the middle east or such place does not mean they are not defending their country. Every person in the military has a important role and all those roles click together to form a great power. The people on the frontlines are not the only ones defending the country."

I agree with you 100% and am not slighting anyone who is not overseas in any way shape or form. I'm merely pointing out that it is a possibility that they may at some point be called for that role and have to go somewhere less than desireable. If every US serviceman and woman were here stateside they would still be seen as defenders of our country and way of life by a strong military presence. I would personally be proud of them for that and don't require any form of combat experience to see them as such. I personally would rather they were merely ready such task and never actually in harms way. The fact is there are times when they may be asked to be in harms way and it doesn't matter if they agree with the reasons or not they volunteered to be in the military. I'm really not sure which part of this you don't understand. We should probably end this public conversation since its a bit beyond Camaro5 but I would be happy to have whatever friendly debate you desire through private messages.

[shadow11]

Name: Jay
Rank: CW5
Branch: Army, Aviation
Job: Helicopter pilot
Years of Service: 25+ years and counting.........but not counting too much longer!
Qualified in:

TH-55 Osage
UH-1 Iroquois
OH-58 A/C Kiowa
AH-1 Cobra
MH/AH-6 Cayuse
UH-60 Blackhawk
OH-58D (R) Kiowa Warrior

Instructor Pilot
Maintenance Test Pilot

Currently assigned:
NGB J3 CD as a Aviation Maintenance Officer and Logisitian

[Redwolf20]

19 years and going
Navy Chief

[TFord]

Originally Posted by manimsoblack

I'm actually thinking about doing it for the Education more than anything... College bores me to no end. So AF over Marines in that case. What about the Army or Navy? One of my best friends is doing Army Special Ops and he said aside from basic and AIT it's not too bad. But that some of the Classes are pretty slow. We got comparable SAT scores and he got a 98% on the ASVAB.

You have to know what you enjoy doing, and what you want to do after your military career has ended. The last thing you want is to be stuck doing something you hate, wating untill your enlistment is up. I loved my Rate in the Navy, I knew going in that I loved working with my hands, and I have a natural knack for learning lots of things fast. I was a Missile Technican, I worked with Pneumatic, hydraulics, environmental control, Computers, electronics, high explosives, and had to specialize in security/weapons. So for me I was in heaven minus all the red tape associated with nuclear weapons. Id be inside a nuc for 8+ hours and enjoying myself, but the guy next to me is living in his own personal hell. Then when I had to get out the navy I was so marketable, with so many certs, on so many systems I landed a job thats nearly just as great.

With the amount of military people here, when you narrow down what you want to do ask plenty of questions to find out what the job really is about.

[manimsoblack]

Originally Posted by TFord

You have to know what you enjoy doing, and what you want to do after your military career has ended. The last thing you want is to be stuck doing something you hate, wating untill your enlistment is up. I loved my Rate in the Navy, I knew going in that I loved working with my hands, and I have a natural knack for learning lots of things fast. I was a Missile Technican, I worked with Pneumatic, hydraulics, environmental control, Computers, electronics, high explosives, and had to specialize in security/weapons. So for me I was in heaven minus all the red tape associated with nuclear weapons. Id be inside a nuc for 8+ hours and enjoying myself, but the guy next to me is living in his own personal hell. Then when I had to get out the navy I was so marketable, with so many certs, on so many systems I landed a job thats nearly just as great.

With the amount of military people here, when you narrow down what you want to do ask plenty of questions to find out what the job really is about.

Thanks. See I would love to do something like that. My only issue is that while i can pick thing up easily if i don't use it at least routinely for a few weeks after i learn it, it's gone. I think i'll go talk to the recruiters sometime next week so i can weigh my options.

Originally Posted by Jamie Mac

Sorry to disagree with you but your primary duty WILL be defending your country. With luck you would never have to do it but it is your primary duty. So when you get orders to go to some far off third world dungheap as many before you have remember that. If not you will just be bitching that you didn't sign up for this you just wanted a free education. If thats your attitude and goal then go apply for some grants and go to college or tech school while others make sure you have the freedom to do so.

I'm pretty aware of what may happen if i were to enlist. And i'm not one to bitch about things. I understand what you're trying to get across, and I feel pretty confident in saying that it doesn't apply to me. Thanks for keeping it real though.

Originally Posted by shnomac77

Okay you sound a little bitter. How can you tell someone why THEY joined the military. I know many of guys who joined for the education that is provided IN the military and not the GI Bill. The guys that are here for the education are no different than anyone else. Everybody has their own reason for joining.

That's precisely why i'm considering joining.

[Rock36]

Originally Posted by drivingincamaro

are there any combat engineers here?

are there any scouts / Squad designated marksman here to





were all proud of you boys/girls keep it up!:flag2::flag2::flag2:

Combat engineer sapper here! My avatar is actually a little bit of my handiwork
What are your questions?

[Rock36]

True everyone has different reasons of joining the armed forces, some people do it because they come from a poor background and the military is actually a good avenue for upward economic mobility believe it or not. Other people do it for education, some do it because they have screw loose and want to shoot people, others are just patriots.

Jamie Mac's point is the purpose of the military is to fight and win our nations wars. Everything else is secondary, and you really can't argue that.

However, I think Jamie's problem is with the people who want to take advantage of the military system and benefits... i.e. get all the benefits of the military but not actually make (or weasel their way out of) the corresponding sacrifice....which I don't think manimsoblack is trying to do at all.

It sounds like manimsoblack is completely prepared to do what the military expects him to do in exchange for the experience.

[Jamie Mac]

Originally Posted by Rock36

True everyone has different reasons of joining the armed forces, some people do it because they come from a poor background and the military is actually a good avenue for upward economic mobility believe it or not. Other people do it for education, some do it because they have screw loose and want to shoot people, others are just patriots.

Jamie Mac's point is the purpose of the military is to fight and win our nations wars. Everything else is secondary, and you really can't argue that.

However, I think Jamie's problem is with the people who want to take advantage of the military system and benefits... i.e. get all the benefits of the military but not actually make (or weasel their way out of) the corresponding sacrifice....which I don't think manimsoblack is trying to do at all.

It sounds like manimsoblack is completely prepared to do what the military expects him to do in exchange for the experience.

Actually I have no problem if someone joins and gets great training, experience, maturity etc and never has to go near any form of danger. I'd prefer it that way for all of them. It truely does amaze me though how many people do join the military for all the good benefits and then are shocked when they have to do something they don't want to do, such as go to a war zone. Those are the ones I have a problem with. What the hell did they think the military was for???? Uncle Sam will give you all kinds of great training but the reason Uncle Sam does this is to benefit himself not the person getting the training. My point is anyone joining up needs to understand that no matter what reason they "believe" they joined up for, Uncle Sam may feel differently. To tell these young people otherwise is doing them a diservice.
manimsoblack I think the military is a great thing for any young person. I just want you as well as others to understand that there may be a point when Uncle Sam calls in his marker and expects you to put all that training to use and it can happen at any time. I would never say you should be happy about it but just understand it could happen. If that happens any other reasons you think you joined for are definately secondary.

[Redwolf20]

Originally Posted by Jamie Mac

Uncle Sam will give you all kinds of great training but the reason Uncle Sam does this is to benefit himself not the person getting the training. My point is anyone joining up needs to understand that no matter what reason they "believe" they joined up for, Uncle Sam may feel differently.

So gaining maturity, experience, and training doesn't benefit the person joining especially when they get out? True, Uncle Sam cares about the security of the country and using what he has to fight the wars but there is much more to it that benefits the servicemember. Really there are many programs and opportunities while in the military that benefit the servicemember not only for the military but for them personally and their families.

[Jamie Mac]

Originally Posted by Redwolf20

So gaining maturity, experience, and training doesn't benefit the person joining especially when they get out? True, Uncle Sam cares about the security of the country and using what he has to fight the wars but there is much more to it that benefits the servicemember. Really there are many programs and opportunities while in the military that benefit the servicemember not only for the military but for them personally and their families.

Wow am I misunderstood. No those are good things for a person when they get out. Where did I ever claim they are not. Evidently I am the only one that thinks that the military is primarily a fighting organization. As I have stated I recommend the services to any young person because they do gain maturity, experience, training a sense of responsibility etc. I think it is an excellent experience for anyone. Then I'm an ass because I throw in that they need to be aware that it may not just be a free ride and they may have to do something they are really not going to like in a place they really don't want to be in. Again, I would rather our military was just a strong ready presence and that they never have to be in harms way. The fact remains that Uncle Sams concern is not what you may do after your out of the military nor your personal feelings while serving. I'm sorry that my opinion is so upsetting to all of you. Its been awhile since I've been in the service so perhaps it is just like Private Benjamins recruiter promised her. Private condo's, sailboats etc.

[Rock36]

Well...I did say the purpose of the military is to fight and win this nations wars, everything else is secondary.

Don't know how that got confused.