The Military. What do you think?

I recently signed up with the army for a five year bid as an intelligence, to the shock of my family and friends. Selling my business and basically giving up my lifestyle which I’ve enjoyed these past years in order to better myself. To me that seemed like a fair trade off. I’ve been living the lazy American lifestyle for too long now and finally I am stepping into something that, although flawed, seems like a place to finally grow in both strength, intelligence, insight, wisdom, and as a leader. Stagnation in one’s life is definitely not something one should take easily, and I feel good about my decision.

But it has been a curious endeavor, both signing up for the armed service and feeling the opinions about the people abroad about it. Far more interesting is the latter. I found peoples reactions range from accepting to “WTF. We’re in a war! You’re gonna diiiiieeee!†(I begin to honestly think that they believe I am not aware of the dangers of being in the military). I always hold the VFDC forum members to much better standards than the normal street walker, so these questions I pose to my fellow VFDC’ers:

How do you feel about the military in your country? Both the soldiers and their roll?
Would you ever consider serving? Why?

I must admit, when I was younger I hated this government and the military equally and I blamed soldiers for escalating the death and destruction that is carried out in our countries’ names. I don’t so much anymore. I blame the politicians and the general assholes around the world who continue their acquisition for more material power. As long as there are those who seek to do others harm there will always be those who seek to protect the victims. That concept seems to get terribly complicated when countries begin fighting each other and the victims become fodder for the war machines, but that, I suppose, is unavoidable. That being said... I like the American military because they actually do everything they are supposed to do in a government aspect. You can depend on them to get shit done, unlike any politician I could name. I know people out of this country will have a very different look on things.

People ask me weird things. They ask me would I shoot an innocent person. Of course not. Would you kill a kid? Not if I didn’t have to. That will usually illicit an odd look. I ask them, “If a kid was coming at firing an assault rifle, would you shoot back at him?†Its amazing how many people will dodge the question or not answer it truthfully. So I think what a lot of the people I live around, young and generally liberal, really don’t agree morally with the military but can’t deny their role in our world.

I honestly can’t say what point I am trying to make, and I don't want a political debate. I suppose I just need to know what others think. Please Discuss.

 

First of all, thank you for serving. I know you probably didn't post this for praise but anyone who joins the military during wartime IS even braver than most of us who have signed up during peacetime.

I'm an ex-Army Sergeant, 8 years, 13 months in Iraq: Jan 04-Feb 05, Operation Iraqui Freedom II. I'm proud I served, proud of my accomplishments, proud of our troops, proud of the USA but I'm not proud of our government. Then again, who is?

Before W. Bush became my boss, I was planning on retiring with the Army but when I saw first hand that there wasn't going to be an end to this war any time soon (I'm talking decades worth of war here) I realized that I was not going to re-enlist again. Not as long as a person with his rationale remained chief of state.

I'm not going to turn this political, I just wanted you to know a little inside insight on your current boss. Some of my comrades who came back from Iraq in Feb '05 were back out there before the year ended. They spent more than a year in Iraq and didn't even get 1 year to spend with their families. Some of my buddies were brand new fathers that missed the birth of their first boy/girl and now they had to pack up and ship out again in less than a year.

Be careful, dont get married for real (contract marriages are cool though, if you want to make way more money), get the most out of every experience, learn tactics from the good and not the bad, and use the Army, dont just let them use you.

Oh, and always remember, pain is just weakness leaving the body.
HUUAAHH! /versus/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

Thanks much for the encouragement / advice.

Yes Bush being my boss is definitely a downer, (i despise that douche) but you confirmed one of my goals about the army (use it, dont let it use me). I will definitely be keeping that in my mind and heart as I serve out my time.

Generally, people who were in the army give me good vibes. I have gotten to speak with a lot of ex army people both young and old and a solid majority seem to be either pleased or ambivilant about their time in.

 

Life is about fun. Have fun!

 

I love America but I really despise my government at this point in time. We are not really a functional democracy. We are more a democracy of money. That money is used to propagandize a lot of people. These people are completely insulated from reality.

How many votes did the average Republican candidate receive yesterday? 45%? Despite the Iraq disaster, Katrina, Mark Foley, Jack Abramoff, Tom Delay, Terry Sciavo, Stem cell bullshit, that Hagard dude and too much other shit to mention... Who are these 45% that still vote GOP? How can they be this stupid? How can most of the soldiers in the US army still support Bush? Why do soldiers like war-mongering politicians who get them killed?

I know the question is about the military, but I am trying to explain how twisted the civilian leadership is.

And then there is the military brass... US generals typically retire and then make millions of dollars working for the military industrial complex as analysts or consultants or lobbyists. That's their reward for demanding pricey weapons systems when they are in the service. One hand washes the other.

In Vietnam, the U.S. killed 3,000,000 Vietnamese. In Iraq the invasion has led to the deaths of 600,000 more or less. Just between those wars, that's 3,600,000 people who died thanks to US soldiers just following orders. How can these things happen?

But I do not blame the soldiers. Lyndie England, Tiger Force, My Lai, Fallujah and so on... These wars turn regulars Joes into serial killers. Our kids become monsters because we make them do monstrous things.

There are a few genuine war criminals in the service, but for the most part it is America who has let down the soldiers.

Let's hope that the elections yesterday represent a return to sanity. I don't have loads of faith in the Democrats, but Christ, the Republicans are swine.

I wish you luck Vithster. Do you know what you are going to be doing?

 

thanks Dissmaster, you capture much of my own sentiment. It is the half and half the duty of those we have elected to keep americans out of harms way (including soldiers) and for the american people to oversee that that happens. Both sides of that have been failing for as long as after WWII .

But anyways. I am supposed to be going in as Intelligence Collector but I am highly considering switching to spec ops if I can hack it.

 

My basic problem with the military is that your forced to enforce someone else's politics. That being said, it is necessary we maintain a top of the line armed forces and I thank you for stepping up in a very selfless way.

 

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Vith_Dos said:
Intelligence Collector

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sweet hat

 

U.S. Army has a new logo.

ARMY STRONG


/versus/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

Thanks shadow

[ QUOTE ]
Siyko said:

[ QUOTE ]
Vith_Dos said:
Intelligence Collector

[/ QUOTE ]

sweet hat

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lol, hopefully I can be a strong enough black woman to wear it... hold on...

 

Good post, Dissmaster, I agree with a lot of what you said except for: "How can most of the soldiers in the US army still support Bush? Why do soldiers like war-mongering politicians who get them killed?"

No disrespect intended but do you know something I dont?
I got out just last year and about 90% of the soldiers I interacted with hated Bush. We all had to show respect in front of him and/or other high-ranking officers because disrespecting a higher ranking official can get you in a lot of trouble but most of us hated him.

If you know something I dont, please share.

 

Well, right on then. To my undying shame, I have a sister who is married to a special forces guy and they are full-on Repuglicans. That, combined with the media always telling me how the soldiers are Republicans, has me believing that it is the case.

As far as I am concerned, Republicans are idiots at this point. I mean, ideals and tradition and Jesus and this and that... how can any of that offsett hundreds of thousands of Iraqi corpses?

 

If it's one thing I learned from talking politics with you guys is to not trust the media, ever!

Staying on topic though, did anybody catch the latest Simpsons episode this past Sunday? The army recruiters were trying to get kids Bart's and Lisa's age to pre-enlist for the army so that when they turned 18 they would have a spot reserved for them to fight in whatever world conflict is going on during that time /versus/images/graemlins/lol.gif
Then Homer joins, hilarious, it might be on youtube already.

 

rofl yeah i caught that. How terrible! It was halarious tho