Thursday, June 1, 2006 at 4:36 AM Edited Thursday, June 1, 2006 at 4:44 AM
Is it bad to join for selfish reasons? I was thinking since my career is a joke and I keep wishing my boss would have a terrible car accident on her way to work, I should do something positive instead and enlist. Plus, one of my old roomates is in OCS and I'm jealous. I like the work they make you do and it feels like you're actually doing something with your life.
On one hand, I think it's a very honorable thing to do, regardless of your reasons.
It's also a very good experience for a lot of people and can provide discipline and direction, in addition to training and a possible career path.
On the other hand, there is a nonzero risk that you'll be injured (psychologically or physically) or killed and I'd reflect on that awhile before going through with it.
I know that there are a few people here who are or have been in the military and people who have friends and relatives who are or were - it might be nice to get a bit of feedback from them as they've got first (/ second) hand knowledge of what it's like both for the enlisted and for their family members.
Whether you enlist or not, it sounds like you should find another job ASAP (though I'd have something ready to go before telling her to stuff it).
Thursday, June 1, 2006 at 10:08 AM Edited Thursday, June 1, 2006 at 10:16 AM
I'm seriously considering it. I'm wondering how sure people are about it before they join. My roommate who joined OCS was one of these guys, you know all about this kind of thing since he was a kid. It's not like that with me but I have a feeling once I'm in and go through they're indoctrination process, drink the Kool-Aid as it were, I'd be balls to the wall.
Of course the danger has to be considered before enlisting. I'm hoping once I'm in I'd do anything without hesitation.
Do it. If you make the ultimate sacrifice, I will love you once more.
You fucking slut, Grey! :D
I'm seriously considering it. I'm wondering how sure people are about it before they join.
I talked with a friend who was an Army nurse for 20 years and he said go for it.... then he went on to explain to me I should enlist so that I could work at USAMRIID - take from that what you will.
It actually sounds like it might work out well for you (though I'm hesitant to recommend going off and doing something that could get you killed).
Defending our country is honorable. I really believe that. But being a political tool of the DoD/Bush Admin is retarded, and a shameful waste of life. Maybe joining law enforcement would be a good way to go. Just don't write me a ticket for going 69mph in a 65 zone.
Tell me a selfless reason to join. Also, would you have civilian internet access? If no, then join tonight. I'll miss having one less satirical hypocritical pedant around here, but one must make sacrifices or whatever.
Defending our country is honorable. I really believe that. But being a political tool of the DoD/Bush Admin is retarded, and a shameful waste of life. Maybe joining law enforcement would be a good way to go. Just don't write me a ticket for going 69mph in a 65 zone.
—ProfessorCarbuncle
Hey, defending from what? You're one of those kiddies who likes the euphemism, is that it? The defence service. Honour. Country. Fuck, you should watch the movie Max. I hyperlinked it, so you know the right one, cuz I know you've been on my nuts since day one. Tell me, what is this chemistry that you and I share? Anyway, you can get on with Noah Taylor. "It's disgusting! It's revolting!" Honourable. What about that is honourable.
I wouldn't consider myself heroic or honorable but what I think people might be referring to is putting yourself on the line for a cause greater than your own and helping out people that need help.
Also, would you have civilian internet access? If no, then join tonight.
It's not quite that simple but I know what you're saying and I'm sorry you feel that way.
satirical hypocritical pedant
That's eerily close to my personal mantra. You must have psychic powers.
I was actually thinking of doing the same... serving the country, protecting the nation's liberties... but then I realized if I was sent to Iraq, I wouldn't be protecting any of our nation's liberties, just creating new ones somewhere else that I didn't care about. You always hear veterans say that, "I'm glad I had the chance to preserve our nation's liberties" which is true in the case of WWII and such... but we're basically protecting people from themselves in Iraq, and at this point, trying to avoid a civil war over there. Which is all why I decided it'd be better to be in the National Guard or somewhere less Iraq-like.
I wouldn't be protecting any of our nation's liberties
I didn't want to get into a political discussion about this but consider how an unstable Iraq might be connected to the security of this country. I'm not saying I agree with everything but it's not March 20, 2003. June 2, 2006 presents a different situation. The problem is, it seems like once you're in, after training, you have your unit and your missions, combat or not. Anything else like who should do what is less than periphery.
If you join with the attitude "look, I'm here for training and experience and meeting people and furthering my career, etc", that shouldn't take away from any of the selflessness assuming you're doing the same things as everyone else who joined for whatever reason. But I'm wondering how that philosophy will affect your experience in something like the Corps.
Do some research.
No doubt. It's a little scary because the more I read about it and the more I talk to people the more I want to do it.
Thursday, June 1, 2006 at 8:51 PM Edited Thursday, June 1, 2006 at 8:51 PM
Yeah. It's gotten worse.
So then you have to ask is the security of the region worth fighting for regardless of who contributed to the current condition? Or you might say there couldn't possibly be a military solution. Whatever the personal outlook, that's only one component of the decision to enlist. It's important to make it now because once you're in, it doesn't matter anyway.
Thursday, June 1, 2006 at 9:04 PM Edited Thursday, June 1, 2006 at 9:04 PM
Can we all just agree that the world is seriously fucked up, and that maybe a nuclear holocaust wouldn't be the worst thing to happen. Hopefully the (possible) survivors don't fuck things up. Srsly.
I'm too tired to make this post look pretty. Take it or leave it, HTGIO.
Having been in the Army, I’d say you should know what you’ll be getting into. Your friend may be in OCS, but you’ll be enlisted, and that means all the shit work. So, you’d better be prepared to do things like, scrub toilets, mop floors, pick up litter, clean, clean, clean things. Any things. All things. People will tell you what to do all the time. And, whereas in the civilian world when an idiot tells you to do something, you can just say fuck off, and that’s it. You say fuck off in the military, you go to jail. Be prepared to be alternately hot/cold/sweaty/freezing/sandy/dusty/muddy pretty much all the time. Be prepared for very few creature comforts. When you come back in from the field, it’ll take you two, sometimes three scrubbings in the shower to stop the smell of feet and ass that will permeate your body. Be prepared to get little to no sleep, for extremely long periods of time, and always keep your cool. Be prepared to become an ass-face. That’s where you get shot in the face, and then you’re just brain damaged, blind, and with no face to speak of really, but the rest of your body is healthy. That happens to suicides mostly, but if you’re in a combat zone, then there you are. Or, you know, any of the other stuff, like limbs being blown off. There’s a TON of crippled legless vets now. Mostly though, my opinion is fear of war is like, not even in the top 100. It’s just the shit work you have to do. Always tired, always doing something heavy, or uncomfortable, with some jack-ass who’s too stupid to do anything in the civilian world telling you some stupid ass thing to do, sometimes something that will definitely get you killed, if it’s a combat situation, just because they told you the wrong thing to do.
However, all this may sound negative. But, I’m not against the military or what they’re doing, or any of that. It IS honorable, and it IS something that’s worthwhile to do, especially if you feel like your current gig in an office, or where ever is meaningless. I just think that you shouldn’t have any illusions about what it is. But, just remember there’s always shit work to do anywhere, most especially in the military, there’s gobs and gobs of it. But, if you can keep the big picture in mind, that you are serving your country, and it means something more than most civilian jobs, then I guess you’ll be okay when you’re scrubbing someone else’s shit stains out of the barrack’s toilets for the thousandth time. But, seriously, it’s a good thing to do, if you have the aptitude for military life.
Me, I’d only go back in if I could be an officer. Basically, all the cool shit that you think you’d like to do, and that you think it is before you join up, is if you were an officer.
However, all this may sound negative. But, I’m not against the military or what they’re doing, or any of that. It IS honorable, and it IS something that’s worthwhile to do, especially if you feel like your current gig in an office, or where ever is meaningless.
Good post Masteel. I'd just add that there are other places to find meaning at any age. I'm sure they still need warm bodies down in New Orleans to swing a hammer. Red Cross Volunteers get to travel and are deployed in a similar way to military folk.
I was thinking of Joining the Air Force. Still not sure though. Sometimes I wished we just nuke the fuck out of the middle east. I'm still trying to figure out how their perspective on shit doesn't reflect the work of the devil. But who am I. Just another American dissastified with how the WORLD is corrupt. Not just our leadership. There's a lot of fucked up people on this planet and its quite depressing frankly. So I drink my cares away, work my shitty job, treat my wife well and hope for the best in people to kind of fix the bad things in the world. Or the rapture can happen and it'll all be over anyways.
Did you ever kill someone and raise them back from the dead, just for the hell of it?
see lazarus and jonah.
the rapture can happen and it'll all be over anyways.
rancid is the anti-plurry. i did a bunch of drugs and decided the bible was made up. he did a bunch of drugs and decided it was for real. it takes all kinds.
Friday, June 2, 2006 at 5:31 AM Edited Friday, June 2, 2006 at 5:33 AM
Hey, defending from what? You're one of those kiddies who likes the euphemism, is that it? The defence service. Honour. Country. Fuck, you should watch the movie Max. I hyperlinked it, so you know the right one, cuz I know you've been on my nuts since day one. Tell me, what is this chemistry that you and I share? Anyway, you can get on with Noah Taylor. "It's disgusting! It's revolting!" Honourable. What about that is honourable.
MJFan-- yeah, I sorta agree with you on your 1st point (...but I think you know what I mean...) that we aren't really defending the U.S. homeland from any foreign army right now, I guess I was thinking about past wars and the vets from my family who did the right thing by serving in the forces (Amer. civil war, WWI, WWII), and less about Iraq and Vietnam, etc. But still, if you were to join the military in a guard role or law enforcement-type role, there's nothin wrong with that. I guess when I was talking about honor I was talking mostly about a past time. I would hate to be the jingoistic type, but I don't want to shit on the U.S. military because of how they've been misused by the past few presidents.
I don't mean to be on your nuts any more than anyone else's, but I think our 1st interaction was me saying I liked Family Guy/Simpsons and you calling me a faggot.
I'll take a look at Max.
I think it's possible to have personal disagreements with some government policies and yet remain a maximally effective service member.
—Had To Get It On
maybe. depending on your job as a soldier.
I was actually thinking of doing the same... serving the country, protecting the nation's liberties... but then I realized if I was sent to Iraq, I wouldn't be protecting any of our nation's liberties, just creating new ones somewhere else that I didn't care about. You always hear veterans say that, "I'm glad I had the chance to preserve our nation's liberties" which is true in the case of WWII and such... but we're basically protecting people from themselves in Iraq, and at this point, trying to avoid a civil war over there. Which is all why I decided it'd be better to be in the National Guard or somewhere less Iraq-like.
But that's just me.
—A Guy in a Chair
yeah. sorta. I don't think it's in our hands whether Iraq gets drawn into a civil war, but I agree with your sentiment.
rancid is the anti-plurry. i did a bunch of drugs and decided the bible was made up. he did a bunch of drugs and decided it was for real.
Somehow I still love ya both (though my judgement might be swayed because the closest I've ever been to high is from the cloud of smoke that comes out of my computer whenever rancid posts in a thread).
rancid is the anti-plurry. i did a bunch of drugs and decided the bible was made up. he did a bunch of drugs and decided it was for real. it takes all kinds.
—plurryho
Yet I still have a great habit of indulging in booze, smoke, and Magic Mushrooms amongst other things. Makes me a hyporcite to some, but I found my peace of mind dude ;) Thats really what it's all about. Works for some, works for none, still after arguing we all end up dumb. Cheers!
What the fuck is your name meant to mean? Are you meant to make people imagine some sort of automated factory that has gone beserk and uses its computer processing power to log on to the internet and post on message boards? Or are you a human who produces something that is or resembles tortillas? In a huge group of idiotic and trifling names, yours is right at the bottom for spasticity and voluminous contempt. That's not swell.
Friday, June 2, 2006 at 6:16 PM Edited Friday, June 2, 2006 at 6:17 PM
Your friend may be in OCS, but you’ll be enlisted, and that means all the shit work. So, you’d better be prepared to do things like, scrub toilets, mop floors, pick up litter, clean, clean, clean things.
I was also thinking of going back to school, getting a degree and trying for OCS. It seems kind of difficult to get in so I'm not sure it's worth it. Plus, I'm not sure I have leadership qualities. It's entirely possible I join and wind up doing something I don't like at all, sort of like what I'm doing now. But at least in the Corps it won't seem like total BS.
The navy is where it's at.
Hm.. I don't feel the same pull.
Had To, how about joining the army? I see infantry in your future.
I dunno.. the Army is a little too.. ecumenical. The Marines seem closer and more spirited.
i saw the movie "jarhead" last nite and it was pretty interesting...im not sure if it was an accurate portrayal of the gulf war...you know being a movie and all...anyway it made me wonder whether the marines is a better choice than the army...im still not sure...
Wow, plurry, complete kudos to you for finding this. I almost searched for it, to re-post for Sas, but decided to masturbate to the controling chick at work instead. I still say I made the right choice, but must give you full kudos for the search. Good job Sir!
Sas, are have you decided you ARE going to, but now are just picking the service (Army, Navy, Marines) you want? I have yet more wisdom to instil in you, when/if you decide, lol.
Correct. I am, in fact, going to join but now I need to decide which branch...like I said earlier, it's either between Army of Marines...but I'm not positive...I've spoken with a Marines recruiter before, but he seemed to feedin' me a pile of bullshit...I don't know...
Standard of living goes like this, from top to bottom (this means best barracks/living space, food, equipment, jobs, etc)
1. Air Force 2. Navy/Coast Guard 3. Army 4. Marines
Marines get the oldest equipment, the shittiest jobs, and the hardest basic training. And yes, they usually have some very strong bonds, and spririt, etc, that's the expected side effect of the hardest basic training (brainwashing), so I wouldn't put a lot of stock in that. I was under the impression you were not able to choose your MOS (Military Ocupation Specialty, that means your future job, i.e., armored crewman, infantry, cook, etc) in the Marines, you give them your wish list, and they say fuck you, and give you what they want to give you.
In the Army, you are assigned your MOS at MEPS (I forget the acronym, it's the initial processing, before you sign up, where they give you the physical, etc) and you choose from whatever is available, and you get it. If they don't have what you want, then you tell them to fuck off, and you go back next week, or you leave it in your recruiter's hands, they need you to sign up, as long as you don't cave, they'll pull whatever strings they need to to get you what you want (within reason, you're not going to get Explosive Ordinance Disposal, unless you're lucky). Listen, this is important, it's what you're going to be doing for the next 4+ years, you better choose something you're excited about. Let them shoe-horn you into being a mechanic or a cook, because that's all that's "available" and you'll be miserable for those years.
The Army has HUGE education incentives these days, something like 70K for college, etc. You usually have to choose between a signing bonus of a couple K, or the Army College Fund and there's another fund I forget that goes WITH the college fund. So, if they make you choose one or the other, you say fuck the bonus, give me the college money later on. If you don't do this, you are a fool.
bguirk is right. You could join the Coast Guard or Air Force if they'd have you, and be much safer, but still get the benefits mentioned above. Air Force is choosy, but if the Coast Guard would have you, you might want to try them over the Army or the Marines. If you must choose one, the Army, or the Marines, the Army is the hands down winner.
My boyfriend's sister's husband is in the Coast Guard and they live in a cool seaside town in Rhode Island. They also have neat stations in Alaska and stuff that guys who don't have families tend to take.
How about the circus? Have you considered joining the circus? Just think--traveling, animals, pedophilia, i mean, srsly, does it get any better than that?
He knows a bunch of people who joined the marines, obviously.
oh my, you people are such freaks sometimes. I never said 'ID ONLY JOIN DA MARINES CUZ I KNOW SOME PEEPS THAT DID IT, SO ITZ GOTTA BE LEGIT, GET IT?" I just think it's a more honorable program than the army and more elite with better traditions, there's a legitimate reason I know way more people that join the Marines as opposed to the Army.
That being said, I'd never join either, ever, mostly because I'm just not willing to put my life at risk like that. But I do have the utmost respect for those that actually have that kind of bravery.
You could join the Coast Guard or Air Force if they'd have you, and be much safer, but still get the benefits mentioned above
Seaman is still in the Navy. When he was in Iraq they gave him the easiest job ever (guarding the terrorists in jail), now he's in Japan.
I hard that the men in the Army make fun of the Navy/Coast Guard people, and call them pussies. I believe that the Marines look down upon the Army, Navy, Air Force since they consider themselves much stronger. Is this true? Marines are the hottest!
The Marines consider everyone else pussies, the Army considers the Air Force and Navy pussies (it's called "Air Force Gloves" when you walk around with your hands in your pockets) and the Marines dumber than a box of rocks but not pussies, and the Air Force and Navy considers the other services to be dumber than a box of rocks, but that's only if they can get down off their luxurious high horses long enough to give a crap about those so far beneath them.
Yo Masteel, thanks for the info...I think I'm gonna join the Army...I think I'm too much of a slacker for the Marines...I'm in good physical shape...I work out every day...I can do 50 push-ups on the drop of a dime...I used to be a distance runner for the track team in high school...You think that'd be good enough for the Army?
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at 6:51 PM Edited Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at 6:52 PM
Yeah, Sas, that'll be plenty good. I'm not vouching that this is the current physical fitness standards for the Army, looks right for when I was in eons ago (not much changes), you'll be superstar.
Whoa, this thread. yeah, this is had to get it on, btw.
Well, at the risk of sounding like a total pussy, i'm glad i never joined the Marine Corps. More importantly, thank god I'm not still working at that shithole I was working at when I made this thread.
Aw, thanks for asking. As of today, I'm officially on vacation until either July 28th or August 11th. The new baby is now a toddler, a little over 16 months old. We have another new addition to the family, a tiny kitten named Eli, only 5 weeks old. I'm leaving for Virginia next Friday to visit my family for several weeks and the whole family is going to Myrtle Beach to celebrate my mom and dad's 50th anniversary which is July 5th (also bguirk's birthday so, yanno, lemme tell ya happy birthday now cuz I won't be available then). Oh yeah, and I won tickets to go see Cake at Caesar's tomorrow so I'm all stoked for that. That's about it. :D
