Should I join the US armed forces?

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In the US it has to do with how well you score on your ASVAB and current needs of the particular branch of the service.


It's also that way in the US for the obvious reason that anyone might be needed to help defend the base from terrorist attacks or from being overrun. Also to participate in other security details. Additionally, it's just part of the military culture and another way to depussify and/or weed out new recruits.

Everybody requires Basic Training--even reservists.

" depussify "- how MANLY of you ! !! !! !! !! !!









e="Raptor"]

In the US it has to do with how well you score on your ASVAB and current needs of the particular branch of the service.


It's also that way in the US for the obvious reason that anyone might be needed to help defend the base from terrorist attacks or from being overrun. Also to participate in other security details. Additionally, it's just part of the military culture and another way to depussify and/or weed out new recruits.[/quote]

Yes, I'm a big believer in depussification from having dealt with those in the real world that needed it and never got it.

So not joining the military=living a cowardly, fearful life without ever knowing how far they can go?

Interesting concept, though I'd tend to disagree. Also I'd say its a personal decision, they shouldn't not join just because someone over the internet brings up reasons why it isn't the best idea for everyone anymore than they should join just because someone on the internet told them it was a good idea. It is a serious commitment from what I understand, so if one is not willing to commit to that and risk being the first to be put in harms way should a conflict occur that the U.S gets involved in they might want to consider some other options.

Also I have talked to people that have been in the military, who wouldn't just outright recommend it to everyone...if anything infering joining is the right choice and not doing so is the wrong choice seems irresponsible, it really depends on the individual or do you think everyone is fit for military service regardless of any and all circumstances?

Plenty of people probably have joined for those reasons while either being willfully ignorant or mis-informed about some of the less appealing aspects. Point is that is a risk that comes with it that does not come with a lot of other jobs so rather than downplaying it its good if people are aware, of what all they are signing up for even the not so appealing bits to make an informed decision.

That is quite a hefty assumption to make about all posters here who aren't fully encouraging military service...or maybe some people here just want people to think such a serious decision through, rather than just jumping into something like that right out of highschool...and if you count taking issue with some government policies and disliking some things about the system as america bashing sure.

Sure in your fantasy world all that is 100% fact, in the real world expressing the opinion joining the military might not be the best idea in all cases or pointing out some of the risks involved...is hardly the same thing as encouraging everyone to lay around collecting SSDI...I collect SSI and i spend maybe about 10% of the time 'laying around' I have people I care about that I have to devote some time to, I am going to therapy and other appointments, have to go out and do grocery and other shopping, I don't drive so plenty of walking to get around....

That aside I hardly think everyone should just collect disability, people who have a disability and cannot work due to it probably should especially if they don't have family to help them out financially...if someone can succeed at a job, college or even the military and they get what they want in life great I am not one to discourage that.

Why this thread has to turn into a 'lets all make nasty assumptions about anyone who expresses anything other than, "AMERICA F*** YEAH JOIN UP!" and make blanket generalizations about them especially if they happen to collect disability" fest I don't get but whatever.

Also as has already been pointed out a lot of people in and outside the U.S are concerned when our government appears to be acting irresponsibly or in a way that hurts the rest of the world, since it is such a significant power in the world...but now you have to blow up your ego and assume its pure jealousy and no one could possibly have any valid reason to disagree whatsoever with The Great U.S.A or any of its policies regardless of how they effect the people here and/or in the rest of the world, quite irrational. Also I can't speak for everyone but I do not feel 'being pissed off about not getting more free stuff' has anything to do with anything I've posted in this thread, does anyone feel what they have posted is a direct result of that? perhaps we ought to take a survey....You certainly are not expressing your critical thinking skills.

The military does have some aspects that are unappealing and that's why I only stayed in for one term. Not everyone can adapt and I did advise the OP to give serious thought to any decision and do lots and lots of research. What I outlined in the post that you're taking issue with are some of the positive aspects of military service in contrast to some of the nay sayers equating military service as a death sentence. Fnord and I are both veterans so we know a little about what we speak as opposed to those who have not served. Again, most military personnel serve in support roles and do not go out and clash with the enemy as part of their MOS. Worse case scenario it may happen but probably won't. Overall, I found it to be a rather safety conscious occupation.

The problem is you and your kind in this thread are giving advice to someone seeking it with no grounding in fact or experience.


As I've said before, I support a social safety net but not a social safety hammock.


If so it was in response to the unfounded naysaying of you and some others.


Let's face it, the wold would be crappier and less safe place if Americans in uniform weren't marching, flying, and sailing over it with big guns.

-Me and 'my kind', what exactly is 'my kind'? Also I am basing my opinion on conversations I've had with people who have been in the military as well as any research I've done on it as well as my reasons I decided not to choose that path for myself don't see how that is invalid to this thread. Also though I am not claiming to speak from experience I don't have just pointing out its not a good thing to just jump into without weighing the pros and cons. If the poster specified they only want advice of people who have served than I wouldn't have bothered posting...but looks like they just generally asked on a public forum full of all kinds of different people with different experiences.

-Well we certainly do not have a social safety hammock in this country, where do you draw the line though?

-Unfounded naysaying? see it's that attitude that pisses people off, this thread was posted in such a way it appears to be open to input from anyone here...so just flat out claim any opinion you disagree with is 'unfounded' is plain condescending you don't know why people have formed the opinions they have.

-Also lets face that we have no idea how things would be if there was no U.S.A, we don't know how the hell things would have turned out had this country never came into existence, so you cannot say with 100% certainty that the world is better off...you'd have to go back in time and get rid of the U.S to see and that is not possible currently.

When I tried to join, they refused to take me, but they did save my life. Well, they found a condition that needed to be fixed that would have resulted in my death if it went untreated for another year or two.

There were maybe about 50 or 60 of us in a big room. They had us stand in a big square and drop our pants. Two doctors started going in opposite directions from the nearest corner listening to the heart and checking for hernias.

I was only about the third from the corner where they started. When the doctor got to me, he stopped and listened and listened and listened. By the time he went on, the other doctor was already more than halfway around. Then when they got done, they both came back and listened for a while more.

A week later, they sent me to a heart specialist. He diagnosed me with a bad heart valve.

Three months later, about a month before I turned 21, I checked into a heart center for probable surgery. After tests, they said that I do have a bad heart valve that would have to be operated on later, but that wasn't the big problem -- I had a hole between two chambers of the heart. The doctor said that if I didn't have the surgery, I would be dead within five years. From what I've found out since, if they had waited much longer, they wouldn't have even tried heart surgery but would have needed to do a heart lung transplant instead. At that time, I think the record for living after a heart lung transplant was just a few months.

In other words, taking the military physical resulted in a sequence of steps that saved my life. Without them, I would not have lived much past the age of 25 and probably not even that long.

You and your kind being those who haven't served. You don't have any pros and cons to give anyone. No one told LonelyJar to just jump into the military, either.


We don't??


It is unfounded naysaying if you have nothing to base your opinion on. "I didnt think I could hack being in the military so it's not right for you, either" or "Why go off and die in someone else's war?" or whatever is unfounded naysaying.


What I meant was we (the US of A) taken on the role of the world's shepherd since the post WW2/cold war era. What would it be like if we totally stopped and left the rest of the world on their own. No more aid of any kind, no more trade, no more having our military sort other people's messes out at our expense, none of our intelligence assets keeping the good guys up to date on what the bad guys are up to. How long before the sheep of the world missed us when there was no one around to konk the world's wolves over the head with our big stick?

It's Sunday, roll yourself a doobie and chill.

-I have said time and time again I have talked to people who have served in the military and gotten their perspective, I have looked into it....even talked to military recrutors a few years back when I was considering the idea, got information from them about it and determined it would not be a good decision. So while I do not have first hand experience being in it I am not completely ignorant on the topic which means I do so know of some pros and cons.

-In which way do we have a safety hammock in this country? For instance disability income keeps you right below the poverty line at best, now I am not complaining as I am grateful that help is available...but with that I still need medicaid and food stamps and even with all that yeah its scraping by. So point is its not the lavish luxary life you seem to think it is to have to depend on the social safety 'net'.

-Also where do you get I have 'nothing' to base my opinion on, once again have talked to people who have served, did my own research when I was considering it as well as inquired about information from recrutors, and I have updated myself on various military related news which includes things like PTSD being an issue among even current people serving or recently discharged and a uncomfortably high suicide rate. I also did not say 'don't join because I don't think I could have made it' that was not my reason, I added that later in discussion and feel for a lot of people that have simular issues as mine it might not be a good idea....for all I know the OP is nothing like me, that was just my perspective, but its not 'baseless' as I did base it on aqquired information on the subject.

/\
Again; YOU-WEREN'T-IN
Period.

To say, "I have talked to people who have served in the military" and then claim first-hand knowledge on the subject makes one a poseur - a faker who doesn't really know what he or she is talking about. If the closest you've ever come to being a combat veteran is to talk to one, then you simply do not know what it is like to actually be a combat veteran. Maybe you can "Talk the Talk", but you have never "Walked the Walk", and that is what makes it easy for us real veterans to spot a poseur with no difficulty at all.