aspie wants to join military- advice/opinions please?

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RRguy
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23 Aug 2007, 9:56 pm

Im an aspie whos a sophomore in high school and i have been dreaming about joining the military for a long time. I like the self esteem and pride being in the military gives you. I think it would be cool telling people you're in the service. But then theres aspergers in the way: I have horrible coordination i cant catch a ball and am unathletic, im a nerd, im easily intimidated, i cant multi task and have trouble folling instructions(adhd) i have social anxiety, im oversensitive, set in my ways, etc. Whenever i tell someone i want to join the military they just laugh in disbelief and tell me that i couldnt be possible because im slow and wimpy and all that other crap. I need some advice about joining the military from anybody- a civilan or srviceman. Thanks!! !! !



LKL
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23 Aug 2007, 9:59 pm

Don't do it.

Or, at least, go to college first and enter as an officer.



username88
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23 Aug 2007, 10:06 pm

Hatebreed -
My blood
Your honor
Everyone has a destiny
Ill choose my own!

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"A war with no honor is death with no point." -Me



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24 Aug 2007, 1:38 am

In the late-80s, I thought about becoming a career military guy. I'm VERY thankful that someone persueded me not to. Life is hard, but it's better not having to serve under idiots or die in a pointless war - or even worse - survive a pointless war.


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Flagg
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24 Aug 2007, 1:41 am

Flismflop wrote:
In the late-80s, I thought about becoming a career military guy. I'm VERY thankful that someone persuaded me not to. Life is hard, but it's better not having to serve under idiots or die in a pointless war - or even worse - survive a pointless war.


Once you enter the battlefield the only exit is death. It utterly destroys who you were.

It's the sacrifice every solider makes.


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phenomenon
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24 Aug 2007, 1:52 am

Joining the Air Force is one of the few good things in my life. A lot of the other cadets I work with are a bunch of pricks but I finally met my best friend on a TDY. Also working active duty is so much different from ROTC, so that helps to keep pushing you forward. Every commander I've had has said I'm one of the best cadets and will be a great officer, even though I don't have any friends in my wing and people think I'm weird. I don't know about going enlisted, because by and large, airmen are ret*d as*holes (not basing that on any one bad experience, just from years and years interacting with them you start to see a pattern), and I don't know how well the other branches treat you, but the AF treats its people the best and it's all I can ever imagine doing.



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24 Aug 2007, 2:31 am

There are other ways to achieve the same goals. There is only one purpose to the machine, only one.

I got through it. I didn't know things about myself that you do. Yet you and I share an awful lot of the same things. I had coordination and was athletic, certianly no star, but I could do them. There was a war on then too. I didn't make a choice to go in, I was told to. I suspect I may have had a form of PTSD before I went in or at least it was building up to the full blown. The experiance pushed it over the top. There were a few positive things about it, but nothing I couldn't have learned else where. I have very intense mixed emotions about it to this day. That was over 35 years ago. I would rather not have them.

If you think for a second being an officer is a cake walk, think again. You might find yourself in a situation where not only are you responsable for yourself, but your ability to make decisions correctly, is someone elses life or death. You ready to shoulder that just because you have a colllege degree? You very well my find yourself in the same spot, just being enlisted. But count on it even if you aren't in charge someone is making a decision that may well decide if you live or die. There is only one purpose to the machine, never forget it.

There are those that come to this site still in the services and there are those that have been in. They will have a different point of view and that's fine, this is just me. Alot of getting through it is setting your mind to do it, that's one of the lessons of basic training, I can do this, I will do this, it's in me to do it and it was. You can do that else where. There is only one reason for the machine, only one, never forget it, because the guy on the other side is thinking the very same thing. There is no glory in that at all, that is make believe if you think other wise. That world is no dream, but it can haunt you the rest of your life. You can learn self esteem and pride just fine else where, those things are not hand outs just because you were in. You have to earn them.

Hope this helped a little. It's not an easy choice sometimes. But no matter which way you pick, do it well, do it very well.


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postpaleo
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24 Aug 2007, 2:56 am

phenomenon wrote:
Joining the Air Force is one of the few good things in my life. A lot of the other cadets I work with are a bunch of pricks but I finally met my best friend on a TDY. Also working active duty is so much different from ROTC, so that helps to keep pushing you forward. Every commander I've had has said I'm one of the best cadets and will be a great officer, even though I don't have any friends in my wing and people think I'm weird. I don't know about going enlisted, because by and large, airmen are ret*d as*holes (not basing that on any one bad experience, just from years and years interacting with them you start to see a pattern), and I don't know how well the other branches treat you, but the AF treats its people the best and it's all I can ever imagine doing.


Let me get this straight please correct me where I'm wrong. You're a cadet. You think the other cadets by and large are a bunch of pricks. You've been told your going to be a great officer. You think the guys under (by and large) you are a bunch of ret*d as*holes. That was interesting. I've met your kind before, yes I did. Like to know your future?


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24 Aug 2007, 3:08 am

postpaleo wrote:
phenomenon wrote:
Joining the Air Force is one of the few good things in my life. A lot of the other cadets I work with are a bunch of pricks but I finally met my best friend on a TDY. Also working active duty is so much different from ROTC, so that helps to keep pushing you forward. Every commander I've had has said I'm one of the best cadets and will be a great officer, even though I don't have any friends in my wing and people think I'm weird. I don't know about going enlisted, because by and large, airmen are ret*d as*holes (not basing that on any one bad experience, just from years and years interacting with them you start to see a pattern), and I don't know how well the other branches treat you, but the AF treats its people the best and it's all I can ever imagine doing.


Let me get this straight please correct me where I'm wrong. You're a cadet. You think the other cadets by and large are a bunch of pricks. You've been told your going to be a great officer. You think the guys under (by and large) you are a bunch of ret*d as*holes. That was interesting. I've met your kind before, yes I did. Like to know your future?


Somehow I get the feeling this is going to be entertaining.

Lay it on us.


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postpaleo
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24 Aug 2007, 4:09 am

Out for blood are we? lol

Have to wait not sure if he's speaking about the one my father was in or the one my son was in or, maybe the one my cousin is in with 3 tours in Iraq. Doesn't sound like any of them yet. I think I'm going to be entertained as well. If he doesn't hurry up I'm going to throw a big ass box of medals at him from my dead ret*d as*hole father. Come here kid, I want to play a game.


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Flagg
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24 Aug 2007, 4:13 am

postpaleo wrote:
Out for blood are we? lol

Have to wait not sure if he's speaking about the one my father was in or the one my son was in or, maybe the one my cousin is in with 3 tours in Iraq. Doesn't sound like any of them yet. I think I'm going to be entertained as well. If he doesn't hurry up I'm going to throw a big ass box of medals at him from my dead ret*d as*hole father. Come here kid, I want to play a game.


I'm always out for a good flame.

Hard to find on the web today though.


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24 Aug 2007, 6:25 am

Flagg wrote:
Flismflop wrote:
In the late-80s, I thought about becoming a career military guy. I'm VERY thankful that someone persuaded me not to. Life is hard, but it's better not having to serve under idiots or die in a pointless war - or even worse - survive a pointless war.


Once you enter the battlefield the only exit is death. It utterly destroys who you were.

It's the sacrifice every solider makes.


Untrue. Aspies aren't affected so much by scenes of war, either.

Go to college, join as an officer. It pays better, and you could become a General one day!


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24 Aug 2007, 10:08 am

wait until the war is over :P