How do aspies do in the armed forces?

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Do they end up like Gomer Pyle?

who's Gomer Pyle?

I'm referring to the guy from the movie Full Metal Jacket.

HAHAHAHA, thats awsome! R Lee Ermey is the man, he may be old. but he still kicks alot of ASS!! !

SIR YES SIR!

Heh, in seriousness tho I think that for me anyways, structure is important, and any branch of the service you go in they train ya in their bootcamp about order, disipline and structure, I doubt any aspie would have a problem with that. Maby being told what to do. And of course, when its time for actual combat, being shipped out, that may be difficult not only because of sensory issues but also a desire to not be in a totally alien environment, no change. Combat is the big question for me, I mean, I always wonder if I could handel it, im a good shot and feel had I joined I could be good, but then again im not sure, confusion and choas is part of any battlefeild, 21st century technology or not, and I just wonder how I (or any other HFA/AS) would fair. We may have the training and know what to do, or would we basicly crash and shutdown, pretty bad in a combat situation.

I bet their are aspies in the military, they probably do computer work, behind the scenes because of the technological savvy and intelligence. Aspies may be more suited to that kind of work then say... front line infantry. Thats all fine and good, but I would love to just sit down and talk to an aspie or HFA on the front line fighting with a gun.

If anyone finds info out their definatly post will ya, please pretty please, i have always wondered this. If you dont then YOU ARE A WORTHLESS MAGGOT AND NOW YOU WILL DROP DOWN AND GIVE ME 20!

I think it would depend on the Aspie. We have different abilities and problem areas like everyone else. To be in the military the person would have to be pretty high functioning. Those who are lower functioning or had too bad cordination issues wouldn't do as well as those who didn't have these problems. Concerning the ability to be in the military and/or excell there would depend on the individual regardless of them being NT, AS, or HFA.

I'm not so sure an Aspy would do well in the service.

Although there are some areas you will find structure... it's not always logical.
There are endless rules for everything a soldier/sailor does, but behind it all are people... many of whom play the power aspect of their position quite well... in a not-so-nice way.

While you aren't expected to be buddy-buddy with everyone(you are expected to be part of the team), you are thrown into groups with a diverse sense of mission, direction, attitude, even when it's supposedly all laid out for everyone to start with.
I cannot think of any job in the military where you will be able to work alone and be 'left to your own devices'( I can think of a couple of rare positions where you could be for a little while, but in the end you'll be back with groups again).
I do not know about computer jobs and intelligence(if you mean the folks who sit in offices looking over information etc.) specifically.
I just know that besides the work, there are constant headgames going on between people.
You'd be pretty lucky if you wound up on a team of folks who all had their s**t together and got along well.
The endless struggle for promotion turns too many people into a**holes.

I have ADD/HD and I lasted 11 months, 2 weeks, 2 days, in the Army.
I couldn't stand the stupid backstabbing and games everyone was playing with each other.
I couldn't stand being in the barracks with all those people. Especially when all they liked to do was gripe and groan about everything, and do their best to get out of work, and in their off time.... drink alcohol, or get stoned.

I spent almost all my off-duty time with my Pentax ME with motoradvance(my first REAL camera), walking the woods on post, taking pictures and being alone.

I was stationed in Missouri (Basic), Texas (AIT), Georgia (Jump School), and Ft. Bragg, N. Carolina (82nd Airborne).
No deserts (except for the sandy drop zones), all woods, great places to explore.

When I was on duty, I spent my time either in the sickbay (I was a medic) dealing with all the lazy jerks who were trying to get out of work... sometimes I'd see something medically valid and interesting, or out in the field.

Being out in the field was HEAVEN to me! We would either truck out (which I didn't care for), March out (which I didn't mind), or we flew out in helicopters (either jumping from them or point-insertions), or in C130's or C141's...


I would volunteer for any field duty... rain or shine. I loved being out there playing soldier. Especially when we were playing war, and I was with a rifle company. We'd be creeping around in the woods looking for the bad guys( or the good guys depending on which team we were on), planes and helicopters buzzing us overhead... just like I imagined when I was a kid.
In my short time in service, I got to do some pretty cool stuff.

I tried a couple of times to leave the 82nd (back then they were known as the Jumpin' Junkies) and fulfill my dream of being a Special Forces Medic...aka... a Green Beret.
I think I would have remained in the service if I had made it to Smoke-Bomb Hill (S.F. territory), but the 82nd wasn't releasing any medics for transfers.
I got really sick of life because most of my time was spent on post, in the barracks (we had our sickbay there too), and that with other reasons... my ADD/HD didn't help me in that specific environment (the barracks), but it would have helped me greatly in S.F. I believe.

Anyway, I finally got my discharge... a Full Honorable ... and spent many years regretting leaving... I found out civilian life wasn't any Disneyland either.

I would be interested in hearing stories about any Aspys who made it in the service.

Air Force was always pegged as easy, and more aligned with civilian life.
The Army was 'more military' than that.
The Navy wasn't thought of as being too tough, other than being on the water so much.
The Marine Corps was... well... as they say... U.S.M.C. stands for Uncle Sam's Misguided Children! Jarheads were always a hot-headed lot and pretty crazy.

btw... U.S.ARMY, stands for... Uncle Sam Ain't Release Me Yet... the difference between the Army and Marine slogans should help you to understand the general attitude in each

btw again... Since being out of the military, I have worked for the military as a civilian, several times, and my wife was in the military when I met her. So, I've been around the Army quite a bit, even though I didn't stay in long myself.

Just remember...
-Once your in, you can't just up and quit.
-If you get a lawful order to do something... you can't just choose to not do it, unless you want to face the repercussions, which can be quite harsh in different ways.
-You BELONG to the military... 24HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR!, until you have your discharge papers in hand... and even then... the military STILL has the power to pull you back in if they so choose. I have seen this happen more than once.
-Even though you may know how to do your job... some new officer, or NCO, will come and tell you how THEY want it done, and WHEN they expect it to be done by, whether or not it makes any sense.
-One general rule that applies to everything military... HURRY UP AND WAIT!

Other than that... it's a steady paycheck (when Finance doesn't screw things up), and it's great fun!

Last edited by wsmac on 10 Nov 2007, 10:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.

They may like it at first. It's one place where OCD is actually a virtue. However, they will eventually have difficulty fitting in. The whole life is somehow like a football game mentality gets old fast. When they realize that the the lowest common denominator in terms of intelligence is pretty low, both above and below them in the chain of command, they may start to rebel by either doing things their own way or seeking to improve upon other people's ways of doing things. Rocking the boat doesn't get you very far in the military. Fitting-in and conforming do, both difficult things for aspies. That was my experience anyway.

Basic Training is quite regimented and perhaps parts of it would be a dream for someone with OCD.
But that place is all mind-games too!
If you are not in the best physical shape, you'll be humpin your butt along with some drill sergeant on your back.
I'm not sure how much sensitivity training the drills get now-a-days (maybe they put little mints on the pillow of your bunk, now ), but their job is to see who can make it, and who can't... besides training you to follow commands... like a dog... and march in a tight formation.

I did not find the physical aspects of Basic to be tough. I was actually disappointed in that part of the Army.
The mind-games were what took me by surprise.
I don't like to be told or see other people being told that they have to do some meaningless thing because some other guy forgot to blouse his pantlegs into his boots properly, or some such thing.
It always seemed like a waste of time, and that sort of stuff I can't stand.
This idea that if you turn the whole pack against one member, then the target will not make the same mistake again, is what I'm talking about.

The theory is that you train someone to work as a team member because in combat, individualism gets people killed... not just yourself, but others as well. The methods they use to accomplish this mental training can be quite frustrating to someone who can't get past how stupid the punishments are when it involves the whole group for one individual's mistake... especially if the mistake seems small and unimportant.
This can be especially hard on the person who 'caused' the whole company to have to do extra work due to their actions.
Some of you 'teammates' can be quite unforgiving... especially the hardcore types who eat-sleep-breath being a soldier.
You make the right mistake, and your life can be hell from that point on.
I remember individuals crying and begging to be sent to another unit because of this isolationism and other treatment.

But... like I said above... maybe we have a new era of enlightenment in our military service! LOL

Gomer Pyle was a character spun off from the andy griffith show, and played by Jim Neighboors. Gomer was someone that was made to seem like an asexual kid almost that loved everything/everyone and failed at whatever the army tried to have him do, but succeeded in many other things. Frankly, he LOVED(as a brother/friend) his sargeant, and his sargeant hated his guts. His sargeant thought that he was far smarter than pyle, but the sargeant was actually quite dumb himself.

Anyway, I, like another here said HE was, would have done ok in the army, in general tasks. I would probably have nearly starved, because of the food, and wouldn't have wanted to room with the people, etc... I would start out hated, etc... and seeming inept, and would have done better, and had others taking credit for my work. Anyway, I got a taste of it through ROTC.

I was in the Air Force. I was reluctant to join because I thought I'd miss too much of what happened at home. Big mistake. After I joined up and got away I realized how F'ed up "home" really was.
After basic I went to tech school to be an aircraft maintenance specialist.
In that field you either work in the shops that repair parts/components that have been removed from the aircraft for more detailed work than can be performed on the aircraft on the flight line or hangar.

In the shops you have an advantage of working in more of a climatically controlled environment, usually more time off, less chance of deployment, not as many readiness exercises, and not getting your hands as dirty. On the down side this is where all the gossiping is done and head games are played. All the boot licking and backstabbing BS that a lot of us aspies aren’t very good at.

The flight line is everything in opposite. You’re outside a lot more because that’s where the aircraft are being launched and recovered. Most all of them are parked there even when flight operations aren’t in progress. Some are in the hangar but most aren’t. If it’s cold you freeze, if it’s hot you fry in it, if it rains you’re wet. You get cut, burned, zapped by fire contrlol radar, whack your head on the edge of a flap, horizontal stabilizer, or weapons pylon. All that and get hydraulic fluid and jet fuel on you, too When you’re not doing your job as a specialist you will likely be helping someone else do theirs. Also, a lot of team tasks like re-fuel and de-fuel, engine runs for maintenance, towing aircraft here and there, powered up ops checks, and whatnot. Usually all of this is 8 or 9 hour shifts but sometimes you have to work until whenever things are done. There is always a sortie schedule that has to be met no matter what. Then there are readiness exercises where you get to do all of the above in a full chemical warfare ensemble. Gas mask and all for 12 or more hour shifts. These can go on for weeks.
If the aircraft deploy so do you and that includes war.
This is where you learn that Air Force needs come first.
On the upside to this it was psychologically rewarding to me to work on the flight line where it all happens. The troops there are of a more hardy type that can stand the elements, real work, and longer hours. Not nearly as many boot lickers and gold brickers there. You're treated more as an adult and have more expected of you. If you're good at what you do you'll earn the respect of others.

The shops and the flight line are both under different squadrons but under the same wing.

My first assignment was 18 months at Eielson AFB near Fairbanks Alaska. There I worked in a shop for most of my tour there. The only time I ever liked that was when I was on night shift. Fewer people to deal with and not as much brass around to try to impress. Most night shifters are good troops to work with and I made some friends on that shift. All the ass kissers prefer day shift where they can get more visibility.

Next assignment was Cannon AFB near Clovis New Mexico. I worked the flight line there and mostly all on night shift. I wasn’t partial to the area but I liked the work better even though it was harder and more challenging. It was more challenging in a way that I could deal with.

All in all I found that most all air force people are more accepting of those of us that are different. I fit in better in that society and had more of a social life. Civilians, by comparison, are typically more clannish and judgmental even though they pretend not to be.
The reason for this, I believe, is that in the military you have people from everywhere in the country coming together for a common goal. Although on one hand there is strict uniformity on the other hand it’s also very diverse.

Like wsmac said. Once your in your in so make sure your can keep all you ducks in a row during your commitment. Or else!
And orders are orders and not requests. Follow them or suffer the consequences. And their will be consequences.
I knew a one striper airman (E-2) that while off duty was ordered not to operate his privately owned vehicle because a Staff Sergeant (E-5) thought he’d had too much to drink. He disregarded that order and got in his Nissan pickup and drove off. He didn’t get a DUI but did end up receiving a discharge under other than honorable conditions after time in confinemnt as a result of a general court-martial for refusing to obey an order. Yes, that can and did happen in this case.
The UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) can be a tough old b***h!

Even if you don’t take military service seriously there are plenty of others, mostly above you, that do take military service and national defense very seriously. Always remember that. In the just over four years that I was in I saw many discrepant individuals get raked over the coals.

If you're seriously considering going into the military I commend you for that alone. Just take a good look at yourself first and make sure you can fulfill that obligation and choose what branch you want to go into and what you want to do there wisely.

That was a GREAT post Raptor!
Thanks!

Eielson AFB

When we first moved up to Fairbanks, my wife was still in the service (we served at different times).
I joined the Eielson Air Club (or whatever it is called now), and was working on getting my private pilot's license.
It was a real kick in the pants to taxi in between those F16's, C130's and Warthogs, in a little Cessna
Scared the s**t out of me the first time one of those jets went screaming 500 ft. above us... didn't seem far enough away.

I also took a winter survival course there on post, put on by the surivival specialists.
Had a good time up there.

I like these last lines... they say a lot just by themselves...

How do aspies do in today's military?
They get their heads blown off in Baghdad just like the NTs in today's military.

Actually there are lots of service men & women who are not in Iraq or Afghanistan.

I don't believe the OP was looking for political debate over the military or our current affairs internationally.

wsmac wrote;

I'd never thought of applying for that school because I assumed it was only for aircrew personel. My NCOIC managed to get into a class, though, but it took a while to get it after he requested it. It would be good for someone who was going to be in Alaska for a long time and spend a lot of time out in the boonies. In your case it might have come in handy if you'd gone down in your Cesna out there.

I think some aspies would do very well in the armed forces, but I don't think personally that's a majority... I think the majority would struggle a lot.

From my naive perspective I would say no. I don't think I would be able to handle basic training. I'm fine with following orders, but I don't think I could handle being on the go 18 hours a day for weeks on end.

I know someone who went through basic training. He said that most of the stuff he had to do was not difficult, but after a while he got so sleep deprived that he couldn't function mentally and started slipping up. After the first couple weeks people were supposed to form bonds and help each other stay alert and on top of things. If you were a loner you didn't do so well.