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Permalink Reply by greengeekgirl on March 3, 2011 at 3:07am

A family member is just coming home from many years overseas in the military--if you asked him, he would probably advise against it.  He's become incredibly disillusioned with the whole thing, and says that the military operations overseas are not, in his opinion (in many opinions) being handled well, which can be incredibly frustrating to soldiers who are just trying to do their jobs.  I think that if people who want to join talk to some actual servicemen, ones who will open up a little, they can get a much more accurate picture of what life in the military is right now.

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Permalink Reply by Les M on March 3, 2011 at 3:31am

Thats a good idea, when I talk to my nephew I will ask him to talk to people who have already served, another thing to look at is what good is the US military doing in the country's they are fighting in and what are their objectives and are the results of the actions in those wars producing results that are worth the blood and money that are being spent there? 

 

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Permalink Reply by Tommy H. Yeargin, Jr. on March 5, 2011 at 8:29pm

It's a noble thing to do, joining the military that is, but I wouldn't let the recruiter sell you the world in order to get you to sign up. That's what happened to me many years ago (this was late 1980's, before Gulf War I).
The military is not for everyone, and I simply wouldn't join just to have a job. It's a totally different world than being a civilian; you have to WANT to be a soldier/sailor/airman/marine. 
I have two family members--brothers--one signed up because he always wanted to be in the army, ever since he was a little kid. The other signed up because his daddy told him to get off his lazy butt and get a job. Well, the one who joined because he wanted to is doing very wel; he's going through advanced training right now in Texas. The one who joined just for a job, well, he didn't make it through basic training. He'll be home in a couple weeks.
So keep that in mind while considering military service, and don't let the recruiters make wild promises just to get you to join. After all, this is AT LEAST two years or more you're giving up to serve our country.
Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Tommy H. Yeargin, Jr. on March 5, 2011 at 8:31pm

One more thing: I never did join the military. I forgot to mention that. At the time, I was too busy running around with my girlfriend (now my wife of almost 19 years). 

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Permalink Reply by Les M on March 5, 2011 at 8:46pm

When I look at what is being accomplished in Afghanistan and Iraq by the US military it seem like it is a complete waste of precious lives and sparse resources and for what end?
If it is to help the people of Afghanistan and Iraq it doesn't seem to be doing that to me
and if it is to protect the US from terrorism it doesn't seem to be doing that either.

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Permalink Reply by Johno on March 7, 2011 at 4:07am

that's a young wife. you lucky thing.

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Permalink Reply by Don on March 5, 2011 at 9:08pm

There are, of course, noble reasons to serve in the military, but to have a job isn't one of them.  Military training teaches young people to obey orders without question or hesitation, to accede to the will of the driven herd, and to use their physical and mental skills to prevail in combat; that is, to kill the enemy. 

On balance, these are not wholesome or desirable attitudes for a person to acquire early in life.  They can be debilitating psychologically, and if these forcefully instilled attitudes and skills are pressed into service, the implications for health later in life can often be suspect.  Better to attend school and train to master a needed workplace skill than to look for validation and potential promise after military service.

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Permalink Reply by Les M on March 5, 2011 at 9:27pm

Nicely stated defending one's country is a good reason to be part of the military so long as your country is doing the best for its people and the world but it doesn't seem to me that that's what the US is doing.

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Permalink Reply by Michael R on March 7, 2011 at 10:36am

Don, Based on what you've written there doesn't seem to be any noble reasons to serve in the military. However, you stated that there are noble reasons. What might those be?

 

BTW Les, joining the military "just to have a job" is the choice many have made. I don't think its a good reason, but it is what it what is. You need to think about that one real hard. The military is not just another job. Another tidbit, you will be placed where they need you, not where you what to be. It doesn't matter if you have the greatest skills ever for a cook. If they need an grunt more that is where you will go (grunt = soldier/marine that does the shooting).

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Permalink Reply by Don on March 7, 2011 at 10:52am

You mean, "...there don't seem to be any noble reasons..."  ;)

To put it simply and grandly, the defense of one's home and one's freedoms, when they are under attack or gravely threatened by greedy or hateful military powers is a noble reason to serve.  If I had been a Frenchman at the time of the Nazi occupation I would have fought for my country and my people.

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Permalink Reply by Les M on March 7, 2011 at 4:45pm

yes their are noble reasons to serve, but if you serve you need to know for sure that the threat is real, with the distortion of the main stream press many people are making bad choices based of incorrect information. the mainstream press today in the US is under the control of only a few major corporations who also profit form war it seems and have interests that are counter to those of most of us, they help form the ideas that people have of whats going on in the world. they can profit mightily by distorting the truth.

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Permalink Reply by Don on March 7, 2011 at 5:03pm

There is plenty of suspect mainstream reporting, for sure, and yet without question there remain influential, reliable, widely read publications of substance whose editors hire scrupulous reporters with integrity and determination.  The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and many more, offer the best writing on major, controversial subjects to broad audiences of discriminating readers.  The problem for many citizens today is that they lack the ability to tell good information from bad, or they lack the knowledge of where to look for information, preferring to be given analyses that support their prejudices and preconceptions.  With the great fragmentation of information sources in this age (from Mother Jones to Fox, People to HuffPo), it can be harder than ever for the average person to avoid misinformation and demagoguery.

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