The U.S. Army is just not worth it!!

Hello everyone. Im here to talk about my past and present situation of my enlistment in the Army. I first joined the Army back in mid 2003 after I ran out of money for college. At the time, I was 18 and signed up for a 6 year contract, got a 12,000$ bonus and got sent to Fort Sill in Oklahoma. Ever since I got to my hot and humid location, I have always wondered why the most powerful country in the world has the worst equipment in all aspects. Training soldiers with low-grade weapons and crappy gear just wasn't in my expectations. After making it through basic and AIT training I was sent to Bamberg, Germany C btry 1- 6 FA( in Dec 2003 only to deploy to Iraq in feb 2004. I was not fully trained or had the best in equipment, so I wondered why would the government send us here with preparations not complete. I saw more action that whole year then I did in my future deployments to Iraq. When we returned to Bamberg around march 2005 I was living life to the fullest. I was going to multiple clubs and bringing back beautiful German women back to the barracks and always had plenty to drink.

I was even lucky enough to take a tour of Berlin and it looked magnificent. Unfortunately my unit was shutting down and had to send nearly everyone to other duty stations. I had a choice of going to 1-7 and risk getting deployed again in a few months or go to Fort Bliss, Texas to avoid a speedy deployment, guess which one I chose . I was sad to leave Germany and all the splendors it had to offer, but I wanted to get away from the desert so I left Nov 2005. Things got worse when I arrived to Fort Bliss in El paso Texas as most of the outskirts of the city was nothing more then a desert, I was pissed ! I got sent to Iraq again at the end of Oct 2006 and didnt see too much combat except for multiple IED and VBIED attacks. I was really getting tired of the course that I was in and I just didnt want to be in deserts anymore so I vowed to never reenlist because I knew our time in Iraq was just for oil based on the missions that we conducted at the time( guard oil pipe lines from terrorists). We came back to the States in Dec 2007 and I found myself once again in the desert of El paso. Fast forward to mar 2009. I was a few months away from being a civilian again, I was so happy and glad that I was months away from living a normal life and getting away from the violence and the killing that I did in my previous deployments, but most important of all no more deserts for extended periods of time. All was going according to plan until that fateful day I was given dreadful news. I got STOP-LOSSED .

I was so very close to obtaining my freedom and going to college, but the government smashed my dreams into fragments and left me heavily depressed. By may 2009 I found myself in Kuwait and then Iraq . So here I am to this present day oct 25 2009, 24 years old wishing I was home in the West Coast with my family instead of fighting for the corporations to make a quick buck. I am still amazed that I am still alive after all that I have endured between 2003 to 2009 and am still stuck being a pawn in a never ending game of getting the rich richer while we die. I can no longer afford to be naive of the current situation with this war in the middle east. I hope I can reach out to everyone to never join any military group no matter what they offer. I am no longer a fighter of freedom but a slave to the government and its profiteering. Please don't get brainwashed like I did and let your family members or best friends join the military, its just not worth sacfificing your life for the corporations. At least let my sacrifice have some meaning and spread the word that there is more to life then war and money. If you have any questions of me, feel free to ask and I will reply as fast as my internet lets me.

[edit on 25-10-2009 by Stop-loss!]

[edit on 25-10-2009 by Stop-loss!]

No one should ever join the military, i thought of joining the navy in uk years ago when my life was destroyed, but when you weigh the positives and negatives together no way.

Glad you may help someone back down from joining them.

yes, i hope to let people learn from my mistakes so that they can live a better life, I just hope their wise enough to listen.

Originally posted by Stop-loss!
yes, i hope to let people learn from my mistakes so that they can live a better life, I just hope their wise enough to listen.

You may help more people staying away from those things then you do by using and doing what ever you do in your job.

Its one thing to tell your story, but another to discourage people from protecting this great country. You know just as well as I do that the army is what YOU make of it. The Army has been great to me.

hang in the bro!!! is there a ominous feeling with your buds? with all the funk happening - politically - economically - morality.. i cannot imagine being in the service during this time frame... I am a veteran of the gulf war and i hear you.... later

hang in the bro!!! is there a ominous feeling with your buds? with all the funk happening - politically - economically - morality.. i cannot imagine being in the service during this time frame... I am a veteran of the gulf war and i hear you.... later

reply to post by Stop-loss!


Correct me If I am wrong, but Stop Loss has been stopped al together. So what Kind of # you smoking? I was stopped loss durning the Surge in 2006-2007, You guyss arent doing to much over there right... So whats your boon-doggle, there mister liar?

i.abcnews.com...

Funny thing is it was stopped in march of this year,-)

reply to post by poedxsoldiervet


My ETS date was on Jul 30 2009, so why am I here in Iraq? Also I am getting paid 500$ extra because of it. Get your facts straight before coming up with this crap and don't believe everything the news tells you.

I spent 20 fantastic years in the U.S. Air Force, spent 6 months in the Saudi desert during Desert Shield/Storm/Calm that was educational and fun, and retired months before the Comm squadron I was in deployed to Afghanistan in 2003. I had tours in Germany and the UK that were great, and got to work with a lot of great people through those years.

yeah, I really miss Germany, especially Berlin. If only I was there now instead of this middle eastern country.

Bush gave all the good equipment and funds to his private partners in black water. Cause he doesn't care about US troops.

reply to post by onpoint


What is your MOS and how many times did you get deployed? I can imagine the army being nice to you if you have a sweet desk job, but like most combat vets like myself, i go on the other side of the Wire.

I think you're due more than $500 per.

I think you're due a pity party. Gee, I'd hate to see your entire life's plan for all time ruined. I mean, it isn't as though you're going to have any life left by the time you ETS.

Hey, you signed up, you had your reasons, and military need takes precedent over your plans.

Unless you're terminal, with only a few more weeks to go, you'll get out and life will go on.

Somehow, I don't think life is going to turn out too well for you.

You make the best of every setback, or you will have one, long-assed, miserable existence.

Life, friend, is one big **** sandwich.

And you're going to have to take a bite every now and then at the most "inconvenient" times.

Cowboy up and quit whining.

It's NEVER going to get any better.

Today is ALL you have.

Ever.

reply to post by onpoint


What is your MOS and how many times did you get deployed? I can imagine the army being nice to you if you have a sweet desk job, but like most combat vets like myself, i go on the other side of the Wire.

reply to post by dooper


Thanks for keeping it real Dooper, I was being kind of selfish wasn't I? I guess im just gonna have to face the fact that anyday now im going to get blown and there is nothing I can do about it.

Click here for more information.

reply to post by Stop-loss!

Stop - jeez, I may have been a bit hard, but in time, you'll realize that this is just a little character builder.

I volunteered for combat three times, and I volunteered to extend my tour three times. It was like the job wasn't finished - somewhat - but mostly because I was running out on my buddies.

Do you REALLY think I WANTED to do that? Do you really think I didn't have other things to do? You think I didn't miss home as much as the next guy? Think I didn't want to hug that little coochie I left behind - or some other if things had changed?

I'm trying to get across that today is all you have. This moment is all you have, and to waste a portion of it being pissed off, or miserable, or hurt because things didn't turn out according to plan - is one big waste!

My uncle told me when I was a kid that he would have just as good a day as he made his mind up that morning that he was going to have.

If he made up his mind it would be good, then no one - and he reiterated NO ONE could spoil his day or piss him off.

You're young. If a kid is ten, one year is equal to one-tenth of his entire life. When he's twenty, a year is one-twentieth of his life.

It goes much faster after that. Trust me.

You want this time to fly by? Volunteer for every patrol, every sweep, every action. You stay so busy, and so exhausted, I guarantee, you'll be home before you know it.

Might get killed? So?

You don't really think you're getting out of this life alive, do you?

It's not the destination.

It's the trip. It's how you got there. That's what matters.

That's the only thing that matters.

The busier you are, the more you meet your dreads, the sooner you'll realize the secret.

The secret?

An ability, hard-earned . . . very hard earned . . . to fully delight in and appreciate each breath, every kiss of the sunshine, every sip of refreshing water - and every moment.

Get busy.

You don't have as much time as you think.

I'm not in the military and I probably won't ever be, but I've noticed that this is a perennial and polarizing debate for those in the ranks. Either the military is the best or worst thing that ever happened to you.

I don't think these are mutually exclusive statements.

Some people will love the military and some will hate it. However, I think it is important to note that the Department of Defense sells a huge load of crap when they, in their uber-expensive marketing campaign, claim that the military is awesome and super-cool no matter who you are.

I don't know why you are attacking this person for coming clean of his mistreatment from a corrupted, souless institution such as the US Army. If it wasn't for the blatant corruption and misuse of the Army by the Government he would have no reason to bitch.

But lets face facts, two illegal wars in the Middle East lying to a nation that this is for protection and nothing to do with Oil and Opium is not exactly impressing the world.

The US Army has been hijacked by Evil and may as well be the strong arm of fascism not freedom in the world today.

I'd leave Hitlers army, if I knew who Hitler truly was. How is American fascism any different today? Oh right, no concentration camps and the progress of imperialism is much slower paced as not to be too loud on the world stage.

The US invaded Iraq and Afghanistan illegally and no 9/11 doesn't make it right.

It's wrong, evil, immoral, corrupt, criminal, and full of war crimes... keep supporting it you stooges. Keep empowering evil.