What Would You Do if Your Child Said They Wanted To Join the Armed Forces?

If your child is old enough to join then he or she is an adult and you parents have to learn how to cut off the tit. The military can be a good learning experience and they could also receive good job training which could lead to good paying jobs after they get out. If parents aren't able to afford college the military can be a good way to pay for it without winding up in debt for 15 to 20 years.

reply to post by thesmokingman


Finish College First!! I admire youre child for wanting to protect our country!! If I could change anything about our US Military- I would not allow anyone under 30 years of age to go into active duty!! I would also raise the age of en-listment. They are taking children to young- Period!! They also need to be both physically and mentally pre-pared for what is to come!! I think anyone under 30 is a BABY and is not ready for such a Battle!! We must some-how change the age of active duty!! There are plenty of us older people whom would be willing to go!! Up the age of en-listment to 48 or even 50.

I just got back from Fort Bragg, NC a few months ago..there are Babies protecting the Gates!! I thought to myself--what the heck?? Where are the 40 year olds??? Dont put babies at the front gate!! They are no-where near being able!! It made me so sad to see such young people on the front lines protecting our country!!

Older people may not be as physically fit..but they are smarter!! So-what if they cant run the mile in 16 minutes..communications have improved and all they need is a radio...Come on Military..let the older guys back in whom want to fight the battle!! Save our young for after they pass the 30 year mark..keep them in training but do not send them to active duty!!

If an older guy cant do the physical stuff anylonger..let them work in another area..do not discard such important people!!

If I could go back in time..I would have went in the Air-Force!! I am now 44 and its to late!! But I wish youre child all the luck in the world..just try and convince them to wait and finish College First and get them training running atleast 2 miles a day..Learn all they can about the Middle East and Politics and Educate them as much as possible before they jump into such!! Also pre-pare them for they may be injected with all kinds of things they are not told about..and I have read where they are going to began using the RFID on our Military!!

I wish you all the luck in the world!! Amy in NC

reply to post by buster2010




Yer right!!

I would tell my child he/she has a simple choice to make.

Family or country?

A) The Military provides Structure] for a man/woman
B) The Military provides Discipline for a man/woman, that some parent totally lack
C) The Military provides Manners for a man/woman
D) The Military provide a Stable work environment. (You they won't be fired once they get the job)
E) The Military get killer healthcare, and dental
F) The Military gets a retirement package at the end of their jail service.

I would totally force my kid in the military.

My niece is lucky she has MR or she'd be in cadet school right now with her antics.

Well my son DOES want to join. As his mother I can't say I'm not uneasy about it, but ultimately it's his decision and I respect that. All myself and Mr Suspiria can do now is prepare him all we can for the realities of his decision. He's only been in Army Cadets a year but he's a natural and very dedicated, after school he wants to sign up for boy soldiering that puts him through college. He has my blessing and I have faith in him.

Be a dentist, don't kill anyone for someone else, stay out of the power games of morons.

All the wars fought after WWII is useless for the people, it had different agendas.

Less people join the armed forces and less want to give in for war, the less war there would be. Sadly, some people are easily influenced by bogey man "Do you want these turban wearing scums to rape your child, join the armed forces now!"

reply to post by Suspiria


So you're happy for your son to become a paid murderer??

Or even be murdered...all in the name of Corporations?

Sad, So sad!

Not only that, the risk of mental illness is ridiculously high

Originally posted by buster2010
If your child is old enough to join then he or she is an adult and you parents have to learn how to cut off the tit. The military can be a good learning experience and they could also receive good job training which could lead to good paying jobs after they get out. If parents aren't able to afford college the military can be a good way to pay for it without winding up in debt for 15 to 20 years.

In the UK the only jobs available to ex service men/women are private security firms!!

Protecting the Corporations again!....No way out!

reply to post by thesmokingman


When my son told me that he wanted to do just that at 19 (now 26) I said (do not even waste your time) occurs it was amid the Iraq and Afghanistan conflict.

Now let me explain, my husband is a retired marine, my father and my husband's father are veterans also, I come from a family of service members, my brother served in the Navy, I lost my maternal grandfather during world war ll, a two paternal uncles one in Korea and one in Vietnam, so I guess my rejection to my son joining was more of a motherly concern that anything else.

Originally posted by jerico65

Originally posted by Expat888
luckily mine were smart enough not to make such an idiotic decision...

Yeah, but you sure do enjoy the benefits from those "idiots" that did join, right?

Dont get and dont want a damn thing from the u.s ... wont even accept u.s or western currencies ... I earned everything I have by working for it .. and before you go condemning people junior I did my time ... 4 tours in a little place called vietnam with s.o.g before you were even a gleam in your daddies eye ... I earned my attitude ...
not to mention last ones that truly fought for americas freedom was the revolutionary war ... so spare me the tired old bull# that people fought for my freedom ... Ive got far more feedom over here than you do in that corrupt cesspool of a country that commits murder for profit around the world...

Originally posted by zerozero00
reply to post by Suspiria

 

So you're happy for your son to become a paid murderer??

Or even be murdered...all in the name of Corporations?

Sad, So sad!

Not only that, the risk of mental illness is ridiculously high

edit on 31-8-2012 by zerozero00 because: (no reason given)

Oh Gosh I hadn't thought of that......
I guess he should just find another job to be a slave for the Corporations instead, something none deadly like working at McDonalds..

I'm supposed to feel bad for not supporting a "choice"? Young people make stupid choices all the time. I didn't know what the hell I was doing at that age. That's what parents are supposed to do. Help them make better choices. But again, my kid would never want to do this because I'd make sure he or she knows what signing up to kill people for America means.

Because its like Counter Strike
and battlefield
and gear of wars
and wow
and halo
and command and conquer
and you can have real guns
no more simulation that brainwash you to violence

The War has Become a Freakin Video Game for the US

and when the kids(soldiers) learn that they killed innocent not for america freedom
but for an elite group .. it break you apart and most dont even try to expose what they know
thats why there is so many suicide in the army

War, huh, yeah........What is it good for............Absolutely nothing
Come on...........Sing along people



If you want your child to gain the "non-killing" skills of the military - send them to survival training and other non-combat related training schools...........that way Mum & Dad don't have to live with the memory of seeing their son / daughter disfigured in a morgue and burying them before their time - and all for nothing (except so the rich get richer and the hate gets louder)

reply to post by Sublimecraft


damn you now i have the song in my head

When I was 14 I joined the Civil Air Patrol (USAF volunteer Auxillery) cadets. Mainly because I was interested in aviation and space, but it is a "military cadet" type program. Loved it. Spent alot of time on military bases in summer programs. Got to go to Europe on the USAF's dime on an exchange. Learned valuable lessons and skills. Got to talk to lots of service members and learned the good and the bad. I was in from age 14 to 21. By the time I was 16 I wanted to join the military. My dad was a vietnam vet. He told me that if I wanted to join he was fine with that, but we did have a long talk about combat and service life. So I was not "unprepared" or niaeve so to speak. He also suggest I go to college first and go in as an officer. So i went to ROTC (Army). Turned out after a couple of semseters that I had some particular eyesight issues that prevented me from enlisted or gaining a commision. I have tried a few times since but so far no dice. I am even now looking at the Navy Reserve (had my eyes fixed recently), but am 38 and would still need a waiver for the eye surgery now so that's not looking to hot. Anyways.......

I now have 3 children. Back when I wanted to join it was the 80's/90s. Short of Panama and Desert Storm, the US was not off fighting like we have been for 10 years. These long occupations with doubious aims do concern me. I have always been a supporter of the armed forces and a proactive foreign policy to prevent "big" wars. BUT today I would have some trepidation if my kids wanted to join. My first set of advice would be to look at the USAF and US Navy, look at being an officer and look at going to a service academy. They are the best educations out there. Your education is covered and you are paid while you are there. Or if you want/need the benefits to go to school, look at the Local National Guard, and look at perhaps a non-combat MOS, that has civillian applications.

The military is good for some and not others. I think if one has a good solid idea of the risks, positives and negatives and you feel it's for you, join. But also make the most of it. Be smart about what MOS you pick.

Also, if your child is a teenager (in the US) have them look at the Civil Air Patrol cadets. It IS a CIVILIAN organization (sponsered by the USAF), and while the cadet program is military based, it gives good leadership training, team building skills, military and areospace career study, community service, disaster relief, and search and rescue opprotunities. There is no obligation to join the active military. While several cadets do just that (and depending on their advancement in CAP may get advanced rank or incentives), I know many that specifically did NOT, based on alot of what they learned, and went into other careers. Great program for teens. There are other military cadet programs (US Navy Sea Cadets, Young Marines, etc) but I think CAP has the most opprotunities. The only program I have seen near it was the UK Royal Air Training Corp cadets. Good program, a bit more militarily involved though.

en.wikipedia.org...
www.gocivilairpatrol.com...

reply to post by DaTroof


So what you're saying if he decided to join, youd pretty much disown him, as well as the rest of the family?
He's better off in the military.

Originally posted by zerozero00
reply to post by Suspiria

 

So you're happy for your son to become a paid murderer??

Or even be murdered...all in the name of Corporations?

Sad, So sad!

Not only that, the risk of mental illness is ridiculously high

edit on 31-8-2012 by zerozero00 because: (no reason given)

One becomes a paid murderer when they enlist???
Funny thing, I served about 10 years, and NEVER had to kill anyone, funny how that works huh?