Have you served in the military or thought about it?

I always wonder what my life would have been if I went into the marines as planned. I planned on joining after finishing school but I got sick at age 17. My best friend went in and served 4 years. He got out a year prior to 9-11. He said he hated it. As soon as he got out he started doing drugs again. His parents moved and he disappeared. I've searched all over the internet for him and can't find anything. I wonder if he got called back after 9-11. I don't have a facebook profile but he doesn't either. We were friends since first grade.

My grandfather got in a bar fight and the judge gave him an option join the military or go to jail. He joined the military and ended up at Omaha Beach on D-Day. My grandfather didn't talk about it much. I know is buddy drowned jumping off the landing craft. He spoke German because my great grandparents were from there. They put him in charge of watching the prisoners.

My grandmothers brother was at Pearl Harbor during the attack. He was an airplane mechanic. I met him a couple times and when I went to his house he had pictures of himself with various presidents. He gave me a knife he had from the air force when I was a kid. It had a solid gold eagle on in. I put in my tackle box and accidentally dropped it in the lake while fishing.

My grandmother came from the south to work in Detroit. She had a job at a munitions factory. She made parts for fat man and little boy.

a reply to: wantsome

Yeah. Did the whole career thing. Have to say, "It pretty much sucked."

a reply to: wantsome

He said he hated it. As soon as he got out he started doing drugs again.

Generally speaking, drug addicts don’t enjoy the military.

a reply to: wantsome

I did think about it during my mid-teens, sadly almost 20 years ago (sad face) but when I started to see how easily the Governments were willing to go to war, when they were willing to create reasons for war out of nowhere and more to the point just create stories to get people killed I stepped away from that idea. I truly was willing to put my life on the line for the country I love (warts and all) but decided against it because going to war was no longer as last resort instead it was the first response.

Instead I ended up working in a secondary school (high school) and while life and death isn't on the cards dealing with teenagers is like dealing with mini-dictators.

I joined the military for the free college primarily. What I didn't expect was 9/11 to happen while I was in boot camp. My time serving sucked but was only due to the strenuous watches while in a heightened alert for my entire time in.

I wanted to be a fighter pilot.
But at the time people told me that people with bad vision need not apply

Maybe I can still be a shuttle bay door gunner and space force

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: wantsome

He said he hated it. As soon as he got out he started doing drugs again.

Generally speaking, drug addicts don’t enjoy the military.

Yeah he was doing drugs when he was on leave. I asked him if he was worried about getting caught he said no.

a reply to: wantsome

I graduated in 1989 and even talked to several recruiters but my dad was pretty insistent that I don't join. He was in Korea in 1953 and saw some nasty things and several of his brothers were in ww2 and one didn't come home.
He basically said that my family has given enough.

Today I have some relatives in the military and my daughter, who is a junior in high school, is considering the Air Force.


One thing I always point out to people thinking about the military.
There is about one soldier in ten pointing a weapon.
The rest are cooks, clerks, truck drivers, mechanics, etc..
You might join the navy with the idea of a glamorous job like directing planes on the flight deck but end up in the laundry room handling the skid marked underwear of a thousand sailors.

Joined the Air Force at 19 and enjoyed it, but being young wanted to go back to the real world and make my fortune. While I did well, I felt that I never finished what I started and 20 years later joined the Army and completed what I started. It's not for everyone, but I do believe it can provide a starting point for many.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: wantsome

I graduated in 1989 and even talked to several recruiters but my dad was pretty insistent that I don't join. He was in Korea in 1953 and saw some nasty things and several of his brothers were in ww2 and one didn't come home.
He basically said that my family has given enough.

Today I have some relatives in the military and my daughter, who is a junior in high school, is considering the Air Force.


One thing I always point out to people thinking about the military.
There is about one soldier in ten pointing a weapon.
The rest are cooks, clerks, truck drivers, mechanics, etc..
You might join the navy with the idea of a glamorous job like directing planes on the flight deck but end up in the laundry room handling the skid marked underwear of a thousand sailors.

Yeah I agree. My cousin wanted the join the navy. I told him they'd probably make him the cook.

originally posted by: DJMSN
and 20 years later joined the Army and completed what I started.

That, Sir ... is the definition of bad-assed!! My hat is off to you.

Happy Veteran's Day!!

originally posted by: Dwoodward85
a reply to: wantsome

I did think about it during my mid-teens, sadly almost 20 years ago (sad face) but when I started to see how easily the Governments were willing to go to war, when they were willing to create reasons for war out of nowhere and more to the point just create stories to get people killed I stepped away from that idea. I truly was willing to put my life on the line for the country I love (warts and all) but decided against it because going to war was no longer as last resort instead it was the first response.

Instead I ended up working in a secondary school (high school) and while life and death isn't on the cards dealing with teenagers is like dealing with mini-dictators.

Yeah for me I wanted to join because I thought it would be an adventure. Another reason was I played football and a lot of sports. I wanted to challenge myself physically. I thought I'd be the ultimate bad ass when I got out.

Not me. My son wanted to join the ministry since he was little. I remember one day I was chewing on him for something (he was about 15) and he shouted, "I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE TELLING ME WHAT DO DO! I'M GONNA JOIN THE ARMY!"

Yeah, the little dumb ass actually said that. I almost busted a gut laughing at him.

A few years later he's still talking about it but I'm real recalcitrant and trying to hold him back. Finally, I met a recruiter. He came to pick up an order where I was working and was in uniform. I told him my son was thinking about joining and asked him what he thought. This was during the Obama administration. Guy says, "Honestly, I wouldn't recommend it right now. That s.o.b. we have for a Commander-in-Chief, I didn't piss on him if he was on fire." (Near exact quote.)

Son ended up joining National Guard, re-upped once. Took combat medic as his MOS. Didn't do anything with it outside of the guard, though. Regrets that, wished he'd have taken something else. (My brother is a paramedic.)

I asked him once what was the most useful thing he learned in the Guard. He said, "If you walk around with a clip board and pen in your hand, people think you're busy and won't ask you to do anything."

originally posted by: wantsome

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: wantsome

I graduated in 1989 and even talked to several recruiters but my dad was pretty insistent that I don't join. He was in Korea in 1953 and saw some nasty things and several of his brothers were in ww2 and one didn't come home.
He basically said that my family has given enough.

Today I have some relatives in the military and my daughter, who is a junior in high school, is considering the Air Force.


One thing I always point out to people thinking about the military.
There is about one soldier in ten pointing a weapon.
The rest are cooks, clerks, truck drivers, mechanics, etc..
You might join the navy with the idea of a glamorous job like directing planes on the flight deck but end up in the laundry room handling the skid marked underwear of a thousand sailors.

Yeah I agree. My cousin wanted the join the navy. I told him they'd probably make him the cook.

My mother in law has heard about my daughters thoughts on joining the Air Force.
She has expressed her reservations about the idea stating that she worries that my daughter will be raped....
I then pointed out to her that she's probably right and that young girls don't get raped in college..... She was oddly silent....

Served in the USN.

Positives: Went to many countries and had a good time. I had quite a bit of college paid for. I made a couple of life long friends.

Negatives: Had to live 24/7 with a bunch of idiots. Lost alot of sleep. Had to work really hard for days on end at times. Missed my family while I was in. Was stuck with an internal violent streak for a number of years after I got out that took some time to get over.

Summary: Hated it when I was there, but I have some good memories when it was done that I still cherish.

I wanted to be a pilot. I just never really knew the steps. I also don't think I would have qualified at the time due to eye sight and another health issue.

a reply to: Middleoftheroad

Nice one. I joined the Marine corps four months before 9/11. While we were camping out in the San Diego Mountains I was told

“war has happened boys. You are all going to war.”

God dammit 🤦🏻‍♂️

As a Brit just chipping in my 2 cents worth. I served in the FFL (French Legion) I always wanted my 3 sons to join the British Army . That idea was scrubbed due to splitting up with my wife. Looking back I am glad that my sons did not join the military as they would have just been fighting for oil or some banksters war.
Looking at what is happening today with the mess in Syria and the Afghan ,I would advise you to avoid the military.

I had a damned good time...and a damned awful time.....worked many a 20 hour shift in Montana winters working on Minuteman ICBM's. Then went on to be a mechanic on F15's, f16's, B2, and F35's.


Sure....you worked some 70 hour weeks, but then you got.to go to Italy for 30 days......or Las Vegas for 6 weeks.


And then there's that little education perk....got a BA in Maketing and an MBA.

Oh...and a pension....


Good far outwighed the bad.


If you are.going to go in...go research the jobs, apply for said job and wait.

My family had always sent our young men to serve. My dad was in Germany, an uncle at the Bay of pigs, and another in Lebanon. My first cousin was killed in Vietnam, he was awarded the CMH for saving his squad. I was present at his funeral.
I thought about signing up and talked to the recruiters. I was very interested in the Navy. I graduated in early 76, an on the 6 o’clock news I had watched our sailors pushing helicopters off of flight decks and into the ocean so that they could land more aircraft. We were gitting the hell out of Dodge and clearly lost that one. President Nixon didn’t keep his word on war reparations so they kept out guys. It weakened my desire to sigh up. The one thing I have learned as an employer is, you never, ever, break the faith with the troops.
So I put it off as the ranks were full anyway, at the end of the war. A year later I met a young lady and started a life were her. I never really looked back, but I have thought about it. I often think I may have made a good UTD diver or a small boat guy as thats been my hobby. I have few regrets as my family has given more blood than most. I’m 62 now and I pray that our young people never again have to go to war, because the hell of war is what happens when diplomats fail.