Do you serve in the military?

[Herador]

Well Love of Country, Patriotism, and the nice uniform are all huge driving factors as well.

Yes they are

Dont do the navy uniform it looks a little gay

Their service BDU's are totally bitchin'. But their dress uniforms are a bit campy, I agree.

[The Caldari Union]

Why would anyone join the military. It makes you a tool of illigitimate government and state. Neither should exist/

[Dyakovo]

Why would anyone join the military. It makes you a tool of illigitimate government and state. Neither should exist/

Hardly.

[The Fourth Khaganate]

When I was a teenager I was really excited about joining the military. In life, it felt like I hadn't accomplished anything. Was mostly a shut-in, played video games and WoW for most of my High School career and moved around alot so I didn't have alot of friends. Military goal got me focused for the first time in a long time, I started to get in shape for the first time in my life, but it didn't work out too well for me in the end. I had asthma when I was around 13-15 years old. Going into MEPS, I was like 17 (I wanted to sign up early so I could get it out of the way), so I was told to not mention anything to anyone about my condition. I felt fine enough. I had a pretty damn high ASVAB score, think it was anywhere from 82-88, so I was pretty stoked. Originally wanted to be a Tanker, but they told me I was too tall (6'6) and so I eventually just settled on being a Combat Medic, I mean, that's something I've always wanted to do. I didn't really consider a future beyond the military at this point. Thought I'd maybe retire as some old NCO, or maybe go to officer school or something. Anyway.

Before I went to MEPS, I had met this weird old guy at the gym in a spa. Odd fellow. Had a bit of a lisp about him, but he had a look in his eyes that was just very clear that he had seen some things in his life. Don't remember how we got to talking, but it turns out that he had wanted to go into the Air Force as a jet pilot, so that's what he was for awhile, but then he started telling me how he got changed into a missile silo tech because he was smart (pretty high ASVAB score too). He told me he spent most of the Vietnam Era in a some godforsaken island in the Pacific, sitting in a silo with his finger over the button. Told me things got pretty tense, and all the while he had just wanted to be a fighter pilot, he wound up being one of the people that would have pulled the trigger during WW3 all because the military needed him there. Of course, I still don't know if this story is true or not. I don't think I saw him again, but I also moved. Anyway. His story to me was that the military wasn't going to give me what I wanted and that education was the ultimate key. Went on about how he wasted his whole time there. He told me he thought I was smart, I brought up Clausewitz in the conversation (I'd read On War for a bit, but being 17, I had too damn short of an attention span to finish) so maybe that influenced him to say that? I donno.

Anyway, weeks fly by and the recruiters finally take me to MEPS. I get there at around 6-7 at night, and they put us in this long line to the hotel which is in some shitty place on the other side of the town, which, you know, you're not expecting it to be a civillian hotel that they rent out. You have it installed in your head that it's this sterile white facility where they run you through, but it wasn't that.

So there I saw the boyfriend of my ex-girlfriend who happens to the brother of another ex-girlfriend I had. Somehow we were friends, or maybe we were just both nervous, but he invites me to his dorm and I crash there for the night. I don't know him that well, but I'm real nervous now. Alot of thoughts start bubbling up about my asthma, and that's only compounded when I hear him on the phone with his girl. So then I hear his sister (my other ex) is coming to the hotel room to visit. This is different, because I have a damn history with her, a helluva lot more than with his girl. I haven't seen her for two years. So my heart starts to pound even more. I'm dead nervous now.

They come to get him, and I get one look at her before she leaves. Only thing she says to me is "Hi".

I spent the rest of the night not being able to sleep, and now I can't even remember what I thought about. Government finding out and sending me to prison or something? Alot of irrational thoughts were in my head, but I was alot younger then. Doesn't help that they tell us our rooms are bugged.

Anyway, 5 AM rolls around and they drag us up to the actual MEPS place, which is just this shitty little area in an old business park. I haven't had any sleep, my mind is delirious, my heart is pounding and to top it all off it's cold as shit outside. I've never felt like this before.

So they pull us in lines, march us inside, make sure we all know our SSNs, all this shit. And then they finally pull us inside of this room to sign paper after paper, but not before giving us this long-ass speech on how if we lie we'd get sent to prison for years, and the guy telling us this is supposed to be some hard-ass commander from Iraq. Tells us how he sent a former soldier of his to prison for lying on his MEPS, can't even remember the full story, but it scares the shit out of me. So I tell them I have asthma, they put me in another line, I'm waiting for three hours, I get disqualified due to medical conditions and all this shit, and then they pull me in a room with a guy in a uniform who starts to ask me questions. I don't tell him much, and he seems to accept it, and by now my heart's about to burst out of my sternum.


Couple more hours roll on and my recruiter drives up to take me home. I thought he'd be pissed as shit, but he's fine, nothing's going on. Nobody's going to prison, but by now my brain is just too damn tired to process anything. I return home to a family that was expecting me to come home with a duffelbag, and I go to sleep.


It's been a hard three years getting over that experience. I was one of those kids who was entranced by the thought of being in a uniform and having some sort of higher discipline in his life. But I learned a little later on that I didn't need a uniform to have discipline or to be strong. I guess at the time I was just sort of lost. Regardless, old man's words stuck in my head from that day on and I just focused on getting educated. So here I am, in college at 20, about to intern in a foreign country soon so I can get into a good university, and worrying my ass off on how I'm going to pay for it. Sometimes I feel that I'd like to return to the concept of going back into the military, but I have other dreams now, the highest of which involves me emigrating to Germany at some point. I've mad alot of progress but I've got alot more to go. Sometimes though, I look at alot of the friends I've had over the years and how they're in these military civillian jobs like firefighters or MPs, and I have to say that I don't much envy them. Most of them were stupid fucks who needed the military or they'd be out on the street, and as much as I respect the military personnel of any country, I can't say that my opinion about them personally is all that high. But I still wonder what it'd be like to be in a firefight, or to walk into a civilian room with a uniform on, or to serve on a ship.

[Democratic Koyro]

Why would anyone join the military. It makes you a tool of illigitimate government and state. Neither should exist/

well, partially because being a Cambridge graduate no longer automatically grants you a nice, index-linked job in the civil service, and being a Naval Officer paid a hell of a lot better than any shit job i could get as a graduate. Couldn't be bothered going through the bullshit of applying to 200 places only to get 5 offers and fail at interview stage.

Also uniforms. I like the Royal Navy Officer uniform.

[Leonische]

I was Army Reserve Force Student. There is conscription here, but the graduated of ARFS is automatically exempt the lot drawing and move to reserve force. The study is 20 weeks of an afternoon a week military training per year, with a field training camp at the end of year 2 and 3. (some would continue into year 4 and 5, but 3 is already earn the exemption)

[Ayreonia]

You sound bored, join the army you wont be bored

HA!

Yeah, that's not what I experienced.

[Grenartia]

Why would anyone join the military. It makes you a tool of illigitimate government and state. Neither should exist/

Because both actually ARE legitimate, and without them you wouldn't have the freedom to say that.

[Defensor]

Why would anyone join the military. It makes you a tool of illigitimate government and state. Neither should exist/

Because both actually ARE legitimate, and without them you wouldn't have the freedom to say that.

Here here. The amount of people who hate on the military and service to country is...sad...

[Ayreonia]

Because both actually ARE legitimate, and without them you wouldn't have the freedom to say that.

Here here. The amount of people who hate on the military and service to country is...sad...

Never mind, they don't know what they're talking about.

[Confederate Socialist States of America]

No. And as the military is a coercive force of the State, I encourage all to NOT serve in it unless they are going to be a hero like Bradley Manning.

If you want to be like Bradley Manning. Anonymous would be a much better choice

[Stedicules]

I serve in the U.S. Army as an artilleryman.

[Yankee Empire]

(plus, there is nothing wrong with treason anyway)

Then get out of my country asshole, because treason is a crime.

[Khodoristan]

If I had to join, which I may or may not after law school, I'd go into combat aviation. Either 153A (US Army, AH-64 pilot, officer) or 7518 (US Marine Corps, F-35B pilot, officer).

[The Zeonic States]

I served in the United State's Army from 2000-2009

94th infantry battlion saw action in Iraq and Afganistan.

Took part mostly in the securing of Vital Transport land routes and guarding those positions, Didn't see much of the actual war although i was at the fall of Kabul in 2001 but it wasn't much of a battle it was a securing operation really. Most of the orginized resistance from the taliban at that point was fleeing further south and into the east.

I was an infantryman for most of my career with them although i was offered an officer's commision for previous service rendered in 2009 when it came time to renlist or leave. I turned it down for several reasons though and i think i have adjusted nicely to civilian life though, although i don't regret my time in the army; not at all it was some of the best Years of my life serving. It was just time to go i thought.

I lost a few freinds, Saw people i cared about die or be injuried but that was part of the job and despite my own injuries i hold no ill towards the Service branch or the United States. I was Proud to have served my adopted homeland and i was extremely happy that they found me useful even after the injuries, enough to offer to let me stay on but i couldn't do it anymore i wasn't what i was when i joined i can't even run anymore with out my knee acting up and my hearing was going at the time, it's gotten a bit better still isn't great.

All in All i found it a worthwhile endenvor and recommend service to those who feel inclinded to it, although i do warn them that it isn't an easy or peaceful life but some people need to stand on that wall, Some people just feel drawn to i guess. I did it mainly out of monetary concerns, i was just recent into North America at the time and had few other prospects other then armed service and i got alot of the support i rely on these days from that service, i got through additional university because of it.

Anyway i will cut this short i have already been rambling on i can see.

[The Rebel Alliances]

I am not in any military branch per se, but I am rather proud to serve in my State's Self Defense Force.

It is all volunteer and we recieve no benefits for our service.
That means no pay.
No health insurence.
No retirement plan. ect.

The only thing we recieve is that good feeling you get when you do something to give back to your community an home.
Thats it.

95% of what we do is train. Usually with the National Guard.
The other 5% is search and rescue and disaster relief in the State of Georgia.

So while I am not a full time marine or sailer I am proud to be a part time member of Georgia's defense.

[The Rebel Alliances]

(plus, there is nothing wrong with treason anyway)

Then get out of my country asshole, because treason is a crime.

Only if they lose.

Had Washington failed he as well as all the other founding fathers would have been impisoned, tortured, hung and exected like the criminals they were.

Using your logic.

They did commit high treason against the British Empire. So they were nothing more than common criminals.

But somebody who could actually grasp the concept of a tyrannical State and Government would look past the common title of "Treason" and see theat they sacrificed all to do what they knw was right. Even if it was Treason.

So, treason can be a good thing.

[Czechanada]

Indeed.

A military, as I said above, is a cancer on a free society.

It makes America worse. It makes America less safe and less free. It is also patently immoral, precisely because it is an instrument of mass murder.

We'd all be better off if it were abolished. Participation in the military deserves our scorn and repudiation, not our respect and gratitude.

I've seen alot of reprehensible views on this site. But this really takes the cake.

So just because we are against the institutionalization of violence, that is considered reprehensible.

[The Kramer Union]

After I finish high school, I would like to enlist in the Navy, like my grandpa did.

[Czechanada]

After I finish high school, I would like to enlist in the Navy, like my grandpa did.

Only to die of scurvy on the high seas.

[Hypparchia]

I planned on serving my conscription obligations when I was in high school, but they abolished conscription just before I graduated. Was disappointed.

Although our military is worthless now, so probably not such a loss.

[Herador]

I planned on serving my conscription obligations when I was in high school, but they abolished conscription just before I graduated. Was disappointed.

Although our military is worthless now, so probably not such a loss.

Would you mind if I asked what military you almost joined?

[SanctusEmpire]

I serve in the U.S. Army as an artilleryman.

Did you post on that armour vs artillery thread?

[Grenartia]

I've seen alot of reprehensible views on this site. But this really takes the cake.

So just because we are against the institutionalization of violence, that is considered reprehensible.

Being against unnecessary violence is one thing. But being against necessary violence is something else. If somebody broke into your home, and was actively trying to kill you, would you not even TRY to defend yourself?

[Ayreonia]

After I finish high school, I would like to enlist in the Navy, like my grandpa did.

Only to die of scurvy on the high seas.

At least there is rum and booty.