Do you serve in the military?

[SanctusEmpire]

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.

Much like your rebel predecessors i assume?

[The Grand World Order]

Serving your countryvolunteering to summarily execute innocent civilians is not worth doing to get an an education (which, by the way, is not a right).

yes, because it's SOP to "summarily execute innocent civilians" and not collateral damage that inevitably happens or the result of bad intelligence
it totally hasn't happened in every other conflict humankind has ever fought
and nobody ever gets punished when they intentionally kill civilians

OH WAIT.


As for me, I am enlisted in the US Marine Corps, and currently am either going to work as a military intelligence specialist or a cryptological linguist, pending on whichever the Corps requires more.

[Grenartia]

Serving your countryvolunteering to summarily execute innocent civilians is not worth doing to get an an education (which, by the way, is not a right).

yes, because it's SOP to "summarily execute innocent civilians" and not collateral damage that inevitably happens or the result of bad intelligence
it totally hasn't happened in every other conflict humankind has ever fought
and nobody ever gets punished when they intentionally kill civilians

OH WAIT.


As for me, I am enlisted in the US Marine Corps, and currently am either going to work as a military intelligence specialist or a cryptological linguist, pending on whichever the Corps requires more.

*salutes*

I honestly did consider the Corps when I was making my decision on which branch to enlist in after graduation. But I realized that the Corps would chew me up and spit me the fuck out. Not to mention the Air Force was more relevant to my career interests.

[Defensor]

yes, because it's SOP to "summarily execute innocent civilians" and not collateral damage that inevitably happens or the result of bad intelligence
it totally hasn't happened in every other conflict humankind has ever fought
and nobody ever gets punished when they intentionally kill civilians

OH WAIT.


As for me, I am enlisted in the US Marine Corps, and currently am either going to work as a military intelligence specialist or a cryptological linguist, pending on whichever the Corps requires more.

*salutes*

I honestly did consider the Corps when I was making my decision on which branch to enlist in after graduation. But I realized that the Corps would chew me up and spit me the fuck out. Not to mention the Air Force was more relevant to my career interests.

Yeah, the force had more jobs pertaining to what I wanted to do as well... Hence I'm an Airman

[The Allied States of North America]

Marine Corps. Oh BTW Braddley Manning is a traitor he deserves a firing squad.

So exposing atrocities like this is treason?
(of course, there is nothing wrong with treason, but I'm working within statist logic here)

What he did was Treason plain and simple. When you join the military you make a commitment to your nation and people and he betrayed it. If I was on the tribunal, I would vote without a doubt for his execution by hanging or firing squad.

And when I graduate in June,the plan is to enlist in the USMC(legacy)

[Bojikami]

I'm planning on it.

[The Zeonic States]

Am i the only one here who went army?

I was expecting at least a few people.

[Tekania]

So exposing atrocities like this is treason?
(of course, there is nothing wrong with treason, but I'm working within statist logic here)

What he did was Treason plain and simple. When you join the military you make a commitment to your nation and people and he betrayed it. If I was on the tribunal, I would vote without a doubt for his execution by hanging or firing squad.

And when I graduate in June,the plan is to enlist in the USMC(legacy)

PFC Manning isn't going before a tribunal. And if he was, you're in no position (or entering in a position) to serve on a tribunal.

It would be highly irregular and inappropriate (as a matter of fact) to use a military tribunal on PFC Manning.... PFC Manning is a US soldier bound by the UCMJ and thus subject to courts-martial and not tribunal proceedings. Tribunals are for captured enemy soldiers/combatants/spies during wartime. Not our own military personnel. Our own personnel are subject to courts-martials and have military juries and proper counsel.

Of course as you've not actually enlisted yet, nor had to fulfill any leadership level military requirements yet, your ignorance of how things work may be forgiven.

[Grenartia]

*salutes*

I honestly did consider the Corps when I was making my decision on which branch to enlist in after graduation. But I realized that the Corps would chew me up and spit me the fuck out. Not to mention the Air Force was more relevant to my career interests.

Yeah, the force had more jobs pertaining to what I wanted to do as well... Hence I'm an Airman

My only regret is that I probably won't be able to fly (except for maybe drones), as I need to wear glasses.

[Gaveo]

I might want to when I grow up.

I was thinking about either joining the US Army or US Air Force.

That or joining the Chilean Army or Chilean Navy.

[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.

Much like your rebel predecessors i assume?

Cant tell if you are being sarcastic, positive or negative.

So I will just assume you are being sincere. Thanks.

[Condunum]

I read this as "Do you believe in the Military?"

To which I thought "No, it's a fairy tale! It doesn't exist!"

[The Zeonic States]

I read this as "Do you believe in the Military?"

To which I thought "No, it's a fairy tale! It doesn't exist!"

Your a very odd person you know that?

[Condunum]

I read this as "Do you believe in the Military?"

To which I thought "No, it's a fairy tale! It doesn't exist!"

Your a very odd person you know that?

Indeed I do

[The Merchant Republics]

I've fancied signing up for the Canadian Army reserve, I appreciate the discipline and drive it's imparted in my family members that have served, but I end up consistently conflicted by the fact that I am an anarchist and have non-aggression borderline pacifist ideals.

I suppose I'd join up if we were invaded or something of the kind, for the time being, I'm not willing to serve the state in that context.

[Defensor]

I've fancied signing up for the Canadian Army reserve, I appreciate the discipline and drive it's imparted in my family members that have served, but I end up consistently conflicted by the fact that I am an anarchist and have non-aggression borderline pacifist ideals.

I suppose I'd join up if we were invaded or something of the kind, for the time being, I'm not willing to serve the state in that context.

Yeah, but I mean honestly, who's going to invade Canada?

[Immoren]

Am i the only one here who went army?

I was expecting at least a few people.

*ahem*
Which army?

[Defensor]

Am i the only one here who went army?

I was expecting at least a few people.

*ahem*
Which army?

I was going to ask that too...so many people from other nations!

[The Merchant Republics]

I've fancied signing up for the Canadian Army reserve, I appreciate the discipline and drive it's imparted in my family members that have served, but I end up consistently conflicted by the fact that I am an anarchist and have non-aggression borderline pacifist ideals.

I suppose I'd join up if we were invaded or something of the kind, for the time being, I'm not willing to serve the state in that context.

Yeah, but I mean honestly, who's going to invade Canada?

Belgium maybe?

I never trusted the Belgians. Sneaky vaguely French and vaguely Dutch but neither Flemish bastards.

/not serious

[Defensor]

Yeah, but I mean honestly, who's going to invade Canada?

Belgium maybe?

I never trusted the Belgians. Sneaky vaguely French and vaguely Dutch but neither Flemish bastards.

/not serious

lol I suspect you would be at greater risk of civil war then an invasion...Quebec being so...french...and all

[Azakhia]

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.

War is nothing more than an extension of foreign policy as decided by the leaders of a nation. Or as Von Clausewitz wrote in the 1800's, war is an extension of politics by other means.

Now, as to the topic of the OP...

I have never served in the armed forces of the US, nor any other poitical entity therein.

[Defensor]

I can play that game too.
Killing civilians is never justified. Ever.

(By the way, I'm not a utilitarian, so your arguments about the "greater good" won't get you anywhere.

Okay...the following points:

1. The murder of civillians is not justifiable; this is separate and distinct from the killing of civillians which is an unfortunate side effect of war, although much less now than it would have been even twenty years ago due to advancements in J2 (Intelligence) and in the targetry systems now available to us (e.g. GMLRS/Predator). This is again separate to the death of civillians, which typically greatly inflates the number of casualties for things like those pretty colour bars that you showed us. Civillian deaths tend to largely be through displacement, disease and other tertiary factors - I am not saying that we as military forces are not responsible, but that we are not the primary or even secondary factors in such situations. In the case of the current conflict in AFG there are more civilians being killed by Insurgent Forces (IF) on a day-to-day basis than by Coalition Forces (CF), this is in addition to deliberate injury caused by IF for the purposes of intimidation or "justice".

2. You do not get to say "I'm not a utilitarian" to dismiss someone else's argument. I am not an anarcho-capitalist (or whatever ridiculous political title you choose to give yourself) but you do not see me using that to dismiss your entire argument. That is a fallacy and not only demonstrates a poor grasp of the basic concepts of argumentative philosophy and politics but also suggests a mentality more along the lines of five year-olds in a playground.

3. Stop using deliberately provocative statements like your little "bloodlust" statements to get a response. There have been certain individuals in the various CF elements who have done terrible things deliberately (Abu Ghraib, Camp Breadbasket) as well as accidentally - where possible these individuals have been brought to trial, found guilty and charged. IF does not do this to their own who go on killing sprees.

4. Your options are as follows: CF bound by and subject to the rule of law in their operations, or IF who do pretty much what they want where they want with no recourse or threat of punishment. Whether or not you like it we are the better option...I don't remember the last time someone in my Regiment shot a girl in the head for daring to go to school.

5. You are not yet old enough to pay taxes, therefore not old enough to vote or enlist. Grow up a little and consider the benefits of living in a country that protects, shelters and provides for you before slagging off those of us willing to give our lives for the body politic to which we belong.

I just read all this...that you sir for taking the time to actually type it all out

[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.

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

Bulgarian Military, or whatever is left of it.

[Occupied Deutschland]

I don't serve and haven't served, but back in my High School days I was really interested in joining either the Marine Corps or the Air Force. Both of them told me that I'd need to go through some intense rounds of injections to 'cure' my hay fever/general pollen allergy in order to join.

My fear of needles is thousands of times greater than my fear of being shot at (plus, the injections were PRI-cey and I was supposed to pay for them). At this point, I'm still kicking around the idea of possibly enlisting when/if I get a college degree.

[Sebytania]

Yeah, but I mean honestly, who's going to invade Canada?

No one if they have a military that makes it seem not worth it. If there was no military, US troops would be loading the maple syrup into trucks right now.

*ahem*
Which army?

I was going to ask that too...so many people from other nations!

Indeed. I almost picked Army, until I saw the last option.

I did my time in the Finnish Defence Forces, now a happy reservist. And since there are Finns on the board who actually have testicles (whether physical or mental) and might be interested:
2/11 PsPr/HämPsP/PsPionK