Would You Enlist Again

[Seadog]

If you are a veteran of the armed forces would you do it all again? If you vote please comment.

I said no. Reason is it has gotten to PC stupid. They lessened the military’s readiness and care too much about DEI instead of the military’s very purpose. Too much diversity and individuality, instead of unity or unit cohesion. Everyone is special. If WWIII happens, they will need to extend the age limit and draft us old farts.

Between us all getting too fat and nobody wanting to join this PC DEI joke, the military is in a pickle right now. I say hell Feck no.

 

[TerryMiller]

Like Dennis, there wasn't really much choice in January of 1966 when I enlisted. I had got suspended from college in late '65 and decided that I would just wait for the draft. It wasn't long before I got notice to report to Amarillo for testing prior to draft. Apparently, I did well enough in the testing that the recruiting people in the OKC area contacted the recruiter in Guymon to find me and get me to enlist in the Army Security Agency. While it meant enlisting for 4 years instead of 3 (because of getting a top secret clearance), I went that route.

Basic in Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, AIT in Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and first duty station in a small base in northern California. Then TDY training in Virginia (Vint Hill Farms Station) near Warrenton before shipping overseas to Pakistan. Back from Pakistan in December of 1968 and got married and then reported back to that same small base in California to finish my term. Chose not to make it a career as the ASA had very few decent overseas duty stations, with most duty stations being hardship tour type places where one's family couldn't go. I wasn't about to do that to a young wife and family.

I did vote yes, but primarily because I REALLY love this country, in spite of its ills. There are too many good people here to do otherwise.

 

[Jason Freeland]

I voted yes, but I would have all my health issues fixed to make it work. They are what made things fail the first time.

 

[OneMoreEvan]

For the time I was in, absolutely yes. The current time where Full Bird Colonels are wearing fetish gear and thinking it's acceptable to take pictures in uniform (regardless if they retired or not, that would be grounds for a recall to duty and a court martial if it were up to me), E7's getting EO complaints for (Professionally) correcting female hair and nails being waaaaay out of regs, endless death by powerpoint instead of being in the field, hard no. Towards the end of my time, I could see the writing on the wall when we were spending more time in "Don't R*pe people" classes than "How to do your job as an Infantryman" training that it was time to move on.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

The comment about the Gunny’s obsession about the Marine walking on the grass two blocks away brought back bad memories for me.

I was in the AF and a lot the senior NCOs were like that. They had nothing better to do than make the lower ranks miserable over petty things. I still see some of that attitude at the VA assistance center. One of them started raising his voice at me and I politely reminded him that neither of us was in the service anymore. It made things worse for him and I walked away.

I was an E6 when I was discharged and I never treated anyone I supervised like that. I couldn’t see myself becoming like that in later years.

 

[Broncos]

Would do it again The National Guard company I got in was well trained We went to Italy and then Germany six times for a 3 week summer camp Ended in Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia Retired 18 months later Those I served with are closer than classmates Our reunions are family gatherings

 

[Pstmstr]

I get it with the way the military is today. I wish I would have clarified when I said knowing what you know today meaning what you experienced then, not necessarily how woke the military is today. It saddens me today to see the shape of the US military. I still have some faith that enough young men and women care enough about their country to do what we did back then but I can see why many wouldn’t.

 

[Trung Si Ma]

I voted YES because the question is would I do it again. We are who we are now based on who and what we were then. Knowing what I know now I would change a few things but would want to be in the same types of units that I served in back then when we were led by killers training hard to do it better.

Today's military? Probably not since they've lost the belief that the purpose of the US Military is to make loud noises and break things until the other guy can't stand the noise and has no toys left.

 

[Roy14]

If pstmstr’s time travel thing gets worked out, everyone should go enlist in the Crippled Eagles/RLI instead, we’ll make Rhodesia a bastion of principled traditional values. The uniforms are cooler too.

 

[5175]

My vote was no, not for the reasons resulting from my own experiences or personal belief system. I believe that each should find a way to give of themselves to the betterment of this country: military, civil (e.g. VISTA, Pease Corps). The challenge that exists today is that the military is the subject of societal experimentation and, even in war, is populated as a caste.

Societal experimentation as the current senior officer and civilian authority see the branches as their own personal sandbox to establish policies and practices that address their own liberal leaning agenda, versus positioning those who have to wear a flak jacket to succeed and survive the modern battlefield.

Caste because, even after 20 years of war, the total veteran population is somewhere around 3 million persons or 1 percent of the general population. A small few heeding the call to defend, over and over, again.

No generational view of the military is complete. Each can find the then current or in hindsight, challenges that existed. I would serve again and look to this and future generations to do the same.

Marine, former SSGT, 03, Mountain Leader, SULC, NCO