Would You Enlist Again

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If you were a young person, knowing what you know now, would you join the military again?

  • Yes

    Votes: 50 67.6%
  • No

    Votes: 24 32.4%

  • Total voters
    74

Jcann

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My family refused to continue paying their contribution to my merit scholarship to a prestigious college after 2 years, so I had to drop out with 3.6 (out of 4) average, making me immediately eligible for the Vient Nam War draft. I joined the USAF, starting at Airmen Basic (E1), went through Accounting School at Sheppard AFB, DG, made E5 in 3 years. Applied for Education Commissioning Program, went to Univ of Washington (Seattle) Major in Atmos Sci (Instruments). Went to OTS, DG, assigned to Andrews AFB, supporting Special Missions Wing.
OIC of Wx Det in Greenland as 1Lt. Selected for U of I , MS in Atmos Sci (Wea Radar). Was Senior USAF rep to NEXRAD tri-agency joint program, which developed and deployed the present WSR88D doppler weather radar.
I served a full career, retired as LTC, and spent over 1/4 of my time on active duty going to school, and 3 yr teaching at the USAF weather school.
Whatever else it may be, the military is a meritocracy, and you get out of it no more than you put into it.
Did you ever run into Gary England? I believe he was in the AF as some type of weather man or specialist
 

geezer77

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It pains me greatly to say no, assuming you're talking about today's military with its woke, pussyfied military leadership. The "old" Navy I knew for 21 years generally treated me well, and in return I worked hard and had a blast. I joined in 1960, and was fortunate to have received great training, which allowed me to progress from E-1 through E-6, to Chief Petty Officer, Warrant Officer, CWO-2, CWO-3, O-2E, and finally O-3E. I served aboard ships of many kinds, from gator freighters to oilers and destroyers to carriers. My last assignment was aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), where in the fall of 1980 I had to flip a coin between an upcoming promotion to O-4E that I really wanted, but that would have also required yet another upcoming 10-month deployment - or retirement. I was 38, and I chose to retire and start a new career as a civilian. I miss the Navy a lot, but I don't miss being away from my family for 6-10 months at a pop. I have a military family, so I'm certainly not anti-military, we have a son who is retired USN, a grandson who is an E-6 Navy Seabee with several combat deployments under his belt, a son who is an Army LT COL, and a stepdaughter who is a Navy LCDR.

For me, the Navy (then) was a great place to be, and I sometimes really miss it, especially at night at sea. I promise you there is no more peaceful "zen" than being at sea at night, feeling under your feet the gentle roll and surge of the wide Pacific, looking up at a zillion glittering stars while you listen to the quiet hiss and subtle roar of the bow cutting the water, and watching the dolphins keep pace alongside. You've never seen the stars until you've seen them from the deck of a ship a thousand miles from manmade light in all directions. Nothing else like it. It's a damned shame Biden and his woke little pack of alphabet circus freaks are hell bent on destroying it, along with America.

So, No. Sadly I would not favor my sons or daughters joining today's military. I wear my Let's Go Brandon shirt regularly.
 

Chuckie

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- Joined the [old] Army in 1969 to avoid going to Vietnam but ended up there anyway, followed by a tour in [what was then] West Germany and a couple of stateside assignments. By 1976 I had been an E-5 for almost 6 years (there had been a freeze on promotions) and servicemen were starting to get kicked-out due to the newly implemented 'UP or OUT' program. Decided enough was enough and got out myself sporting an Honorable Discharge.
- It only took about nine-months as a civilian for me to decide to rejoin the [new] Army through their prior-service 'Gateway' Program where I trained in yet another MOS (4th so far). Back to West Germany for two separate tours divided by more stateside assignments. By this time I was an E-6(P) just waiting for an E-7 slot to open.
- Thirteen years in and on the downside run towards retirement when my mothers medical problems necessitated that I permanently return home to assist in her care, which I did, carrying a second Honorable Discharge.

I think that my service was somewhat unique in that I held both administrative as well as combat-arms type MOS jobs, was in both the 'OLD' (draftee) and 'NEW' (volunteer) Army, experienced both peacetime and wartime service, and worked as both a pissed-on enlisted and as a Senior NCO.

The biggest overall change I've seen with our military over time, and the reason I VOTED 'NO' about rejoining, is that our military has become too influenced by whichever way the political wind blows, which in itself is too influenced by whatever is considered 'trendy' at any particular time.
 

Chief Sapulpa

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I joined (or get drafted) the Navy in '69; wanted to get into the Coast Guard but couldn't pass the stupid Ishihara color blindness test. Boot camp and A school (Boiler Tech) at Great Lakes, then a one way ticket to Rome to pickup the Mediterrean Flagship Littlerock home ported in Gaeta, a sleepy little fishing town on the Italian Rivera. The Rock was a steamin' SOB and we were busy makin' the steam. From Italy to Yorktown (unload armament) > Boston drydock > Yorktown again (reload armament) > Carribean (missle testing) > North Atlantic cruise (became a Blue Nose) > Newport RI > another Carribean cruise > back to the Mediterrean > Newport...and I was out!
Best second 4 year investment in myself. I learned knowlege, skills and abilities and even matured. Hell yeah, I'd go in again.
 

1911DA

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No .....not with the current political situation and especially not with if assigned to any regular Army units........but yes in 1962 but I was young and dumb and ended up in special ops so a lot of the ******** missed us as we were pretty much away from command structure and autonomous in sneaking and creeping, spreading hate, ill will and discontent in the local indigenous population...........
 

Chief Sapulpa

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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)...
👏
Every kid that gets out of high scool (or drops out) should be required to do a one year service to America gig.
 

JamesBell

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Would I enlist now? Absolutely. Without hesitation. I’m broken down far before my time- the Corps is hard on the body. No getting around that.

The fear of the woke military is understandable. Some of the things you hear and read are outrageous. But I still talk young Marines from time to time. What they think and how they describe their life is the same as it was almost 30 years ago when I enlisted. Maybe I’m just getting a good sample- or maybe the Marine Corps isn’t nearly as jacked up as social media wants it to be.
 

Sgt Dog

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Nope, but I didn't have a choice. Draft notice in hand and went to the recruiter.
With all the wokeness and BS the military are subjected now just like it's going in the workplace, I wouldn't make it long before a dishonorable discharge if I were subjected to the training they are putting on now.

I've talked to the younger guys that are still at the power plant I retired from. They say I wouldn't make it there now, not because of job skills but because I didn't put up with the enhanced safety bullshat and social training they are having to endure in the workplace.
You can't get your work done because of "safety regulations" put in place by pups wet behind the ears that just got a college industrial safety degree without one day of actual work in his background.
Well, it has the "potential" to be dangerous, therefore I have to designate this area as dangerous, and the safety BS starts.
Your required to wear a harness to get into a 10 foot high scaffold with double rails? Give me a freeking break. I did that job with a ladder and a bag of tools and a step ladder just like every instrument guy did it before me since the plant was built in the 70's and nobody ever got hurt, but the college boy saw the "potential for safety" and made that 30 minute job to change the thermocouple in the belly of the turbine from a 30 minute job to a three day job.
Stupidly insane thinking.
From what I'm hearing, the military is going down this same rabbit hole which is why they can't get recruits that actually want to serve.
What Dennis said and more.

I’ll qualify that by saying I’d fight for my country and roughly half the Americans still sane. But this government?? No!!! Emphatically no!

And that from someone with nearly as many veterans as we have males in our family tree. Even have a niece who got out not long ago.

If you are watching the deep state getting grilled in House hearings right now you can plainly see as they refuse answering or lie their way through, or get defended by the Communist members, that our government is bent on subjugating rather that serving. There are not more that a dozen or so, mostly the ones incensed by the lack of accountability and abuse of power, whose aid I’d come to. The rest could fend for themselves. I’d shove them to the front for cannon fodder, along with the DEI complex and University professors.

As for the Military per se, I’d join a militia before I joined the brass who have embraced the wrong side in our culture wars.
 

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