For the military guys

[Guest]

So after a lot of consideration (2 years) I have decided I am going to enlist in the air force next fall. I know I will probably get flamed for this because I am liberal and anti-Iraq war, but I support the military 100% and I think it is a great institution. I have talked to a lot of people about this but I am still looking for opinions. For those of you that are in the military or have friends/family in the military, tell me about your experiences. I am wondering what reasons people have for joining and if it was what they thought it was going to be? What is your job and what jobs would you recommend? I will probably end up changing my mind but I think I am going to do air force security which will prepare me for a career as a cop. What is it like living on base? Do any of you support families and how is it when you are deployed? If I am going to be US government property for 6 years I want to know that I am making the right decision. The last thing I want to do is have a family and get deployed in Baghdad and do escorting or something. Any info would be helpful thanks.

[equate975]

Cant help you, but I just wanted to congratulate you on your decision, and a thank you. Because I know I will never do this lol :)

[blunttech]

i served in the marine corps. the reason i enlisted was i felt like i didnt know what i wanted to do and at least i was heading somewhere.
at that point in my life i was what most of you would consider a loser. experimenting with drugs and alcohol and pretty much no direction at all in life. deep down i thought the military might straighten me out. i was wrong. it was like throwing gas on the flames. i was overseas with access to anything and everything. i think if your head is on straight now youll do fine. theres a lot of benifits to serving and we need people to do it. i actually straightened up after i got out at about age 26. the way the world is going now theres a good chance youll be deployed to some shithole region. keep that in mind. i was fortunate but the worlds a much different place nowadays. all i had to worry about was getting the clap from some skanky whore in the phillipines. now you have to worry about staying alive

[ping65810]

I served 2 years in the Army. I, too, am a Liberal Democrat. I can say that I served proudly, but unless a lot changed I would not go back. For one, the general politics are staunchly Republican. You are looked at as a traitor for being a Democrat, the equipment needs some major revamping, and stupid beauocracy abounds.
I didn't care too much about war before I went in, but once you go through the training, I vowed to not participate in American bloodshed for a country where we shouldn't be.

That said, I respect your decision, and once we get a decent president in office, I will probably join back up.

[h0lmes]

i served in the marine corps. the reason i enlisted was i felt like i didnt know what i wanted to do and at least i was heading somewhere.
at that point in my life i was what most of you would consider a loser. experimenting with drugs and alcohol and pretty much no direction at all in life. deep down i thought the military might straighten me out. i was wrong. it was like throwing gas on the flames. i was overseas with access to anything and everything. i think if your head is on straight now youll do fine. theres a lot of benifits to serving and we need people to do it. i actually straightened up after i got out at about age 26. the way the world is going now theres a good chance youll be deployed to some shithole region. keep that in mind. i was fortunate but the worlds a much different place nowadays. all i had to worry about was getting the clap from some skanky whore in the phillipines. now you have to worry about staying alive

That is actually my problem as well. I am addicted to pot and I drink way to much. I don't think I am a failure by any means. I go to school and work 30ish hours a week but I am not motivated to do much of anything. I am really hoping that the air force will teach me some discipline. Did you continue to use drugs when you were overseas? What ways are there to assure that I am kept out of front line combat? Like I said, I fully support the military but I am against the war so the last thing I want to do is lose my life fighting for something I don't believe in.

[PУCCKAЯ_e30ka]

I think its stupid to go to military and not expect get into the war in some place or another... you are going to be in the military, if you don't want to go anywhere.. don't go into military! I also don't think that you can do that much about avoiding being sent to, for example, Iraq!

P.S. pot makes people "small" inside, that's why people who smoke pot can't decide what to do in life, but when they see pot, they know... they want to smoke! My personal opinion is that pot "degrades" a person in a negative way.
basically, overtime you become (phycologicaly) one of those "down-syndrome" ppls
These posts are not directed personally to you h0lmes + u listen to trance, so that makes you even better!

[h0lmes]

I think its stupid to go to military and not expect get into the war in some place or another... you are going to be in the military, if you don't want to go anywhere.. don't go into military! I also don't think that you can do that much about avoiding being sent to, for example, Iraq!

P.S. pot makes people "small" inside, that's why people who smoke pot can't decide what to do in life, but when they see pot, they know... they want to smoke! My personal opinion is that pot "degrades" a person in a negative way.
basically, overtime you become (phycologicaly) one of those "down-syndrome" ppls
These posts are not directed personally to you h0lmes + u listen to trance, so that makes you even better!

Yeah I understand completely about the negatives of pot use. It may be virtually harmless physically but it makes you lazy and worthless. Im just glad that I am realizing it now instead of when im 40. As far as not seeing combat, there are many jobs that don't require you to be on the front lines. With me supporting the military but being anti-iraq war, having a job away from combat is a good trade off. I can still serve my country and get all the benefits of being in the military without getting blown up by in IED.

PS. Electronic music is the future!

[PУCCKAЯ_e30ka]

Yeah I understand completely about the negatives of pot use. It may be virtually harmless physically but it makes you lazy and worthless. Im just glad that I am realizing it now instead of when im 40. As far as not seeing combat, there are many jobs that don't require you to be on the front lines. With me supporting the military but being anti-iraq war, having a job away from combat is a good trade off. I can still serve my country and get all the benefits of being in the military without getting blown up by in IED.

PS. Electronic music is the future!

I guess threre are ways to stay out of combat after all...

ATB supposed to come to SA oct 18th... whoohoooo.... threre is a rave after that with sasha, rocco, c gate, etc. (atb is real one, not someone playing his stuff... the rave is just someone (prolly with atb) playing those dj's stuff)

[h0lmes]

I guess threre are ways to stay out of combat after all...

ATB supposed to come to SA oct 18th... whoohoooo.... threre is a rave after that with sasha, rocco, c gate, etc. (atb is real one, not someone playing his stuff... the rave is just someone (prolly with atb) playing those dj's stuff)

ATB was here in Seattle last week. Crystal Method is coming on the 27th and I plan to see them. I saw them do a dj set about 6 months ago and it was incredible. I danced all night with some random lesbians and made out with them and stuff, man it was a fun night.

[blunttech]

That is actually my problem as well. I am addicted to pot and I drink way to much. I don't think I am a failure by any means. I go to school and work 30ish hours a week but I am not motivated to do much of anything. I am really hoping that the air force will teach me some discipline. Did you continue to use drugs when you were overseas? What ways are there to assure that I am kept out of front line combat? Like I said, I fully support the military but I am against the war so the last thing I want to do is lose my life fighting for something I don't believe in.

overseas is where my drug use really took off. looking back i didnt think i was a real loser at the time either. but i do now. ive been totally straight, no drugs or alcohol for 25 years now. i got straight at age 26. im 51 now. i never thought about enlisting with jobs to stay out of combat as i didnt have any aversion to it then or now. i think your odds are a lot better to see combat now then mine were right after the viet nam war. i enlisted as they were pulling out of nam. the only fighting i saw was the hookers i wouldnt pay in bangkok

[h0lmes]

overseas is where my drug use really took off. looking back i didnt think i was a real loser at the time either. but i do now. ive been totally straight, no drugs or alcohol for 25 years now. i got straight at age 26. im 51 now. i never thought about enlisting with jobs to stay out of combat as i didnt have any aversion to it then or now. i think your odds are a lot better to see combat now then mine were right after the viet nam war. i enlisted as they were pulling out of nam. the only fighting i saw was the hookers i wouldnt pay in bangkok

The drug policy was very different at those times I think. I am pretty sure that the military is strict about drugs now. Another good thing about enlisting now is that since we are at war, I would get 10 veterans points to use towards any civil job. Basically once I am discharged, I can get nearly any government job I want.

I know there are more people on r3v that are in the military so speak up if you are. This is a big decision so I would like as much input as possible.

[blunttech]

The drug policy was very different at those times I think. I am pretty sure that the military is strict about drugs now. Another good thing about enlisting now is that since we are at war, I would get 10 veterans points to use towards any civil job. Basically once I am discharged, I can get nearly any government job I want.

I know there are more people on r3v that are in the military so speak up if you are. This is a big decision so I would like as much input as possible.

yes sir, there was no such thing as piss tests back then.