Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire would you encourage a young person to join the military?what branch?why?

If the kid is smart, he can get great benefit out of the military. When I was in the Coast Guard, I was going to school at the rate of 15 credits a semester, and never paid a dime.

I always recommend kids join the military if they don't have the cash for college. A motivated person could join the Coast Guard and in 6-8 years walk away with a Masters degree, without paying a dime, and have the GI bill to keep going, if desired. All the while having fun, collecting a paycheck, and figuring out life.

Hi: Hell no. Why? Because our military has and is being misused by corrupt politicians with private agendas. We no longer fight wars the way we should. If we fight a war, no matter where or with whom, it needs to be an all-out, no holds barred wipe out of the enemy. Carpet bomb them. Burn their cities to the ground and kill every living thing in sight. Once that is done, if they survivors wish to live within the law and promise not to continue to commit atrocities in the name of their god or their politics, we help them rebuild and welcome them into our society. If they continue to make threats or use force against us, bomb them some more. The idea of sending our young men and women into untenable, unwinable situations where they are constrained by absurd regulations to use whatever force is necessary is an abomination. Unless and until our politicos are willing to go out and not worry about "collateral damage" we will never be able to overcome our enemies. Right now, I think some of our worst enemies are in D.C. itself. Don't send our youngsters to fight if they are not allowed full use of the force our military can bring to bear.

I am now an ag business major at Texas A&M with the GI Bill providing most of my income. The new GI Bill is coming out this year and will be even better.

If the kid joings the service, Barack Obama will be his commander in chief. Would you like to be obligated to follow the orders of Barack Obama to the death?

The picture did hit home with me a little. My unit was far from combat ready, in a time when the military was not a popular choice. The general came down from HQ and was disgusted with the fitness in my unit. The result: the fit privates and E4s were made to do PT in formation every morning while the fat ass NCOs took turns supervising. I would recommend that anybody serious about the army try to get into a combat ready unit. That's where the pride is.

I was stationed on a navy base, so we had marines there too. The marines ran around the island every morning before work as a unit. You have to go to Bragg, Benning, or Campbell to see that kind of committment in the army.

"We aren't as top heavy as the other branches. Had a Marine O-3 tell me once that the Army has more Captains than the Marines has officers. From the numbers I saw - I would believe it."

You would be right. Active and Reserve components together, the Army is several times larger than the Marine Corps. The Army is no more top heavy. A large force requires a lot of captains and even more lieutenants, etc, etc, etc.

Expat

My son is joining to serve his country.

Took him out today and spent $200 getting him some new clothes. We had a great morning together. Tomorrow, my son in law, the Army Sargent, is taking him out to lunch to answer questions.

I never joined the military, but my job is very militaristic hard core. Many marines, rangers, even seals, ex NFL, do the job that I do. I went the peaceful route and got my degree in Finance etc etc. I guess I don't regret it. But if I had decided to join, I would have either followed my father's footsteps and chosen the Marines, or "tried" to become a SEAL, or Ranger. I have respect for all of them.

You serve at the pleasure of the Commander in Chief, whether you like him or not, it's not your decision to not follow him, it's your duty to follow orders..

it's good that all sides of the arguments can be aired out on the 'net. Not like a recruiter coming to school and spouting all the good stuff, without offering any information on the other side of the ledger, so to speak.

an all volunteer system is the way, but a lot of politicians want involuntary servitude....it makes them feel more powerful, i reckon.

My thought is that they should be encouraged to do whatever they want, as long as it is honorable.

Man I don't know how to respond to that without basically saying that is one of the more chicken$%^# statements I've ever read.

In reality if a soldier/marine/sailor/airmen should ever find themself in that position, well the career has brought them exactly to where it is expected to. That is simply a warrior's path. It may not be for you, but its undeniable that is the just of the job.

It would be like telling an Electrical Engineer that works for the Power Company that if he ever finds himself with the power in his city off and the responsibility of getting it back on on his shoulders that he has made some sort of a poor career move.


The warrior's path is not for all, but for all that choose it they should never fear where it will take them, or underestimate what it will ask of them.