# A question about your service.



## 11Bull (Jun 11, 2020)

If the average citizen viewed service members today like anti-war protesters did in Vietnam or the anti-police crowd views police officers currently, would you still have signed the dotted line?
  I know quite a few people who served because of the hero complex the military receives in some areas, but what if the tables were turned?
  The answer is easy for me now, but as an 18 year old, it's a lot more iffy.
  Question is not for vietnam vets of course, you have my utmost respect.


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## J. (Jun 11, 2020)

11Bull said:


> If the average citizen viewed service members today like anti-war protesters did in Vietnam or the anti-police crowd views police officers currently, would you still have signed the dotted line?
> I know quite a few people who served because of the hero complex the military receives in some areas, but what if the tables were turned?
> The answer is easy for me now, but as an 18 year old, it's a lot more iffy.
> Question is not for vietnam vets of course, you have my utmost respect.



I’m from a family of Firefighters, Paramedics, Public Servants and Military. When 9/11 occurred, we took it personally. I think if the entire country was averse to war after that event and saw the military in that light it wouldn’t have any bearing on my choice. 

Easy to say on the back end, but I remember how angry, moved, and intense I was about joining and I doubt lack of support from Americans would have swayed me. Truthfully I didn’t join for them, I joined for revenge (as corny as that sounds but this is 18yr old me were talking about).


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## 11Bull (Jun 11, 2020)

J. said:


> I joined for revenge


A better reason than most


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## The Quartermaster (Jun 11, 2020)

I joined because my grandfather wanted our family to say thank you to their adopted nation, for letting them escape communism when Hungary fell after trying unsuccessfully to revolt back in '56.

I was two months from echo tango sierra when 9/11 happened. I reenlisted two weeks later on Kolekole Pass, the same pass Japan used to attack us way back when. I stayed in to support those trying to finish the fight, and retired after becoming burnt out from politics. When I enlisted, we trained to standard and not to time. By the time I decided to hang my soft cap, it was training to time and not to standard. Add the other things that was killing our effectiveness, I wanted no more of it. 

But still, all that and a broke back, permanent nerve damage too, a TBI that gives migraines and slurred speech, missing teeth, and permanent hearing loss, no regrets. None.


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## DA SWO (Jun 11, 2020)

I signed the dotted line when service was still frowned upon.


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## Bypass (Jun 11, 2020)

I just wanted to break things and blow shit up. I clearly picked the wrong MOS. My hobbies as a child were making fireworks and catching venomous snakes and BB gun wars with my friends and setting fire to my GI Joes and watching them slowly burn into nothing. Oh and my Father served in the Army in Vietnam and he wasn't drafted but enlisted. I come from a family of crazy people. So any political climate would have never affected my choice to serve.


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## Devildoc (Jun 11, 2020)

Bypass said:


> I just wanted to break things and blow shit up. I clearly picked the wrong MOS. My hobbies as a child were making fireworks and catching venomous snakes and BB gun wars with my friends and setting fire to my GI Joes and watching them slowly burn into nothing. Oh and my Father served in the Army in Vietnam and he wasn't drafted but enlisted. I come from a family of crazy people. So any political climate would have never affected my choice to serve.
> 
> View attachment 34362



That infamous meme pic came out of a town about 15 minutes from here.  About the only thing ever noteworthy to come out of that town.

Then & Now: Fire Starter/Disaster Girl Meme Started in Mebane!

I joined because it was largely the family business.  I didn't have to; I wanted to.  I would have done it regardless of the climate.  I am proud of it.


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## NovemberWhiskey (Jun 11, 2020)

Different country and culture where I'm at - military anything is viewed in rather poor light and disinterest at best, and 'heroes' in here means WW2 fallen people (R.I.P.).

Who I was with, didn't exactly have a choice, but as to how different role a public opinion plays? To my decisions, not much.

I care about people breathing and safe and fucking it up for them the least, most. More about what's done than what others outside of it think.

But yeah, dad was an army vet and otherwise family full of doctors, engineers and the like. If it were just for their contributions I'd still be stuck with child abusing would-be militaries or dead by now.

Not my country's ofi military, and unless they redefine requirements for chaplains also don't wanna be.  Dead serious, that's the only MOS of local mil I've been seriously eyeing for ages.

But I respect them guys, team ups have been interesting contributions hopefully both sides.

Just find I can serve my country and help people better elsewhere.


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## Marauder06 (Jun 11, 2020)

My father was in the Army.  If he had followed some other profession, I probably would have done that.


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## Diamondback 2/2 (Jun 11, 2020)

Hmmm, most fun I never wanna have again. I would have still signed my ass away, but probably wouldn't have relisted after my initial contract.


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## DasBoot (Jun 11, 2020)

They asked me “you wanna kill people and not go to jail?” And I said “fuck ya who don’t?”

Then they asked “you afraid of the jungle?” And I was like  “I ain’t scared of shit. I been ready to go to the jungle since I seen that Predator movie.”

5 1/2 years later here I am.


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## Kraut783 (Jun 11, 2020)

To me, it was about service, and thought it would be good to add to my resume. There wasn't much going in in 1986 when I went to boot camp, I had just graduated from high school.


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## Andoni (Jun 17, 2020)

I wanted to go to war. I took 9/11 personally. Madrid train station bombings 2004 happened, my roommate was from Spain, I enlisted 12 days later.   During 38 days of DEP, I look up different MI units, find one I think had a chance of going to over, write an email to the Commander, offered my unique skills - haha, I was a pre-k teacher/lifeguard, said I would file papers, jump out of planes or learn to speak Arabic like I was born in a little sandy hut. Like ten days later, he emails back. Puts me in touch with CSM. CSM gives instructions. I follow them. Last email is, "Got folks working on getting you here. hope it works out." 2 months later I'm at an operational MI Battalion OCONUS tasked and attached in the GWOT thinking,  "fuck my life choices" "holy fucking shit" and "I LOVE THIS"...like twice. About 2 years later I get assigned to the unit I emailed in DEP.


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## billbrasky86 (Jun 17, 2020)

Grandaddy and Dad were both in the Marines so from an early age I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do. September 11th only further cemented my resolve. Would 100% do it again tomorrow if I could. I miss it alot and regret getting out. In fact, if I could change one thing in life I would have stayed in.


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## Steve1839 (Jun 17, 2020)

I enlisted in 1971, six months after graduating from high school...it's what my family did...everyone of my male first cousins that was physically qualified enlisted...my father, who had recently returned from a tour in Vietnam, tried to talk me out of it, but I persisted and signed on the line...being in the armed forces was far from popular at the time, but as Hank says, it's a family tradition...


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## RackMaster (Jun 17, 2020)

I have a family history of serving the Canadian Army, going back to my great grandfather's; both were new immigrants.   But it wasn't a good time to join in the 90's.  I joined shortly after the Somalia Affair and disbandment of the Canadian Airborne Regiment.  It was during what we call the Decade of Darkness, the effects are still felt today.  

If some of us didn't serve when we did because the public perception wasn't very positive, they'd be recruiting the bottom of the barrel or even be forced to conscript or draft.

LOOK BACK: 25 years since Somalia affair stained Canada’s reputation

Hillier decries military's 'decade of darkness'


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## Dame (Jun 17, 2020)

Steve1839 said:


> I enlisted in 1971, six months after graduating from high school...it's what my family did...everyone of my male first cousins that was physically qualified enlisted...my father, who had recently returned from a tour in Vietnam, tried to talk me out of it, but I persisted and signed on the line...being in the armed forces was far from popular at the time, but as Hank says, it's a family tradition...


Tell the folks how long it's been a family tradition, handsome.


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## LimaPanther (Jun 17, 2020)

I joined the Marines while still in high school. I was nerdy looking and only weighed 128 lbs when I went in. Was told that I wouldn't make it so set out to prove I could. Had a class mate that was large and played football that said he was going to join also but chickened out. When I got through basic and ITR (now SOI) was selected for Recon. Asked how I got there and was told "You passed the swim test didn't you?" I could swim like a fish. Now you put in a packet and go through selection but back then the Corps selected who went where. I was kidded when I went through jump school that they were going to have to tie sand bags to my feet to keep me from drifting away. Found out later at a class reunion that I was the only one in the class that went into the Marine Corps. I got married 4 years later and my wife still wants to know what happened to that 6ft 200 lb Marine she married. I later went Army and all together I spent 32 years with Uncle Sam as both enlisted and officer.


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## Steve1839 (Jun 17, 2020)

RackMaster said:


> I joined shortly after the Somalia Affair and disbandment of the Canadian Airborne Regiment.


I actually went to Belet Weyne (many spellings of that name, none of them right), met LTC Mathieu...he was out there, for sure...


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## Steve1839 (Jun 17, 2020)

Dame said:


> Tell the folks how long it's been a family tradition...


Well, it began shortly after getting off the boat from Ireland...about 265 years ago...


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