How many Democrat Service Members (ex-members) here?

[45th Med]

6 Years US Army and proud to be an Independent/Democrat!

Some foolz at another forum say most enlistedmen are Republicon, which simply isn't the case! Yeah, maybe all the silver spoonfed officers may be Republicon but the backbone of the service, sure ain't!

[tom_paine]

1. USAF Veteran here!

[Another Bill C.]

2. USN 1955 -- 1963

nt

[Johnyawl]

3. USMC

1968-71

[DiverDave]

4. Army

I was a tank crewman in West Germany, when there was such a thing.

[uberotto]

5. Six years U.S. Navy...

and 39 years bleeding heart liberal.

As for the majority of enlisted being republican, I agree it's not really true.

I would say that they are mostly independent voters who prefer simple answers and tend to vote for the candidate who gives them what they want.

Right now, many of them want to be with their families.

[Speck Tater]

6. USAF in the early 60's

Joined to see the world. Never left San Antonio, Texas.

[Shakespeare]

7. Democrat-IC is the correct word.

Grammatically correct, contrary to the RW meme.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

12. Thank you...

everytime I hear some boob on the tube talk about the "Democrat Party" or the "Democrat Representative" from California, I cringe.

I am a Democrat. I am a member of the Democratic Party.

I know nothing about the Democrat Party.

[truthseeker1]

17. I know what you mean......

It seems like they do that on purpose, almost to make it sound derogatory in a way. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Shakespeare]

19. They DO do that on purpose....

I believe it was either Gingrich or Atwater who started that--there's a memo of talking points out there somewhere (may even be able to find it on the net) that specifically encourages repugs to do this (along with other anti-liberal buzzwords). It's a fully organized attempt to change the word.

[MindPilot]

8. USN Vietnam 72 - 73

I know quite a few ex-servicefolk who are liberal. I think seeing the militaristic BS firsthand makes them that way.

[rwork]

9. 3 years

US Army 62 to 65. Raised democrat by my grandparents, who went thru the great depression.

[CatWoman]

10. Army vet here

:hi:

[scottcsmith]

11. Gulf war vet here

U.S. Navy, military journalist, 1986-1992.
Served aboard USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Blue Ridge was the command ship for Navy operations in the region.

Served proudly, do not support current operations in Iraq, which, as my hate mail indicates, makes me a traitor.

[finecraft]

13. USN (Retired) Family Checking In

1960-1982 Always Democrats

[GOPFighter]

14. USAF 1965-1969

@ Bitburg AFB Germany and Wheelus AFB Libya

[truthseeker1]

15. Former AF spouse and brat

Dad was an AF pilot - career officer for 25 years - and yes, he's a Republican (loves Reagan, listens to Rush, Savage, Hannity, etc.) and he and I don't talk about politics. Mom just regurgitates what Dad says. She and I regularly fight about politics (it's easy to shoot holes in her arguments because she hasn't formed her opinion based on her own thoughts.)

Husband was an AF Officer - 7 years - got out in 99 (THANK GOD!)

I was in AFROTC for 1.5 years in college - but got smart and realized it wasn't for me (even though Dad was my commander!)

It's been a long road of undoing the indoctrination, but my husband and I are now both progressives and we just registered as Democrats for the first time! We are definitely not missing our chance to vote in the primary next March.

I would have to agree that GENERALLY speaking, officers are repubs or independents.* It's pretty natural really. They like the status quo and where they sit in the hierarchy. There are exceptions of course.

I believe anyone can change their worldview - it just depends on the individual. (This is why I'm giving Clark a chance.) Some take longer to come around and some never do. I also believe once a person truly finds compassion, they can't vote Republican. I'm so glad my eyes have been opened!

*Edit: Ok, I have to revise this. I realize this is from MY point of view and from the situations I was exposed to. Doesn't mean that my conclusion is right. I wonder if a lot of people exposed to war change their political views afterwards. I know my dad seems very conflicted in his life. He never talks about Vietnam. I wonder if he's in denial about things. He continues to defend his country's actions and wave the patriotic flag (MY God he's anal about that damned flag....has a fit if it's not taken down by sundown, etc. it seems so inconsequential in comparison to the larger issues in life) but something inside of him...his soul perhaps...must be speaking to him telling him things don't add up. *Sigh*

[45th Med]

20. Ansbach Army Heliport - Ansbach HS Graduate 1993!

He's a brat, she's a brat, you're a brat, I'mma brat too! My dad was former XO of 4th AVN Brigade, 3AD.

I was born at Ft. Rucker, within my early years I moved to:

Ft. Irwin, CA
Ft. Campbell, KY
Ft. Benning, GA
K-Town, FRG
Schofield, HI
Illesheim, FRG
Katterbach, FRG

Joined the Army right after flunking out of U Maryland Munich, Combat Medic and Flight Medic. Stationed in Frankfurt, Da Hood, K-Town and Ansbach. Deployed out to Bosnia with the 45th Med....DUSTOFF EUROPE!

[truthseeker1]

50. AF Moves

Here's my list:
Born Oklahoma City, OK (Tinker AFB)
Wichita Falls, TX (Shepard AFB)
Vacaville, CA (Travis AFB)
Fort Walton Beach, FL (Eglin AFB?)
Vacaville, CA (Travis AFB)
Lancaster, CA (Edwards AFB)
Redmond, WA (Dad was at UW in AFIT program)
Denver, CO
San Antonio, TX (Kelly AFB)
Albuquerque, NM (Kirtland AFB)
Zaragoza, Spain (Zaragoza AFB)
Bozeman, MT
Belleville, IL (Scott AFB)

Went to 8 different schools. All in all....not a bad experience....learned how to adjust and adapt to various situations.

[Turbineguy]

16. Lt USNR

[MsFlorida]

18. Air Force

way back when......

[Wickerman]

21. USAF Vet

Sgt. 5 years, 3 mos. (extended my 4 year enlistment "at the pleasure of the US government" - I always liked that phrase), technically a Gulf War I Vet, though was not present.

[Chef]

22. Democratic Party Service Man

US Army, Viet Nam 1969-70. I took GW's place in the draft so he would't have to go.

[45th Med]

23. BTW.....

my wife is a former Army nurse.....Dixie Democrat too.....

[Padraig18]

24. My boyfriend is a 4-year veteran of the USMC!

He's also a rabid Democrat and says that the enlisted ranks contain more Democrats than most civilians would suppose.

[ET Awful]

25. Army here, then National Guard

[HootieMcBoob]

26. Ex US Army Reservist

Thankfully most of my time was spent during the Clinton administration. I have a feeling we're not gonna see very many people re-up in the future.

Also American Legion!

[Avis]

46. Army reserve 7 yrs

graduated from basic as the last group as WACs

[BrotherBuzz]

27. Just a dumb draftee...

that added "no value, no advantage, really, to the United States Armed Services over any sustained period of time."

Thanks, Rumsfeld, you dickhead.

[atreides1]

28. US Army 1978-1991, Desert Storm Veteran

My wife is active duty USAF

[economic justice]

29. US Army 1986-1990

[TacticalPeek]

30. Plain old Army, US - 69-71

RW chickenhawks suck.

[NuckinFutz]

31. USAF

1989-1994.

Was an independent. Registered Democratic a few months ago.

My spouse was also USAF 1986(?)-1991. I got him to switch to Democratic, too.

We hate having our intelligence insulted by the likes of the ICIC, Idiot Cowboy In Charge.

[neuvocat]

32. 4 years Army

and most of the enlisted aren't really all that political. At least not when I was in.

[TacticalPeek]

33. That Army guy who did the Turning Tables blog from Iraq

said that he walked around one day asking troops 'Who is the VP of the US?". About 25%-50% did not know.

[45th Med]

36. That was a great blog!

Turning Tables is good...

LT Smash is good....


The best blogs, however are written by Iraqi's themselves....

[45th Med]

34. BTW, I would really, really, REALLY.....

like to see a CLARK/DEAN ticket! I served under Clark when he was SACEUR. I put his past issued behind me, the whole Pristina Airport thing, and moved on.

Now, I want to see him nominated for POTUS!!!

[Nlighten1]

35. US Army 1985-1991 here

Infantry


Fix Bayonets!

[democratreformed]

37. Not a current or former service member

but sincerely wanted to say a big THANK YOU to those all here who have protected us and our country (along with others) over the years. To me, you are genuinely the bravest and the best!

[DK666]

38. DK Here

11 years
Soviet Intelligence Specialist
Counter Terrorisim Intel
FAC (USMC ARG "A","B" and Force Recon)
Thawk Target Generation (1st Gulf War)

[PapaClay]

39. 2 branches - 20 years

USN 69-77
USA 77-89

independent, liberal, and still a few rough edges.

[tom_paine]

40. Right, 45th Med, it's the DEMOCRATIC Party

Not the Democrat Party.

Instant slur...take an adjective with conjugated suffix.

Remove conjugated suffix, turn into noun.

Use as adjective.

Observe:

From Granpda Prescott Bush's Old Business Partners, the Nazis (and many others)

"Jewish Lawyer" turns into "Jew Lawyer"

"Democratic Lawyer" turns into "Democrat Lawyer"

Same structural slur...same kind of people using them.

[RichardRay]

41. USN - 1969 - 1972

Two years of that time as one of the opeators of the Potemkin Bookshop in Newport, RI doing discharge counseling and publishing a dandy little monthly named ALL HANDS - ABANDON SHIP!

Potemkin Bookshop =
(P)eaceful (O)asis (T)o (E)ngender (M)ilitary (K)inship (I)n
(N)ewport (B)ringing (O)ut (O)f (K)inship (S)ome (H)ope (O)f (P)eace.

:-)

I'm afraid my departure included interaction with the UCMJ.

[catzies]

42. Welcome to DU, 45th Med!

:hi:

(Please don't say the "other forum" is Frei Republik)

[Superfly]

43. US Army Field Artillery (Airborne)

1997-2002
Graduate, 1997 Washington State University
1-37 FA (Ft. Lewis) M-109A6 Paladin and later M-198 155 mm howitzer
HQ USAES (Ft. Leonard Wood)
1-30 FA (MLRS, M-109A6, M-119)

[Superfly]

44. (Still in the reserves, I forgot to mention)

NT

[DK666]

45. BTW

There is no such thing as republicans or democrats when the shooting starts.....

Been there done that.

[fknobbit]

47. 21 years USAF

Been a Dem since Ike, and because of Ike..

[nykiera]

48. Army 1980-1984

Ten years of Reserves after that.

[Touchdown]

49. 3/11th ACR Cav. 84-87

Alons! whatever that really meant. I was either "Doc" or "Band-aid" depending on who I pissed off that day. Benn liberal ever since my Sgt. ordered me to vote for Ray-Gun, and I voted for Mondale out of spite.:P

[displacedvermoter]

51. USAF 1978 - 1992

n/t

[tabasco]

52. 10 years Army

11B Airborne Ranger

[Noordam]

53. Army VN Vet (well computer geek in Nam)

:evilgrin:

[zeemike]

54. USN 1960-1968

Served in the times of the drafted, and think it a better time.

[dand]

55. U.S.M.C.

4 years 4 months

[jmowreader]

56. 12 years Army

Fort Devens Intelligence School 1982
101st Airborne 82-84
Korea 84-85
III Corps 85
Goodfellow AFB Intelligence School 86
Field Station Berlin 86-92
10th Mountain 92-94

BTW, where is 45th Med?

[45th Med]

60. 45th Med is......

4th AVN BDE
421st EVAC
45th Air Ambulance

Katterbach Army Heliport, FRG

:D

[DrZhivago]

57. Army

2nd Infantry Division 8 miles from DMZ

[ThomWV]

58. U.S. Army, '66-'70 RVN '67-'70

.

[woofless]

59. Viet Nam Era, USAF

Served at Incirlik AB, Adana, Turkey and the Pentagon in the Chief of Staff message branch.

[Snow]

61. US Peace Corps, Korea, 1971 - 1974

Turns out the Peace Corps would take my 4-F hide happily, and then send me to a place where the military got combat zone and hazardous duty pay. What a time that was!

[Mountainman]

62. U S Army 1966 - 1968

Vietnam 4-67 to 3-68

[oldliberal]

63. USAF 1956-1976 eom

[CWebster]

64. Tell ya what is curious about this

Aside from maybe one, and that one isn't a rabid one, there are none of the big Clark devotees on this thread.

Wonder if it is vicarious projection for many who have never served.

[Merlin]

65. US Army - Forward Observer - Nam 68-70

And proud of it.