Why did YOU join the military?

[Philosoraptor]

For those who did stints in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, National Guard, etc., why did you join?

If you were the right age, would you join now?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. Mainly because they paid for my schooling/training. I can't complain

though, I had great experiences through my career in the military.

[bedpanartist]

2. I joined to protect and defend the constitution

then I found out that the US military is used to defend and protect the interests of global corporatist war mongers.

Was in from 1987 to 1985. US Army and Ohio Army National Guard - Combat Engineers.

I would not join then, if I knew what I knew now.

[MadMaddie]

3. I joined while I was in college....it helped get me through college...

I also joined because my whole family was in the military...

Me Army Reserves 6 years..
Dad retired Air Force Master Seargent
Sister Army 14 years.
Uncle retired Army Captain
Deceased Uncle Army Vietnam


Would I join now? Absolutely not!! I love the military but they are between a rock and a hard place....anyone that joins now will be sent to Iraq or Afghanastan....

[B Calm]

4. To avoid being drafted and sent to Vietnam...

[Doc_Technical]

11. You're not the only one, B Calm.

I figured that four years in the Air Force was better than getting directly

involved in a civil war that had nothing to do with us in Southeast Asia.



Besides, it was safer for me and I actually learned about electronics rather

than how to kill people.

I figured electronics may have a more practical value in civilian life.

[quiet.american]

5. Who knows? Maybe I'd watched too many episodes of M.A.S.H.

Would I join now if I were the same age? NO! Not under this psycho regime.

[Bigmack]

6. John Kennedy asked me....

what I was going to do for my country.

The world was full of bad guys, and I was going to be one of the good guys.

Four years in the Corps and a Second Place in the Southeast Asia War Games straightened me out.

[oneighty]

7. Broken home

high school drop out

and as soon as I turned seventeen in 1951 Dad say; "Time for you to join the Navy 180."

Yipeeeee! For me it was an escape.

180

Would I do it now? Probably.

[Scoody Boo]

8. I joined after college...

demanded the infantry and Jump School in my contract. I volunteered for Ranger School and made it through the course. I joined specifically because I wanted to do things that I would never be able to do again in my life. I have an ankle that is held together by pins and plates. I would go back in if I could physically and if I could rejoin my old Ranger unit.

[Touchdown]

9. Who's asking? Whatzit to ya'?

I did join. Mainly to get out of that dead end Yakima Washington. Second for the college money. Third, to see the world (through the eyes of a tank periscope). I wasn't in a war, and I talked back a lot. I wasn't the best soldier out there.

I personally think it's kind of tacky to ask someone what reasons they had for joining or not. What you're doing is buying into the Right wing's spin on a patriotism litmus test.

[Philosoraptor]

10. Just curious. No right wing agenda here.

So, would you join today?

[Touchdown]

14. For those reasons above, probably.

I had little options when I graduated HS. Would I join under this regime? FUCK NO! I'd take my chances with the Bowling Alley or maybe a gas station.

[Philosoraptor]

12. Thousands have joined cause they think Iraq attacked us.

And because they think they are making America safer, they were lied to.

But I guess most soldiers were lied to.

[misternormal]

13. Frankly, I needed a job... n/t

[alfredo]

15. I found that joining gave me more control over what MOS

I could pursue. When I was given my written test during induction (draft) I did good enough to catch their attention. They called me out of the crowd in the auditorium and offered me a spot in military intelligence. Instead of two years as a grunt I signed up for four years as a spook. After AIT I signed up for Vietnam but got sent to Africa. I spent my remaining three years there.


Here's my AIT commander Col Lew Millett Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.


the lapel insignia appears to be intelligence.

Here's the explanation of the insignia
http://home.comcast.net/~smcdonald91/micrest.htm
Description:

On a dagger point up, a heralding sun all in gold charged with an oriental blue rose.

The insignia was originally approved in 1962 for the Army Intelligence and Security Branch and redesignated to the Military Intelligence Branch on 1 July 1967.

The sun, composed of four straight and four wavy alternating rays, is the symbol of Helios who, as God of the Sun, could see and hear everything.

The four straight rays of the sun symbol also allude to the four points of the compass and the worldwide mission of the Military Intelligence Branch.

The placement of the sun symbol beneath the rose (an ancient symbol of secrecy) refers to the operations and activities being conducted under circumstances forbidding disclosure.

The partially concealed, unsheathed dagger alludes to the aggressive and protective requirements and the element of physical danger inherent in the mission.

The color gold signifies successful accomplishment and the dark blue signifies vigilance and loyalty.




No, I would not join with a neo con in the white house or fight for any government under control of neo cons. They do not respect our constitutions or our democratic ideals.

[Philosoraptor]

16. Here here!

Fighting for the neocon agenda is a fouling of duty.

[alfredo]

17. The neo con philosophy is autocratic.

They want a permanent ruling class controlling an uneducated, passive citizenry they can manipulate at will.

That to me is un-American.

[TexasProgresive]

18. I joined the Texas Air National Guard after

flunking out of college. I did so because I did not want to be drafted and sent to Vietnam, and I was not courageous like my friends who went Conscientious Objector. And yes it was that "champaign unit" that babybush was supposed to be attend.

Let me tell you we grunts were expected to make all drill weekends and summer training without fail. If we did not attend to our training we would be discharged and immediately drafted into the army or marines for duty you know where. I guess my Daddy should've been a congress critter.

[jaysunb]

19. Drafted....

The motto of that day (1964) : Go to the Army or go to jail !

[OutNow]

20. Air Force

Joined the USAF in 1969 after high school graduation. I didn't have any idea what I wanted to do with my life, and had no money or interest in college. Perfect candidate for the military recruiter! Some older guys in the neighborhood came back from Vietnam (one brother of a friend didn't come back) and said get your ass into the Air Force or Navy - don't you know that some draftees go into the Marines? There was actually a waiting list to get into the Air Force, about 4 months. I got the call and headed for basic training at Lackland. Never got my draft notice.

Would I join now? Probably - the USAF was a great place to mature and meet people from other backgrounds.

BTW - everyone I worked with, even a crusty master sargent with 22 years in were against the Vietnam War by 1970. I developed my anti-war views in the barracks and the day room, not on a college campus.

Have you watched Born on the Fourth of July lately? Next time you're at Blockbuster check it out. I met Ron Kovic back in the 70's.

[bumblebee1]

21. Wanted to travel and get out of PA for a while

That while turned out to be 20 years. At the time I first enlisted, I worked full time at a discount store for minimun wage. I got tired of it and wanted something more.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. Facing the draft coupled with sheer stupidity.

Would I join now? Not without a complete lobotomy.

[Ezlivin]

23. To get electronics training and do some traveling

I grew tired of shuffling my hours in a vain attempt to hold down a job and go through junior college. After two years of dicking around, I joined the Navy. Because of my college credits I got a good deal from my recruiter (an honest guy), getting advanced schools, advancement to E-5 after "graduation" from Submarine School.

My wife joined the Navy to see the world. She got as far as Hawaii and before she could choose her "plum" assignment at the Pentagon or the Swiss Embassy, I had stolen her heart. She decided to stay at CINCPACFLT and marry me. 28 years later we're still going strong.

My dad is a retired Air Force sergeant; my mother served in the Canadian Air Force as a parachute packer (they met while both in the service, too). My wife's father was a Navy vet. Nearly all of my cousins on my dad's side joined and served (Air Force and Army). Both of dad's brothers also served.

Plenty of vets in our family, needless to say...

[scoey1953]

24. Joining to avoid the draft seemed silly but it worked...

USS INDEPENDENCE CV-62

{SHE MAY BE IN MOTHBALLS NOW, BUT I AM STILL PROUD TO BE ONE OF HER CREW}



Back in the early 70's the Vietnam draft was going strong. Many of my high school buddies were picked up right away by the United States Army. Many were whisked off to Vietnam right after bootcamp...

I knew my number was coming up. My thoughts at the time were, if I joined the Coast Guard, I could stay home and still fulfill my duty to my country. I couldn't find a Coast Guard recruiter, so the next best step was the Navy. First of all, you will most likely be aboard a ship...at the time,
we were fighting in Vietnam, and they didn't exactly have a navy..or at least nothing of any real consequence that could threaten a large ship or Submarine.

Besides, I had heard all the stories, of guys doing twenty miles in boot camp with huge packs on their backs. We wouldn't have to do that in Navy bootcamp, after all, how far can you run on a ship? Yet, the Navy was great support in the war efforts, from a safe distance. In a war, a safe distance is definately good.

I chose the Navy, went to Radioman "A" school in Bainbridge Maryland and later was assigned to an air craft carrier in Norfolk Virgina, The USS Independence CV-62 which at the time had just come back from Vietnam and was sitting in dry dock in Portsmouth Virginia, being repaired for 6 months. By then the war was over.

A funny side note, when I first went on board ship, one of the Quartermasters was walking around with a large box with Vietnam service medals and pins, which he was handing out to every sailor on the ship. I told him, "Sir, I can't take this, I never went to Vietnam"...and looked at me and said, "I never asked you if you did go to Vietnam, However are you a crew member of this ship??" I said "Yes sir".."Then, he said, take the damn metal and Shut up...". The Vietnam bar and medal were never listed on my DD2-14,my discharge papers, but I still have the medal and bar...in support of all those guys who did go to Vietnam.

I had been lucky, that when I went to sea, it was basically in Peace time, (However at the time
a small battle had broken out between Greece and Turkey over the ownership of Cyprus and we were right in the middle of it..) and I had signed up under a 2 by 6 program, two years active and six years reserve, not a bad way to serve your country. I do have one soft complaint. Now adays, Women are on board Aircraft carriers, Gee, why couldn't the Navy figure that one out long ago, it might have been more of an interesting cruise had we had "Waves" on board our ship. I have to admit, I still get a "Chill" down my spine when I hear the Navy Band play "Anchors Away"...Once Navy always Navy I guess.

[Lost-in-FL]

25. Was in college ROTC cause I loved the concepts of team work...

discipline and cohesion. Didn't made the grade to Med school so I joined the ARMY. I would join again if I could. What I loved about it, I could be anywhere in the world and would talk to any servicemember like if I have known him/her for years. Can't do that when you are a civilian, they might think you are crazy. The ARMY is like a great family.

The ONLY reason I left the ARMY was my husband, he wanted me to leave the ARMY cause he got tired to having to quit jobs every 3 yrs.

[pecwae]

26. I joined KyANG

in '79 because my husband (AD Marine, Vietnam) was in, all of my male friends were either Guard, Reserve or "Nam vets, and it was a good way to make extra money for the family and get interesting training. I never met anyone who said they joined to 'serve my country.' I'm not saying they didn't exist; I just never met any of them.

I liked what I did in the Guard at the time, so went active at Ft. Bragg from '82-86.

No, I wouldn't join now. Especially not with a CiC who couldn't be bothered to fulfill his own obligation.

[lpbk2713]

27. It was 1965. If I didn't enlist I would have been drafted.

At least I got a little bit of an opportunity to choose what I wanted by enlisting.


If I waited to be drafted my job would have been bullet-stopper.

[TahitiNut]

28. (I didn't see this.) See ...

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/TahitiNut/289

:shrug:

[tinymontgomery]

29. 23 years old, lousy job

joined the Navy to learn how to navigate ships (I had spent most of my life on the sea). That was in 1980, 23 years later I decided I had learned enough (the big thing was * became cinc and I didn't like the way things were headed). One of the best decisions I made in my life in the long run, sure wouldn't join now through and I'm working on keeping my son from joining any service right now.

[two gun sid]

30. Dropped out of college and needed a job...

they were hard to find in the 1981 rustbelt.

I would not join today.

[hardtravelin]

31. For adventure?

So I thought. Jumping into Honduras at 18, watching us dismantle that country and support a bunch of thugs. The Sandinistas we worked with were the most vicious guys I ever met. It sunk in a few years later what I had been a part of. I loved my unit and the men I served with, but some of our missions in the late 80's were spooky-I've thought about it a lot since then.

[aikoaiko]

32. Thanks for serving one and all.

Whatever your reasons, whatever the action, whatever the politics.

We still need men and women willing to protect us.

[Hubert Flottz]

33. Well it was like this...

GREETING:

Having submitted yourself to a Local Board composed of your neighbors for the purpose of determining your availability for training and service in the armed forces of the United States, you are hereby notified that you have now been selected for training and service in the .

You will, therefore, report to the Local Board named above at at 7:00 AM on the day of , .

This Local Board will furnish transportation to an induction station of the service for which you have been selected. You will there be examined and if accepted for training and service, you will then be inducted into the stated branch of the service.

If you are not accepted, you will be furnished transportation to the place where you reported. Wilful failure to report promptly to this Local Board at the hour and on the day named in this notice is a violation of the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 and subjects the violator to fine and imprisonment. Bring with you sufficient clothing for 3 days.

You must keep this form and take it with you when you report to your Local Board.

*******************

Registration is the law. A man who fails to register may, if prosecuted and convicted, face a fine of up to $250,000 and/or a prison term of up to five years.

************

Of course there's always...

Article 85—Desertion


(c) Any person found guilty of desertion or attempt to desert shall be punished, if the offense is committed in time of war, by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct, but if the desertion or attempt to desert occurs at any other time, by such punishment, other than death, as a court-martial may direct.”

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/punitivearticles/a/mcm85.htm



If your daddy has lots of cash you might not get shot at all and grow up to become pResident of the USA! I don't think Bush ever intended to return to the military BTW!