Veterans Only - What is the military's overall mission?

[Zywiec]

I'm always amazed at some of the comments I read here about the military. I assume most of them come from people who never served. Here's the latest that more than one person agreed with. What do you think?

Edited to add "Constitution" to second option

[hobbit709]

1. My oath was

"To defend the Constitution and the United States-in that order- from all enemies, foreign AND domestic.

[ret5hd]

2. Looks like the OP didn't get around to that option. Wonder why.

[Rick Myers]

3. Same here.

First and foremost, any nation's military's prime mission is to 'defend the common border.'

[atreides1]

18. This was mine

...support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;

[TahitiNut]

29. Incomplete. As an enlisted man, mine was ...

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

I'd like to find ANY JAG officer or court ruling that agrees the orders are unlawful.

[mmonk]

4. .

[BOSSHOG]

5. The number one mission of the Navy

is to keep the shipping lanes open for the free flow of commerce, the coast Guard to provide protection for mariners on and near our coasts, the Marines to provide amphibious warfare support in conjunction with naval operations, the Army to provide massive numbers of troops in ground attacks. (Very generally stated but you get the gist.) I have no idea what the Air Force's Mission is except to look real purty in the cute blue uniforms. Maybe its to spell Naval Air for an occasional break.

BUT, to support and defend the constitution using those means is the bottom line.

IF a jerkoff gets elected commander in chief and skews the mission thereof and forthwith don't blame the guys in uniform.

[Rick Myers]

7. Yeah, I always thought our AF dress uniform liked like the USPS!!!

Rain, sleet, snow and all that...

[BOSSHOG]

13. There was a retired Air Force Master Sergeant

working for the VA when my dad was dying in Missouri a few years back. We got along great. I told him me (and my Dad) were retired Navy. He told me he was retired AF, I asked him if ever served in the military. We got a good laugh out of that and we had a good cry after my Dad died. He was a great friend during a low time.

[cherokeeprogressive]

22. The anecdote is hiliarious. Sorry about your loss.

The guys who always garnered the most respect from me were the senior PO's, E-8's and 9's. Even more so than officers, unless that officer was prior-enlisted. I had a MCPO while stationed with VA-128 at NAS Whidbey Island and he'd always make the same statement when some sailor whined: Son, if it was easy, they'd have the AF doing it.

Once we were on our way back from a weapons det at NAF El Centro and I asked him what he planned on doing when we got home. I'll remember his answer to my dying day: I'm going to barbeque a piece of brisket bigger than a shit-can lid and thicker than a family bible.

He was from TX and I swear Ross Perot had to get his one-liners from him.

I sure miss ole' Max Melton.

[hobbit709]

8. Way back when I was in the Air Farce

we called our dress blues the bus driver uniform-made you look like a greyhound driver in the old days.
:rofl:

[BOSSHOG]

10. THIS SWABBIE LOVES HIS FLY BOY TEAMMATES

but you guys make such an easy target.

[Rick Myers]

14. A few weeks ago I was in San Diego, standing on the flight deck of the USS Midway

My first thought was, 'I don't know ANY Air Force guys that would even consider trying to land on this thing!!!'

[BOSSHOG]

16. My first duty station was an Air Squadron

in California. We had an Air Force Major assigned and he was one of the best pilots we had and had his carrier quals before he transferred. That was in 73. Yeah when the flight deck is moving (sometimes both vertically and horizontally) it makes for a helluva display of skill to put that bird down.

[sarge43]

17. As an AF fighter pilot once said,

"If you didn't see it done, you wouldn't believe it could be done." Hellva way to make a living.

[hootinholler]

38. That's because Navy pilots don't land...

My understanding is that it's a controlled crash. Then again I was a bubblehead and them big grey things are just targets, so what do I know.

-Hoot

[NYVet]

32. Talk about easy targets...

The way you wrote that is BEGGING for a potshot or two.





Just giving you some ribbing Boss.

[sarge43]

15. USAF mission: To prove for the air defense of United States

(In our off duty time to dazzle the opposite sex when they're bored with swabs.)

As BOSSHOG said we have no more say about who is CinC than any other citizen and we have absolutely no say about what officers are legally appointed over us.

[BOSSHOG]

19. Which one is the opposite sex?

Love ya My Dear!

I do chuckle when I read military personnel being trashed here for doing what they are told to do. I do not consider mutiny or desertion as options to make a political statement.

[sarge43]

24. "Which one is the opposite sex?"

From my side of street, the ones wearing neckties.

"I do not consider mutiny or desertion as options to make a political statement."

Especially when in certain situations that can make you the guest of honor at a hanging party.

[Jed Dilligan]

30. Outsider (non-veteran) but history buff here

You raise an interesting point: does the AF really have a function if we aren't doing the kind of long range strategic bombing we did in WWII? Maybe it should go back to the USAAF. Everything I hear about their independent institutions (like the rape and proselytizing at the academy) is pretty awful.

[BOSSHOG]

35. That's way over my head My Friend

but there is no doubt in my mind that the Air Force hierarchy could provide you with volumes filled with millions of pages of why they should exist. Sadly I think a recent addition is to spread the word of James Dobson near and far.

[MADem]

6. Preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, against

all enemies, foreign and domestic....

[BOSSHOG]

11. So that would include

limbaugh, hannity, dobson, cheney, bush, brownback, coburn, robertson, craig and the list goes on.

[razorman]

9. While protecting the Constitution and defending the U.S. are ostensibly

the reason I served, the purpose of ANY military boils down to a single concept: "to kill people and break things". Soldiers are not cops or delivery people, and should not be treated as such.

[lpbk2713]

12. We always referred to such a mission as a .....

CLUSTER FUCK

[alfredo]

20. It used to be the second option, but then the capitalist got hold

and now our soldiers who think they are defending America, are just mercenaries for the multi nationals.
I am a veteran.

I didn't vote because one was the ideal, the other the reality, and at this time reality is too painful.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

21. Killing whichever people the bosses tell them to.

Of course, I'm talking real life rather than the high-falutin' BS spread by the Generals and Politicians.

[flashl]

23. War Is a Racket

In his 1935 book, War Is a Racket, General Smedley Butler said:

I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers.

And, when we talk about the Constitution, which Constitution?

The one written by our Founding Fathers? or the "Living Constitution"?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

25. You realize that Saddam wasn't responsible for 9-11, right?

Just checking.

[Zywiec]

26. You're just mad because you're on the losing end of this poll

I knew veterans were smarter than you gave them credit for...

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

27. Hardly.

I think you're taking the whole argument out of context.

Yes, the purpose of the military is to defend the U.S.

You don't really think that's what the military is doing in Iraq, do you?

[ShortnFiery]

28. Not unless Our Ruling Political Class wishes to make Iraq our 51st state.

:wow: :shrug:

[Zywiec]

31. What percentage of the total military is currently in Iraq? n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

33. What percentage of the military is currently defending the United States?

[BOSSHOG]

36. The next thing you will tell us is that MS Plame was an undercover CIA agent

FUCKING LIBERAL. And I guess you think that there were no WMD. Just because they aren't there doesn't mean they aren't there.

Fuck me to tears, I could post on FR and be welcomed with open claws.

[Stinky The Clown]

34. Short and to the point: Number 2

[DS1]

37. Consume replaceable goods in the name of war profiteering