Why are people still joining the military?

[divisortheory]

Not to seem insensitive about the topic at hand, but... is that guy poking out?

Yes.


By the way, does anyone know how career placement works? Do you find out your exact assigned career before or after signing on the dotted line?

[Saphirea]

Yes and no, it really depends on the actual job and what service you're going into. Realize I'm only truely familar with how the USMC does things and vaguly how the Navy does it.
Certain jobs you have a full on contract defining time / rank / promotion times / scores and everything before you even raise your right hand and swear before God and everyone that you swear to defend it from all terrors; foriegn and domestic. The higher you score on the ASVAB determines what your job will be. If you score a 99 on it (highest possible score) you're not going to be carrying a rifle.

Also; the Band and Intel fields have predetermined contracts where you have to test into everything before even signing up. Like I said in a previous post, I believe that intel / lingustics are combining MOS fields to broaden its job availbility and make it seem more lucritive to the smart people in the world.

[Stee]

Uh if you wan't to join the military just to shoot people- fuck that. Those types of people shouldn't be allowed to have a gun anywhere near civilians, period. I could go off onto a whole other tangent, so I'll leave it at that.

Stupid argument, if this is true why don't we see people just gunning civilians down for fun. Your argument is the equivalent as to saying people who like staplers are going to go around killing civilians with staples because well goddamnit he loves staplers. You just automatically assumed that because someone like to shoot "things", things can then be replaced by a helpless non armed helpless victim. Obviously there is no such thing as morals that's why right now every single one of us has a bloody knife in our hands repeatedly stabbing a dolphin right?

However, your way of crediting intelligence is kinda retarded. Is Stephen Hawking a genius because his parents worked really hard in the sack to make sure the good sperm got through? Your point about environment holds more water, but still doesn't remove all credit from the individual. Again, much like the penis touching, I'm not sure where you're trying to go with this.

Actually yes if Stephen Hawkings parents didn't fuck each other he wouldn't be alive would he? and I'm pretty sure if his mom and dad called him a retard every day and didn't do shit for him he wouldn't be where he is now would he.

In the end your just a spoiled little kid who got a earful of bullshit and decided to spew it for the rest of your life without ever questioning it. Obviously because someone has different goals and desires then you there is no way they can be right, there is no way they can be successful. Have fun living your little closed off life.

[divisortheory]

Also; the Band and Intel fields have predetermined contracts where you have to test into everything before even signing up. Like I said in a previous post, I believe that intel / lingustics are combining MOS fields to broaden its job availbility and make it seem more lucritive to the smart people in the world.

Thanks, I know with the linguist type jobs you also have to take the DLAB and they choose your language depending on how well you do. I wouldn't really want to do Arabic or Farsi for fear I'd get deployed to Iraq/Iran, but anything else I'd be fine with. As for the ASVAB, I took the practice test once (on a computer at the recruiters office) and got every single question correct. Fucking guy wouldn't stop calling me for 16 months (I kept track, lol). So I'm not too worried about the asvab, mostly I'd just want to know I did well on the DLAB and chosen for a specific language before signing on the dotted line.

[Khamsin]

Stupid argument, if this is true why don't we see people just gunning civilians down for fun.

We do. Not everyone, mind you, but people have done that.

[Gafgarionn]

She's out now, thank god, and unharmed. But, like I said, she's gullible. She believes that they were helping the Iraqis, making their lives better.

If I was your sister I'd kick your pretentious ass for saying that.

[Gafgarionn]

Uh if you wan't to join the military just to shoot people- fuck that. Those types of people shouldn't be allowed to have a gun anywhere near civilians, period. I could go off onto a whole other tangent, so I'll leave it at that.

Stupid argument, if this is true why don't we see people just gunning civilians down for fun. Your argument is the equivalent as to saying people who like staplers are going to go around killing civilians with staples because well goddamnit he loves staplers. You just automatically assumed that because someone like to shoot "things", things can then be replaced by a helpless non armed helpless victim. Obviously there is no such thing as morals that's why right now every single one of us has a bloody knife in our hands repeatedly stabbing a dolphin right?

I think you're placing an unrealistic amount of emphasis on morals for today's society. Morals have much less to do with it than the law does. People refrain from killing each other mostly because it's illegal, not because it's immoral. And while I'm not in the military, I'd venture to guess that it's easier to get away with murder over there than it is here, hence why some of those people join the military.

[Ivve]

You guys really need to look beyond Iraq; that's not everything they do.

True, but right now, if you join the Marines or the Army, there's a very high possibility that you're gonna go to Iraq.

If I woke up tomorrow and learned that the entire middle east had fallen off the face of the planet and floated away into space, I can't say that I would really feel bad about it. I don't think I'm alone in that sentiment.

Pathetic. For fucks sake, show me something in you that differs you from an animal. I pity you, I think you are an idiot and I believe you waste the valuable resources of the planet. But you know what? I wouldn't enjoy your suffering of any kind. I guess this is what differs us humans from......sorry, I can't really find an example. Even my dog (animal) would show some sort of a reaction to the death of another one.

Keyboard Sephiroth's.

Uh I think she was talking about their retarded/oppressive/self-destructive/trash society that doesn't belong in the modern world. Nobody wants to see women get stoned or people killed because they decided change religions, but the world is too PC to give them the push they need.

Pretty much. It's not the civilians we're fighting in Iraq, but for some reason it seems like everyone else here who opposes the war thinks that American troops are over there bombing civilians, raping babies, etc. Hey, whatever. If that's what you want to believe, then there's nothing I can do about that. I don't want to see anyone come to any harm, but that particular belief wavers a little when the people we're discussing are the type of people who will strap explosives to themselves, wade out into a crowded marketplace, and detonate themselves with the specific aim of killing as many other people as possible.

I didn't say I wanted to blow up the ME and/or kill everyone there. All I said was that if I had no prior knowledge of it and it did happen, quite honestly I would feel a sense of relief. Yes, it would suck that all those innocent people would die, and it would be a tragedy, but I'm not about to lie and say that I wouldn't feel relieved. The sad thing is that I know probably just about every one of you agrees with that, but none of you will own up to it. A world with no more fundamentalist Muslim crazies trying to fan out into other countries and suicide bomb the people there? That's an improvement in my book. As long as the middle east exists and follows Islam, we will have psychotic people who think that there is no greater honor to be had in life than killing themselves and others in the name of religion. It's hard for me to value those lives on the same level as every other human life.

But hey, GG on calling me an animal and Sephiroth and some other crazy shit. That's definitely going to change my opinion; someone from the internet thinks I'm like a video game character from a game I've never played! Noes, whatever shall I do?!

[archibaldcrane]

She's out now, thank god, and unharmed. But, like I said, she's gullible. She believes that they were helping the Iraqis, making their lives better.

If I was your sister I'd kick your pretentious ass for saying that.

I think it's naive to think that the average Iraqi is better off now than in 2002. We are in theory -trying- to help them, but we're making most things much much worse.

And my sister is strong, but I can still take her. She made me worry about whether or not she'd be alive for 365 days, which gives me the brotherly right to call her gullible.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...koutFriend.jpg
She could definitely kick some ass though...just not my ass.

[Khamsin]

Ivve, you're an angel.

(A one-winged one)





Sorry, I had to. I don't even know what a keyboard sephiroth is.

[Beckwin]

Stee, yeah, you're right, I'm a spoiled brat- silver spoon, up in the hills without a care in the world and Jane Fonda is my sole source of opinion....

who grew up in a military household.

I'm not questioning servicemembers for being right or wrong, nor am I blaming them for the war in Iraq (blame goes to the top). I'm questioning what motivates people to go in now and support what's going on, and what makes risking your life worth it just so some ignorant piece of shit president can try to stubbornly save face in light of his blunders.

[divisortheory]

Stee, yeah, you're right, I'm a spoiled brat- silver spoon, up in the hills without a care in the world and Jane Fonda is my sole source of opinion....

who grew up in a military household.

I'm not questioning servicemembers for being right or wrong, nor am I blaming them for the war in Iraq (blame goes to the top). I'm questioning what motivates people to go in now and support what's going on, and what makes risking your life worth it just so some ignorant piece of shit president can try to stubbornly save face in light of his blunders.

I think I read that George Bush even admitted once that his support for Alberto Gonzales is primarily due to loyalty. It's almost like admitting "yea I know I'm wrong, but I have to be loyal to my friend, not to the american people."

[Beckwin]

I honestly consider Bush's inability to admit and consequently rectify mistakes a lot more cowardly than the alternative of, you know, admitting you fucked up and doing something to fix it. Doesn't take a big man to send other people's kids to war just to avoid personally having to walk out of a room with his tail between his legs.

[Ivve]

I honestly consider Bush's inability to admit and consequently rectify mistakes a lot more cowardly than the alternative of, you know, admitting you fucked up and doing something to fix it. Doesn't take a big man to send other people's kids to war just to avoid personally having to walk out of a room with his tail between his legs.

Gotta agree with you on that. I think that any decent person would admit not only fault, but also express remorse for all the people that have needlessly died in this baseless war. Although when it comes to rectifying the mistakes, I honestly don't believe that can be done at this point.

[TsingTao]

I'm not questioning servicemembers for being right or wrong, nor am I blaming them for the war in Iraq (blame goes to the top). I'm questioning what motivates people to go in now and support what's going on, and what makes risking your life worth it just so some ignorant piece of shit president can try to stubbornly save face in light of his blunders.

Presidents are not forever. Who is President and what they're doing is not why you serve. You join because you think the country, not any particular President or their current policy, is worth supporting. It's a separate issue.

Voters and the rest of the Government are responsible for our military's course of action....not the soldiers who serve. Don't tarnish the sacrifice made by everyone who serves by failing to make that distinction.

[divisortheory]

Presidents are not forever. Who is President and what they're doing is not why you serve. You join because you think the country, not any particular President or their current policy, is worth supporting. It's a separate issue.

Voters and the rest of the Government are responsible for our military's course of action....not the soldiers who serve. Don't tarnish the sacrifice made by everyone who serves by failing to make that distinction.

Except when the country is not actually in any serious danger, but because of the president's own personal agenda he lies and makes you believe it's in danger. Then you feel betrayed.

[Khamsin]

Presidents are not forever. Who is President and what they're doing is not why you serve. You join because you think the country, not any particular President or their current policy, is worth supporting. It's a separate issue.

Voters and the rest of the Government are responsible for our military's course of action....not the soldiers who serve. Don't tarnish the sacrifice made by everyone who serves by failing to make that distinction.

Except when the country is not actually in any serious danger, but because of the president's own personal agenda he lies and makes you believe it's in danger. Then you feel betrayed.

And when gullible people help injured soldiers, thinking they're actually doing something good. Then they wish they had never helped save those lives.

[divisortheory]

And when gullible people help injured soldiers, thinking they're actually doing something good. Then they wish they had never helped save those lives.

The lives shouldn't have needed saving in the first place, lol.

[ozz]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/opini ... llack.html

[Khamsin]

is the new york times a good source of information?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/opini ... llack.html

I don't trust it... it comes from an east coast city.