ITT, I am in desperate financial straits...

[Suu]

Ok, the nominal point of any armed service is the killing whoever their Authority deems the Enemy. What the USAF "might" be doing really isn't the point. If you sign up for the armed services, you are signing up to kill whoever Authority tells you to kill.

Wow, aren't you the hippie all of a sudden?

Yeah, it comes with the job description. But in the end they paid for a good chunk of my college, I had a paycheck THROUGH college, something I probably would NOT have had the chance to get, because the Florida Merit Scholarship doesn't cover summer sessions OR credits taken at private institutions.  It also paid for my ankle surgeries, when I could have been severely fucked for a while.

I didn't join the Air Force to kill people, but I knew that one day it may have to have been. I joined the Air Force because at the time I was needing the benefits. Low and behold the reserves get shit on anyway, but I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything. I was in the best physical condition of my life, I made great friends, and I got to work in close-quarters with a long time passion of mine (fighter jets).

9-11-2001 I was locked down on base when my mom and I went on there to do some tax-free shopping bright and early. And there is no basic training or AIT in the world that will get you ready for the amount of fucking fear I had at that moment, being that, you know, I was on the grounds of USCENTCOM. There was suddenly no shortage of work I had to do though, not to mention knowing that 1300mi to the North I had 4 relatives die.

1-21-2003 I received my notice of discharge and on 8-16-2003 on my 21st birthday it was final. I was lucky to have not seen deployment, sure, as all my family says, but at the same time, I still sat on my ass for a few months after I moved to Rhode Island before I finished up with no job and could have gone and done something about it. Maybe it's a form of survivor's guilt. Maybe, that after I worked the Quonset Point Airshow as my last official drill, and went to Providence Place Mall afterward in my blues, and was then was approached by a small child that asked if I was a hero, and realized that I had nothing to say for it did I realize that it was all a waste of time for me.  Others may say I got lucky, maybe I did, who knows...

Civilians can call me a killer all they want, blame it on the Authority, but as long as they're monkeys on this planet, there will be no shortage of flinging poo. It's a dirty job, but somebody has got to do it.

[Suu]

...With that said. I'm going to go dress up as a Sith Lord and an Imperial Royal Guard for the next couple days and scare children.

Later.

[LMNO]

Apparently, after a couple of bottles of wine, my idealism fell out of my pants. 

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

Join the Air Force or the Navy, you've got a much lower chance of being blown the fuck up. There are jobs in both that don't involve any killing at all and if you don't mind that sort of thing you can become a combat controller (which stands a high chance of killing a lot of people and getting blown the fuck up).

[Jasper]

Since this is a "convince RCH" thread, I'm not surprised pacifism wasn't mentioned, but I think it ought to be.  Killing people in exchange for money is about as low as humanity gets, and that's what being a soldier amounts to.

[The Johnny]

Since this is a "convince RCH" thread, I'm not surprised pacifism wasn't mentioned, but I think it ought to be.  Killing people in exchange for money is about as low as humanity gets, and that's what being a soldier amounts to.

Meh.

[Storebrand]

Since this is a "convince RCH" thread, I'm not surprised pacifism wasn't mentioned, but I think it ought to be.  Killing people in exchange for money is about as low as humanity gets, and that's what being a soldier amounts to.

I've been in the military for over 3 years and excluding a day of shooting qualification I haven't touched a single weapon.  I know for a fact that nothing I've done as a military member has ever resulted in the death or injury of a single person.  It all depends on your job/mission.

That wasn't the point of the thread.  It is RCH's choice whether or not he joins the military.  Since he wants to be convinced not to join, I'll make a list of cons.  They aren't in any specific order.

1.  There is no guarantee that you will be stationed in a specific location.  Even if you ask for the recruiter to put it in your contract, the closest thing they'll agree to is they will station you there unless the (Army, Navy, Air Force, etc.) needs you elsewhere.

2.  You will be treated like shit, at least through training, and probably by any number of higher ranking people through out your time in service.  You may or may not work with these individuals on a daily basis.  Believe me, you get in trouble if you shoot off at the mouth.

3.  Hours can suck.  You could get a 0900-1700 or...  you could get 16hr days 7 days a week. or 24hr shifts 3-4 days a week.

4.  Chow hall food has no nutrients or flavor.

5.  0200 recall the day after the promotion list comes out.  Or any other day your commander feels like it.

6.  pt sucks when you're hungover.  5 mile run

7.  Can't call in sick.  You show up to sick call between 0630 and 0730  in uniform and wait to be seen by a doctor.  Then you go home once the quarters slip makes it to your unit.  At least where I'm stationed, by the time you get to go home you might as well have gone to work.

8.  There is a good chance you could be put in a position where killing another human being is necessary.

9.  You'll probably end up doing a job you weren't trained for at some point.  You'll definitely be tasked to do something only higher ranking people are supposed to do.  You'll have to pull things out of your ass to complete said tasker due to lack of supplies or not having enough people/time.

10.  You can't quit.  To get out of your contract you'd have to injure yourself permanently or do something that will make getting another desirable job very difficult.

There are more reasons.  I know a lot of people who are completely miserable.  Having said that, I absolutely love my job.

[Cain]

11.  At some point, you may have to be deployed to Helmand Province, and trust your life to the morons who wrote this.

[-Kel-]

All i can say is dont do it! Become con artist instead.

[East Coast Hustle]

keep in mind, I'm only thinking of joining the National Guard, not the regular Armed Forces.

and Kel, one of the attractive aspects of joining the military is the opportunity for profiteering and swindling should I end up being deployed overseas.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

...which is why, ITT, you try to talk me out of joining the National Guard.

GO!

Do what you gotta do to survive.

But you stand a fairly good chance these days of soaking up a bullet for Uncle Sugar.

TGRR,
Has a son enrolling in Army ROTC and doesn't know what the fuck to do about it.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

keep in mind, I'm only thinking of joining the National Guard, not the regular Armed Forces.

Doesn't matter.

[The Johnny]

Roger, did you get drafted? Where did you service?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Roger, did you get drafted? Where did you service?

We didn't have a draft.  I did 10 years in the US army, in the infantry.  I'd still be there if I hadn't fucking broken my right knee.

[The Johnny]

You know, im curious about your experience in the military, stuff like your reasons to join, how many people you downed, which conflicts, etc... i havent run into people in the service or from it that i can have a conversation with...