Not to get you down, Metz, but the military can be really, really lousy.
There's a guy I know who claims to love his job as a Marine ... but he only gets to eat one meal a day, they don't give him anywhere near the supplies they say they're going to give him, and of course all the stuff about combat being hell is true. Also, this guy is just about the nastiest, most inconsiderate person I've ever met (to civilians at least) and I'm not sure if it isn't the influence of his environment. Now, he's badass, no doubt about it. Those people work harder than I ever will, and fight better than anyone else in the world, and the courage is real too. But his stories ... there's something very fucked up about war, let me put it that way.
Here's hoping the Navy is better.
Edit: I don't want to be too down on it. This isn't my world, at all. You probably know more about it. But I'm a worst-case-scenario kind of person, and maybe you're not, and so just take this as my own paranoid, negative perspective.
Just a few things (possibly more to come).
Air Force does in fact guarantee job positions as well. Some people can and have been dicked on those, but it's rare.
Second, I'm one of the people who don't really dig the war we're in. Doesn't mean I wont deploy or fight against a deployment (Hell, I'm on one now). You justify your job out here in other ways. I know my job saves lives out here. Not everyone who deploys will be expected to be kicking down doors and shit like that.
Everything in the military has a bunch of bullshit attached to it. Everything in life seems to as well. Each branch seems to specialize in its own unique way of being a little bit retarded with doing stupid stuff.
There are assholes. Everywhere. But that isn't all of us, so please don't let a few people ruin the perspective on all of us.
Don't put blind faith in a recruiter. They have a job, and that's to sell you on the notion that the prospective branch is the best possible choice for you. Ask around. Any Air Force questions I'd be happy to answer, and I have Army/Navy/Marine dudes around to ask other stuff as well.
Good luck on loosing the weight. It'll be a damn challenge, but other people have done similar things (a buddy of mine lost 80 pounds to join the Air Force).
Sorry if this isn't the most coherent post. Its super late for me, but I wanted to read through the thread and post this.
Radiation on
PSN: jfrofl
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Raneadospolice apologistyou shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered Userregular
edited July 2010
i heard the air force is the most conservative branch
Raneados on
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Clint EastwoodMy baby's in there someplaceShe crawled right inRegistered Userregular
edited July 2010
My best friend joined the navy. He hated it and smoked a bunch of pot on leave so he would get kicked out.
It was a dumb idea for him to even join up though.
Clint Eastwood on
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Metzger MeisterIt Gets Worsebefore it gets any better.Registered Userregular
edited July 2010
my friend's ship almost got deployed to the gulf of aidan to hunt pirates. he was jazzed to see combat but some ship got sent in their place and he got to float around peacefully for a while longer before coming home. i was like "dude, shooting at guys in aluminum fishing boats is hardly combat" and he said "it beats sitting on a boat playing through pokemon for the umpteenth time."
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Viscount Islands[INSERT SoKo HERE]...it was the summer of my lifeRegistered Userregular
edited July 2010
I heard training for the Navy is incredible tough.
I personally wouldn't ever think about joining the Military though.
Viscount Islands on
I want to do with you
What spring does with the cherry trees.
hurr 90% of them with some US involvement durr etc
also conflict != war
of course there will always be conflict
War was around long before the US existed. Unless I am just reading your post way wrong. Pretty sure we tried to stay out of WWII also. Blaming the US for war is beyond silly.
Also war is just a large conflict. So there will probably always be conflicts that escalate to war.
Fandeathis on
You fuck wit' Die Antwoord, you fuck wit' da army.
From what I understand, basic training in the Navy is easier than the Army or (obviously) the Marines, and maybe slightly more difficult than the Air Force. In terms of physical requirements, anyway - you'll be spending a lot more time in a classroom and studying in the Navy or the Air Force.
http://usmilitary.about.com/ - a lot of decent articles that should help cover most questions. (Though some of the articles might be older/out of date.)
I know you had said that you want the Navy for the cool deployment spots, but understand if you're on a boat you'll be at sea most times and then at port (if you get permission to go out) will only be a few days at a time.
I dont want to appear to be recruiting, but given how much I've heard (especially here) from a lot of
people "man, if I could do it all over again, I'd join the Air Force". Just wanted to at least bring that shit up.
Also, you may want to start talking to a recruiter now. Hell they may even help you out with the PT shit and getting into shape. I know there were a couple of spots that gave out a military i.d. to its recruits or a gym membership thing to get into shape (the military ID was so they could get on base and use the gym). A lot has changed though since I joined so they might not do it.
Raneados; I have no idea what you mean with the conservative comment.
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Viscount Islands[INSERT SoKo HERE]...it was the summer of my lifeRegistered Userregular
edited August 2010
What Rane is saying is can gays fly the planes.
Viscount Islands on
I want to do with you
What spring does with the cherry trees.
my dad, who was in Vietnam and is currently working for the government, proceeded to laugh and ask why they couldn't send her to a good country that's worth bombing like Iran
I wanted to meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture, and kill them. I wanted to be the first kid on my block to get a confirmed kill.
hurr 90% of them with some US involvement durr etc
also conflict != war
of course there will always be conflict
War was around long before the US existed. Unless I am just reading your post way wrong. Pretty sure we tried to stay out of WWII also. Blaming the US for war is beyond silly.
yes, very wrong
I meant that many current wars either have direct US involvement or are direct results of previous actions of the united states
90% is obviously hyperbole, but still. War breeds war and america has done a lot of figurative dicking in the past.
I thought about joining the air force or navy but then I realized I am just kind of bored and listless right now and that's no reason to sign a contract. It might be kind of cool though.
unless I can find a sweet gig with this English degree I'm getting in a couple years, I'm joining the Air Force and going to OTS
no idea what I'm going to do, besides something nontechnical
I started that application process around April by taking the AFOQT. I was also heading toward the nontechnical jobs because of my degree but I scored high enough for pilot training. I haven't decided if I want to follow through with it, though.
my friend's ship almost got deployed to the gulf of aidan to hunt pirates. he was jazzed to see combat but some ship got sent in their place and he got to float around peacefully for a while longer before coming home. i was like "dude, shooting at guys in aluminum fishing boats is hardly combat" and he said "it beats sitting on a boat playing through pokemon for the umpteenth time."
I've done the Gulf of Aden thing. It kind of sucks massive amounts of dick with all the oppressive heat and shitty port visits and completely pointless mission. All the pirates over there know to carry fishing equipment with them and throw all their guns and hooks and stuff overboard at the first sign of a naval ship, which makes it impossible to really hold anyone unless we actually catch them in the act of pirating someone. And even then we won't send our boarding team onto a captured ship since that's just asking for a clusterfuck, so there really isn't anything useful we can do except escort random merchant ships.
The one time we actually did manage to catch some was pretty cool I guess. We received a report stating that a small merchant vessel had been captured by pirates and were ordered to basically follow them, staying far enough away to be outside the range of an RPG but close enough to "threaten" them with our MK-38. We were to coordinate with African coalition forces that had set up a fake "mother ship" using an old fishing vessel; the plan was for us to spook the pirates into abandoning their captured ship and seek refuge in the dummy mother ship where they would find a nice compliment of British Royal Marines waiting for them.
Now this plan was, in my opinion, completely retarded, mainly due to the fact that the Somali pirates aren't idiots and know that 1) we generally don't board captured ships 2) we never fire at captured ships and 3) if we actually find a confirmed pirate mother ship we are free to basically wipe them the fuck out. So our magnificent plan relies on the pirates being dumb enough to abandon their safe and potentially valuable captured ship and risk fleeing to a boat that they knew we could legally attack.
Luckily for us these were the dumbest pirates in the universe (or perhaps scared of the recent trend of leaving captured pirates to die in a shitty boat with no food, water or means of navigation), because when we started firing off our guns in random directions (safety first!) they freaked out and took the bait right away. The marines captured the pirates, we boarded the ship to make sure they were all secure and provide medical attention to the crew, and that was that.
Go us, I guess.
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ArtreusI'm a wizardAnd that looks fucked upRegistered Userregular
edited August 2010
I was in Air Force ROTC for a bit. Then I had to leave for personal reasons.
I still want to get back into the Air Force once I get my shit together and graduate
75% of the soldiers talk about getting release due to medical reasons (I am one of these dudes) 20% just want to get the service over and 5% try to get to the NCO-like schools or reserve officers school.
At least I got to shoot a rifle and crawl in the dirt before I got my medical release papers, which I didn't really actually want that hard, the doctor just went "Fuck it, you're fat, out of shape, got in grown toe nails and have sleeping problems. What can we deduce from this?"
Kind of sad that I never got to try any machine guns, sub machine guns, pistols or shotguns
I was thinking of joining the Canadian Army or something
then... nah...
then I got a job at our NAtional Defense HQ, and the people there soured it for me even more, the only really cool people who were nice were guys from a platoon called the Van Dus, this Quebecois specialist group thing, they were enormous in stature and also major badasses. One was a sniper for ten years, I bet he's seen his share of pink mist.
Posts
eh war is just a big conflict
There's a guy I know who claims to love his job as a Marine ... but he only gets to eat one meal a day, they don't give him anywhere near the supplies they say they're going to give him, and of course all the stuff about combat being hell is true. Also, this guy is just about the nastiest, most inconsiderate person I've ever met (to civilians at least) and I'm not sure if it isn't the influence of his environment. Now, he's badass, no doubt about it. Those people work harder than I ever will, and fight better than anyone else in the world, and the courage is real too. But his stories ... there's something very fucked up about war, let me put it that way.
Here's hoping the Navy is better.
Edit: I don't want to be too down on it. This isn't my world, at all. You probably know more about it. But I'm a worst-case-scenario kind of person, and maybe you're not, and so just take this as my own paranoid, negative perspective.
http://numberblog.wordpress.com/
Air Force does in fact guarantee job positions as well. Some people can and have been dicked on those, but it's rare.
Second, I'm one of the people who don't really dig the war we're in. Doesn't mean I wont deploy or fight against a deployment (Hell, I'm on one now). You justify your job out here in other ways. I know my job saves lives out here. Not everyone who deploys will be expected to be kicking down doors and shit like that.
Everything in the military has a bunch of bullshit attached to it. Everything in life seems to as well. Each branch seems to specialize in its own unique way of being a little bit retarded with doing stupid stuff.
There are assholes. Everywhere. But that isn't all of us, so please don't let a few people ruin the perspective on all of us.
Don't put blind faith in a recruiter. They have a job, and that's to sell you on the notion that the prospective branch is the best possible choice for you. Ask around. Any Air Force questions I'd be happy to answer, and I have Army/Navy/Marine dudes around to ask other stuff as well.
Good luck on loosing the weight. It'll be a damn challenge, but other people have done similar things (a buddy of mine lost 80 pounds to join the Air Force).
Sorry if this isn't the most coherent post. Its super late for me, but I wanted to read through the thread and post this.
It was a dumb idea for him to even join up though.
I personally wouldn't ever think about joining the Military though.
What spring does with the cherry trees.
War was around long before the US existed. Unless I am just reading your post way wrong. Pretty sure we tried to stay out of WWII also. Blaming the US for war is beyond silly.
Also war is just a large conflict. So there will probably always be conflicts that escalate to war.
Fan I'm pretty sure he was joking.
fuck the military
Metz: You're question on blowing shit up? EOD. http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob3e8x1.htm
Think each branch has one.
I know you had said that you want the Navy for the cool deployment spots, but understand if you're on a boat you'll be at sea most times and then at port (if you get permission to go out) will only be a few days at a time.
I dont want to appear to be recruiting, but given how much I've heard (especially here) from a lot of
people "man, if I could do it all over again, I'd join the Air Force". Just wanted to at least bring that shit up.
Also, you may want to start talking to a recruiter now. Hell they may even help you out with the PT shit and getting into shape. I know there were a couple of spots that gave out a military i.d. to its recruits or a gym membership thing to get into shape (the military ID was so they could get on base and use the gym). A lot has changed though since I joined so they might not do it.
Raneados; I have no idea what you mean with the conservative comment.
What spring does with the cherry trees.
Gays cant do anything yet, in any service...
'cept the Navy, because y'know. 8-)
hopefully that will change soon.
she's off to Korea
my dad, who was in Vietnam and is currently working for the government, proceeded to laugh and ask why they couldn't send her to a good country that's worth bombing like Iran
my family has a weird sense of humor
Steam
yes, very wrong
I meant that many current wars either have direct US involvement or are direct results of previous actions of the united states
90% is obviously hyperbole, but still. War breeds war and america has done a lot of figurative dicking in the past.
kpop appreciation station i also like to tweet some
no idea what I'm going to do, besides something nontechnical
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe...
I started that application process around April by taking the AFOQT. I was also heading toward the nontechnical jobs because of my degree but I scored high enough for pilot training. I haven't decided if I want to follow through with it, though.
cause blowing shit up is the best
I've done the Gulf of Aden thing. It kind of sucks massive amounts of dick with all the oppressive heat and shitty port visits and completely pointless mission. All the pirates over there know to carry fishing equipment with them and throw all their guns and hooks and stuff overboard at the first sign of a naval ship, which makes it impossible to really hold anyone unless we actually catch them in the act of pirating someone. And even then we won't send our boarding team onto a captured ship since that's just asking for a clusterfuck, so there really isn't anything useful we can do except escort random merchant ships.
The one time we actually did manage to catch some was pretty cool I guess. We received a report stating that a small merchant vessel had been captured by pirates and were ordered to basically follow them, staying far enough away to be outside the range of an RPG but close enough to "threaten" them with our MK-38. We were to coordinate with African coalition forces that had set up a fake "mother ship" using an old fishing vessel; the plan was for us to spook the pirates into abandoning their captured ship and seek refuge in the dummy mother ship where they would find a nice compliment of British Royal Marines waiting for them.
Now this plan was, in my opinion, completely retarded, mainly due to the fact that the Somali pirates aren't idiots and know that 1) we generally don't board captured ships 2) we never fire at captured ships and 3) if we actually find a confirmed pirate mother ship we are free to basically wipe them the fuck out. So our magnificent plan relies on the pirates being dumb enough to abandon their safe and potentially valuable captured ship and risk fleeing to a boat that they knew we could legally attack.
Luckily for us these were the dumbest pirates in the universe (or perhaps scared of the recent trend of leaving captured pirates to die in a shitty boat with no food, water or means of navigation), because when we started firing off our guns in random directions (safety first!) they freaked out and took the bait right away. The marines captured the pirates, we boarded the ship to make sure they were all secure and provide medical attention to the crew, and that was that.
Go us, I guess.
I still want to get back into the Air Force once I get my shit together and graduate
Yeah, but the CH-53 is so big you can crush houses by landing on them.
Think of the possibilities.
75% of the soldiers talk about getting release due to medical reasons (I am one of these dudes) 20% just want to get the service over and 5% try to get to the NCO-like schools or reserve officers school.
At least I got to shoot a rifle and crawl in the dirt before I got my medical release papers, which I didn't really actually want that hard, the doctor just went "Fuck it, you're fat, out of shape, got in grown toe nails and have sleeping problems. What can we deduce from this?"
Kind of sad that I never got to try any machine guns, sub machine guns, pistols or shotguns
Anyway, this has nothing to do with anything.
But the truth is often harsh and disturbing! How can that be called beautiful!
then... nah...
then I got a job at our NAtional Defense HQ, and the people there soured it for me even more, the only really cool people who were nice were guys from a platoon called the Van Dus, this Quebecois specialist group thing, they were enormous in stature and also major badasses. One was a sniper for ten years, I bet he's seen his share of pink mist.
Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
World record for longest shot by a Sniper is held by a Canadian.
almost 2 miles if I remember correctly
Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
Finland.
We probably don't need a conscript army anymore and should probably just have some small regular forces instead, but what are you gonna do.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]