Question about the Army Reserve

[TrebMaxx]

Originally Posted by bobbymitch

He should go where he will learn a skill that he could use when he gets back to the real world.

I can attest to the fact that the demand for 155mm Self Propelled Artillery Gunners is nil in the civilian world.

[Radar Chief]

Originally Posted by TrebMaxx

I can attest to the fact that the demand for 155mm Self Propelled Artillery Gunners is nil in the civilian world.

Ah, you were a “cannon cocker”. 16C, Ft. Bliss?

Yea Hydrae, talk long with him about getting a job that translates into civilian life. Military service looks good on a resume but it looks better with a military education and experience in the field he’s applying for.

[TrebMaxx]

Originally Posted by Radar Chief

Ah, you were a “cannon cocker”. 16C, Ft. Bliss?

Yea Hydrae, talk long with him about getting a job that translates into civilian life. Military service looks good on a resume but it looks better with a military education and experience in the field he’s applying for.

13B, Bamberg, Germany and Ft. Knox, Ky. Spent some field time at Bliss though.

[Radar Chief]

Originally Posted by TrebMaxx

13B, Bamberg, Germany and Ft. Knox, Ky. Spent some field time at Bliss though.

Bamberg sounds familiar, about where is it?
I was in Wurzburg for about 3 years, a year in training at Ft. Bliss before that.

[TrebMaxx]

Originally Posted by Radar Chief

Bamberg sounds familiar, about where is it?
I was in Wurzburg for about 3 years, a year in training at Ft. Bliss before that.

Bamberg is about 20-30 Kilometers north of Nurenberg. Been to Wurzburg a few times. I think Wurzburg is around 100 Kilometers to the west of Bamberg. Good times.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by TrebMaxx

I can attest to the fact that the demand for 155mm Self Propelled Artillery Gunners is nil in the civilian world.

Artillery is for pussies. Biggest bunch of slackasses I ever saw in the military, other than the entire Air Force.

Although, if you go infantry, there's always the chance that you can come out apply at a civilian contractor like Black Hawk and make some decent coin. I read somewhere that the base Black Hawk operator in Iraq was pulling down $516,000 annually, and getting paid in Iraq, where they aren't taxing that income.

However, real war changes people. I personally know two woman who had fiancees that were deployed over to Iraq for combat duty, and called off the weddings when they returned. Told me that they weren't the same people. It will screw a person up. In fact, the biggest problem the military faces right now is the PTSS problems after people are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. It's a bad war, in a bad situation and there's not many things a person is going to pull out of the service right now that are positives. The suicide rate is astronomical for combat veterans, as well as massive increases in family violence, abuse, etc. I enjoyed my time in the military, but I can tell you that I would have a hard time accepting deployment to that mess in the Middle East right now (I am very happy about not going ROTC after my enlistment period ended or accepting the offer to attend West Point Prep while I was in) and I sure as hell wouldn't have enlisted during this time. It's a very, very ugly situation.

[Cheater5]

Originally Posted by Saccogoo

Artillery is for pussies. Biggest bunch of slackasses I ever saw in the military, other than the entire Air Force.

Although, if you go infantry, there's always the chance that you can come out apply at a civilian contractor like Black Hawk and make some decent coin. I read somewhere that the base Black Hawk operator in Iraq was pulling down $516,000 annually, and getting paid in Iraq, where they aren't taxing that income.

However, real war changes people. I personally know two woman who had fiancees that were deployed over to Iraq for combat duty, and called off the weddings when they returned. Told me that they weren't the same people. It will screw a person up. In fact, the biggest problem the military faces right now is the PTSS problems after people are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. It's a bad war, in a bad situation and there's not many things a person is going to pull out of the service right now that are positives. The suicide rate is astronomical for combat veterans, as well as massive increases in family violence, abuse, etc. I enjoyed my time in the military, but I can tell you that I would have a hard time accepting deployment to that mess in the Middle East right now (I am very happy about not going ROTC after my enlistment period ended or accepting the offer to attend West Point Prep while I was in) and I sure as hell wouldn't have enlisted during this time. It's a very, very ugly situation.

Suicide rate admittedly, is at an all time high. Now, lets peel the onion a little bit; how many of those suicides were from servicemen serving in a direct combat role? As in, how many of those killed themselves because of their experiences in direct-fire combat? Actually, the answer is counter-intuitive.

Secondly, re-enlistments are at an all time high. My battalion in Iraq was at 100% rate. The Army wide statistics show that 70,000 Soldiers reenlisted last year, 12.2% above the retention goal. More than the recruiting goal, this shows that young men and women are choosing to stay even though they are fighting "a bad war in a bad situation" as you call it.

Your biased opinion is contrary to the facts. The military, although not for all, is a tremendous opportunity for someone to learn about themselves regardless of the MOS.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Cheater5

Suicide rate admittedly, is at an all time high. Now, lets peel the onion a little bit; how many of those suicides were from servicemen serving in a direct combat role? As in, how many of those killed themselves because of their experiences in direct-fire combat? Actually, the answer is counter-intuitive.

Secondly, re-enlistments are at an all time high. My battalion in Iraq was at 100% rate. The Army wide statistics show that 70,000 Soldiers reenlisted last year, 12.2% above the retention goal. More than the recruiting goal, this shows that young men and women are choosing to stay even though they are fighting "a bad war in a bad situation" as you call it.

Your biased opinion is contrary to the facts. The military, although not for all, is a tremendous opportunity for someone to learn about themselves regardless of the MOS.

Don't give me that bullshit. I've been in the military. I've lived in military towns. (Spend 13 years in Colorado Springs and you'll know what a military town really is - at every level of the military. I have acquaintances ranging from low level enlisted to O7's, from educational roles to combat.) And you've got a military who has basically ignored or, more accurately, tried to sweep under the rug, suicide, domestic violence, crime rates for the past seven years. The Department of Veteran affairs has virtually ignored any potential post-traumatic stress syndromes associcated with servicemen and women that have served in the various military branches, particularly those serving in combat or combat support roles, since the invasions and subsequent occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2008 active duty suicides were at an all-time high, up 11% from 2007, and actually eclipsed the civilian suicide rate for the first time ever. However, most suicides by military personnel occurred more than a year after they returned home from duty. And considering that this is from a 2005 study: "At least 120 Americans who served in the U.S. military killed themselves per week in 2005, CBS News learned in a five-month investigation into veteran suicides. That's 6,256 veteran suicides in one year, in 45 states.", it's substantially worse now, where even the usually truculent Army admits to 2008 being the highest ever for suicides. As well, the Omvig Bill that was passed in 2007 which was supposed to help the VA prevent potential suicides has been made worthless in that it no longer requires the VA to screen patients for suicide risk factors or track veterans that were deemed to be "at risk" of committing suicide.

So, tell me if my "biased opinion" is contrary to the facts.

And the fact regarding re-enlistment is that we are in an exceedingly bad economy and the military represents one of the few employers happy to make good offers to newcomers as well as current employees. I personally know a guy who was National Guard, got deployed to Iraq and "re-upped" over there just for the $100,000 that the Army gave him, in cash, and tax free (because if you stay in while in Iraq, it's tax free money). Not many companies out there that are giving those types of signing bonuses, especially to non-educated employees.

And as far as an opportunity to learn about yourself, I guess if you want to learn if you have the moral fiber required to put a round through some "suspected" combatant while occupying a foreign country in order to safeguard it's geological resources for American corporate interests, I guess that's a hard lesson to learn. I would think that someone could learn a lot more about themselves and other cultures by serving in the Peace Corps or the like, but some people I guess need to learn about themselves dealing with the intricacies of international imperialism by learning how to pull a trigger when you've got the barrel of a gun pointed at another human being.

Personally, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find military personnel using forums/bulletin boards like this for recruiting tools. The Army is great! You get to learn about yourself! We pay for college! Yeah team!

[Cheater5]

Originally Posted by Saccogoo

Don't give me that bullshit. I've been in the military. I've lived in military towns. (Spend 13 years in Colorado Springs and you'll know what a military town really is - at every level of the military. I have acquaintances ranging from low level enlisted to O7's, from educational roles to combat.) And you've got a military who has basically ignored or, more accurately, tried to sweep under the rug, suicide, domestic violence, crime rates for the past seven years. The Department of Veteran affairs has virtually ignored any potential post-traumatic stress syndromes associcated with servicemen and women that have served in the various military branches, particularly those serving in combat or combat support roles, since the invasions and subsequent occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2008 active duty suicides were at an all-time high, up 11% from 2007, and actually eclipsed the civilian suicide rate for the first time ever. However, most suicides by military personnel occurred more than a year after they returned home from duty. And considering that this is from a 2005 study: "At least 120 Americans who served in the U.S. military killed themselves per week in 2005, CBS News learned in a five-month investigation into veteran suicides. That's 6,256 veteran suicides in one year, in 45 states.", it's substantially worse now, where even the usually truculent Army admits to 2008 being the highest ever for suicides. As well, the Omvig Bill that was passed in 2007 which was supposed to help the VA prevent potential suicides has been made worthless in that it no longer requires the VA to screen patients for suicide risk factors or track veterans that were deemed to be "at risk" of committing suicide.

So, tell me if my "biased opinion" is contrary to the facts.

And the fact regarding re-enlistment is that we are in an exceedingly bad economy and the military represents one of the few employers happy to make good offers to newcomers as well as current employees. I personally know a guy who was National Guard, got deployed to Iraq and "re-upped" over there just for the $100,000 that the Army gave him, in cash, and tax free (because if you stay in while in Iraq, it's tax free money). Not many companies out there that are giving those types of signing bonuses, especially to non-educated employees.

And as far as an opportunity to learn about yourself, I guess if you want to learn if you have the moral fiber required to put a round through some "suspected" combatant while occupying a foreign country in order to safeguard it's geological resources for American corporate interests, I guess that's a hard lesson to learn. I would think that someone could learn a lot more about themselves and other cultures by serving in the Peace Corps or the like, but some people I guess need to learn about themselves dealing with the intricacies of international imperialism by learning how to pull a trigger when you've got the barrel of a gun pointed at another human being.

Personally, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find military personnel using forums/bulletin boards like this for recruiting tools. The Army is great! You get to learn about yourself! We pay for college! Yeah team!

PTSD is a huge problem, and the facts speak for themselves; you are correct. But then again no shit wildman, I still serve. I dont need you or an article written by some hack with an axe to grind to tell me that. Great statistics from above- can the vaunted CBS news, or you, for that matter prove that all 6,256 veterans who killed themselves in 2005 served in Afganistan or Iraq? There are about 24 million vets in the U.S.
And to claim that the ONLY reason us witless fucks reenlist in a combat zone is for the money, and we have nothing better to do with our lives is arrogant, condescending, and shows how blissfully unaware you are of the motivations Soldiers have. You know nothing of what stirs a warrior to serve his country during wartime. Nothing.
You want to use google-fu and post stats on military suicide rates, murder, and drug use; then knock yourself out. But to try and dissuade a person from joining because of these reasons (your personal views on the war, notwithstanding) insults them as well. This is a thread about joining the Army Reserve; go troll in the D.C forum.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Cheater5

And to claim that the ONLY reason us witless fucks reenlist in a combat zone is for the money, and we have nothing better to do with our lives is arrogant, condescending, and shows how blissfully unaware you are of the motivations Soldiers have. You know nothing of what stirs a warrior to serve his country during wartime. Nothing.

I like that. Warrior. Gets you off, doesn't it? So, tell me Mr. Warrior, what stirs you to serve in the military for the past couple of years during our occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan? I'd really like to know what your motivations are, especially considering that as it stands, over 4,000 Americans dead, over 30,000 wounded, as well as 250,000 plus Iraqi's dead (and that's on the low side estimate - there are numerous international agencies that put that total over 1,000,000). So, since I have no idea what stirs a "warrior" to serve in wartime (although, since I myself have served (infantry), my brother has served, my sister-in-law lost her father in Vietnam, my two uncles served in Vietnam, one of my best friends has a purple heart and a bronze star from his time in Vietnam, and my grandfather served in WWII, I'm sure I have no clue whatsoever) what's your motivation? What stirs you?

You want to use google-fu and post stats on military suicide rates, murder, and drug use; then knock yourself out. But to try and dissuade a person from joining because of these reasons (your personal views on the war, notwithstanding) insults them as well. This is a thread about joining the Army Reserve; go troll in the D.C forum.

I never insulted the original poster, nor did I ever try to dissuade them. An adult should be capable of making their own decisions - as long as they have all the facts regarding that decision. However, having a child (and a 17 year old person is, by the very definition, a child) hounded by military recruiters in an effort to get them to serve in the military, especially while that military is in a current state of armed conflict, is a different story altogether. And that's what the original poster was asking.

[Cheater5]

Originally Posted by Saccogoo

I like that. Warrior. Gets you off, doesn't it? So, tell me Mr. Warrior, what stirs you to serve in the military for the past couple of years during our occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan? I'd really like to know what your motivations are, especially considering that as it stands, over 4,000 Americans dead, over 30,000 wounded, as well as 250,000 plus Iraqi's dead (and that's on the low side estimate - there are numerous international agencies that put that total over 1,000,000). So, since I have no idea what stirs a "warrior" to serve in wartime (although, since I myself have served (infantry), my brother has served, my sister-in-law lost her father in Vietnam, my two uncles served in Vietnam, one of my best friends has a purple heart and a bronze star from his time in Vietnam, and my grandfather served in WWII, I'm sure I have no clue whatsoever) what's your motivation? What stirs you?


I never insulted the original poster, nor did I ever try to dissuade them. An adult should be capable of making their own decisions - as long as they have all the facts regarding that decision. However, having a child (and a 17 year old person is, by the very definition, a child) hounded by military recruiters in an effort to get them to serve in the military, especially while that military is in a current state of armed conflict, is a different story altogether. And that's what the original poster was asking.

Getting back to this late. But thought it deserved a response.

Yep; one who serves honorably as a professional soldier in combat is a warrior. It doesn't get me off. It is a title.
So you have friends and family members that served in World War II and Vietnam, and some of them did not make it back, or were wounded. Some of them, from what you say were awarded the Bronze Star Medal. And you served as an infantryman. I respect that.
But you, do not know what motivates those in combat. You experienced life as a grunt, but not in combat. To know is to have been there, and done it. Knowing someone, or being related to someone, does not equate to knowing. Hearing stories about putting body parts in human remains pouches does not equate to doing it, and ruining your uniform and boots with bodily fluids of your comrade (go ahead and roll your eyes at that word, too). Hearing or reading stories about mortars exploding 15 meters from you, does not equate to knowing what the overpressure feels like and to see your own knee bouncing and jangling uncontrollably with fear. Attending a memorial service for someone who died of a disease, or car crash- although tragic- is far different from going to one for a 19 year old you saw 8 days prior with both legs traumatically amputated, and so doped up on morpine that he keeps apologizing for getting wounded. How about cleaning the blood, hair, and stinking gore out of the inside of a Stryker in 120 degree heat with your weapons cleaning kit and Qtips while flies land in human goo and then land on your face? Did you watch a movie or talk with someone who let you know what it's all about? So. I don't owe you an explanation of what 'stirs' me. To use your own words, no- you do not have a clue.

And yes, you did insult that 17 year old person, by insinuating that he or she will be at high risk of contracting PTSD and becoming suicidal ("Look at the statistics!") or abuse drugs, or even a murderer if they enlist in the military. Your disdain for all things military is readily apparent.

Yes, yes. By all means, don't enlist. Run away. Mock those that do instead. It's dangerous out in the world. Other people will do what must be done in spite of personal consequences, or personal dangers.

Congratulations! You actually got me to write shit down that I havent thought about in a few weeks! Suffice it to say- you and I operate and think180 degrees out from eachother.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by Saccogoo

Artillery is for pussies. Biggest bunch of slackasses I ever saw in the military, other than the entire Air Force.

You can kiss my ass.

[joesomebody]

Originally Posted by pestilenceaf23

You can kiss my ass.

Seconded... anyone who has put time in on Active Duty flight lines during surges is not a "slack ass." I support all branches of the military and feel a healthy rivalry is great, but reality fails to shine through in so many cases.

During my time at multi branch bases it was constantly the Navy or Army lagging behind, or on the sidelines puking during readiness runs. Is that indicitive of the entire Navy or Army? **** no.

Yes, it is quite safe to assume that the Army and Marines are going to have greater odds of seeing combat, but do you really expect every member of the Air Force to be on the front lines? Do you want our bombers and fighters to be that close to the fight? Hell no that is the advantage America has over so many countries, we can strike from halfway around the world before they know what hit them.