Military Service

[Zen]

[color=darkred][size=1]

So, many people may be suprised to know that during my hiatus, I joined the United States military in the Army National Guard. Currently, I'm a Private 2nd Class, and I just recently had my first drill weekend. Next October, I ship off for basic and after that, I'm going to college, being paid to do so by the military, for a Psychology degree, and then I'm going to officer's school in active duty Army. I plan on becoming a military psychologist and treating PTSD victims and other people. My life's finally got direction.

But right now, my job in the Guard, after I get outta basic, is Paralegal, so I won't be shooting anybody or running down any battlefields. That's cool beans.

So I guess, I'm asking.

What is your opinion on military service? Would you ever serve in your military? What's your opinion on the military?

Discuss.[/color][/size]

[Rachmaninoff]

I don't have a firm opinion on it other than obviously it's necessary. And hey, if someone wants to serve, more power to them. As for would I serve in the military? No. I have no interest in being a member of the military since it would not fit my chosen lifestyle and career. Fortunately, it will never be an issue since getting drafted wouldn't happen either on account of issues with my knee caused by a car accident a few years ago. I remember the doctor telling me that I'd never have that option, which is fine by me.

[Zen]

[color=darkred][size=1]

I see what you mean. Actually, for a while, I refused to join the military unless I absolutely had to. I was too dead set on following my dreams first. But I figured that going into the military would still give me time and the opportunity to pursue my dreams while still have a steady income and base for myself if my dreams don't pan out. Also I get a free college education at my own choice university, so I'm pretty happy.

To follow my dreams, I don't need a college education, those being martial arts and writing. Those are just things I can pursue in my spare time while having money and a career to support myself on.

Another big concern for me was killing people, and not wanting to go to war. I joined the military to help my country, help my fellow soldiers, not kill people. So I took up Paralegal where I pretty much just write up court reports and what not. Once I'm done with college, I'll be helping people more directly, and I'll also be in a leadership position, which will give me a bit of self accomplishment along with cool job.

But the military isn't for everyone, definetly. I can see where you, Rach, being a music major (am I correct?), the military couldn't really service you much. For me though, I'm just using it as a tool to gain my education.[/color][/size]

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Actually I have been interested in military service for some time. It's just that right now I don't think it is the right thing for me.

I think there are many advantages to it and I have great respect for those who choose to go into the military (even if, for instance, it's just so that they can do a degree or something).

I personally think it's a great way to get an education. In Australia, the Government pays for your degree....and you earn a salary while you're learning. Plus you get all of the other benefits of being associated with the military. I assume the US is similar.

So, yeah. If you feel it's right for you and you have the time/ability to do it...then certainly, it can be highly beneficial.[/font]

[Ben]

[QUOTE]What is your opinion on military service? Would you ever serve in your military? What's your opinion on the military?[/QUOTE]
I'm all for military service, as a means of protecting our own country and our allies' countries. I'm not a big fan of pre-emptive strikes against other nations except where the threat is open and obvious.

I'd serve in my military, but solely for the educational and monetary benefits. Military service doesn't really appeal to me in any other way. I don't have an especially strong sense of patriotism (ethnocentrism maybe, but not patriotism) to make me believe that it's a worthwhile thing to do, but the thought of free education and pay while I'm learning is very appealing.

My parents have three children in college at the moment (me being the 3rd) another in a private high school, and a 5th child with special needs. That's a lot of money to be shelling out. Obviously, we three oldest work to help pay for school, but it's still difficult to make ends meet.

I have no desire to kill anybody, either. I'd very much prefer a job such as the one Zen has: necessary, but not combat-related. Maybe if I were to get an assignment like that, my girlfriend wouldn't be so dead-set against ANY thoughts of me joining the military. :p

[SaiyanPrincessX]

[SIZE="1"]I've been debating back and forth about joining the Air Force since I was in eleventh grade. I almost did, but didn't. I have always liked the idea of the military, and I think it would be something I'd enjoy doing. Whats holding me back is my love for the martial arts I do, and my church. I also worry about the whole post psycgological stuff that goes with being in war. But then again, I always go back to the same thing.

Right now I'm taking a few classes at the Community college, working, working out, and doing my martial arts. I have done some traveling, gone to Japan last year, and will be going to Israel this May. But I still don't know what I want to do with my life. I love working out, and doing martial arts.

I say, congratulations. ^_^[/SIZE]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='Zen'][color=darkred][size=1]What is your opinion on military service? Would you ever serve in your military? What's your opinion on the military?[/color][/size][/QUOTE]It's fine if that's what you want to do. I myself have no interest in serving and since I deal with asthma, I wouldn't qualify anyway. As for the military in general, sure I'm aware of it, recruiting is pretty obvious around here with Hill Air Force Base being only 29 miles north of where I live. I don't have a super positive image of the military nor do I have a negative one either. I think that like any career, if it suits you, it's a good way to get an education and to do something for your country at the same time. [/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='Zen'][color=darkred][size=1]But the military isn't for everyone, definetly. I can see where you, Rach, being a music major (am I correct?), the military couldn't really service you much. For me though, I'm just using it as a tool to gain my education.[/color][/size][/QUOTE]Correct, I am a music major. I remember when the subject came up in High School, how my so called career adviser kept trying to explain the benefits of the military to pay for college. She couldn't quite wrap her mind around the fact that I was [I]serious[/I] about intending to follow through with being a music major. I think only my parents figured out that it wasn't just some phase I would "grow" out of. And I definitely do agree that it's an excellent means of not only serving but getting help with a college education. Especially with the way it just keeps getting more and more expensive every year.

[Starwind]

I AM in military service. And I AM presently in Iraq. Trust me, it's a hard road ahead of you and trust me it's not easy. I'm not even talking about the physical end either, you'll get used to that after the first few weeks of basic. It's that emotional and psychological that usually gets to people. Of the 260 people I went to basic training with, 200 of us left there as soldiers. And I think only 4 were held back because of lacking in there physical fitness. The mind games and almost constant abuse are what get to people most of the time.

But in the end, if you can endure all those things and some how make it out, you'll be all the stronger for it. It's all done to you for a reason and trust me, your grateful for it after the fact. This is a scary place to be sometimes and if you can't deal with the stresses then your gonna get yourself or someonelse killed.

And don't think that you've got it figured out yet either. My plan was the same as yours, but before I could even get back to school, I was on a plane and on my way over seas. They ship us out by the boat load. Expect your first set of orders within 2 to 3 months of getting home. Hell, sometimes it can be less than that. I had a friend of mine I went to basic with. He got home to find his unit had already mobilized and had 2 weeks to prepare before they sent him off to join them.

I won't BS you like I'm sure your recruiter did. And yes, recruiters do lie alot. When you hit the ground at basic training, wherever that may be, be ready for hell on earth the likes of which noone can fully prepare you for. And once you get out, you will be stronger, but it will not be any easier. The way you see the world will be forever changed, trust me on this one. You'll look a people different, respond differently to questions, work differently, you will be a very different person.

But, despite all the hard things I've had to go through with the army and all the hard times I know lie ahead, I would trade it for nothing else, and this is something you'll learn about in time as well. I leave wishing you good luck. And who knows, the army is not as big as it seems and the two of us might very well meet some day if your joining the medical ranks. Til then, see you down range,

Starwind, Private First Class, camp bucca Iraq

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]I have nothing but respect for people who decide to serve their country in the armed forces.

Granted I took the ASVAB and then the Navy would not. stop. calling. me. But that's probably my fault for doing so well in the communication's sections. And they have no idea just how insane I am, so odds are I'd probably not make it. But I hear that my insanity, myopia, asthma, and other respiratory allergies might not matter at the second. So maybe?

I've been thinking of something to do when I graduate with my shiny degrees and whatnot, and the military isn't the worst idea, there are other options. But as far as others who want to serve? Or just want to learn marketable skills? And stab people with bullets? Why not?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Zen'][color=darkred][size=1][B]What is your opinion on military service?[/B][/color][/size][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Well, as my younger brother is currently serving in our Reserve Forces I'm after getting a far better idea of what military service involves. Before I had a kind of general respect for anyone in the military, now though, in knowing exactly what it involves, I've a huge level of respect for anyone who chooses to take on that level of responsibility.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Zen'][color=darkred][size=1][B]Would you ever serve in your military?[/B][/color][/size][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Possibly, although if I were to enter military service, it would be in the medical corps as a doctor, as I have no interest at all in seeing combat, or rather, no interest in ever being put in the position where I would have to kill someone.

In a few years, when I've finished college and hopefully qualified as a doctor, perhaps I'd consider military service for a few years, I'm really not sure though. On the plus side, apparently those who've trained as doctors can get a military commission to the rank of captain, which is certainly nice from a financial perspective.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Zen'][color=darkred][size=1][B]What's your opinion on the military?[/B][/color][/size][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Often, I joke with my brother about how I see the military, or more specifically the army as being irrelevant for a neutral country like Ireland. But the fact is these guys do a lot of things outside actual combat that most people don't even realise, like mountain rescue, sea rescue, bomb disposal etc.

The fact that Ireland is also involved in the latest EUFOR mission to Chad and UN Peacekeeping missions makes me feel very proud to be able to support them for their selflessness.[/SIZE]

[Zen]

[quote name='SaiyanPrincessX'][SIZE="1"]I've been debating back and forth about joining the Air Force since I was in eleventh grade. I almost did, but didn't. I have always liked the idea of the military, and I think it would be something I'd enjoy doing. Whats holding me back is my love for the martial arts I do, and my church.

I love working out, and doing martial arts.

I say, congratulations. ^_^[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[color=darkred][size=1]

From a martial artists perspective, the military actually teaches you a bit of martial arts for hand to hand combat. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo concepts along with other things.

Also, the Marines (which is tougher, but I suppose if that's your sort of thing) have their own martial arts system, which you can take, rank up in, have a ribbon to signify your knowledge of the art if you choose to continue learning it, and eventually you start teaching it.

I dunno if any other branch has that, I'm certainly not a Marine but I know that much about 'em.

Also, hand to hand is a regular part of PT from my understanding thus far, so unless you're practicing Kendo or something, I think the military would actually help your martial arts, or vice versa, you'd do well because of them.


Note to Starwind:

My father is my recruiter actually, and I trust him for his word. He didn't sugar coat anything for me, he told me how it was and how it is, and how its gonna be, and I accepted anyways. I signed a contract saying I get my college first, and I'm hoping my father didn't lie to me about that much.[/color][/size]

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"][quote name='Starwind'] The mind games and almost constant abuse are what get to people most of the time.[/QUOTE]I've heard about that, from some of my friends who did join. >_>

I do think it's admirable, and yet at the same time I have no interest in it at all. At least not for myself obviously. I just can't see myself doing it, even if it would help out with college expenses, though to be honest, that's not a concern for me since it's already taken care of. Well the tuition - books - rent aspect. Beyond that I'm always poor. XP

Anyway, it's great that people do want to do it and that it helps them get their education and build a career. I mean if you are going to serve, I think it's only fair that you benefit from it.[/FONT]

[Odin M Yggdrasi]

[quote="Mr Kashhalk (High School Physics Teacher, former Navy ship's engineer)]
NAVY = Never Again Volunteer Yourself[/quote]

I find the military to be one heck of a mixed bag. A fair number of people I know did go and did well in it, but there's an equal number who couldn't stand it or even found it to be almost a scam.

Most likely I wouldn't go unless I had no choice, though my mind is screwed up enough I probably could get out on mental instability if they did draft me.

I don't kill people, end of story.

As for the mind games, I do enjoy a good mind game. Perhaps it would be one mind game I could actually play along with, if I ever did decide to give it a shot.

[Endymion]

[SIZE="1"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]To me, military service is a necessity for one to understand the civil liberties many take for granted. By becoming part of the military, not only do you fight for the rights civilians hold dear, but you feel to bring these rights to others. A year before I graduated High School, I joined the Marine Corps Delayed Entry Program and loved every second of it. Couldn't wait until July for me to ship out. Spent the week before going to MCRD Parris Island in Cambridge, MA while my gf at the time was at Harvard. Recruit training was great. There's pretty much nothing that sounds better than winning final drill at the end of your tenure. The way the boots hit the pavement. The way that the rifles hit your arm, echoing in a distance as you show everyone else you're the best of the best. I have countless friends that joined with me in my graduating class and most enjoy their involvment in the situations of today. Friends in Afganistan and promoting stability and liberty, especially in the hot south. Friends in Iraq that have seen a very different shift from the frequent attacks years ago and seeing people on the streets and playing soccer with them in the street. I may have had qualms with our entrance ot Iraq, but I feel as though the battles in both Afghanistan and Iraq are just. Things cannot be corrected overnight. Hopefully NATO will see through Russia's facade and bring Ukraine and Georgia into their circle. To me, it's about honor and duty. Now that my knee is rehabilitated, I can't wait to return to military service. Semper Fi![/COLOR][/SIZE]

[[Sound_Nin]]

[FONT=Book Antiqua][COLOR=Navy]If I were to join any branch of the military, it would be the Air Force. Why? It suits my personality. I can't really explain why, but eh.

I do believe it's necessary, but I would most certainly NOT join now if I were able to, because I would be fighting for something I strongly do not support in any way. That's just my opinion.

I have an almost unhealthy preoccupation with weapons, and no, I would not hesitate in killing someone. Does it make me a bad person for that? I dunno. If it came down to that, I wouldn't flinch. But I most certainly wouldn't kill someone just for the hell of it.

Drifting off-topic here.

The Marines would just be too much for me. I don't think I'd have what it takes, but I don't view that as a bad thing.

There's a history of military in my family. I can say I have ancestors on both sides of WWII. I had two great-uncles, one in the US Marines and one in the US Navy, and on the other side, a grandfather in the SS. I believe his brother was in the SA, as well. And my grandfather was in the US Navy during Korea.

But is it [I]my[/I] thing? I can't really say at this point. Don't have a strong enough opinion on it as of yet.
We'll see, though.
[/COLOR][/FONT]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][quote name='Zen'][color=darkred][size=1]What is your opinion on military service? Would you ever serve in your military? What's your opinion on the military?[/color][/size][/QUOTE]I have mixed feelings on the military. Yes its necessary but... like any other type of occupation it has it's hang ups and since Starwind already touched on that a bit I won't bother to go into it.

Now would I serve? No. Even if I could I would not. I have absolutely no interest in that at all, even though I could have accepted a job to work truck driving in Iraq on account of the need even though I have no military experience. It's something my cousin, who is still currently driving did and right now, he's regretting the decision.

Now as for my opinion on service in the military... if it's something you are interesting in and suits your needs then by all means go for it. It's certainly admirable to do if your up to it. I certainly know plenty of people who do, lots of them my own cousins and other relatives. It's just not something I want to do. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Ol' Fighter]

How funny all of this is because about 7 months ago I joined the National Guard and I just finished AIT (which is Advaced Individual Training) and I found myself going crazy with all kinds of thoughts like is this really for me and what the hell have I done and a lot of other crazy thoughts, but hey look at me I'm a specialist in the ranks now. The main thing that made me join the Army was the simple and not so simple fact that I had a child on the way who I now know is a healthy lil' girl that I'll get to met really soon and that this wondeful crazy girl that I'm currently with loves me like crazy not to mention having your college crap takin' care of so it was a kind of good choice on my part. Let me get back on topic though, my opinion on the service is it's a great stepping stone towards whatever you want to do because after you finish BCT (Basic Combat Training) and AIT you personally take it from there and just hope deployment is downwind of you but then again you could get lucky and go to somewhere like Germany which is really kinda subtle compared to Iraq and Afgan and my opinion on the servise is it's a very tight-knitt thing because once your in any branch of service from that point on everyone in your company is your brother or sister and are kind of a part of you nearly forever.

[Zhara]

I'm currently in the Air Force, an Airman 1st Class, and I LOVE it. I'm living in Germany, and my friends are fantastic...Not to mention my work directly supports the war on terror. My shop fixes the engines of C130's, and without us, trust me, the war just wouldn't be the same. So, yeah, I love my career.

[Sandy]

I guess I'll be the one to break the nauseating consensus of this thread. Seriously guys, can't we get a good debate about [I]anything[/I] anymore? XP

Jokes aside, I'm a pacifist, period. I do not believe waging war is an answer to anything, and to me the military is a place where people are brain-washed to do the bidding of the warmongers. I've met people who have gone to the army and come back with a part of their personality stripped away - their values and attitudes have changed towards those they were taught at the military service. Some people boast about their time in the service in public, but when I've spoken to them in private, they admit that it was the worst time of their lives - and they only train in Finnish forests, not in a real battlefield.

See, unlike in the US, going to the army is almost obligatory here in Finland to all young men. There's the option of going to a civilian work service (which I chose, and haven't regretted a day) which lasts thirteen months, as opposed to the six or eleven months spent in the army. You can also get exempted, or downright refuse (in which case you're in for six months in prison). There's no real monetary benefits for going to the army, no paid schooling (since it's free here anyway) or secured jobs.

Despite my high ideals, I'm also a realist, and I know war is still the way things are handled in many countries, and that will probably never change. People still have to defend their countries, that's why a small and recluse country like mine still has a public army. But I also know that if our neighbor Russia would decide to attack us, we wouldn't stand a chance. The technology has developed far beyond the days of the Winter War, when the puny Finnish soldiers kept Finland independent by fending off the mighty Russian army. And oh the amount of glory that has been attached to those events!

It's the same kind of glory I see being attached to the soldiers in iraq and Afghanistan. Many people say that if you're against the war, you are against the soldiers. Which is totally paradoxal, since I don't want people to die, nor kill others.

So despite what the realities are, I will hold on to my own pacifism. If we go to war during my lifetime, I refuse to die holding a gun. I will die so that no other person has had to die by my hands.

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]If everyone in the world were like you Sandy, then sure, everything would be fine. Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows everywhere.

But the fact remains that there is evil in the world and it can't be allowed to spread unchecked. There is nothing nauseating about people agreeing about that at all and I find your insinuation that we're all just ducks in a row bobbing our heads like morons insulting. Even if it was a joke. Sure, let them shoot you in the head and don't defend yourself. Don't defend your family, don't kill to stop someone from killing children. That'll make the world a better place.

If you were really a pacifist you would've taken the prison option and not supported your government either way. Trying to say you're against the war but for the soldiers doesn't make any sense because you clearly do not support their mission. To put a stop to human rights violations, or to stand up for what you believe in is noble and perfectly acceptable and the fastest and closest way to achieve this is to do what your country asks of you. If you don't believe in what the soldiers you say you support are doing, then you're not supporting them at all. You're trying to have it both ways but you end up just being a hypocrite who can't take a strong stance on anything.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Sandy]

I jokingly said that the consensus in this thread was "nauseating" simply because everyone thus far have been in agreement on a matter that usually sparks controversy. I really expected to find at least [I]some[/I] debate in this thread, but there was none before I posted. My words were in no way meant to be an insult to anyone, and you really read too much into them if you thought that.

And I'm sorry if I gave the wrong image that I would actually support being a soldier by a profession. Because I don't. In my perfect world of lollipops and rainbows, I don't want to see people trained as professional killers. But it's their choice, really. I can't and won't deny anybody the right to join the army if they so wish. But I won't be a part of it.

Defending my family or children against harm has nothing to do with pacifism. There are other means of protection than violence, and I'm happy to live in a civilized country where you don't have to get a personal arsenal to your home just to feel safe. I'm sorry that it cannot be so everywhere in the world, but I put my money on sending humanitarian aid to the countries at war rather than sending more soldiers (or "peacekeepers", as they're often called).

Just to make this perfectly clear, I'm for the soldiers as humans (as in I don't want them to die), not for their profession. I do not agree with what they are doing in the countries at war, but I do know that's how the world still works. People respond to violence with violence. It seems that not many of you are actually willing to break that vicious cycle.

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][quote name='Sandy;809860]I jokingly said that the consensus in this thread was "nauseating" simply because everyone thus far have been in agreement on a matter that usually sparks controversy. I really expected to find at least [I]some[/I] debate in this thread, but there was none before I posted. My words were in no way meant to be an insult to anyone, and you really read too much into them if you thought that.[/QUOTE]You mean we can't have similar opinions? :p Joking aside, it sounds like your military where you are is quite different, so naturally we are going to have a different view on it.[quote name='Sandy;809860]And I'm sorry if I gave the wrong image that I would actually support being a soldier by a profession. Because I don't. In my perfect world of lollipops and rainbows, I don't want to see people trained as professional killers. But it's their choice, really. I can't and won't deny anybody the right to join the army if they so wish. But I won't be a part of it.[/QUOTE]Professional killers? I honestly wonder how much you really know about the military. No one is turned into a "professional" killer. I've had friends who served and learned to be doctors and other professions within the military. [QUOTE=Sandy'']Defending my family or children against harm has nothing to do with pacifism. There are other means of protection than violence, and I'm happy to live in a civilized country where you don't have to get a personal arsenal to your home just to feel safe. I'm sorry that it cannot be so everywhere in the world, but I put my money on sending humanitarian aid to the countries at war rather than sending more soldiers (or "peacekeepers", as they're often called).[/quote]You make it sound like everyone who isn't a pacifist has an arsenal in their home. Many of us rely on the regular police force and other law enforcement to keep us safe, the only real difference is that the military is on a country level instead of a local one. To advocate against the military, is to advocate against law and order altogether.

And humanitarian aid can't change someone's viewpoint. To think that by sending aid people would not fight is naive. Honestly, if that actually worked, it would have already happened. [quote name='Sandy']Just to make this perfectly clear, I'm for the soldiers as humans (as in I don't want them to die), not for their profession. I do not agree with what they are doing in the countries at war, but I do know that's how the world still works. People respond to violence with violence. It seems that not many of you are actually willing to break that vicious cycle.[/QUOTE]I really do not appreciate the assumption that just because the military exists, we must therefore be heartless and only respond to violence with violence. That too is rather naive, I support the military because it is like any law enforcement agency. I don't think it's perfect, but at the same time, it doesn't mean I blindly support violence in general.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Kenso]

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1]OK, first, my initial post (which I thought I made, but apparently didn't):

I actually did join the Air Force back in '05. A little out of shape, but I managed. I actually got through BMT, which is probably one of the absolute worst experiences you will ever have in your life (not counting a war zone, which I can't speak on). Tech school sucked, but not as bad as BMT. However, while I was in tech school, I found that I couldn't keep up for some reason. Turns out I have asthma and the cartilage is pretty screwed in both my knees. Thanks to that, I'm actually no longer in.
To be honest, if I could go back and make a different decision, I would. To me, the military wasn't worth it. I would've gone crazy by the time tech school was over. Every little detail in your life is planned, and at least in my squadron, everyone ended up paying if someone screwed up. Not my idea of a good life.
That said, I have the utmost respect for the people who can handle it, and who are crazy enough to keep with it. I understand the need for a military, though I think that some militaries (specifically, the U.S.'s) needs to be more focused on things closer to home, but that has nothing to do with the soldiers and everything to do with the politicians.


That said, you rather amuse me Sandy. Before I go into a complete response, I pose a question to you: If you were to choose between killing someone and watching your family die, would you really watch your family die? THAT is how many soldiers view the wars they fight. They fight to take out the threat that exists to their family, your family, and everyone else's families. Just because I haven't been in a war zone doesn't mean I don't know people who have. (As a matter of fact, one of my best friends has already been in Iraq twice, maybe three times - it gets difficult to keep track of with the length of deployments and all.)
The fact is, your perfect little world of lollipops and rainbows does not, and will not, exist. There is no such thing as a country where you don't have a least some reason to keep a weapon in your house to protect your family. Man tends to be a violent animal, a fact that we can't just tuck away and deny because we don't like it. Pacifism is far too idealistic, and the fact is that some people need to die.
And soldiers are not merely trained killers. Most, if not all (I'm not certain here), are trained in fields that exist in the civilian community. The fact that they can fire a gun doesn't make them a trained killer. It makes them someone who is ready and willing to protect themselves and those they care about.
Don't mistake my views here. I'd love for a world where no one had to die. But we don't live in that world. So militaries are necessary, and you need to be willing to stand up to the other side, and kill if that's what's needed. Lollipops and rainbows stop being the world you live in when your 6. You just can't live by ideals for that world when you're an adult.
[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"][SIZE="1"]I come from a family of people who've been in the army. My father was in the air force and my grandfather was in Vietnam. I myslef respect anyone in the army, they're out there busting their ***** for our country. Now I myself am not really patriotic, I just haven't fallen in love with the USA as much as others.

I wouldn't join the army, never. I don't have enough strive, strength nor do I have the ambition to join and defend our country, or whatever position I would be in. Be it coast guard, marines or whatnot. But I do respect everyone who is in the army because they love our country adn are willing to die to defend it. Now I said earlier that I'm not very patriotic, but I do appreciate this country very much, so don't think I'm some Anti-USA person, cause I'm not.

As for a world of complete peace, it seems like a very great idea, but world-peace will never be reached imo. So it's useless to think that we will eventually obtain a world of dreams and love, never.[/SIZE][/COLOR]