Printable View
Well, do you have any?
I'm currently in Finnish Defence Forces Reserve trained as a mortar squad leader for both 82mm and 120mm mortars. I am also trained for Infantry and Jaeger sguad leader. My active service lasted for 360 days.
E: Just added a poll, lets see the hard numbers!
Yes. Combat Engineer, US Army.Quote:
Originally Posted by NCO
Are you now active duty or reserve or what? How you like/liked it?
No military service.
Retired Navy.
Why did you say reconsider it now for those thinking or planning on joining the military?
U.S. Army (11 years). I was in Air Defense Artillery (Chaparral Missile System), Field Artillery (105mm Howitzer) and Engineers (Combat, Heavy- mostly drove dozers and other heavy earth-moving equipment).
I also had 4 years of ROTC in high school and was a Boy Scout (currently a Scoutmaster).
No military service, mostly because I always knew that if there's something I really suck at, it's following orders. I am, however, a budding arch-terrorist, (just in case Big Brother's dialing in our channel today)
Never in Military. But, I support our troops
I'm out now. Private sector security services, physical or digital. Lemme know whatcha need. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by NCO
I did my time active and went to college so I could afford to raise a family, something that is so much harder when being deployed all the time, but I loved it. If I was single with no kids I'd be a career soldier. But having kids was more important to me, and I can still maintain those skills and improve in the private sector, while enjoying being my own master of my free time, as well as where I live. But there's nothing like putting a push-twist-pull on a detonator to set off a 50lb satchel charge or a series of tamped cratering charges to create a tank ditch. It's, uh, arousing to say the least when you pull the ring and feel the earth rumble under your feet from a 1/4 mile away. Then you see the cloud, feel the dirt raining down on you, and your heart starts beating again...:cool2:
Only thing that came close on the pleasure scale was lighting up a convoy of vehicles with a MK-19....Although I never did get to do the MP's mobile Humvee mounted Mk-19 live fire range... :crying: No matter how much I begged they told me I could only drive because I was not an MP... :taz::flare::cursing::censored::angermanagement:
I get the same thing from soup beans. Ground shaking, dirt raining down, trouble breathing.Quote:
Originally Posted by AS
lol. If soup beans make you rain dirt for a 1/4 mile in all directions, man, I'm seriously rethinking that August meet... :tongue_smilie:Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick
No
I was slotted to be a warrant officer in the army for helicopter school, but tore my ACL. My fiance settled me and swayed me away from it after I healed.
The freakin' wussies didn't want me 'cuz of my poor hearing! (SNORT!) Big deal! 5 seconds into the shelling & everybody's deaf as a post! Got 2 brothers & 1 nephew who went Army. One late cousin & my oldest son who served in the USMC, & Remy, don't ever let my boy hear you say "EX"- Marine!:cool2:
My dad is an "ex" marine :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarge47
I started in marines and ended up in the army. He said the idea of being cannon fodder didn't appeal to him :tongue_smilie:
Most Marines I know will get downright testy if you say "ex". "Former" will not start a bar fight.
There's no such thing as an "EX" Marine! "Once a Marine ALWAYS a Marine!":cool2:Quote:
Originally Posted by grundle
:alien:"Inactive" also works!:cool2:Quote:
Originally Posted by crashdive123
Well..he DOES still say he's going to "the head"...so I guess that countsQuote:
Originally Posted by Sarge47
SEMPER FI!:cool2:Quote:
Originally Posted by grundle
True story - biggest bar fight I have ever witnessed (in the mid 70's) was when a group of Marines - oh, about 20 or so - walked into Club Lollipop in downtown Honolulu. The DJ proudly announced that she was going to play a song to honor all of the Marines that just entered. They all started cheering and doing what young Marines do as they are about to be honored. The song that the DJ played? "In The Navy" by the Village People. Yep, biggest bar fight I ever witnessed.
Ex USCG, Engineering.
all of my family served . CB's they were every one of them. ww2, nahm, korea, to list a few. I however went to get an engeneering degree in architecture and civil planning. i have developed a shopping mall, 2 log cabin communities,and a baptist ministry youth camp. now i install disaster survival equipment for homes and buisnesses.
No service for me,but I am mother to a reservist,and sister to a soon to be "inactive" marine,seems the bones in his neck are not healing,and he will have to have further metal installed,effectively ending his career.
1995-1999 Air Force JROTC (Coral Springs H.S, Florida)
1999-2002 U.S Army 11B Airborne (Ft. Benning & Ft. Bragg)
2003-2009 Air National Guard Civil Engineering (181st Fighter Wing, Indiana & 176th Wing, Alaska)
Been deployed to Balad Iraq doing convoy support for 4 months
Deployed to Kuwait twice augmented with SF first time for 4 months second time 8 months.
No service experience.
Of course it may be different in the French Marines, they probably don't mind it at all it being an American pre-fix.:innocent:Quote:
Originally Posted by remy
U.S. Army, active and reserve for a total of 9.5 years. MP most of my tours, led right in to my law enforcement career that has lasted for 29 years..
BG
When I was old enough to join,the war in Angola and Namibia ended.The SANDF was used like a police force in townships after that.Spend 16 years with Correctional Services.That was a warzone in itself,no place to run and only a tonfa for defence.
About the "EX" word... How should I know! "EX" is shorter to write than former and the chance of me writing it wrong is much smaller. To me a US marine is a possible ally or a soon to be dead enemy. Or (the most probable option) just a guy/gal in the bar(or something)!
And why I said reconcider joining is, that you really should think about it seriously as you have the choice. I didn't have that. We have universal male conscription. I'm a conscript.
I enjoyed my time in the FDF, especially cause I managed to get to non-comissioned officer school and after that serve as a Corporal(=alikersantti=junior sergant) in the best unit of the brigade, 2. Jaeger Company, or the Horror Company as other units used to say.
I naturally have no combat experience as we haven't been in war since WWII. That was the war when every single man, bar one, of my family that was born so that he reached service age during the war died. They all fought, but died to arty fire, in field hospitals or due tuberculosis... The one that survived lost his right arm.
Hoooaah!!!Quote:
1999-2002 U.S Army 11B Airborne
I come from a long line of soldiers. Every single male member of my family in my direct line has served in either the Army, Navy or the Marines at least as far back as the American Civil War, and that's only as far back as we have documented records. Don't get me wrong, that's not why I did it, fate just kinda stuck it's foot out and tripped me through the doors of the Army recruiter. I can honestly say if I hadn't done it though, I'd have been dead or serving a life sentence right now.Quote:
Originally Posted by NCO
Bring back the DRAFT !!! I still have my nice letter with my name and greetings from the President. I would frame it but when we got out of high school we got a diploma and a bus ride. In 1963 we didn't get to chose where we were going or kiss anyone goodbye, you passed the physical you didn't go home. Bar fights: just holler What Falls from the Sky??? that usually did it. We go back to the Revolution in my family, didn't skip any but now "GASP" my 19yr old Grandson wants to be a Marine.
20 years U.S.Navy....First 15 as a Flight Engineer on P-3 (A, B, and Update II) Orions. Last five as a S.E.R.E. Instructor. The entire 20 years I was home based out of NAS Brunswick, Maine
Grandfather served in WWI
Uncle served in WWII
Father served in Korea
My service spans Nam to Gulf war I
No military, just LEO.
Still an effin warzone. Just on our own soil.Quote:
Originally Posted by chiye tanka
my mama wore combat boots (so did my daddy)....does that count for anything?
oh, and in my single life I dated my fair share of military men (a marine and a fly boy)
Does the Chair Force still count as military? I though anyone that addressed their superior officers as "Chip" or "Dave" was pretty much just a well-armed corporation...Quote:
Originally Posted by mountain mama
Hey dont hate.:) The Air Force has it's purpose, and I liked it more than the Army I can tell you that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpine_Sapper
lol. I was kidding. Just a little inter-service ribbing is all. But seriously...we got issued half a 2-man shelter and bivy sack. You guys got recliners and spare batteries for the remote. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by doug1980
In all seriousness, I would have joined the Air Force, but they wouldn't take me due to my criminal record. I'm standing in front of the recruiters office waiting to ship out to MEPS for the final time, it's 5 degrees outside, and the recruiter is not where he is supposed to be. (Gee, I wonder if he was using an army issued navigation device...)
So the Navy recruiter walked up to me. Now, I had talked to this guy ONCE to see what he could offer. I had a 126 GT score.I turned it down because my dad was navy, my girlfriend at the times dad and three brothers were ALL navy, as well as the grandfather, great grandfather, etc. And I really couldn't picture myself doing 6 months on a ship at a time with like 700 dudes and 3 females. But he never explained what incentives he could get me.
So I chose the army, got my little $19k for college, 12 mos. of MGIB, and a nice shaft for an enlistment bonus. I got my pick of MOS, but only 11B or 12B due to my criminal record, and duty station of choice, but only Leonard Wood MO or Fort Riley Kansas. Gee, thanks.
The Navy recruiter walks up to me and says "Where ya been?" "I decided to go Army." "What'd they give ya?" So I tell him. His response?
"Dude, your a dumbass. I had you slotted for $26k for college, MBIG, and a 2 year hitch as an electronics engineer working on Tomahawk missiles. " :flare::cursing::censored::angermanagement:
What do you see as an Army recruit when you look in the Mirror?
Yes
My
Retarded
A**
Signed
UP
Yep, and I get to go home at the end of the day.:tongue_smilie:Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpine_Sapper