Military experience.

[NCO]

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!

[Alpine_Sapper]

Well, do you have any?

Yes. Combat Engineer, US Army.

[NCO]

Are you now active duty or reserve or what? How you like/liked it?

[Rick]

No military service.

[crashdive123]

Retired Navy.

Why did you say reconsider it now for those thinking or planning on joining the military?

[scottmphoto]

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).

[trax]

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)

[DOGMAN]

Never in Military. But, I support our troops

[Alpine_Sapper]

Are you now active duty or reserve or what? How you like/liked it?

I'm out now. Private sector security services, physical or digital. Lemme know whatcha need.

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...

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... No matter how much I begged they told me I could only drive because I was not an MP...

[Rick]

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..

I get the same thing from soup beans. Ground shaking, dirt raining down, trouble breathing.

[Alpine_Sapper]

I get the same thing from soup beans. Ground shaking, dirt raining down, trouble breathing.

lol. If soup beans make you rain dirt for a 1/4 mile in all directions, man, I'm seriously rethinking that August meet...

[grundle]

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.

[Sarge47]

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!

[grundle]

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!

My dad is an "ex" marine

I started in marines and ended up in the army. He said the idea of being cannon fodder didn't appeal to him

[crashdive123]

Most Marines I know will get downright testy if you say "ex". "Former" will not start a bar fight.

[Sarge47]

My dad is an "ex" marine

I started in marines and ended up in the army. He said the idea of being cannon fodder didn't appeal to him

There's no such thing as an "EX" Marine! "Once a Marine ALWAYS a Marine!"

[Sarge47]

Most Marines I know will get downright testy if you say "ex". "Former" will not start a bar fight.

"Inactive" also works!

[grundle]

There's no such thing as an "EX" Marine! "Once a Marine ALWAYS a Marine!"

Well..he DOES still say he's going to "the head"...so I guess that counts

[Sarge47]

Well..he DOES still say he's going to "the head"...so I guess that counts

SEMPER FI!

[crashdive123]

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.