Military Life

[xbocax]

So I just posted an article about the military and that reminded me about a pos I've been wanting to do for a while now but always forget. I know some of you have and know of people that have served in the military. How was it personally and i guess 2nd hand? I often hear activists and punks talking their talk on why its such a horrid institution but very little to none of them have ever been enlisted. So please share I'd love too hear about it.

 

[xbocax]

I just wanted to hear how it effected peoples lives whether it was good, bad, or just something that happened and life moved on.

 

[BUMJUG]

this is kinda general....do you mean like out of the population of soldiers that actually engaged in combat??there are also many factors involved...like what was their mindset before entering the armed forces??

 

[JahDucky]

well I have friends and family from a few different branches, plus I live near the base here in anchorage.

Marines: My friend Lionel joined the marines because he wanted to shoot stuff. and shoot stuff he did. Earned the name Smokey. Before he went into the marines he was confused about his sexuality and a real funny guy. When he came home from basic he was straight as a rod and not funny. He told jokes with a straight face...What the fuck? After serving in Iraq fer a while he came home and doesnt want to do it again. Why? Because hes back to being confused about his sexuality, raving it up, doing X and Acid, and just being a funny kid again.

Dan on the other hand went into the marines to make his mother proud. He ended up in Iraq in no time and when he came home he had his brother run his legs over with a diesel, jump off the roof onto his legs and push him off the roof. He didnt want to go back. But he didnt break. The mans made of rubber. He went back and im sure is happy he did. He now has a kid and the extra money will always be appreciated.

Navy: My mother was in the Navy and she joined for a few reasons: Mom and dad said school or military but youre not staying here. Plus she wanted to travel "for free". She ended up in Italy for a while before I was born. She was stationed in Naples. She ended up with a shit ton of rad stories like when she went to see U2 in Rome and she flipped over the security line between the crowd and the stage and Bono looked over the edge of the stage and poured water on her(to cool her off). Security ended up taking her backstage(she didnt meet the band) and everyone on base thought she died at the show. She now has me and my brother and about 14 tattoos, some scarification, and a nostril piercing addiction(like meeee). Oh and I know that I was born on the SS Lexington in Pensacola. My mom almost named me Lexington.

My dad was in the navy as well and I dont know too much about his travels but I do know that at the young age of 39 he was able to comfortably retire with a beautiful home fully paid for and two amazing vehicles and still provide for 3 kids.

The Air Force guys around here seem like a ton of fun. (at least the ones that eat at Quiznos.

If youre thinking of joining anything but the marines sounds like a win...oh and army is kinda gay...you may seem rad after youre out but in all actuality youre a nut case.

 

[menu]

Ive met some kids with PTSD and I think we all have. I met quite a few on the rails alone.and they can get pretty sketchy. all though I love em all the same. Im opposed to joining the military but it might work for others

 

[Switters]

As a 10 year Air Force veteran I can tell you a few things about the military...

1. the hardest part about the military is putting up with the bullshit. military life is characterized by hours and hours and sometimes days of sitting around doing nothing, followed by a brief period of absolute screaming madhouse chaos, and then going back to doing nothing again for a long time.
having to live under these conditions will rapidly stress you out, and eventually start to break down your mind. this is what boot camp is for...to weed out the people who can't function under these circumstances.

2. military life is only like what you see in Full Metal Jacket during your first year or so when you're in boot camp and then later phases of training. after you get all that crap behind you and get into your day to day "job"...its just like going to work for any other company except that you have to wear camouflage uniforms.

3. the military is full of people from all walks of life, including some real crazy son's of bitches, so don't worry about not fitting in. everyone there is just as weird as you are. that being said...a lot of the military discipline is based on breaking down your self identity and making everyone look and act the same (at least on the job), so if you have a need for radical self-expression you're going to have to put it on the back burner for a while or the system will find ways of making your life suck in a hurry.

4. the military is a great way to get job training in a useful skill that will carry you later in life (assuming you get a good job...i.e., don't go in for infantry or cop...get something that teaches you a real world technical skill, like aircraft maintenance or computer engineer) and also you'll probably get some free world travel out of it which can be nice...as long as you like traveling to dangerous 3rd world countries most of the time.

5. the military is controlled by a "good old boy" club...which are mostly fat old white guys from the southern states and Texas. Unless you think you can suck up to this kind of person and play the game by their rules, its better to just try and keep a low profile. You can't fight the system...its too big, too powerful...and they've been at this game a lot longer than you have.

6. And then lastly i guess, you have to realize that at the end of the day, your job in the military, no matter what it is, plays a part in killing people to further the interests of the United States government. You get decent pay, job training, college benefits, and world travel in exchange for this, but in the end, you have to accept that by volunteering your service, you facilitate death and also you can be ordered to charge headlong into your own death should it be deemed necessary by your superiors. (though the likelihood of you dying in combat these days...especially in the Air Force...is seriously slim)
but either way, its some seriously heavy shit to consider...and you need to decide before you sign up, not after, cause once you sign your name on the dotted line, they own you for the next 4 to 6 years.

But don't get me wrong, its not all doom and gloom. I had a hell of a good time during my service. but eventually i got to the point where i was like, "okay, i've had my fun...now its time to move on to something else."
Anyway, I hope this was some of what you were looking for.
~Switters

 

[JahDucky]

4. the military is a great way to get job training in a useful skill that will carry you later in life (assuming you get a good job...i.e., don't go in for infantry or cop...get something that teaches you a real world technical skill, like aircraft maintenance or computer engineer) and also you'll probably get some free world travel out of it which can be nice...as long as you like traveling to dangerous 3rd world countries most of the time.

Haha for sure! My mom worked communications(a job in the navy that no longer exists). Just like college liberal arts will only get your hipster ass so far in life...definitely chose a profession that will take you places...not just look "rad".