[Janos]

Excuse me?

if you didn't get it already you won't get it even if i explain

[Nuclear1]

Whatever you say...

[vyper]

Pros: Wear Oakleys.
Cons: Blue-on-blue incidents.

[Dilmah G]

Pros: Wear Oakleys.
Cons: Blue-on-blue incidents.

Ohh come on, is that the best you can do? Once again I state, the military is NOT an Epic ****hole

[vyper]

And you know this how? I'm far too lazy to acquaint myself with all the new folk - are you ex-military or just a proponent?

[Dilmah G]

And you know this how? I'm far too lazy to acquaint myself with all the new folk - are you ex-military or just a proponent?

Uncle was a Commando in the Sri Lankan Army Commando Regiment. 20+ Years of service, nearly all of it combat experience. He's currently suffering from some kind of PTSD, not too bad though, he was 'One-of-a-kind'. On average the SLA see more action than any other military in that region. He would strongly warn me against joining the SL army, in an effort so "Spare me" from the "Horrors of War", however he would agree it takes more than just anyone to join the army. I have no argument with that, I'm also an Air Force Cadet, and I've made myself acquainted with the services/facilities the military provides, it's nothing bad.

HOWEVER

One thing, you absolutely do not do, is go there as nothing more than a social outcast basically, low self-esteem etc. Because the D.I. will break you, your fellow recruits will haze you, basically, watch Full Metal Jacket, and DON'T BE A PVT. PYLE! But it's important to remember, those guys in your recruit platoon are basically just guys like you, so as long as you're tolerant and willing to go with the flow, you'll be fine in the military.

[vyper]

I'm not even sure what side of the argument you just came down on ....

[Dilmah G]

I'm not even sure what side of the argument you just came down on ....

Well I made an attempt to try and justify both ends to some extent. My point being

A) A country so deep in it's own corruption like Sri Lanka will ultimately not treat you as well as say, the US Military

B) Most modern militaries go out of their way to support their personnel

And this site should answer some questions, recommended by someone else who posted on this board, ex-military I think: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup/a/recruiter.htm

[redsniper]

I'm not american so i can only talk from the outside if i am permitted !

The US Army has never had to fight on its own soil and well that is a damned good thing ! I would say the US is very lucky in this regard.

However one has to wonder what would happen if god forbid such an awefull thing would happen !

Wow, a non-American, on the internet, NOT wishing death and nuclear hellfire on me and my countrymen. It's... refreshing.

[Janos]

I'm not american so i can only talk from the outside if i am permitted !

The US Army has never had to fight on its own soil and well that is a damned good thing ! I would say the US is very lucky in this regard.

However one has to wonder what would happen if god forbid such an awefull thing would happen !

Wow, a non-American, on the internet, NOT wishing death and nuclear hellfire on me and my countrymen. It's... refreshing.

oh redsniper

[Ghostavo]

I'm not american so i can only talk from the outside if i am permitted !

The US Army has never had to fight on its own soil and well that is a damned good thing ! I would say the US is very lucky in this regard.

However one has to wonder what would happen if god forbid such an awefull thing would happen !

Wow, a non-American, on the internet, NOT wishing death and nuclear hellfire on me and my countrymen. It's... refreshing.

It's a trap!! 

[iamzack]

My xanga friend who is a marine wrote a post about mental health services in the USMC:

Someone is failing us...

I guess before i start this post i should clarify who the "us" in question is. By us i mean veterans. And while this could apply to veterans from many of the conflicts the U.S. has been involved in i'm specifically talking about OIF/OEF veterans. (Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom).

As some of you may know i personally have two deployments under my belt. My first one was during the second year of the Iraq war (i had interior gaurd duty during their first democratic elections... fun stuff) and i got back from my second one in September of 08 where i worked as a mortuary affairs specialist. (Deployments were done with two different units). Now my second unit is quite unique in that well, we're one of two Personnel Retrieval and Processing Company's in the entire Marine Corps... both are reserve units. You can come into the unit with any MOS but you will also be sent to the Mortuary Affairs school. What is unique about our job is that you can drop the school at any time without any repercussions. It's also not one of those jobs the Marine Corps (and the Army... they have the only active duty component) can not just stick you in... you have to volunteer for it.

So what does all this have to do with someone failing us?

Before i deployed the second time around we were told of all these things we were going to go through while we were deployed and after we came back. That we'd have talks with the chaplain, and that after we got back we'd have to go see a psychologist to make sure we were "ok" before we got off orders because of what we do and see out there.

Out in Iraq we didn't talk to the chaplain a whole lot... which is fine cause none of us really liked him. (i liked the one from my old unit better). But you know what kind of training/counseling i got when i got back? All i got was the regular separation from active duty classes which is pretty much aimed to help up work wise in the civilian world. We didn't get any coping classes and not once did i talk to a psychologist or anyone of that nature to make sure i was "ok." The closest thing i did was fill out the Post Deployment Health Assessment survey thing... and come on, no one fills those things out accurately and truthfully... and not all problems manifest right after you get back.

On my last day of active duty (before i was dropped back into the reserve status) someone in our chain of command asked us (mind you he's not a medical professional or even a navy corpsman) if any of us were going to need to see someone cause if we were they would have to keep us on orders... They wanted to know now cause apparently it is a ***** and a half to get us back on orders.

Your asking us on our last freaking day of active duty... and your coming to us at the angle, not of our well being but the amount of paperwork and what not it would take to bring us back to active duty to get us the help that we need? If i need help im not going to tell you cause a) your not a medical professional and b) you don't really care!

Now what brought about this post is not some kind of flashback i had from my deployment... but a series of text messages i got from another friend in the military last night(well they're processing out)...


"I put a loaded 9mm in my mouth and pulled the trigger today! It did not go off! Wtf! What kind of ****ing luck is that? I dont understand?"

"Why did you do that? Or are you drunk and pullin my chain?"

"No! I seriously hate my life! I don't understand why it didn't go off?"

"Why in the hell do you hate your life so much? and maybe it didn't go off cause it's not your time"

"Too many nightmares and problems"

"hugz, i wish i could help"

and i haven't heard back...

The sad thing is? This isn't the only friend of mine that is dealing with some kind of issues/demons. Ya, some are getting medically discharged and will be getting VA disability for PTSD but that does not solve the underlying issue here. Our veterans are not being properly taken care of after they come back. Think of the people in my job, the grunts, the medics, and more... what we see and deal with out there... especially if they were out there during the first years of the war. Experiences, im glad, most of America will never have to deal with. Yes, many of us are lucky that we come back with all of our limbs in tact but that does not mean that there still isn't anything wrong with us. Many of them still struggle inside of their minds. And unfortunately they don't get the kind of help and support that those (and im not trying to be insensitive) missing limbs do.

It is still a battle wound... and one that needs to be addressed properly. I do not want to lose friends because they did not get the help that they needed.

[MP-Ryan]

She wants to be a nurse or a nurse assistant. Working in hostpitals and stuff. Shes not into the navy or AF, just the regulary Army. Not national guards, but active duty.

Tell her to go to college/university and become an RN first.  Signing bonuses for medical professionals who then enlist in the military are quite large.

[Dilmah G]

The military are working on the whole physiological front at the moment aren't they?

[iamzack]

PTSD is pretty crippling.

[Dilmah G]

PTSD is pretty crippling.

Yeah, I can't even imagine it. Although I have wondered how real flashbacks feel like, but I won't go there.

[Charismatic]

I know i will have to deal with her decision. Im working on it. I havent supported her yet but eh. I am willing to re evaluate my opinion on the military\govt.

[Mars]

PTSD is pretty crippling.

Yeah, I can't even imagine it. Although I have wondered how real flashbacks feel like, but I won't go there.

Well, that's usually only in extreme cases. For a while there, every time a red SUV went by me I felt like leaping over a fense, but it was a precogative reaction.

[Dilmah G]

PTSD is pretty crippling.

Yeah, I can't even imagine it. Although I have wondered how real flashbacks feel like, but I won't go there.

Well, that's usually only in extreme cases. For a while there, every time a red SUV went by me I felt like leaping over a fense, but it was a precogative reaction.

Ohhh I see. I heard about a guy who couldn't even go on a camping trip after his wife dropped the lid of his esky, which apparently sounds like a mortar, and came to find her husband lying down on the living room floor thinking they were getting shelled.

[S-99]

Pay is ****, and basically you sign away your freedom for four years.  You sign up and realize its not for you then thier is no turning back.

Pay may be ****, but they give you a place to live for free, they give you money to buy food that doesn't come out of your pay, free medical, and no taxes while serving in a combat zone or otherwise hostile location. For those who signed up and found out it wasn't for them, that person clearly should have thought more before joining. On the other hand there is dishonorable discharge.

The people who i've known that were dishonorably discharged weren't very smart in the first place. Idk whose bright idea it was to smoke weed at basic, but these jackasses did. They're only shining quality was that they were honest about it.

Still, they train everyone to be infantryman at first dont they?

No, but like others said they do teach everyone basic combat training. If someone wanted to be infantry they'd teach you more than just basic.

I'm personally very much against sending women to front lines.

This is opinion based.

This thread has a lot of good info. This is the only stuff that really stood out that either needed more info or shouldn't be in the thread.