[darkone]

Guess my opinion is slanted since I was in the Army for 10yrs. I would recommend going in for everyone, it supplies people with things or societies kids are lacking like responsibility, respect, confidence, pride and duty. For the most part our kids today are lil trouble makers with no regard for guidelines or laws. None of the military branches will ever through you into a situation without some sort of training. The Army and Marines are more of a frontline force so if safety is an issue get a job that has no real frontline work or join the Navy or AirForce. The pay is a bit low but I got to see over 20 countries when I was stationed in Germany and what an experience I got to do that so many will never be able to do in their lifetime. Hey it's just a contract for 2,3,4,6 yrs why not give it a try... you might like it and it takes a hell of a lot to get fired

[Dilmah G]

Guess my opinion is slanted since I was in the Army for 10yrs. I would recommend going in for everyone, it supplies people with things or societies kids are lacking like responsibility, respect, confidence, pride and duty. For the most part our kids today are lil trouble makers with no regard for guidelines or laws. None of the military branches will ever through you into a situation without some sort of training. The Army and Marines are more of a frontline force so if safety is an issue get a job that has no real frontline work or join the Navy or AirForce. The pay is a bit low but I got to see over 20 countries when I was stationed in Germany and what an experience I got to do that so many will never be able to do in their lifetime. Hey it's just a contract for 2,3,4,6 yrs why not give it a try... you might like it and it takes a hell of a lot to get fired

I'm a firm believer in the military and hoping on a career in the Air Force, but that's a case for generalizations there dude. I'm 15 (as of 17 hours and 45 minutes ago), and while a lot of people do lack those qualities, they just bring it down for the rest of us who do have those values.

[Flipside]

Teens have always been frowned upon, even since before they were teens, unfortunately. The vast majority of teens are honest, law abiding and good mannered in my experience, it's the few that are the problem, and, of course, their chronies, who are fine on their own, but get them round a trouble-maker and they all look up to him/her as though they were some kind of idol.

My Dad is in his 60's now, and when he was young it was all 'Mods and Rockers', and people used to say precisely the same thing about them as people his age say about young people now

[Dilmah G]

Teens have always been frowned upon, even since before they were teens, unfortunately. The vast majority of teens are honest, law abiding and good mannered in my experience, it's the few that are the problem, and, of course, their chronies, who are fine on their own, but get them round a trouble-maker and they all look up to him/her as though they were some kind of idol.

My Dad is in his 60's now, and when he was young it was all 'Mods and Rockers', and people used to say precisely the same thing about them as people his age say about young people now

I have to agree with you there. When I was about 6 I made my mind up about teens and labelled them as a bunch of dicks who constantly acted like they were on crack 24/7. Now I am a teen and sometimes those thoughts come back to me. IMO it's all about a lack of understanding, and the facts at hand, there is a great percentage who do fit the stereotype. Hell, I make an effort to conform to that stereotype, because the only thing worse than being a bunch of sheep is being the odd one out. But I do acknowledge, we always seem to be the ones doing the stupid things.

[Flipside]

As a good friend of mine once described it, 'I'll be an individual if you are too'

[S-99]

Hell, I make an effort to conform to that stereotype, because the only thing worse than being a bunch of sheep is being the odd one out.

Oh if you have courage you can handle being the odd one out. It's not that bad not being included, in fact it's great. I'm an odd one out ever since highschool because i don't like conformity, i have great friends, i'm better at relating to other groups than most people, and i have my own following.

The downside is that not everyone will like you despite no matter how kind or friendly of a person you are. Then again, this is a given when people interact, but moreso if you're an odd one out.

[Dilmah G]

Hell, I make an effort to conform to that stereotype, because the only thing worse than being a bunch of sheep is being the odd one out.

Oh if you have courage you can handle being the odd one out. It's not that bad not being included, in fact it's great. I'm an odd one out ever since highschool because i don't like conformity, i have great friends, i'm better at relating to other groups than most people, and i have my own following.

The downside is that not everyone will like you despite no matter how kind or friendly of a person you are. Then again, this is a given when people interact, but moreso if you're an odd one out.

Well it all depends on the type of person you are. You sound like a friend of mine whose against conformity on a social 'groups' level. Although he does refer to me as a 'metrosexual' because I style/care about my hair. However I have no gripe personally with conforming, as long as it isn't taking it 'too far'. I don't light up or get pissed off my face on a regular basis, I still like to hold tight to my values. The only real reason I 'fear' noncomforming you could say, is because I am a very clear 'people person', and a lack of social contact would drive me insane. But as you said "you have Great Friends", so then your the 'Odd ones' out, rather than the single lonely person who sits on the bench every break.

[Janos]

Guess my opinion is slanted since I was in the Army for 10yrs. I would recommend going in for everyone, it supplies people with things or societies kids are lacking like responsibility, respect, confidence, pride and duty. For the most part our kids today are lil trouble makers with no regard for guidelines or laws. None of the military branches will ever through you into a situation without some sort of training. The Army and Marines are more of a frontline force so if safety is an issue get a job that has no real frontline work or join the Navy or AirForce. The pay is a bit low but I got to see over 20 countries when I was stationed in Germany and what an experience I got to do that so many will never be able to do in their lifetime. Hey it's just a contract for 2,3,4,6 yrs why not give it a try... you might like it and it takes a hell of a lot to get fired

KIDS THESE DAYS ARRRGH

"Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers."

KIDS THESE DAYS URRRRRGH

Army is an institution which specializes in killing people the state wants to kill. Think about that before regurgitating 2000 year old talking points about KIDS THESE DAYS HNNNGH

[Nuclear1]

He can't help it if its still relevant.

Also, thank you for that insight into the purpose of a military.

[Janos]

He can't help it if its still relevant.

Also, thank you for that insight into the purpose of a military.

have you actually served i never really could tell although you have been one of the more right-wing pro-military posters here for an eternity

and if it is always relevant then the ancient romans knew how to fly and shoot lasers out of their ass because hey, most of the world knows just well how to go act without armed service so either the people were supermen back then or we are simply retards

and besides, i didn't knew it was KIDS who were supposed to go to army unless you live in liberia or sierra leone or something

[Mika]

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.

What it comes to my opinions, I'm the guy who leads the first charge. I base my opinions on what I saw in the army in that position. Other than front line stuff like medics, as I said, that would be a good place for women. There are plenty of other positions in the army that would be good, but not those that lead to front lines. Air force and Navy would be good choices also, excluding marines, combat divers and paratroopers.

Mika

ps. And WTF is it with the adverts? "Gay military dating"?

[Janos]

ps. And WTF is it with the adverts? "Gay military dating"?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479952,00.html

???

[iamzack]

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.

Actually flashbacks are sorta the defining characteristic. Flashback triggers go in circles. XP

[Nuclear1]

Yes, currently serving actually.

The "still relevant" part was meant to rebuke your "2000 year old talking points" comment, seeing as how Socrates was complaining about the same thing we are today, it is still relevant.

I never said "kids" join the military--18 year olds and up. You know, legal adults who, in most countries, are legally able to vote, smoke, drive, drink, buy porn. ie, not children.

apparently you missed the memo where I never said 15 year olds should be in the military

[Vretsu]

I like the idea of being in some sort of technologically advanced trillion-dollar organization designed to hurt people, but I don't want to be put in any actual danger. Perhaps I should join the Navy? This is the way I see it...

"Mr. E---, fire the ICBMs."

"Okay."

"Have the ICBMs been fired?"

"Yeah. That tent 1,000 miles from here won't see this coming."

"Good work, E---, you made the right decision in joining the Navy. Everyone now wants to be your friend."

/endorphins

[iamzack]

My mum's first husband was in the Navy. He died mysteriously in a training exercise.

[Vretsu]

Probably needed someone for FEV testing.

Or as they say in old country, "your husband was just appointed the new ambassador to the Marianas Trench."

[Janos]

Yes, currently serving actually.

The "still relevant" part was meant to rebuke your "2000 year old talking points" comment, seeing as how Socrates was complaining about the same thing we are today, it is still relevant.

You really don't get it:
The point is that for at least 2000 years, the "kids" have always been ****ed up, then they become the parents who say their kids are ****ed up, then those kids become parents and so on. It's been there for every single generation, where the loose unresponsible damned kids become completely normal members of society who complain about their own kids.

It is total utter bull****. If the kids for most part are ****ed up and it's the Army that teaches them, then well hey pretty much the entire Europe and practically all the women in the world and a huge majority of United States are irresponsible little ****s and since it's about like 4% (Stetson method) of the populace of the world who has went through armed service then we are truly ****ed since everyone's an irresponsible turd.

How can you type that "KIDS THESE DAYS UNGH" is relevant

look at how stupid you are

I never said "kids" join the military--18 year olds and up. You know, legal adults who, in most countries, are legally able to vote, smoke, drive, drink, buy porn. ie, not children.
apparently you missed the memo where I never said 15 year olds should be in the military

well it's just easy because hey, read this brainfart

Guess my opinion is slanted since I was in the Army for 10yrs. I would recommend going in for everyone, it supplies people with things or societies kids are lacking like responsibility, respect, confidence, pride and duty. For the most part our kids today are lil trouble makers with no regard for guidelines or laws. None of the military branches will ever through you into a situation without some sort of training. The Army and Marines are more of a frontline force so if safety is an issue get a job that has no real frontline work or join the Navy or AirForce. The pay is a bit low but I got to see over 20 countries when I was stationed in Germany and what an experience I got to do that so many will never be able to do in their lifetime. Hey it's just a contract for 2,3,4,6 yrs why not give it a try... you might like it and it takes a hell of a lot to get fired 

i was commenting that

then you came in and complained how THE KIDS THESE DAYS is relevant

kinda completely managed to miss the point that army is not some basic manners school but a goddamn army, too

[Nuclear1]

I'll concede the kids point. I don't know how I ended up talking about it in the first place, but I never intended to.

That said, you must be missing the whole point of my posting in this thread. Maybe you're just taking a trivial stupid little point that you interpreted as "the Army is the ONLY place where kids learn any sort of manners".

No, the Army isn't a manners school. It is a military force used to defend a country and to kill people.  In order to be effective in this, the military instills discipline and respect into its troops, so they obey orders. As a result, military types tend to be respectful in general. I know it's not the only way to become a decent person, and I don't know where you picked up on that.

Probably the same place you picked up the idea I said all kids today are little ****s and the only the military can fix them. lol

[Turambar]

When was the last time the US military had to defend?

As far as I can tell, it's just for invading nations and lining the pockets of the already-rich.