Which Military Branch would you rather serve?

[UncleRoe]

Once you hit basic, Sentry orders will quickly be replaced with a gunnys leather boot in your ass. After he crams that foot way in there.. and you start to taste socks, those 11 orders will quickly and easily be memorized. sides if there is one thing the marines do ALOT of ..(ALOT)... is drills!.. so anything you have trouble memorizing will be beat into you until you remember them. hell on wheels is a good way to sugar coat what it's going to be like.. sides a few amendments that keep the drill instructors from killing you on american soil.. you have absolutly no rights once you're sworn in..and that leaves alot of space for boots to ass. On that note though, A Marine drill instructor will make you feel the pain,he will push you past your limits and make you cry like a little girl scout completly wishing you had never signed up for the corps and just filled out an application for burger king like mom said,but if you can hack the mental and physical hells, you come out on top as an elite boy scout.. the kind of boy scout that is willing to take a bullet give a few. remember the marshmellow demon from ghostbusters?..well.. put him together will a giant wood chipper.. an unstoppable coked up zombie,a samurai on PCP, and clay aikens christmas special soundtrack.. and you STILL won't be as deadly and effective as a Marine.

 

 

Now some of us may enter basic as cocky bastards.. but when we leave basic.. we are ALL cocky bastards..But don't let it get to your head, If any of you ever see a combat situation,remember you are only as good as the person beside you. Keep them breathing and they will keep you breathing.

[OHWceta]

If any of you ever see a combat situation,remember you are only as good as the person beside you.

 

So then I guess those guys beside me are pretty screwed >_<.

 

 

So if I have self-esteem issues will the Navy beat it out of me?

[WoogieMonster]

That's a tricky question. If your issues stem from self-doubt or shyness or something similar, yes you're going to get broken from that. If the issues are something deeper, you might get sent to counseling and maybe even processed out on medical waivers. Don't misunderstand, if you're just naturally a quiet or soft-spoken person, no one is going to try to turn you into a loud-mouth unthinking jock, but being able to speak up boldly when needed is a MUST.

 

If your issues become a problem for your division, there is a slight chance your own shipmates will attempt to beat it out of you, most likely late at night in a locked fanroom. Just throwing that out there. In all seriousness, if you have a real problem, during processing (week 1) you will be removed from your division and transferred to Holding Company until someone either determines how to help you, if you're worth helping, or decides to send you home.

 

Since you asked, I assume you've chosen a non-combat rating? There's always the chance that experience will change you. The perfect example of that is a guy I went to boot with. He was a tiny guy and all during training I don't think I ever heard him say more than a sentence. I met him again about 5 years later, he got stationed with me and joined my security team. He was the complete opposite of the way he was in bootcamp: He knew every detail of every gun and launcher on our ship and every weapon in our armory. I even had to give him an informal counseling once for being too aggressive during a combat drill.

[OHWceta]

I'm deffinetly the quiet scientist type.

 

I'm going into Medical as a Corpsman though eventually I plan on going over to Dolphin trainer if possible, or Diver.

 

I'm not in the military to "kill baddies", I'm there to help my country and learn how to better myself and be a person others will be proud of.

[UncleRoe]

You'll still need fair sized balls to be a Corpsman. Corpsmen are not doctors,therefore will not see much on base action..which means you'll be tuning up alot more men on the frontline or around a dangerous perimeter where corpsmen are needed. Also,enemy snipers are trained to take out corpsmen. They know if they can put down one medic,it can doom 5 men who needed the medic.

 

You shouldn't be worried about self esteem though. All branch training will forge confidence into their recruits,Even if your self esteem issues come from a personal childhood flashback. If the military thinks they can't carve you into a soldier based on your mental issues,then they simply won't recruit you in the first place. i promise you,when you graduate basic,you will be a stronger person,both physically and mentally.

[OHWceta]

Now for the important question, and this one's the real kicker.

 

What exactly are we as soldiers supposed to be doing? Are we going off to fight evil regimes that are torturing their own citizens? Trying to play hero? Or are we supposed to be defending our own country?

 

Because I hate to say it, especially at Christmas, some times I don't feel it's worth it, the people in my town are so selfish and rude, they have no respect for others. They are lazy and expect everything while giving nothing, and act in manners which would normally merit punishment, but they expect to get away with it scott free. Fortunately not all of America is like this so I can't group them all together. But every time I see these people it makes me wonder what exactly I'm doing.

 

I guess I might just have too high moral standards, that's why the Navy was so perfect for me, the first thing they wanted to make sure of was no criminal record. And then it was all the drug stuff, no smoking, no drinking, it's all part of my life already (Except a better diet and excersizing more often which I adapted to quickly). So I guess I have a second question.

 

Once I leave for Boot Camp, A-School, and eventually my duty station, ect. how likely will it be that I'll be with a bunch of moral individuals? I know the Military encourages high moral standards but how likely will it be for me to get stuck sharing a room with a bunch of guys who want to stay up all night or run off and get drunk when ever they can?

 

And on a more funny note to lighten the mood.

There's a big difference between Doctors and Medics. Doctors diagnose diseases and perscribe medicines to cure you.

Medics just make you feel better until you die. "Want some Vasaline for your neck?" "He's shot in the foot" *Red Vs. Blue Joke*

[WoogieMonster]

Now for the important question, and this one's the real kicker.

 

What exactly are we as soldiers supposed to be doing? Are we going off to fight evil regimes that are torturing their own citizens? Trying to play hero? Or are we supposed to be defending our own country?

 

Because I hate to say it, especially at Christmas, some times I don't feel it's worth it, the people in my town are so selfish and rude, they have no respect for others. They are lazy and expect everything while giving nothing, and act in manners which would normally merit punishment, but they expect to get away with it scott free. Fortunately not all of America is like this so I can't group them all together. But every time I see these people it makes me wonder what exactly I'm doing.

Well first up, you are not and will not be a soldier. You may at times be required to carry a sidearm, but as a corpsman your first duty is the treatment of those in your charge. You can however, through C-school become a combat medic. You'll switch to the MC uniform (but with navy rank & insignia), probably be reasigned to an MEU or a MC duty station. They'll treat you like a brother because they know what you're there for, and they'll expect you to pull your own weight. If you can't hack it, they'll find out quick and they'll deal with you as they see fit. I think we can all agree the MC has enough to deal with and doesn't need looking after lagging medic added to that list.

 

I asked myself a few times "why the **** am I out here" and I was never able to come up with anything that satisfied me. So one day in spur of the moment I actually told my Captain, "Sir, I have no idea why the hell I enlisted." He looked a bit puzzled and took me to a room I'd never seen before. There were 3 guys with a bunch of terminals talking over headsets. I sat there for a while and then one of them said "on the count of 3, press that button and don't let go." When I did, I heard a thunder like you wouldn't believe and the entire ship vibrated. A couple minutes later they took off their headsets and one of them said "congratulations, you just shot down a drone with an SM2 missile." And that's why I enlisted, to do the stuff in real life that everybody else watches on television.

 

 

I guess I might just have too high moral standards, that's why the Navy was so perfect for me, the first thing they wanted to make sure of was no criminal record. And then it was all the drug stuff, no smoking, no drinking, it's all part of my life already (Except a better diet and excersizing more often which I adapted to quickly). So I guess I have a second question.

 

Once I leave for Boot Camp, A-School, and eventually my duty station, ect. how likely will it be that I'll be with a bunch of moral individuals? I know the Military encourages high moral standards but how likely will it be for me to get stuck sharing a room with a bunch of guys who want to stay up all night or run off and get drunk when ever they can?

There are dirtbags everywhere, civilian and military. You're certainly going to meet someone somewhere and ask yourself "how the hell did s/he survive bootcamp." There are all kinds of people in the military just as there are elsewhere, that's one of things that makes our military work. For example, you have me, super laid back and Uncle Roe, strict and to-the-point. In 10 years I never ordered anyone to do anything, I asked, and the job always got done. But just in case something did get neglected, my Uncle Roe style counterpart would have stepped in and planted a steel-toe in somebody's butt. After 3 months at sea I could keep their spirits up, and their fear of impending boot-butt kept their work standards up.

 

In A-school, you'll have between 2 and 4 people per room depending on the design of the barracks and how full the school is at the time. One unwritten purpose of A-school is to tone you down a little from bootcamp, so you don't jump out of your socks every time someone with a crow walks into the room. It's till very strict, but you'll have a lot more freedom than bootcamp. You can go to the base club/bar, you can go to movies and stuff, but you have a pretty early curfew. If you're stationed on a base (or go to C-school) you'll only have 1 roommate until you reach E4.

 

And on a more funny note to lighten the mood.

There's a big difference between Doctors and Medics. Doctors diagnose diseases and perscribe medicines to cure you.

Medics just make you feel better until you die. "Want some Vasaline for your neck?" "He's shot in the foot" *Red Vs. Blue Joke*

If you get stationed on a ship, and someone asks you for vaseline, I seriously doubt they're going to put it on their neck. Just throwing that out there.

[wasder]

I wouldn't join the military, for quite a few reasons.

 

1. The world doesn't need another unstable person with (or even near) a gun

2. I dislike the idea of killing people, or directly assisting killing people, for a living

3. I'm lazy

4. I could get a job I prefer, and almost certainly better paid doing other things

5. I don't believe the war in Afghanistan is just

6. I don't like orders

7. I don't want to do a job in which being shot, captured or bombed could be described as 'part of the job'

 

By all means you can join up to whatever you want, but I'll stay to where I'm comfortable. Preferably in bed.

[OHWceta]

It's funny, back when I was in school I said several times "If there was a draft I'd dodge it, never in my life would I ever go into the military."

 

But something changed on my 21st birthday, I realized my life was going nowhere fast. Maybe it was the new president, I didn't trust Cheney and his puppet I guess, maybe I thought they'd piss off some country and get us into a war and crap, I dunno, but it's different now, that I do know.

 

So even if I don't think some people deserve defending, it is my duty in life to myself and my family and all those around me to do the absolute best at everything I do.

 

Reasons I chose Navy:

1. I already live an Anti-Drug, crime free lifestyle

2. To work a job people would be proud of me for, rather than just a stock boy at wal-mart who nobody gives a crap about.

3. Traveling, I want to see the world, and this is one way to do it.

4. Benefits, millitary discounts, the GI Bill which will give me money for schooling, and a whole lot more (Even so my Navy paycheck will be way over my Dollar General one)

5. I'd rather feel the ocean under my feet than land, I actually want to live on a boat.

6. To learn better teamwork and leadership skills, forcing me to interact with my fellow recruits.

 

And heck, I've lived my life so far blindly following orders and it's gotten me pretty far in life.

 

Oh, are they really as strict as they say about rank and recognition or is it really depending on the person?

[WoogieMonster]

Oh, are they really as strict as they say about rank and recognition or is it really depending on the person?

 

That really really really depends on the environment and the attitude / personally of the people. In boot you're going to be saying "Yes Petty Officer" and "Yes Chief" so much that it's going to be the last thing you think before you fall asleep. In A-school it will tone down and you'll realize people actually do have names. Once you're out into the fleet, you start seeing it changes from person to person. Personally, I much prefer someone to say my name rather than my rank. Some people may even just call you by your rate ( "Hey HM3, I think I sprained my ankle" ), which is usually accepted as the most common way people closely ranked address each other. People you work with might even drop rank altogether and just call each other by name when there are no superiors around.

 

On the flip-side, I just told you there are all kinds of people in the military, so you'll meet a few who just love to hear people say their rank. It is heavily dependent on the individual people. If you don't know the person or are unsure, address them properly. If it is someone you know, have a rapport with, or are friends / co-workers, then you should be familiar enough to know how they prefer being addressed.

 

It's also very common in the Navy for someone in your chain of command to give you a nickname. The name I use on Nexus was given to me because of a training drill that ended in a medical emergency.