Would you Encourage or Discourage your Child to Enlist?

[Footslogger]

Would you Encourage or Discourage your Child to Enlist?

 

[nereas]

Would you Encourage or Discourage your Child to Enlist?

1. Coast Guard
2. Air Force
3. Navy
4. Army
5. Marines

In that order, but only if he or she is truly cut out for it.

 

[Wildcard]

I chose AF but that was long before I discovered my love of the ocean. I always sugges teh CG to people looking for advice. BUT, it all depends on what your ideas and expectations of the different branches are. I hated the AF as I had to deal with a bunch of pencil necked geeks all the time. Army? Still have to say no, Marines, I aint that tough, OK I dont want to have to be that tough, Navy, The thought of months at sea held no greatness for me but times have sure changed for me, I now relish my alone time at sea. CG, Most all have great stations, lots of brass polishing BS but still I have always been the rescue guy. Just didnt know then as most kids dont.
Id love to see a two year basic training reservist kind of thing made mandatory. Boot camp and weekend drills every few months for two years or so of every young persons life. It does so much to make kids grow up and become respectable/responsable.

 

[cdiver2]

Ensigns and 2nd lieutenants do not count, until they grow up and put on silver for brass. Everybody needs a chance to learn their jobs. I doubt you talked like that around O-2s or O-3s.

If they acted like an officer.

 

[Tigerman]

...
I hated the AF as I had to deal with a bunch of pencil necked geeks all the time.
...

Sounds like the military all right
(And then I mean in general and not related to a particular branch)

...
CG, Most all have great stations, lots of brass polishing BS but still I have always been the rescue guy
...

Oh yeah.. polishing for the win!

I had both the polishing and the pencilnecks in the Army and I have to say it was SOO fun
Its all a matter of finding the unit who do what each of us find to be interesting so that what we like weighs more than what we dislike I guess..

 

[mdb]

no b.s. now ... if your 18 year old son or daughter wanted to join the Army or Marines, would you say "Go for it" or "I wouldn't recomend it?"

no politics ... just "gut feeling" i ask because of this article:
Military Sees Parents as Big Recruiting Obstacle

Well Andy since you first asked the question your thread has quite a shelf life, stayed mostly on track, a few twists and turns as usual, and revealed a lot about the important issue.

Personally, I believe that we all owe the country some national service, a year or two between 18-26, does not have to be military, could be peace corps/job corps, building low cost housing etc. Breaks down barriers between class and race and forms bonds that last forever.

In any case, today is Armed Forces Day. Later this month is Memorial Day. So, to all those who have served, are serving, and will serve. Thank You.

"...Word to the Nation: Guard zealously your right to serve in the Armed Forces, for without them, there will be no other rights to guard."

President John F. Kennedy, 1962

 

[MikeFerrara]

Id love to see a two year basic training reservist kind of thing made mandatory. Boot camp and weekend drills every few months for two years or so of every young persons life. It does so much to make kids grow up and become respectable/responsable.

I wouldn't want to see any such thing. there are all sorts of ways for a kid to "grow up" and plenty of people manage just fine without the military.

My grandfather was drafted during WWII. He was in his late 20's and already had a wife and three young children. He started his working life during around the start of the depression and began raising his own family around the end of it. I think he was plenty grown up by the time the war interupted his families life and I don't remember ever hearing him say a good thing about the experience.

I had an uncle who served in WWII and he had problems for the rest of his life which got worse near the end of his life.

On the other hand, I have a couple of other uncles and know lots of other people who served between wars and they both speak really well of their time in the Military.

See a pattern here? there may or may not be aspects of military life that help "some people" to grow up but combat service seems to mostly disrupt, ruin and end lives. Getting your head blown off is no way to grow up and severely limits the prospects for your future.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Well Andy since you first asked the question your thread has quite a shelf life, stayed mostly on track, a few twists and turns as usual, and revealed a lot about the important issue.

Personally, I believe that we all owe the country some national service, a year or two between 18-26, does not have to be military, could be peace corps/job corps, building low cost housing etc. Breaks down barriers between class and race and forms bonds that last forever.

In any case, today is Armed Forces Day. Later this month is Memorial Day. So, to all those who have served, are serving, and will serve. Thank You.

"...Word to the Nation: Guard zealously your right to serve in the Armed Forces, for without them, there will be no other rights to guard."

President John F. Kennedy, 1962

Nicely said, mdb. I couldn't agree more.

 

[redacted]

Id love to see a two year basic training reservist kind of thing made mandatory. Boot camp and weekend drills every few months for two years or so of every young persons life. It does so much to make kids grow up and become respectable/responsable.

Have you thought about how much that would cost and who should pay for it?

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

The French do this. Every able-bodied male, upon graduating high school, serves two years in the French Army. (I don't know if this is true NOW, but it was when I was in the Army, because I spent a good portion of the Greyhound bus ride from Sacramento to Bakersfield, with a couple of French soldiers)