Chats about joining the army

[thirdworld]

A young African American guy here at work is thinking of signing up with the Army. He works behind the till at the cafeteria/canteen, a job that pays very little. On Friday, as I waited for my food, I listened to one of the security guards telling him about service in Iraq, mostly in terms of sizable enlistment bonuses and massive reenlistment $

Comments

[firstworld]

Many in the military today are sort of mercenaries. But not all by a long shot.

[thirdworld]

Yes, I find the mix quite fascinating.

Thanks for giving advice

[dragonet2]

One of my friend's sons joined up because of the promise (and because he will never HAVE to work due to inheritance things).

After being promised a lot including not ever being sent overseas, he got sent to the first gulf war (he wasn't infantry, he was a company clerk). Fortunately he developed a small brain tumor (benign) that caused really weird psychoative symptoms, the service repaired him then declared him not fit for service and let hiim go.

His grandparents family is righer than Croesus, and I'm just happy that he is one of the few of his generation that is actually doing good and living a life -- a lot of his generation of that family have either been debilitated or died due to drugs, suicide, etc. Too much dough, not any sense.

Re: Thanks for giving advice

[thirdworld]

Damn, he got lucky. Who would have thought a brain tumor could be lucky?

Re: Thanks for giving advice

[flutterbyegirl]

that's what i thought! what *luck*.

[dave_gallaher]

Shortly after college, I worked with a 6 year vetran of the US Army. He was very good about getting everything in writing, and about knowing how to military codes. But it wasn't easy and took a bit of experience to know where to look.

The most important thing for your potential enlistee is to get any promises made to him in writing. My friend had many stories of recruits promised one job in the army only to find themselves in the infantry. So pass this on to your cashier to make sure all of the enlistment bonus come-ons are in writing in his enlistment papers and, if he is interested in a particular MOS, that this is in writing in the enlistment papers as well.

Good luck with him.

[timill]

My father-in-law was graded 4F during WW2. But he got drafted anyway (by accident they said).

"Never mind - we'll keep you Stateside doing office work."

We have a number of interesting souvenirs from his service in China, Burma and India.

[thirdworld]

I knew a guy like that in the South African army. He was not fit for duty and almost 30, but he was Jewish and they were fascists. Took him more than a year to get out, by which time he'd already lost his business.

[thirdworld]

Thanks for that. I passed the information on to him. He seemed thankful for it.

[perkyshai]

I love the tradition of civil service in any democracy. It's a bit Heinleinian of me perhaps, but I think that there is a great deal of merit in service to one's government and a personal investment in its integrity. That said, I also have a great deal of concern about what our servecepeople are being told and promised and put through in the armed forces right now. Given that there have already been muddy ethical waters surrounding the Iraq conflict, I'd get things in writing, and read up on other people's accounts, such as the situation surrounding Pat Tillman's death...another patriotic and dutiful american son. Those are the kinds of people this country can ill afford to lose.

[thirdworld]

I have passed on the advice from these replies to him. Thanks very much. I guess what always troubles me about the military is that you have to surrender much of your own moral convictions in favor of those giving you orders. While you can on occasion refuse, for example refusing to torture someone, you cannot refuse to go to Iraq. That makes it unacceptable to me personally.

[perkyshai]

yeah. I wish that there were the option of a comprehensive domestic peace corps in the states. There was one, but it's been eroded in favour of faith-based aid groups. Foo.
That lack is one of the major crimps in my wish for more civil service.

[thirdworld]

Agreed. In the end most of it turns into charity work, which is very targeted. There is little sense of ubuntu (community spirit, willingly working together for the common good, rather than selfish ends). Charities like Habitat for Humanity are about the closest to this that I can think of right now.

[xatshepsut]

i still want to serve in an army. anfortunatelly in my country it is not a good idear for a woman. why i think so? in my oppinion war is the worst that people have ever invented. but people forgot how it is to be on the war. in many cases there is no more than dust, bored and peaces of bodyes. no patriotism, no romantics, no glory. may the war will dissapear with the last man. may be not. but the more we know the truth tne closeer is the end

[thirdworld]

I was in the South African military for two years. This was not my choice (conscription). They forced me. As a medic I saw many terrible things. I learned that there are no good guys in war. Most men are too weak to be good.