I Have No Respect for People in the Army

[Wyndru]

Everyone that I know that joined the army because they didn't have the grades or desire to go to college, or they didn't have the money, and are using this as an opportunity to have the govt pay their way through school.

2 of my buddies are retiring now, at the old age of 38 and 40. They never even left the country. It's kinda a sweet gig if you don't get deployed.

 

[BoomerD]

Is this a neckbeard alternate account?

 

[Zeze]

That's the generalization I am trying to pass. These people are not exactly smart...

Maybe you should've worded your thought better.

GENERALLY speaking, you got some smart sharp guys that are officers (i.e. went to army as a career with schooling).

GENERALLY speaking, you are looking at substandard kids that enlist because it's easy to join.

GENERALLY is the keyword. There are plenty of exceptions on both sides. You got the idiot officers as well as sharp intellectual grunts that are looking to rise or simply want to serve.

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

I get what you are saying. You are talking about the enlisted soldiers that go out bar hopping on the weekend and spend then days shooting shit. Not the officers; not the medics; not those hoping to use the benefits for college, or to get security clearance, etc. You are referring to our every day, bottom rung soldiers that carry a SAW and grenades and kill people.

I live in a military town, and I agree with you for the most part. Not everyone who joins the army is bad...however, it is a place that tends to attract some of the dregs of our society. I don't consider them heroes, or saints, or enemies or anything else like that. They are people doing a job far more dangerous than mine, and I am grateful they do it so there is no draft, but lets face it: they do it for the adventure, the money, the experience. It is like any other vocation and shouldn't be put on a pedestal.

Same with police, firefighters, doctors, etc. All of these people train extensively for hours. You aren't a hero if you are being paid and trained to do what you did. This doesn't mean you cannot have a heroic act (e.g. sacrificing yourself to save your squad) but just showing up to boot camp and putting on a uniform does not make you a hero.

 

[Printer Bandit]

Everyone that I know that joined the army because they didn't have the grades or desire to go to college, or they didn't have the money, and are using this as an opportunity to have the govt pay their way through school.

2 of my buddies are retiring now, at the old age of 38 and 40. They never even left the country. It's kinda a sweet gig if you don't get deployed.

how to they retire at 38 and 40? do they get some sort of pension and how do they support themselves for the rest of their lives?

 

[Beev]

I personally have a very low opinion of our troops as well. There are some stars of course, and I respect our WW2, etc. vets a lot, but our current generation is terrible. It's mostly idiots (as you said OP) who can't do anything else with their lives, so they join the army. Most of them are just of low intelligence. Sucks for them I guess... Also like you said, I guess it's better for them to be in the army rather than trashing up our cities with their trashy-ness.

I'm generalizing, like I said there are some great, great troops. It's just that most of them aren't. I used to work near a military base, and they were by far the worst customers, and the undeserved sense of entitlement was amazing.

 

[pwilson316]

To the OP - I'm sorry, but you sir, are ignorant and have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[Kadarin]

I was in basic training at Ft. Benning back in the summer of '03 (bone spur in left foot made me unable to meet running requirement so I did not remain), and my experience tells me that in general the OP is quite wrong. I have a great deal of respect for the men and women that make up our armed forces.

 

[Wyndru]

how to they retire at 38 and 40? do they get some sort of pension and how do they support themselves for the rest of their lives?

AFAIK, it's a pension. After 20 years in I think they will be getting ~2000/month for life, and it also increases each year to compensate for inflation.


http://militarypay.defense.gov/mpcalcs/Calculators/FinalPayHigh3.aspx

IIRC they get full medical and dental too.

 

[Meghan54]

This really isn't meant to be a troll thread. These are just my thoughts, which may or may not be incorrect.

And please get this straight. I APPRECIATE the enlisted men, but I do not feel they should be praised the way they are. I am grateful that they joined the ranks rather than be an unsuccessful citizen.

And you know they'd have been an unsuccessful citizen because??? Oh, that's right, everyone in uniform is an ill-bred derelict who was probably looking forward to a career in crime and an eventual jail cell.

Damn...you are a troll.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Is this a neckbeard alternate account?

That was my first thought. Then I noticed that the OP wasn't responsible for the majority of the posts in his thread. Of course HAL could be doing that just to throw us off... :hmm:

 

[dfuze]

That's the generalization I am trying to pass. These people are not exactly smart...

So because some are not smart they are in it for the fight? You can make the not so bright generalization in any line of work.

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

Uhm you just started a thread titled "Why I have no respect for people in the Army". What if my brother just died in Iraq from a suicide bomb? You ever think about that. These people DIE everyday so you can keep trolling this forum.

We don't have deaths everyday over there.

OP simply means that putting on a uniform shouldn't garner such ridiculous amounts of respect. Most of the soldiers I have met are complete assholes who think they should be worshiped because they got into a government program that doesn't even require a high school degree.

Oh...and soldier's wives are worse than the soldiers (at least in my town.) They have to constantly talk about how their husband is fighting for our rights (false). Then they turn around and fuck every other soldier who hasn't deployed yet.

You go ahead and tell us that people DIE so we can have freedom. I don't recall a single war we have been in since WW2 that actually threatened the American way of life and our liberties. When we lost Vietnam my freedom of expression remained intact. When we finally concede we lost the war in the ME there won't be any fundamental change to our lives.

Disclosure: my brother went to college and joined the army as an enlisted soldier. He basically used that for more training and security clearance and benefits. He spent 4 years and he cannot stand the military any longer and pretty much feels the way I do about it. Most of the people surrounding him were incompetent dickheads. Yes, he was over in the desert.

 

[Bushwicktrini]

My friend went to Navy after college.

He could not stand it. You know when you feel like everyone around you are fucking meathead simpleton idiots? That's what he felt, including his Sargent and all the vast lower-rank general populus grunts of the force.

He joined the Navy out of college and he felt they were idiots funny we felt the same way about college grads that never been out to sea telling us how our equpiment worked in the mainspace.

OP you are wrong my brother (Army) and I (Navy) do not fit any of the things you are talking about infact those guys that think with thier fist are the ones that don't last.

All of the armed forces are about team work and those kinds of people don't do well in team settings. Rambo is just a movie.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

I think your entire premise is idiotic. I understand the gist of what you're saying; people shouldn't automatically elevated to hero status simply by virtue of joining the military. But the way you've phrased it is incendiary and absurd and makes you look like a complete douchebag. People don't join solely because they are violent and want to legally kill things; my best friend joined the Army because he was a drug addict and wanted to escape a life that was leading him towards prison. Now he's served his five years, done tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and is using the GI bill to pursue higher education. Is he a saint? No. But at least he made use of the opportunities available to turn his life around.

Also, I disagree with your claim that NASCAR drivers that die aren't elevated to hero status. Have you ever heard of Dale Earnhardt? I'm pretty sure the treatment he's been given since his death qualifies as "hero status." Whether or not he deserves it is irrelevant; fans of NASCAR loved him and want to honor his memory in the way they best see fit. I think a better question for you to ponder is why does it matter to you how people choose to honor those they believe deserve it?

 

[Theb]

My friend went to Navy after college.

He could not stand it. You know when you feel like everyone around you are fucking meathead simpleton idiots? That's what he felt, including his Sargent and all the vast lower-rank general populus grunts of the force.

That's the generalization I am trying to pass. These people are not exactly smart...

My friend also joined the Navy after college. After the NDSTC he spent much of his time testing and maintaining the system that detects subs approaching our coast. Lots of time underwater, luckily he loves diving.


Please explain to us what you two do for a living that's so fucking impressive.

 

[Zeze]

We don't have deaths everyday over there.

OP simply means that putting on a uniform shouldn't garner such ridiculous amounts of respect. Most of the soldiers I have met are complete assholes who think they should be worshiped because they got into a government program that doesn't even require a high school degree.

Oh...and soldier's wives are worse than the soldiers (at least in my town.) They have to constantly talk about how their husband is fighting for our rights (false). Then they turn around and fuck every other soldier who hasn't deployed yet.

You go ahead and tell us that people DIE so we can have freedom. I don't recall a single war we have been in since WW2 that actually threatened the American way of life and our liberties. When we lost Vietnam my freedom of expression remained intact. When we finally concede we lost the war in the ME there won't be any fundamental change to our lives.

Disclosure: my brother went to college and joined the army as an enlisted soldier. He basically used that for more training and security clearance and benefits. He spent 4 years and he cannot stand the military any longer and pretty much feels the way I do about it. Most of the people surrounding him were incompetent dickheads. Yes, he was over in the desert.

Well said.

 

[Lifted]

I have no respect for people who have no respect for people who have no respect for people in the army.

 

[Zeze]

My friend also joined the Navy after college. After the NDSTC he spent much of his time testing and maintaining the system that detects subs approaching our coast. Lots of time underwater, luckily he loves diving.


Please explain to us what you two do for a living that's so fucking impressive.

Let's not take it personally. Let's not get caught up on the political correctness and sugar coat the majority of enlisted men.

I'm talking about your typical foot soldiers.

 

[AreaCode707]

None of the 7 people I know who joined the armed forces meet your stereotype. One was a football player in high school but that's as close as it gets.

My very close friend joined the Marines. This is the guy who refused to play a game when we were in high school because it involved cracking an egg on my forehead. I told him it was ok, but he just couldn't bring himself to do that to a girl.

He is one of the most gentle, thoughtful and protective people I have ever met. He joined the Marines for the educational opportunities it provides, the ability to play with technology he would never have access to otherwise, and because he has a deep-seated motivation to serve.

He's far from the low-potential person you describe. He was a math prodigy as a child, and after serving three tours in Iraq he entered the aviation electronics industry. He married and supports his wife in her pursuit of global social justice causes.

Another friend of mine, the high school football player, joined the Marines and was one of the front line folks in Fallujah, and he chose to re-up when his first enlistment was over. He is no intellectual slouch. Now that he's out he's getting his PhD from Columbia in organizational psychology, with plans to join the venture capital world.

A female friend opted to join the Navy. She was a 4.0 student, cheerful and friendly and laid back as they come, and she is a lifer, LOVES her military career.

You have some bad biases, you really should see to that.

 

[Zeze]

None of the 7 people I know who joined the armed forces meet your stereotype. One was a football player in high school but that's as close as it gets.

My very close friend joined the Marines. This is the guy who refused to play a game when we were in high school because it involved cracking an egg on my forehead. I told him it was ok, but he just couldn't bring himself to do that to a girl.

He is one of the most gentle, thoughtful and protective people I have ever met. He joined the Marines for the educational opportunities it provides, the ability to play with technology he would never have access to otherwise, and because he has a deep-seated motivation to serve.

He's far from the low-potential person you describe. He was a math prodigy as a child, and after serving three tours in Iraq he entered the aviation electronics industry. He married and supports his wife in her pursuit of global social justice. causes.

Another friend of mine, the high school football player, joined the Marines and was one of the front line folks in Fallujah, and he chose to re-up when his first enlistment was over. He is no intellectual slouch. Now that he's out he's getting his PhD from Columbia in organizational psychology, with plans to join the venture capital world.

A female friend opted to join the Navy. She was a 4.0 student, cheerful and friendly and laid back as they come, and she is a lifer, LOVES her military career.

You have some bad biases, you really should see to that.

Come on, you don't think those very friends of yours wouldn't acknoweldge the general idiot grunts in the force if you asked them?

Everyone has a friend in the army. I have several too, one in airforce and another in navy. There are plenty of idiots there.

 

[ichy]

My friend went to Navy after college.

He could not stand it. You know when you feel like everyone around you are fucking meathead simpleton idiots? That's what he felt, including his Sargent and all the vast lower-rank general populus grunts of the force.

There are no Sergeants in the Navy. Their NCOs are called petty officers.

 

[Bushwicktrini]

That's the generalization I am trying to pass. These people are not exactly smart...

Do you know how much school we go to and have offered to us as enlisted men/women? Do you have any idea the schools you have to have to make rate in the Army/Navy? Do you know what an "A" school is? "B" school? Do you know that that grunt that is firing that rocket went to 3 years of school before he did one tour/cruise? The guys tending to those nuke power plants on CVN's have to pass a school that they cant even take the notes home to study from?

I'm starting to think your not exactly smart

 

[jaha2000]

As a person who had two friends get sent to iraq while they were in college and have both of them come back two years later and finish up engineering degrees, i would like to be the first to congratulate you on being a piece of crap, i hope you get your eyes gouged out with a fork.

They both had to join to pay for college somehow and the Army was the best way to do it.

 

[AreaCode707]

Come on, you don't think those very friends of yours wouldn't acknoweldge the general idiot grunts in the force if you asked them?

Everyone has a friend in the army. I have several too, one in airforce and another in navy. There are plenty of idiots there.

Of course they would. But I can (and have and do) see the same thing in my corporate career. The world is full of idiots, and the military doesn't have a corner on that market by any means.