My nephew wants to join the military. I think only suckers agree to fight Republican wars. Advice?

[Anonymous]

I have three military kids. All officers and that does make a huge difference. Two of them did enlist and spent six years enlisted before going to OCS. The other went through ROTC in college. The military has been really great for them. This thread is depressing. People truly don’t understand the military. Not everyone is front line infantry. We have lawyers, doctors, medics, logistics, mechanics, vets, pilots, ........ I think service to the nation is an extremely admirable calling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter commissioned last week. Proudest day of my entire life. God bless the USA.

PP here. I would have been equally proud if she had enlisted.

Congratulations! Joining the military was the best decision I ever made!

[Anonymous]

Wow. So much misinformation.

Go take a look at military benefits and pay. It’s pretty good. And the healthcare is free. And the lifestyle is great and you make life long friends. All the important members of congress have relatives in the military or were in it. Biden, Lindsey Graham, McCain, Bushes.

What the OP write is some kind of bizarre caricature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have three military kids. All officers and that does make a huge difference. Two of them did enlist and spent six years enlisted before going to OCS. The other went through ROTC in college. The military has been really great for them. This thread is depressing. People truly don’t understand the military. Not everyone is front line infantry. We have lawyers, doctors, medics, logistics, mechanics, vets, pilots, ........ I think service to the nation is an extremely admirable calling.

Nothing wrong with enlisting in infantry either.

[Anonymous]

We're lucky not everyone thinks like you. What would our country do if they did?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another guy who thinks his thoughts and opinions are "the truth"...deliver me!

I hope someone raised your nephew to think for himself and to consider the opinions of others he respects (may be you, maybe not) before making a thoughtful and informed decision.

+100
There are no words for how obnoxious the OP is. Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.
I said “Republican wars”, but I should have said “misguided wars that were never honestly discussed with the American people.”

Our country needs a strong military. But why would anyone choose to join a military that fights wars based on lies? Vietnam was bad enough; at least rich peoples’ kids fought in that one. But Iraq? Now maybe Iran?

I would have a much different opinion if Republicans had come out after 2008 and said “Iraq was a mistake. Thousands of Americans died for no reason. And trillions were wasted that could have improved our bridges, education, and roads. And now we are going to have a full national discussion of how we made that mistake and how to never make that mistake again.”

But now we are sliding towards another war in Iran for no reason. No one should sign up to support that.

You are contradicting yourself. Grow up. The government cannot tell us everything and needs to try to keep us safe. Do you not get it. They do what they can based off the information they have and they aren't telling us the entire story.

Since you want something different, why not pay for it? Maybe they cannot afford it. Military is very good for many people.

“Grow up” is the lamest, laziest response on this board. Reflects poorly on you. Make your point without insults, like an educated adult.

Not the PP, but "grow up" is exactly what many posters need to hear. Perhaps you are one of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're lucky not everyone thinks like you. What would our country do if they did?

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

It doesn’t matter what you think OP. Bottom line—he is not your child, and you have no say in the matter whatsoever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're lucky not everyone thinks like you. What would our country do if they did?

What would our country have if everyone thinks like OP?

We'd have 4,500 more American young men still alive and not killed in Iraq, along with an extra 2.7 trillion dollars in America?
(That's enough to pay for every single college student to attend for free for 30 years.)

[Anonymous]

^young men AND women.

Also 500,000 Iraqis would still be alive and not killed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Go take a look at military benefits and pay. It’s pretty good. And the healthcare is free. And the lifestyle is great and you make life long friends.

Spoken like a military recruiter. Or someone who lives in VA and is not a grunt.
Lots of American lives have been broken in Iraq and Afghanistan. I've seen enough funerals to last a long time. And missing limbs. And brain damage.
Are you seriously arguing America hasn't paid any cost for our wars abroad?

All the important members of congress have relatives in the military or were in it. Biden, Lindsey Graham, McCain, Bushes.

Sure, all the old members of congress served in Vietnam or before, or served before Iraq War II like Graham. That's the point. Congress members are mostly NOT sending their kids to fight wars of choice in Iraq. They don't want to throw their kids' lives away for nothing (which is the result of the Iraq War). Why should anyone else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.
I said “Republican wars”, but I should have said “misguided wars that were never honestly discussed with the American people.”

Our country needs a strong military. But why would anyone choose to join a military that fights wars based on lies? Vietnam was bad enough; at least rich peoples’ kids fought in that one. But Iraq? Now maybe Iran?

I would have a much different opinion if Republicans had come out after 2008 and said “Iraq was a mistake. Thousands of Americans died for no reason. And trillions were wasted that could have improved our bridges, education, and roads. And now we are going to have a full national discussion of how we made that mistake and how to never make that mistake again.”

But now we are sliding towards another war in Iran for no reason. No one should sign up to support that.

How else is this accomplished if not for people like your nephew who want to sign up? Are you OK with other kids signing up but not your nephew? Just another variation of NIMBY.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
How else is this accomplished if not for people like your nephew who want to sign up? Are you OK with other kids signing up but not your nephew? Just another variation of NIMBY.

It's not going to change until lots of kids stop signing up and we all start demanding accountability from the civilian leaders who took us into disastrous wars.

I wouldn't want to put my life at risk for a useless mistaken cause. Would you?

[Anonymous]

The military recruiters don’t give up.

I graduated from a poor high school in June 2001. There were recruiters at school every day. Many of my classmates enlisted. A few of them died in Iraq. A lot have substance abuse issues. A couple of them killed themselves. At least a couple have PTSD. One, that I know of, has a successful military career. The rest did not benefit, as far as I can tell, and are worse off.

Maybe your nephew will be OK. But he should know what he’s signing up for.