Is (and should) military service put on a pedestal to the detriment of other public service? (middle east, ammunition)
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The problem I have with the BLANKET adoration of the military is that such worshipers do not speak of the number of people in the military who get into serious legal problems, get court-marshaled, or even executed (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...tates_military).
To me it should be like any other profession: the true superstars get the recognition.
I served during the latter Vietnam Era. My experience was that the civilians ignored me, the local businesses took advantage of me, and our government tried to forget me like a bad dream. I can assure you , no one put me, or my fellow troops, on a pedestal. The older NCOs would tell me, "Kid nobody owes you a thing". It was the best advice I ever got as far as military service goes.
No you wouldn't. You would not put up with someone having absolute control over your life, and also your death, from the moment you start basic training. You want to be able to to make plans for the weekend, let alone, your next four years. You want to go to work at your office and not have someone rush in, hand you a rifle, and point you to the enemy. You want to get in your car and go to Mickey Ds, not have to eat your "free" MRE with hands covered in dirt and blood. You want to go to sleep and not wake up in the dark hours of the morning freaked out and not know why. You want to be a individual and not have to look out for a stranger you just met. You want be thought of a someone "special" who made it, and not the guy/girl with no options. You would not join the military for all the money in the world.
Yes I would. Again I say YES I WOULD. You see. I said it louder so it must be true. I do know one thing for sure though, although I don't consider my current job anywhere close to the toughest around, I know you wouldn't last two weeks doing my job. You couldn't handle it. You're not tough enough. You'd have a nervous breakdown. Since you seem to know so much about me, tell me what shoes I'm wearing right now, what's my favorite city, favorite burger joint and what my most recent non-accounting job was. If you can tell me all that I'm going to have to give it to you and say what you wrote is right. If not, well you're just talking out your rear end.
(last paragraph) yet only 17% of those entering the military stay in the military for 20 years.
And on a related note only 6% of those who start working for Burger King end up making it a career (20+ years). At Wendys it's even lower (Okay those numbers are made up but you get my point). Turnover at your average law firm or CPA firm is probably every 3-4 years. This isn't the 1950s when people started at one company and often had a goal of working there for life. Remember, the military is an EMPLOYER, not an occupation. Who stays with one employer for over 20 years? Not many these days. I myself have had 6 different employers in 20 years in addition to also having my own business at one time.
One of my college buddies (a high school teacher in Georgia) felt the need to vent his frustration over something he witnessed the other day. According to my friend, a stranger sat down next to a Navy vet, who proceeded to ask the stranger whether he had ever served his country? The stranger "hesitated," before stating "not in the military." The vet then laughed and replied something along the lines of "don't tell me you mean that chicken-**** Peace Corps or something").
Based on the two pieces of information I have in this individual (served in the military and his comment about the Peace Corps) I would not out him on a pedestal.
So, no, simply serving in the military is not reason for me to put anyone in a pedestal
if I have a bad day …...its stress at work
if military personnel has a bad day ….they lose a leg, arm, or worse...
ive yet to hear any military person put down …..someone else...like that..
if that truly happened,,,thats 1 person...….and then we are asking if we put the whole military on a pedestal.....
I believe we should..... drive by a cemetery and I see the flags....thousands have given their lives so I dont have to thousands have died......to preserve freedoms....
my hat is off to all the men and women ….many see or go thru tragedies we cant even imagine....
and some people still want to spit on the military...… very sad..
I barely missed the Vietnam draft era and became politically aware at the height of the antiwar movement. I've always lived in blue states with almost no military presence. WW II had 400K American casualties. Korea 36K. Vietnam 58K. The pointless Bush #1 and Dubya Iraq invasions had 4K casualties. The pointless Afghanistan occupation another 2K casualties. Since 2000, there have been more military training deaths every year than Iraq and Afghanistan deaths. The risk of death in military combat per 100,000 during Iraq and Afghanistan was about 27.7. Logging: 127 deaths per 100,000. Commercial fishing: 117 deaths per 100,000. Roofers and Iron Workers also have a higher death rate than the military combat death rate. I don't see how making Bush oil people, Halliburton, and Dick Cheney rich is "protecting 'Murica". I don't see why in 2018 where the United States politically can't fight a war unless it has overwhelming odds against 3rd world countries we should put the military on a pedestal when loggers who provide the building materials for our homes and commercial fishermen who put food on our table are invisible. The whole military culture is about drumming up political support for spending money unnecessarily. Every politician fights base closings. Every politician fights for defense contracts for employers in their district.
if I have a bad day …...its stress at work
if military personnel has a bad day ….they lose a leg, arm, or worse...
ive yet to hear any military person put down …..someone else...like that..
if that truly happened,,,thats 1 person...….and then we are asking if we put the whole military on a pedestal.....
I believe we should..... drive by a cemetery and I see the flags....thousands have given their lives so I dont have to thousands have died......to preserve freedoms....
my hat is off to all the men and women ….many see or go thru tragedies we cant even imagine....
and some people still want to spit on the military...… very sad..
totally agree... has any of these critics ever tried to do the heavy training with monster kit bags on their backs and in all weathers.. lying in dirt and eating rations of food.. they deserve the highest praise and we have Heroes welcome parades every year in Glasgow. and how proud we are of all these men and women who protect us all...
The problem I have with the BLANKET adoration of the military is that such worshipers do not speak of the number of people in the military who get into serious legal problems, get court-marshaled, or even executed (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...tates_military).
To me it should be like any other profession: the true superstars get the recognition.
It takes a team. The person on the front depends on everyone behind him/her making sure everything is up and running.
But if you want to indulge someone it sounds like you'd be great for meeting with the Air Force pilots....you know they've won every major conflict ever.
Yes I would. Again I say YES I WOULD. You see. I said it louder so it must be true. I do know one thing for sure though, although I don't consider my current job anywhere close to the toughest around, I know you wouldn't last two weeks doing my job. You couldn't handle it. You're not tough enough. You'd have a nervous breakdown. Since you seem to know so much about me, tell me what shoes I'm wearing right now, what's my favorite city, favorite burger joint and what my most recent non-accounting job was. If you can tell me all that I'm going to have to give it to you and say what you wrote is right. If not, well you're just talking out your rear end.
Easy to say you would join. Not so easy to sign on the the dotted line.
Last edited by TomC23; 08-02-2018 at 11:55 AM..
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