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Come this Thursday I will be on a bus headed for Fort Jackson SC to start Basic Training with the Army. And for some reason I have to stay at a hotel the night before and then get bussed into the MEPS station with everyone who is getting physicals from all over Alabama about to join the military (All Branches), when the base is 20 minutes away from my house. Well, I guess I have to start getting used to the Army way of thinking, I'll be in for 6 years minimum.

I had a lot of fun here in Avian, met a lot of good people, and very much enjoyed my experiences here. I'm going to miss checking the boards and posting here. I'm posting this because I can't sleep and have been constantly thinking about my decision to join the Army. A quote from Armeggadeon fits what I am going through right now

I'll try and drop a line in after Basic Training to see how all of you are doing.

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Former Section 7 Director

WOW Grats man!

One word on MEPS its a long day!
I had to do the hotel thing as well, everyone does.
As for boot camp. Only word I will give you is this.
It's not about the physical but about the mental. Everything is mental even the physical. Master that and boot camp is easy.
...oh yeah and don't F*ck up

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Moge

Good luck, and take care. I hope to see you back here in not too long.

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Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!

It shouldn't be too long, Ive already had my MEPS physical, plus an extra Flight physical while I was still in contention for a flight job, which I didn't get. I got a mechanic job in the aviation department, I will be a Chinook mechanic. Chinook is the two propeller helicopter.

Chinook Picture

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Former Section 7 Director

Good luck to you ! I'm happy the only amry stuff we have here is a boring single day you spent in a classroom

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Flyoc,
Farm with attitude.

As a current U.S Army Soldier, been in for 1 year on the 28th.


We sincerely apologize for the lies and whims of our recruiters and if we could, we'd give you what you'll eventually want, and tear your contract up. =-p

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Concord of Agriculturalists Initiative


Founder of Lucasism

Congrats on your decision to join the Army. Most of you know that I'm currently active duty Air Force with 16 years in. I have nothing but good things to say about all branches of the military. Yes, MEPS is a full day of various activities. Lots of paper work.

My advice I can give is: Keep an open mind. Stay positive. Don't let anyone steal your joy. Set personal goals. No need to decide if your going to make a career of it (you'll have plenty of time for this). Get the G.I. Bill. Save your money. Don't buy an expensive car (I have discharged many troops in the Air Force for financial irresponsibility). Pay your bills on time.

I can go on and on. But most of all..."HAVE FUN!" Your serving along side the best that America has to offer. The world is a different place now than it was when I was your age. The American people are grateful for your contributions.

I work closely with the Army Space and the Defense Communication Satellite. I control the satellite bus (health of the satellite), while the Army controls the payload (the communication transponders on the satellite). So when you make that important phone call or use the military internet, know that I got your back. BTW, I'm at work now. I supervise 15 troops. Today we are doing pushups and situps on the top of the hour for fun.. I'm getting too old for this...lol

Cheers!

I went to Basic and AIT at Fort Jackson... back in the mid 1980's. Enjoy Victory Tower. If for some strange reason you see Drill Seargeants Fosbergh, Robinson, or Kimbrough, tell them I said hello.... not that they'd remember me.

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Everyone I know is extremely grateful, and I know I sure am. I am extremely proud of you guys. In fact I wish I knew what I could do to help you guys. (ideas?)

I am kind of torn about how close I cam to serving the military. In 1999 I was going to join the navy. I had gone as far as to loose 25 pounds and I took a series of tests to get into the nuclear program. I did not get my results back but I did not fine the test too hard.

I wanted to join for the honor, the education, and the chance to server my country like so many of my relatives have done in their time. What happened to make me change my mind about joining the military was the fact that I got a call from a friend to come work on a project in Washington DC that would paid me ~1k a week. I ended up getting hired making ~2k a week and at that time considered it to be the best decision I had ever made.

But years pass, I went back to college, and the terrorist struck New York. Sense then I sometimes feel like I took the easy/bad way out. Now I am married, trying to get out of college, out of shape, and just not in a situation where joining the military would be the right thing to do for my family… they have sacrificed while I have tried to earn my degree… and it is time I repay them by getting a well paying job. Yet I strongly feel like serving my country would be the honorable thing to do.

So as you see I am really torn about where I fit into the military picture. I lost my one really good chance, and now all I can do is be extremely proud and greatfull for those of you that are making the best of your one good chance to serve.

First off, Congrats and best of luck, Royur...and thank you!

Second, Cyrus, I've found myself in a very similar state of mind regarding military service. Early in high school, I was very set on joining the Marines upon graduation. A close family friend (who served in Korea and I suspect had a perspective tainted by his personal experiences in the military), over a long series of conversations changed my mind and I chose college first. Marriage followed college and military plans became a regretted and missed opportunity for many of the same reasons (personal responsibility, etc).

So, how can/do I serve my country in ways other than joining the military?

1) Be a good citizen: Sounds cheesy but it means a lot. This can be done in a lot of ways - [a] (pay attention, the first one's a biggie) VOTE [b] educate yourself before you vote [c] show (don't just speak) your support of our troops (when I'm traveling with work, I chat with uniformed military personnel and every now and then offer to buy them dinner. Did this once for a WWII vet and his wife and had some of the most incredible dinner conversation ever!) [d] support our current administration (if you don't agree with them show it come election time, not by sniping and second-guessing every decision) [e] pay taxes [f] and don't gripe about it - sure the gov't could do a better job a managing money, but look around you and notice all the things you may have been taking for granted (don't forget roads, schools and that little thing we call freedom)

2) Raise good citizens: If you have kids, teach them respect for our country and that not every country has what we have. Teach them patriotism.

3) I guess I rolled a lot of my initial thoughts into my first item

I realize that my service to my country is nowhere nearly as clearly evident as that of active and reserve soldiers but I feel that what I do is important to the present and future of the US.

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Liro
"The english language is not a wedding gown, it doesn't get better the more lace you add. It is instead a thong. Less is more." From /.
I need to remind myself of this regularly.

I think the biggest thing you can do has already been done (IMHO). Your heart filled statement of support is well received. Thanks. Knowing that Americans like you support the efforts of our troops and military means alot. We all make choices in life, not knowing the outcome. However, we deal with the outcome in the way that works best for ourselves and family. Completing your degree is honorable and respected. You will be grateful upon completion and your family will also.

Cheers!

Should I be worried now?

What are your troops doing while you are posting?

Edward

You don't have to be in the Armed Forces to help the Armed Forces. The US has the best equiped Armed Forces in the world. That equipement requires money (from the government, which requires a thriving economy) and people to make it. By doing whatever it is you do for a job and spending your money as you spend it, you are helping the economy and therefore helping the governement to fund the Armed Forces. The equipment itself requires planning and manufacture which hundreds of thousands of people do in their daily jobs. So whatever you do you are helping.

And for those of you who think you can't help by just being citizens I point you to the story of Dunkirk (ok, so it's not about Americans, but the ideals are the same either way!). (And for those of you who have seen the movie, my Grandfather was habourmaster of Sheness Dockyard at the time of filming!!!)

X2

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X2-PB

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AntanKarmola on their forums

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Antare Karmola - Jedi Guardian (32)
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Thanks for the ideas guys.

My parents live in Central Louisiana (Pineville). The whole area was a huge tanning ground for troops in WWII because of the clement and long seasons. Most of the old camps are now empty, but the few that are still open funnel personnel through for this or that tanning. Anyway back when I was a kid, I always saw troops, and convoys, and even though there are fewer active camps, you will still see military personnel around town.

One instance keeps coming into my mind. A few weeks back my family went out to eat and as my father and I went to the counter to pay, there was a young military guy picking up an order for carryout. He had just gotten back for training and was still in his desert camouflage. (I thought the water cantina backpack was very cool)

He looked to be my brother’s age, and very well could have been one of my brother’s friends. However this guy was a stranger to me, and I to him. I overheard that he was soon to be heading off to Iraq and I felt like I should show my support for him and his colleagues. But I just did not have the balls to do so to such a stranger.

I am a Grateful American, I keep a fresh flag on my deck, and I am very proud of the guys who serve in the armed forces. I am not ashamed to be this way… yet I had an opportunity to support a soldier and I dropped the ball.

Now I feel like I misted an opportunity that I should have taken. I wish I had the courage to show my appreciation to him. I think I would be a better person if I had done so.

On a less serious note, thanks to Cyrus for introducing the term clement in common parlance to me for the first time. Sure I have often heard the term INclement, but I always appreciate the expansion of vocabulary.

On a more serious note I have mixed feeling about military service. I heartily applaud those that serve, however I cannot help but consider the abuses of military power over the course of human history. The problem is when you turn over your life to the military you give up your right to constantly question your superiors. No military force can endure that kind of "analysis paralysis". You have placed complete unending faith in the military system, at least until your term of duty is up. So as a soldier you rely on the general populace to control the government's intentions towards the military.

I respect John Kerry for serving in Vietnam, then protesting against American involvement after his release from the armed services. (Not that I'm a Democrat or Republican, I'm a Canadian ) It's always healthy to have a certain amount of criticism of the government's actions. (Perhaps that's why you Americans feel the Right to Bear Arms is so important, albeit a bit archaic)

I presume that Chris Tillman felt strongly that his government was morally justified in sending troops to Afghanistan. Apparently he never waivered on the honor of Military service. I admire that conviction, but with the complexity of International Politics today, I find it hard to beleive that the common man truly has a handle on more than the surface level Public Relations face that our governments have to put on.

I don't know why I responded to this thread. Perhaps because I once wrote an essay in University on Erasmus' Bellum. (Bellum = War) His perception was (vast oversimplification) that only the greatest fool sacrifices himself to the obcenties of war when the cause is national rather than personal.

I just like to help the people I know, make important actions for the right reasons.

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Dr. Golga Bolg
SWTOR - Golga
Rift - Gnarlwood: Golgar Golgantua Golgate - Retired
WoW - Dalaran: Bolg Golga Virrok All Retired
SWG - Golga Bolg - Doctor (Resident) Retired
Eve - Edge Finn - Limbo
Section 2 - (Former) Director
What am I playing now?: The waiting game

Sometimes things need to be boiled down to the simplest common denominator to make sense of it.

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)

That is why the military is there, and why it is an honor to serve.

Sometimes, the good men must stand up and do the hard things.

God Bless them.

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SW:TOR - Mantison Gunslinger, Ironmant Trooper, Manni Jedi Knight
WoW - Dalaran - Manni 85 Mage, Ironmant 83 Warrior, Mantison 80 Hunter
SWG - Chilastra Retired Mantison, Commando / TKA Master aka Trogdor !!!!

Damn right!

men and woman =-x

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Concord of Agriculturalists Initiative


Founder of Lucasism

Well, Im about to leave to goto the hotel, but before I go I am going out to dinner with my parents. And I can't think of a more perfect last meal to have as a civilian than a nice juicy 12oz. Ribeye. I kinda feal sorry for all those that came to the hotel by bus, as they will have to eat hotel food for dinner.
I just wanted to pop by and say thanks for putting up with me for almost 2 years now.

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Former Section 7 Director

You havent escaped yet, depending on your MOS, you might be able to have a computer in AIT, and i'm sure you'll have one when you get to your First duty station =-p


You'll be back in 6 months or so =-)

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Concord of Agriculturalists Initiative


Founder of Lucasism

Hey whats wrong with hotel food?!

(I'm a Hospitality Management major by the way so I may be biased)

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Romsuiag (Brad)
Former and Third President of Avian