# Have you served in the military? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828 "2013-01-30T18:17:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/21 "2013-01-30T22:57:57Z")
Yep, 3 years in the US Army and about 3 more in the Army Reserves. I was in from 89 to around 96, then I got out for the good of the country. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/22 "2013-01-30T23:04:35Z")
USNR (Navy Reserves, Seabees, CAN DO! 😃 ) for six years, but apart from the annual two-week AT, I never saw active service. I’d most likely still be in except I moved to a place with nowhere to do my monthly drill within a day’s drive. I voted _yes, I did_ even though it was strictly “weekend warrior” stuff but you didn’t include a separate option for that. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/23 "2013-01-30T23:10:27Z")
US Army Reserves, late 1980s. Was reassigned to IRR (non-drilling status) early, was never activated for long enough after Initial Training to earn VA benefits under the terms at the time. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/24 "2013-01-30T23:31:12Z")
Just a tad over 11 years on active duty in the Navy, then I played weekend warrior for a couple more years, but I was stuck in a do-nothing unit, so I resigned. I also spent 26 years as a civilian employee of the Dept of the Navy before retiring. Now I work for a contractor that does lots of work for the Navy. De Navy been berry berry good to me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/25 "2013-01-31T00:02:00Z")
Army helicopter pilot 1980-1985. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/26 "2013-01-31T00:15:46Z")
Yes. Canadian forces. 1993 - 1997 and re-joined in 2006, and do that full time now. ---
**Author:** ![txtumbleweed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@txtumbleweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txtumbleweed)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/27 "2013-01-31T00:39:41Z")
Yes, enlisted in Texas Army National Guard and then commissioned into the US Army Reserves from ROTC. Served from 1986 to 2000 but only about 7 of that in a unit, rest as part of inactive reserves. No active duty time. My guard unit went to Iraq for Desert Shield/Storm but I was still a cadet so couldn’t go. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/28 "2013-01-31T00:42:15Z")
US Army, 4 years. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/29 "2013-01-31T01:01:18Z")
USMC. 3 years, 6 months, 9 days. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/30 "2013-01-31T01:23:43Z")
USAF, 4 years ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/31 "2013-01-31T01:47:20Z")
Nope. Wanted to join the air force, but several health issues kept me out. ☚ ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/32 "2013-01-31T03:14:47Z")
No, I never served. ---
**Author:** ![applebetty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@applebetty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/applebetty)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/33 "2013-01-31T03:15:43Z")
US Army, 6 years, until I got pregnant. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/34 "2013-01-31T03:37:07Z")
Singaporean Army. National Service, I suppose I’m still a soldier for two weeks a year. \>.\> ---
**Author:** ![Glazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@Glazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glazer)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/35 "2013-01-31T03:45:11Z")
U.S.Army from 83 to 89. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/36 "2013-01-31T03:52:46Z")
US Navy, as Enlisted, 6 years. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/37 "2013-01-31T04:00:28Z")
Yes, and that is where I learned to stand with my thumbs along the seams of my trousers. Whenever I stand waiting: at the bank or at the cashier’s line, people often clap me on the back and say “look how heroically you stand with your thumbs on the seams of your trousers!” And I only smile, inwardly quoting Dr. Johnson “every man thinks less of himself for not learning to stand with his thumbs on the seams of his trousers.” ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/38 "2013-01-31T04:04:33Z")
No. I attempted to enlist but was disallowed due to a health issue. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/39 "2013-01-31T04:11:43Z")
Sam invited me but didn’t insist so I sent my regrets, there being a shooting war going on. ---
**Author:** ![Pacific420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Pacific420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pacific420)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/40 "2013-01-31T04:26:03Z")
Canadian Navy, 1978-86, radio operator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828.md?page=3)