# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/41 "2013-01-31T04:32:56Z")
US Air Force, 1977-1981. I worked on F-4s & A-10s. I was stationed in England & went TDY to Germany & Italy. I loved England. Great beer! ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/42 "2013-01-31T05:59:43Z")
US Navy 1992-2001. Seabees can do! ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/43 "2013-01-31T06:04:09Z")
I wanted to, but a severe back injury at 19 rendered me unfit for military service. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/44 "2013-01-31T06:14:27Z")
Curently United States Air Force Nurse Corps, from 2003 and counting, formerly USAF linquist. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/45 "2013-01-31T06:44:21Z")
Nope. Gay. It got me out of Nam. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/46 "2013-01-31T07:08:59Z")
Yes, IDF (Specifically, IAF) Mandatory military service, y’know. ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/47 "2013-01-31T07:49:24Z")
U.S. Air Force. 14 years. Got out in 1999. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/48 "2013-01-31T08:26:29Z")
Marine Corps Reserve, active duty for _one day_ during the 1965 Watts riots in LA. We were activated mainly to protect the weapons and ammo in our armory at the Santa Monica airport. The next day it was clear the riots were pretty much over and we were de-activated and left for our two-week summer camp at Twenty Nine Palms. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/49 "2013-01-31T09:31:14Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Nope. Gay. It got me out of Nam. I had two good friends who were twins, one gay and one straight. The gay one got drafted and served his two years. The straight one got drafted and pretended to be gay and was considered unfit for service. I served 4 years in the Army 1967-1971. I never served in Viet Nam. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/50 "2013-01-31T12:53:58Z")
No, but like many others, my father was a career Army officer and we followed him around the globe. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/51 "2013-01-31T14:15:43Z")
United States Army, Active Duty for 6 years & 6 months. United States Army Reserves, drilling Reservist, 13 months. United States Navy, Active Duty, 13 years & 6 months. United States Navy, Fleet Reserve. United States Navy, Retired. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/52 "2013-01-31T14:40:34Z")
Naah. It never really was an attractive option when I was of age to join up. In South Africa. In the 80s. For obvious reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/53 "2013-01-31T14:48:02Z")
Did my compulsory 8 months in Finnish Defense Forces. It was quite boring, but I learned a few social things and got a good friend out of it so it wasn’t a total waste. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/54 "2013-01-31T14:50:01Z")
US Army '92-'96. Arabic lingust. Best job I ever had. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/55 "2013-01-31T14:56:18Z")
US Marine Corps, 1995-1999. ---
**Author:** ![bahimes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@bahimes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bahimes)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/56 "2013-01-31T15:10:03Z")
Dodged the draft in 1968 and joined the Navy. Eventually retired with 20+ Hawaii, Florida, Bahamas, Spain and Italy. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/57 "2013-01-31T16:10:11Z")
US Army from 1988-1992, Field Artillery Counterfire Battery. I have a SLEW of relatives that served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Iraq War, Afghanistan…with the older generation being all career officers and the younger being all enlisted, including myself. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/58 "2013-01-31T17:06:00Z")
13 years USArmy ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/59 "2013-01-31T17:10:12Z")
> [@bahimes](#): > > Dodged the draft in 1968 and joined the Navy. > Eventually retired with 20+ > Hawaii, Florida, Bahamas, Spain and Italy. I did the same thing in '67. First duty station: Danang, RVN. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828/60 "2013-01-31T17:44:50Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I did the same thing in '67. First duty station: Danang, RVN. ☹ Ha. I bet you were shaking your fist at the irony of life on that one! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/648828.md?page=4)