# Have you served in the military? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 21, 2018, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888 "2018-11-21T12:39:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/21 "2018-11-21T14:52:22Z")
US Coast Guard 4 years. I know some don’t really consider that “Military,” but I got a DD-214 and everything. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2018, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/22 "2018-11-21T14:59:26Z")
You got a uniform that draws fire, boats that can return fire, and a DD-214. Sounds like military service to me. Coastie. 😛 USArmy 98G 1992-96 ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/23 "2018-11-21T15:03:21Z")
Veteran here. Joined Army National Guard in 1987. Called to active duty and sent to Iraq during Desert Shield/Storm. Completed my contract in 1993, then 2 more years Inactive Reserve. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/24 "2018-11-21T15:03:41Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Did not serve myself but did receive a draft card, classified 1-H but never reclassified due to draft winding down. Very glad I didn’t serve Same here with respect to all of the above. They didn’t draft any of us 1954 babies; I think that was the first birth year where nobody got drafted for Vietnam as the war was winding down. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/25 "2018-11-21T15:32:13Z")
I wanted to try for a service academy appointment (USMA or USAFA, but I tore up my knee playing football, and was told essentially that I was SOL for getting a service academy appointment or a ROTC commission as a result, so I didn’t pursue it any further. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2018, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/26 "2018-11-21T15:45:41Z")
U.S. Navy Seabees, 1967-1990; retired as a Chief Petty Officer and Vietnam veteran (boots on the ground). ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/27 "2018-11-21T15:57:18Z")
US Navy, 1975-1979. Total of 22 days at sea, went to Mazatlan and Acapulco. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/28 "2018-11-21T15:59:10Z")
> [@Tatterdemalion](#): > > US Coast Guard 4 years. I know some don’t really consider that “Military,” but I got a DD-214 and everything. One of my brothers was in The Coast Guard. You served. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/29 "2018-11-21T16:03:55Z")
Army (29-E radio repair) ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/30 "2018-11-21T16:30:39Z")
USAF 1966-1970 Lackland AFB Keesler AFB Naha, Okinawa Westover AFB ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/31 "2018-11-21T16:51:44Z")
U.S. Navy 1991-2002 (active duty), in the submarine force (though I was in a shore billet teaching the last few years) I was also in NROTC in college prior to my active duty service, which included three summers in the fleet for training, and was in the reserves ([IRR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individual_Ready_Reserve)) for a few years after my active duty service. I left active duty as a Navy Lieutenant (O-3), and was promoted to Lieutenant Commander (O-4) in the reserves. I was an Army brat growing up, which encouraged me to join the military, but definitely NOT the Army. 🙂 I originally wanted to be a fighter pilot, and the release of _Top Gun_ cemented this desire. Unfortunately I found out that I needed glasses during my entrance physical, so that was out. I decided I wanted to go into the submarine force instead after reading _The Hunt for Red October_. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/32 "2018-11-21T17:26:25Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > USArmy 98G 1992-96 Me too. What language? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/33 "2018-11-21T17:35:42Z")
USAF, 1970-1978. Considered Vietnam Era Veteran, even though I never came close to combat ---
**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:** [November 21, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/34 "2018-11-21T17:44:09Z")
Usmc 1995-1999 (0311) ---
**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:** [November 21, 2018, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/35 "2018-11-21T17:50:01Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > USAF, 1970-1978. Considered Vietnam Era Veteran, even though I never came close to combat My brother was technically a Korean War vet. He joined the Army after the hostilities were over, but just in time to receive the National Defense Ribbon. It’s amusing that he always claimed publicly to be proud of his two years of Army time, but all he ever did was bitch about it in private. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/36 "2018-11-21T18:02:06Z")
I voted before seeing the OP conditions, so you need to remove my vote from having served in USAF. There are those who have served in the armed forces of other nations. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/37 "2018-11-21T18:09:47Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > I voted before seeing the OP conditions, so you need to remove my vote from having served in USAF. > > There are those who have served in the armed forces of other nations. There are no restrictions in the OP against serving in another country’s military. In what way did you serve that you think disqualifies you? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/38 "2018-11-21T18:19:10Z")
I’ve never been in the military. Being 41 years old and blind in one eye it’s unlikely to happen in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/39 "2018-11-21T18:22:11Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > I’ve never been in the military. Being 41 years old and blind in one eye it’s unlikely to happen in the future. Never say never. Desperation breeds strange soldiers. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/40 "2018-11-21T18:23:41Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Me too. What language? Arabic. I used to be smart. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888.md?page=3)