# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/41 "2018-11-21T18:58:03Z")
Yes, Navy. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/42 "2018-11-21T19:12:53Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > USAF 2002-2010, USAFR 2010 - Present > > I’d guess this poll is going to skew high though, there’s not much incentive for the “I have not serveds” to post. Here’s mine. In the late 70’s, women were just being admitted to the academies and some non-combat clerical positions. If you had college ambitions and didn’t qualify for West Point, etc., you didn’t much consider the armed forces. I remember vividly when the Army came and adminstered all of those tests on math, geometry, etc. On the one where you have a flat drawing with cut and fold lines and you had to identify what 3d figure it made, I zipped through it. The Army administrator came and watched me do it again because he couldn’t believe that a girl could figure that out in the allotted time. Then he said “too bad you’re a girl”. Socially, a woman joining the services in the late 70’s was possible, but not accepted by most of the population. I was no trendsetter. I have worked for a Naval research center in a civilian position for 24 years. FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/43 "2018-11-21T19:14:18Z")
USN, 1983 to 1989. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/44 "2018-11-21T19:19:02Z")
> [@Tatterdemalion](#): > > US Coast Guard 4 years. I know some don’t really consider that “Military,” but I got a DD-214 and everything. You were also in the only service that can arrest civilians, the one that trains in waters that scares the crap out of experienced mariners, and the one whose core mission includes “go out into raging storms that sink ships and save people’s lives”. I never served in the military, but the lack of respect the Coast Guard gets is a pet peeve of mine. No Coastie need take a back seat to any soldier, sailor, or airman; write that “USCG” after your name with pride, man! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/45 "2018-11-21T19:38:49Z")
US Navy 1985-89. I spent a lot of time at sea on the USS Ranger. CV-61 ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/46 "2018-11-21T19:51:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > This poll is a headcount of those who have served, or are still serving in, the military. > > U.S.A.F. for four years. > [@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. Just to clarify, what conditions in the OP? ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/47 "2018-11-21T19:56:50Z")
No. 4-F in 1970. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/48 "2018-11-21T20:18:00Z")
Canadian Armed Forces. 2005 to 2012. Medically released. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/49 "2018-11-21T20:18:27Z")
Navy '66 - '70. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/50 "2018-11-21T20:21:25Z")
_beep_ Skynet Terminator Program _beep_ _beep_ From cycle 0 to cycle 721,394,881,016,929,017 _beep_ _beep_ Kill. All. Humans. _beep_ ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/51 "2018-11-21T20:23:39Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Just to clarify, what conditions in the OP? It’s a headcount. Anencephalics are ineligible. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/52 "2018-11-21T20:26:35Z")
1966 - 1968, US Army band (02N20 MOS), Oakland and Vietnam. ---
**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, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/53 "2018-11-21T21:30:43Z")
What is the national average? ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/54 "2018-11-21T21:32:59Z")
US Army, 2001-2005, and called back again for the “Surge” 2007-2008, plus IRR for the intervening years and after, until early 2009. Weird to think that my time in the Army overlapped almost exactly with George W. Bush’s time as Commander in Chief. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/55 "2018-11-21T21:42:41Z")
I never served. I turned 18 in 1967 so was the right age during the height of Viet Nam. I got a student deferment at first, then a high lottery number (313 as I recall). I’m also told I’d have probably been 4F if ever called as I’ve been blind in one eye since birth. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/56 "2018-11-21T22:19:54Z")
Washed out of Navy Basic, due to an undetected health issue. ---
**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, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/57 "2018-11-21T22:22:55Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > You were also in the only service that can arrest civilians, the one that trains in waters that scares the crap out of experienced mariners, and the one whose core mission includes “go out into raging storms that sink ships and save people’s lives”. > > I never served in the military, but the lack of respect the Coast Guard gets is a pet peeve of mine. No Coastie need take a back seat to any soldier, sailor, or airman; write that “USCG” after your name with pride, man! If I did it over again, I’m 94% certain I will have gone Coast Guard instead. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/58 "2018-11-21T23:38:06Z")
U.S. Army Reserves, 1999-2007 ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/59 "2018-11-21T23:44:11Z")
Army. 23 years. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2018, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/60 "2018-11-21T23:51:46Z")
USN 1973-1984, USNR 1984-1986 (I think) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888.md?page=4)