# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/61 "2018-11-22T02:14:24Z")
US Air Force, 1980 to 2000. Participated in first Gulf War, '90-‘91. Joined the service to see the world, did 2 years in the UK, and the other 18 at bases all within a few hours’ drive of home (even technical training schools). Yawn. Well, except for my time in the sand. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/62 "2018-11-22T02:30:20Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Arabic. I used to be smart. I would have liked that. Wanted Russian but in 1972 they gave me French. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/63 "2018-11-22T02:49:31Z")
Yes. From the time I first put on the uniform for ROTC Basic camp until retirement I was about 6 weeks shy of 27 years. I enlisted and started drilling in the Guard while still in ROTC about 25.5 years before my retirement. All of my time was Guard or Reserve with just shy of 6 years of mobilization post 9-11. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/64 "2018-11-22T02:49:49Z")
> [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > _beep_ Skynet Terminator Program _beep_ > _beep_ From cycle 0 to cycle 721,394,881,016,929,017 _beep_ > _beep_ Kill. All. Humans. _beep_ Well… ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/65 "2018-11-22T02:52:03Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What is the national average? It’s been dropping as we’re losing WWII and Korea vets. ISTR down in the 8-9% of the populace range without going to dig. ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/66 "2018-11-22T04:20:59Z")
I have not served except working for the US Navy in a civilian capacity. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2018, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/67 "2018-11-22T04:55:57Z")
Never served. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/68 "2018-11-22T06:23:24Z")
US Army 95-02, loved it ID Army National Guard 02-03, hated it ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/69 "2018-11-22T06:55:08Z")
Navy, 5 years. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/70 "2018-11-22T07:57:30Z")
United States Coast Guard 1978 - 1982 ---
**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:** [November 22, 2018, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/71 "2018-11-22T09:25:16Z")
I did not serve (in any formal military) ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/72 "2018-11-22T10:28:51Z")
U S Army 98G2LKP 1974-1977 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/73 "2018-11-22T10:45:08Z")
USNavy, 1980-1991. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/74 "2018-11-22T10:56:10Z")
I actually tried to sign up in the 70s, but was deemed unfit for medical reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/75 "2018-11-22T11:01:06Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > The Spanish military doesn’t recruit women? Now it does, but not back then. In the spirit of full truthfulness: the Coast Guard started accepting women when I was in college, they were the first branch to do so. Irregular forces have always had women, but not the regular armed forces. One of my great-aunts made Sergeant (Logistics) during the last Spanish Civil War; my grandmother was in Accounting; other close female relatives were in Auxiliaries, which means part-time nurses. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/76 "2018-11-22T12:26:31Z")
US Army, 1989 to 1996. From 1989 to 1991 was as Reservist. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/77 "2018-11-22T13:35:09Z")
None. When I was in school I did really well in my engineering program and a Navy recruiter on school said that I could probably get full scholarship ROTC if I went into nuclear engineering (I was still pre-engineering with a very nice GPA) because at that stage of the cold war they needed all the nuke engineers they could get. With my PTSD, I don’t think the military would have been a good fit for me, so it was probably just as well that I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of serving on a sub. ---
**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 22, 2018, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/78 "2018-11-22T14:10:12Z")
> [@Buttercup\_Smith](#): > > I have not served except working for the US Navy in a civilian capacity. I didn’t add that to my active duty time, but I spent 26 years working for the Navy as a civilian. And technically, I still do now, working for a contractor who builds flight trainers for the Navy. So I’ve been pretty much supporting the Navy since I was 19. I’m 2 months shy of 65… Go Navy!!! ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/79 "2018-11-22T15:52:33Z")
U S Navy 80-84 Mostly on CGN 38 USS Virginia…CGN stands for constantly going nowhere. ---
**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 23, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/80 "2018-11-23T14:04:13Z")
I think I’ll have to discount ROTC-type courses. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888.md?page=5)