# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/81 "2018-11-23T14:37:19Z")
Rejected from Navy ROTC because my eyes and feet ain’t so good (although I didn’t think they were _that_ bad). Went to college anyway but have not served. ---
**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 24, 2018, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/82 "2018-11-24T01:36:36Z")
!/3 served and 2/3 not served-Pretty good representation in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2018, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/83 "2018-11-24T16:11:25Z")
Active Duty, US Army: 2003 - Present. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2018, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/84 "2018-11-24T17:57:04Z")
Canadian armed forces, 6 years. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2018, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/85 "2018-11-24T18:46:19Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > 1/3 served and 2/3 not served-Pretty good representation in my opinion. In 2014 538 estimated the overall figure for the U.S. at 7.3% based on VA figures of 22 million veterans. So, so far the numbers are well above average. Skewed of course by the fact that all internet polls are inherently unreliable ;). ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2018, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/86 "2018-11-24T21:32:23Z")
Compulsory national service, Royal Norwegian Air Force, 1999 ---
**Author:** ![Dobbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Dobbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dobbs)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2018, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/87 "2018-11-24T22:26:45Z")
US Air Force 1976 - 1984 ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/88 "2018-11-24T23:09:48Z")
US Air Force 1987-2010 ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Terrific](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tom_terrific/32/342_2.png) [@Tom\_Terrific](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Terrific)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/89 "2018-11-25T00:07:19Z")
USMC from 1969-1971 ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/90 "2018-11-25T15:34:39Z")
I almost applied to the Coast Guard Academy, but didn’t meet the physical requirements and never bothered. After that I had no interest in military service, though I would not have tried to evade the draft(or so I told myself) had it not been abolished before I turned 18. I also didn’t register with the Selective Service - I’m in that '57-'59 birth year slot where it was never required. ---
**Author:** ![AirFarce1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airfarce1/32/298_2.png) [@AirFarce1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AirFarce1)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2018, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/91 "2018-11-25T17:28:02Z")
Active Duty USAF 1996-Current. Lackland AFB, TX Sheppard AFB, TX Mountain Home AFB, ID Incirlik AB, Turkey Little Rock AFB, AR Recruiter-Columbia, TN Dyess AFB, TX Andersen AFB, Guam Minot AFB, ND Plus 7 deployments to various locations around the world. 2A6X2 (AGE) the entire time except when I was a recruiter. I’ve been in staff positions for the last 7 years or so, though. I’ve had a fun and interesting career, and I’m a little sad that I will be retiring soon. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2018, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/92 "2018-11-25T19:27:56Z")
Royal Navy 1976 to 1983 ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/93 "2018-11-26T15:06:41Z")
CAF/RCAF 1989-2010 Had I stuck around a bit longer I likely would have retired a WO or MWO but such was not to be. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/94 "2018-11-26T15:22:15Z")
USMC six years. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/95 "2018-11-26T15:27:59Z")
Closest I came was a pushy Navy recruiter bothering me in high school until I agreed to meet with him, then my mom flipping out and calling him and giving him an earful. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/96 "2018-11-26T16:20:03Z")
Never served. I knew myself well enough even at 18 years old to know that I would not have done well in a military environment. ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/97 "2018-11-26T17:15:10Z")
Usaf 1967 - 1971 ---
**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 26, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/98 "2018-11-26T17:25:16Z")
> [@AirFarce1](#): > > Active Duty USAF 1996-Current. > Lackland AFB, TX > Sheppard AFB, TX > Mountain Home AFB, ID > Incirlik AB, Turkey > Little Rock AFB, AR > Recruiter-Columbia, TN > Dyess AFB, TX > Andersen AFB, Guam > Minot AFB, ND > > Plus 7 deployments to various locations around the world. 2A6X2 (AGE) the entire time except when I was a recruiter. I’ve been in staff positions for the last 7 years or so, though. I’ve had a fun and interesting career, and I’m a little sad that I will be retiring soon. Guam AND Minot? Who’d you piss off? ---
**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 26, 2018, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/99 "2018-11-26T17:27:35Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Guam AND Minot? Who’d you piss off? Maybe he got Guam in the winter and Minot in the summer? ---
**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 26, 2018, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/100 "2018-11-26T17:45:15Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Maybe he got Guam in the winter and Minot in the summer? I thought Minot was still the middle of nowhere even in the summer? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888.md?page=6)