Poll: Two years in Iraq or two years in prison?

[FormerMarineGuy]

@M. Meursault

See, my thinking is that if you’re smart enough or have the right kind of experience, you won’t be going to Iraq to handle a gun, you’ll be going to build a bridge or cook or file paperwork.
That’s how my dad spent the Vietnam war in the Army fixing motors and not getting shot; he knew how to fix motors.

Some of the smartest guys I have met in my life were in the infantry. Experience means very little going into the military, unless you speak some rare language, or are perhaps recruited by a secret government unit, but that is a rarity.

I have seen some of the smartest recruits join ONLY to go into infantry after being offered every other program on the books.

[iamthewalrus_3]

@Bear_Nenno

I’d rather spend 2 years in Iraq than 2 months in prison.

Well put. I’d take that deal as well.

[Oakminster]

I’d hope to be immune to the draft, what with having already served a hitch and all. These days, prison might be a better choice for me. I’m much more likely to question authority and otherwise cause problems than I was back in '88.

[Gala_Matrix_Fire]

@FormerMarineGuy

I have seen some of the smartest recruits join ONLY to go into infantry after being offered every other program on the books.

Ditto. And I’ll also take Iraq. You would have a good deal more freedom there. Plus I really want to see Iraq some day…why not now?

[FormerMarineGuy]

Oh yeah, and I would take Iraq anyday, also. It would look MUCH better on a resume.

[figure9]

If I belived this war was doing any good I would go to Iraq. But since this war is not doing any good, I would have to chose prison. I could live with the abuse, I could not live with helping what is rapidly becoming the EVIL EMPIRE. That said I would try to get as many draftees to follow me to prison. If there were enough of us the government would have a hell of a time finding a place to put us.

[What_Exit]

In Iraq without any doubt. Of course I will not be willing to shoot people, so I might end up in the brig, but the military is not really dumb and would use either my computer skills or my old Navy Electrician skills someplace.

Jim

[rjung]

Having seen Morgan Spurlock spend 30 days in prison, I think the biggest danger there would be preventing your brain from leaking out of your ears from sheer boredom more than anything else.

Not that I’d pick either fate, but I think folks who equate “going to prison” with “being turned into Bubba’s ho” are working from false pretenses.

[MovieMogul]

@Bear_Nenno

I’d rather spend 2 years in Iraq than 2 months in prison.

As terrifying as the prospect of prison is, that’s only 60 days. I’d like to think I could handle 60 (horrifying) days.

But 2 years vs. 2 years? Iraq 100%.

[Antigen]

@Bear_Nenno

Also, maybe you should be more specific. One could stay within the walls of a hospital working in the blood bank or as an xray tech as oppossed to doing combat patrols every other day in an infantry squad. . .

(bolding mine)

Oooh, me! Me!

I’d have no problem serving in a medical sense, but there’s no way I could handle combat. I’m not made for it, in a psychological sense. Very early in, I’m pretty sure that someone would notice that I’m useless with a gun and they’d better give me some blood to play with. At least I’d hope so.