File me under no I won’t serve. I suppose i could go through a number of justifications of why I shouldn’t go but the bottom line is I am a coward who’d rather not risk his ass and would much rather help in any other way possible.
A fair question though. Ethics really become clearer in a context like this. If a draft is enstated I am curious how many feminists will be demanding that an equal number of women be drafted as men.
If laser tag is any indication I’d last about 2 minutes in the hills of Afghanistan. Besides, I’ve got to stay home to take care of the kiddies. If my husband wants to enlist (at the ripe old age of 36), I hope I’d support him. It’s the price to pay for making the world safe for our kids, though the thought of him leaving makes my heart sink. But then again, the image of him decked out in uniform…growl!
BTW, an old pen pal of mine was called to serve missions during the Gulf War. He is no longer serving in the Air Force but is still in the reserves to pay off his pilot training. His day job now? A United Airlines pilot.
I swear, his wife ought to get some sort of award.
A really truthful response! I don’t blame you for your feelings but at least you’re honest.
Anecdote:
While in Desert Storm, the Battalion Commander asked for volunteers to go forward with 3rd Armored and 11th Armored Cav. I stepped forward. We got no one from our commo section. The head Sergeant in charge of all the Battalion commo was the most fit person and gung-ho guy in the whole Battalion. Until, of course, he was asked to risk his ass up front. We ended up getting a guy from one of the line Companies that was there to help provide security for us.
Just because you view yourself as someone that is afraid to risk your ass does not make you a coward. There are many jobs in every type of Army unit that never will see any form of combat unless the whole unit gets overrun. Look at supply people and cooks. If you think either one of those is gonna be on a front line somewhere, you’re wrong.
In any case, don’t sweat it. I’m currently trying to get into our local National Buard engineer unit but have to lose around 20 pounds and they may not take me anyway because I have kids at home.
X
Why is the military so honorable a profession? I’m not saying that it is dishonorable. But, I’m a casino dealer, have worked in the tech industry, been a radiographer and done other things and I don’t feel that they are less honorable. Like I’ve told more than one noncom, “It’s a paycheck.” I’m not anti-US but, I am also not a patriot. I guess that I don’t like the idea of people feeling like they “should have served”. Did you pay taxes? Stay out of prison? Stay off welfare and pay your own way (many people need help sometimes, I mean not being on it for years)? If the answers are “yes”, then you have served as much as most service members have! Banish all guilt from your psyche. The fact that you feel it, proves you don’t deserve it. America has no need presently for anyone to sign up who doesn’t want to and I don’t think it likly that conventional forces will need to be inducted anytime soon(though recruitment in certain areas {aramaic linguists, psyops specialists, intel. modalities in general} will undoubtedly increase). I think the US is the greatest country in the world and there is nowhere I’d rather live but, I don’t get sentimental over it. Though I try to do my part to make it a better place, don’t doubt for a minute I would leave if that proved a lost cause.
I would sign up, but for three points:
I don’t think war is the best solution here, or in most of the other things where we’ve used military force in recent history. If I was supportive of war, I would be willing to overlook:
I’m not sure I’m “military material”. I’m not sure if I could psychologically adjust. It would be an interesting experiment, but I’m not willing to try it out and sign over years of my life just on blind patriotism. And in any event, I will not overlook:
I’m not going put my ass on the line and go through all the attendant crap for a country that doesn’t want me. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” is bullshit.
#3 Resonates strongly with me. While I am hetero, I served with two male bisexuals in Bosnia. The strange part is, I spent more time with these guys than with anyone else in camp. They were more intelligent and better conversationalists than anyone else around at the time. I spent at least four or five hours a day discussing culture, language, warfare, strategy, philosophy and playing Risk or chess with them for 11 months and I didn’t even know until they left the unit. Both of these men were gentlemen, warriors, thinkers and friends of mine and I had to ask myself how many times they were wounded by my disparaging remarks about an aspect of thier psyche’s as central to identity as sexual orientation. It was an important revelation to me and I feel that while acceptance is growing in the civilian community, the Army would do well to consult the opinion of Military Historians about the effectiveness of units containing openly homosexual warriors (ancient Greece and Rome did quite well, as did the Samurai of Feudal Japan, and if officers are the issue Alexander the Great could hardly be describes as incommensurate). I have overcome my prejudice (almost, I’m trying) I expect no less effort from my nation.
The military is honorable because you’re putting your life and well-being on the line for the sake of others. What is more honorable than that?
Oh sure, I know people sign up for all kinds of reasons. Money, education, even glory. It’s a job, sure.
But the most my job is going to demand of me is some late nights and the occasional long weekend or bit of travel.
The military asks that you be prepared to die.
But okay. Maybe the military isn’t the most honorable profession. Maybe it’s a three-way tie:
Policeman, fireman, military.
Policeman, fireman, military, convenience store clerk in my old 'hood.
Lineman.
Fishing boat hand.
Roofer.
Window washer.
Evel Kneivel.
Electrician.
Migrant farm worker.
Liberal, right now.
Peace,
mangeorge
Sorry, those fall quite a bit short by your standards. Construction workers, miners and commercial fisherman die in greater numbers as a result of their career choices. At least according to the US Dept. of Labor Statistics.
If someone came in and started attacking your family, your friends, would you defend them? Would you consider that an honorable thing to do? Serving in the military is honorable because that is exactly what you are doing. You are doing your part to ensure the safety of your family, friends and fellow countrymen. You are ensuring the existence of your way of life.
On 9/11 over 6,300 of your countrymen,innocent people working at their desks and presumably minding their own business, were blind-sided by an attacker. If we don’t retaliate then we may as well hand over the keys to our homes and leave. Because our country will be up for grabs by whomever scares the most people into submission. Is that what you want?
Conscientious objectors? To what? Defending innocent people? Give me a break! This isn’t a case where we are going onto foreign soil in an attempt to force the outcome that is most favorable to us. This is us DEFENDING our own soil, our own countrymen from a future attack.
Geesh.
Lisa, imagining our forefathers who put their lives on the line against a much bigger, better armed and well-funded foe, rolling in their graves.
You mean we aren’t going onto foreign soil in an attempt to force an outcome that is most favorable to us? Retaliation is not defense. Some people object to retaliation or defense.
If someone sucker punches you, legally and morally you have every right to punch him back. It is called self-defense.
In Vietnam, no one attacked us, so some people were understandably ambivalent or even opposed to going in and fighting. Conscientious objectors, if you will. However, THIS is entirely different. This is a case of us defending ourselves against someone who sucker punched us. And I truly fail to see how ANYONE could have a conscientious objection to defending innocent people from being murdered at their desks.