Politics on Active Duty?

[SFC Ollie]

Basic and simple, there are dozens of veterans on this board, and more people who claim to be military retirees than any board I've ever seen.

So tell us, during all these years on active duty, Did anyone ever really talk about politics, or question who you were voting for or attempt to influence your vote?

I honestly do not remember talking about politics in the 22 years I was on active duty.

We talked about voting, I was even a Voting assistance NCO. But never saw or heard anyone talk about this politician or that one.... Other than cussing out congress in general that is.

 

[Dot Com]

same here. It's in the job description I believe. We just did our jobs.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Back in the 80's, while everyone was talking about how great Ronald Reagan was and how much he loves the Military, an E-6 told me he got his biggest pay raise under Jimmy Carter.

 

[Big Black Dog]

While I was in the Navy for my 20 year stint, I don't ever recall anybody saying very much about politics except it was your duty to vote. Never heard anybody say specifically to vote for any one particular candidate - just be sure to vote.

 

[High_Gravity]

I served 7 years in the US Air Force from 2000 to 2007 and I honestly only remember it coming up once, our flight commander asked me my opinion on the 2004 election between George Bush Jr and John Kerry for some reason, I told her I don't think Kerry would be good for us in the Military. Thats really the only time I remember it, most of the time were too busy busting our ass, partying or chasing women to talk about that shit.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Back in the 80's, while everyone was talking about how great Ronald Reagan was and how much he loves the Military, an E-6 told me he got his biggest pay raise under Jimmy Carter.

He lied..........

 

[Big Black Dog]

Back in the 80's, while everyone was talking about how great Ronald Reagan was and how much he loves the Military, an E-6 told me he got his biggest pay raise under Jimmy Carter.

He lied..........

Very big lie too...

 

[High_Gravity]

Back in the 80's, while everyone was talking about how great Ronald Reagan was and how much he loves the Military, an E-6 told me he got his biggest pay raise under Jimmy Carter.

He lied..........

I was a child during Carters reign, but didn't he totally fuck the Military back than?

 

[SFC Ollie]

Back in the 80's, while everyone was talking about how great Ronald Reagan was and how much he loves the Military, an E-6 told me he got his biggest pay raise under Jimmy Carter.

He lied..........

I was a child during Carters reign, but didn't he totally fuck the Military back than?

What I remember about Carter was sitting at Green Ramp with no newspapers, radio, or TV for over a week while he decided if we should leave on a mission or not. We boarded the planes 3 times and actually took off once only to turn around.

But I do remember getting (If memory serves) an 18% across the board raise under Reagan.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Boy you aint kiddin!:
Historic Military Pay Raises

1978 Carter: 7.1
1982 Reagan: 14.3

 

[old navy]

I didn't really become interested in politics until I was transferred to DC in 1998. About the only thing political I remember was when someone said, "write to your congressman" when people complained too much. The problem there was, nobody even knew who their congressman was.

I e-mail mine now at least once a month.

 

[JWBooth]

Back in the 80's, while everyone was talking about how great Ronald Reagan was and how much he loves the Military, an E-6 told me he got his biggest pay raise under Jimmy Carter.

He lied..........

Not necessarily, it kinda depends on when the conversation took place. I was in at the time...but when you are a five hundred dollar a month E3, seven percent isn't exactly much that you would notice. All those progressive tax rates would have swallowed it up anyway.

With reference to the op....all conversations that I recall revolved around pussy and beer.

 

[MeBelle]

Basic and simple, there are dozens of veterans on this board, and more people who claim to be military retirees than any board I've ever seen.

So tell us, during all these years on active duty, Did anyone ever really talk about politics, or question who you were voting for or attempt to influence your vote?

I honestly do not remember talking about politics in the 22 years I was on active duty.

We talked about voting, I was even a Voting assistance NCO. But never saw or heard anyone talk about this politician or that one.... Other than cussing out congress in general that is.

I am not a veteran, but I have many friends who are, active and retired.
Speaking for them, yes, we do talk politics.

 

[Wiseacre]

I was never privy to or heard of any discussions or pressure to vote for or against anybody.

 

[Mr Natural]

The only political talk I remember was which lifer was an asshole and which were OK guys.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Boy you aint kiddin!:
Historic Military Pay Raises

1978 Carter: 7.1
1982 Reagan: 14.3

Well I was almost right....The memory does still work, partially..........

 

[SFC Ollie]

The only political talk I remember was which lifer was an asshole and which were OK guys.

I was one of the assholes when I had to be.....................

 

[The Gadfly]

Closest thing I ever heard to a political discussion was someone stating the rather obvious fact that our civilian commanders back in D.C. could not locate their own arse on a good day, much less remove their heads from same long enough to decide just what the hell they wanted us to do, and what they expected us to do it with.....

 

[SFC Ollie]

So after nearly two days of this thread, the one person who made the claim (in another thread) that there was political conversation and possibly even pressure, has stayed away from the thread.....

Is that surprising? Interesting?

Actually, expected..................

Some are so predictable..........................

 

[Mr. President]

We talk about politics. How we think everyone running sucks. Nobody speaks bad about the President of course. But there is nothing to do but to BS over here and with all these different conflicts and people going from one country to another it's bound to come up.