I have a question for memorial day

[okfine]

Yanno..................I kinda agree with that statement. Society today has tried to express the view that the needs of the individual outweigh the needs of the whole. And, if that is what a person has learned all their life, then being in the military is NOT a good fit for them.

Dunno so much about the fat and out of shape part, although kids today seem to be a bit less active than they were in my childhood, but the coddling I definitely agree with.

I heard that many are turned away because of their obesity. Also, the courts offering either join up, or go to jail. Maybe jail is their choice.

 

[ABikerSailor]

I heard that many are turned away because of their obesity.

Well, that kinda depends on the person enlisting and the service that they are joining. Yes, if you are overweight, you won't be able to enlist, and yes, there are standards you must meet to be able to enlist.

HOWEVER............................

If a person is serious about joining and is willing to do what it takes to meet the requirements, every recruiter I knew (and I ran a MEPS out of Amarillo for the Navy for 2 1/2 years in my final tour), will help you in whatever way they can (diet tips, workout routines, hell............some will even schedule workout times for you to workout with them from their own free time if they live close to you) so that you can enlist. If a person is serious enough about joining, a recruiter WILL help them get into enlistment shape. Me? I was the person the recruiter brought them to, to get them signed up, and I can guarantee you that if a person was serious, I would work every angle required (waivers, etc.) to help them enlist.

And, because of the shape of a lot of the youth today, the military has relaxed their enlistment standards a bit, knowing they could get them into shape once they hit boot camp.

Most of the times that a person was denied enlistment who came through my office wasn't so much because they were out of shape, but rather other situations, such as medical, civil convictions or not being able to successfully score on the ASVAB.

 

[debbiedowner]

no but tomorrow is

Yes, and there are many celebrating today at memorial's.

 

[ABikerSailor]

A friendly reminder for those of you who decide to tour various gravesites where veterans are laid to rest. If you see coins on their headstone, LEAVE THEM ALONE. They have a particular significance.

A penny. Means you visited and wish to pay your respects.

A Nickle. Means you went to boot camp with the deceased.

A dime. Means you served with the person who died.

A quarter. Means you were with the person when they died.

 

[AyeCantSeeYou]

Hate to tell you, but that is jingoistic bullshit. Yes, if a person's individual, personal space were invaded, they would probably defend it. But to defend the country as a whole? Not quite true. While many will say that they will defend this country to the death, they don't mean the country as a whole, they mean just their own little personal slice of it, nothing more.

As far as the vast number that you claim would step up to fight for this country? Not so much. The majority of people in this country are content to let others (who are in a very small minority) step up and do the actual work of doing the defending.

Only 1 percent of Americans have ever actually served in the military. Like I said, it's one thing to say it, but it's quite another thing to actually do it.

The Census Bureau states 6.4% of Americans are veterans, higher than what you claim.

Armed Forces Day: May 20, 2023

The 2021 American Community Survey estimated the U.S. had 257.1 million people 18 years and over, and of those, 16.5 million, or 6.4 percent, were veterans.

www.census.gov

My opinion that more people would be willing to defend their country comes from growing up in an area that was surrounded by several military bases. The community supported the military and Patriotism was all over. The area was (and still is) a hotbed for people joining the service. I'm part of the 6.4%.

 

[okfine]

Well, that kinda depends on the person enlisting and the service that they are joining. Yes, if you are overweight, you won't be able to enlist, and yes, there are standards you must meet to be able to enlist.

HOWEVER............................

If a person is serious about joining and is willing to do what it takes to meet the requirements, every recruiter I knew (and I ran a MEPS out of Amarillo for the Navy for 2 1/2 years in my final tour), will help you in whatever way they can (diet tips, workout routines, hell............some will even schedule workout times for you to workout with them from their own free time if they live close to you) so that you can enlist. If a person is serious enough about joining, a recruiter WILL help them get into enlistment shape. Me? I was the person the recruiter brought them to, to get them signed up, and I can guarantee you that if a person was serious, I would work every angle required (waivers, etc.) to help them enlist.

And, because of the shape of a lot of the youth today, the military has relaxed their enlistment standards a bit, knowing they could get them into shape once they hit boot camp.

BTW, I edited that post. I wonder if when the courts offer the option of signing up or go to jail has some taking jail instead. I hope that isn't the latter. Also, are foreigners declining to sign up knowing the promise of citizenship for service may be untrue to them?

 

[ABikerSailor]

The Census Bureau states 6.4% of Americans are veterans, higher than what you claim.

Armed Forces Day: May 20, 2023

The 2021 American Community Survey estimated the U.S. had 257.1 million people 18 years and over, and of those, 16.5 million, or 6.4 percent, were veterans.

www.census.gov

View attachment 789585
My opinion that more people would be willing to defend their country comes from growing up in an area that was surrounded by several military bases. The community supported the military and Patriotism was all over. The area was (and still is) a hotbed for people joining the service. I'm part of the 6.4%.

Interestingly enough, if I wore my uniform around a Navy base while active duty, I was treated a bit less then cordial by the civilian populace (Norfolk VA and Jacksonville FL to name just 2), but when I went over 100 miles away from there wearing my uniform, I was treated extremely well, even to the point of people buying my meals at restaurants and drinks at the bar.

Yeah...................I took advantage of that every time I went home on leave to Montana. Not only did my Grandparents ask me to bring my uniform home with me so they could parade me around to all their friends for a day (always had to make sure I had one day for that every time I went home on leave), but I also liked to go out a night or two wearing my uniform because it meant free drinks and LOTS of ladies coming up to talk to me.

Same thing when I was stationed at a MEPS in Amarillo.

My experience may not have been the norm, but it seemed that people were more patriotic the further I was away from a base.

 

[ABikerSailor]

BTW, I edited that post. I wonder if when the courts offer the option of signing up or go to jail has some taking jail instead. I hope that isn't the latter. Also, are foreigners declining to sign up knowing the promise of citizenship for service may be untrue to them?

I'd heard about people being offered a stint in the military instead of a short term jail sentence (for misdemeanors, felonies have always been a no-no), but that was mainly (I think), for when there was a draft.

I know that enlistment requirements when I ran a MEPS from 1999 until 2002 said that any civil conviction other than a couple of traffic tickets or one or two small misdemeanors as a kid required a waiver to enlist. I never encountered a situation where it was either a jail sentence or enlistment, and we ran background checks on EVERY person who enlisted.

 

[whitehall]

To quote American philosopher and U.S. Army General George Patton "You don't die for your Country, you make some poor bastard die for his country". The Constitution and freedom and the Bill of Rights is what we fight for, not some lame duck in the W.H.

 

[okfine]

I'd heard about people being offered a stint in the military instead of a short term jail sentence (for misdemeanors, felonies have always been a no-no), but that was mainly (I think), for when there was a draft.

I know that enlistment requirements when I ran a MEPS from 1999 until 2002 said that any civil conviction other than a couple of traffic tickets or one or two small misdemeanors as a kid required a waiver to enlist. I never encountered a situation where it was either a jail sentence or enlistment, and we ran background checks on EVERY person who enlisted.

Having a Felony means no weapon can be issued, but I heard that some got in and eventually were given dishonorable discharges later after being in the brig.

 

[Moonglow]

Actually, that is an extremely untrue statement. When you join the military, you know that a POSSIBILITY of being in is that you may be sent off to a war zone, where you might possibly be killed, but neither the person enlisting, nor the military expects them to die. Why do you think that the military spends so much time training their personnel how to NOT DIE, as well as save the lives of those around them?

But, death is not an exclusive realm of the military. There are many jobs out there that can be just as dangerous, in some cases, even more so than serving in the military. Hell, you could be the most peaceful person and abhor all things violent and military and still get hit by a bus or killed by a random shooter.

NOBODY gets out alive. Although, military personnel have a better chance of surviving bad situations because they are trained to do so.

Maybe that is how they think in the navy but not the army.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Maybe that is how they think in the navy but not the army.

Well, when I was told that my Grandparents were going to break my plate when I turned 18 (they told me this just prior to starting my Senior year), I knew I had to find something to make a living at. So, after talking with my Career Counselor (Mr. Parker, decent dude), he suggested that since college was probably a non starter, why not check out the military?

I decided against the Air Force, because growing up in an Air Force town (Malmstrom AFB, located in Great Falls MT), I was naturally biased against them.

Talked to the Marines for about half an hour, but decided quite quickly that becoming a bullet sponge didn't sound half as glorious as they described.

Talked to the Army, and while camping as a hobby was great (grew up in Montana after all), camping as a way of life left a lot to be desired.

Then, I went and talked to the Navy. I expressed my concerns about the other services, and was told that the Navy has more (and better) aircraft than the Air Force, isn't at the tip of the spear like the Marines, and I wouldn't have to camp out as a way of life, since my "house" (the ship) would go with me wherever I went. I'd always have A/C when it was hot, heat when it was cold, and 3 hot meals except during battle drills or actual emergencies, and there would be lots of travel to foreign lands. He then talked about where he'd been, what some of the things he'd seen and done, and generally what life was like about being in the Navy, the good as well as the bad. I decided right then and there that the Navy seemed like a good fit as I was very much interested in seeing the world and not having to live in a tent. 20 plus years later, I retired after having been to 26 different countries, 49 different states (only missing Alaska, and that's on my bucket list) and seen a lot of stuff. I've been as far South as Rio in Brazil (yes, I'm a Shellback), as far North as above the Arctic Circle (also a Bluenose), far West as Hawaii and as far East as the Persian Gulf, so I've got quite a bit of the planet under my belt. Never regretted a moment serving, and am grateful for the retirement and all the benefits that go with it.

 

[gipper]

A libertariarian who doesn't believe in the constitution is so post modern hipster like. Very woke of you.

Apparently you know nothing of the Constitution. You should read the Founder’s words on war. It might enlighten you.

 

[skye]

Nobody deserves to die fighting for this Globlalist,criminal and very corrupt Administration.

My opinion.

 

[rightwinger]

you forgot Kennedy and Johnson's viet nam where 58,000 good americans died for absolutely nothing. iraq and Afghanistan were equally stupid and we should have never been in either. How many will die to protect tha Biden family's bribes from Ukraine?

Sadly, we never learned our lesson from Vietnam

 

[Hossfly]

 

[ABikerSailor]

Nobody deserves to die fighting for this Globlalist,criminal and very corrupt Administration.

My opinion.

Believe it or not, I kinda agree with you. No person, no matter their profession, deserves to die for the job they choose to do. If you commit a bad enough crime? Death may be the punishment, and yeah, commit grave crimes, expect grave punishments.

But no U.S. military person will ever die in support of any administration or the other. We don't swear an oath to any individual in the WH, or for that matter, any individual at all. We swear our oath of enlistment to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

Today we recognize those who have given up their lives for this country. My question: Is this country still worth dyng for? Would the young people of today give up their pampered lives for this country? I think not. Comments?

Of course not. We have become a tyrannical, communist country celebrating the most depraved and degenerate concepts that ever crawled out of hell. Those heroes who fought and died for this country would NEVER have fought for THIS country the way it is.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

Nobody deserves to die fighting for this Globlalist,criminal and very corrupt Administration.

My opinion.

Anyone who really fought for the Constitution and Bill of Rights, would be fighting this Globalist, criminal and very corrupt administration.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Of course not. We have become a tyrannical, communist country celebrating the most depraved and degenerate concepts that ever crawled out of hell. Those heroes who fought and died for this country would NEVER have fought for THIS country the way it is.

Anyone who really fought for the Constitution and Bill of Rights, would be fighting this Globalist, criminal and very corrupt administration.

It's readily apparent to even the most casual observer that you've never served, nor do you appear to have even heard or read what military people swear to in their oath of enlistment.

Instead of calling you EvilCat Breath, I think I'm just gonna call you Mouse Farts.