Did you guys serve in the armed forces?
Just wondering how many people served in any of the armed forces and if you have what kind of stories do you want to share.
Yes | 12 | |
No | 26 | |
Third Choice! | 6 |
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Just wondering how many people served in any of the armed forces and if you have what kind of stories do you want to share.
Yes | 12 | |
No | 26 | |
Third Choice! | 6 |
I did 4 years in Navy from 1978-1982 got out went home, screwed off couldn't find a job then so I went back in 1984-1987. It's funny how the DAMN government talks about the do's and dont's about being respectful or treating others as we should, and yet when a female I worked with and I went to a supervisor to report another supervisors sexual assault on us, they said "well he's being transferred in 3 weeks." So they wanted to sweep it under the rug. The VS sent me to a counselor for 6 visits. Wow, did not much good.
I've always heard that the navy and the marines weren't all that great for females. I've only ever been interested in the U.S. Army.
If you have an interest, don't look at the branch (army, navy) look at the type of things that really peak your interest. Internet cyber securiry, law enforcement, or would like to be a helicopter pilot or mechanic. Find the kind of work that really is not work. More like a hobby.
I mean in the navy should be better for females seeing how there isnt a lot of physical requirements to join. It's mainly how much you can fallow orders. Of course theres always that one female that gets pregnant to avoid deployment.
There was not a lot of physical demands to be in the navy. But when in a ship 3000 miles from land you have to be able to keep a cool head in case of a fire or flooding. In YouTube I think.it is there's a guy on flight deck of aircraft carrier flight crew. He's doing his job and all of a sudden he's gone. The A-7 I believe it was, he stood up to much to close to the intake on the plane while engine was winding up for take off. Pilot shut it down after flames out the exhaust, and suddenly the guy crawls out of the engine. That would be scary.
Navy ain't that good about mental shit. I was going through some heavy shit during my time in Japan they sent me to a guidance counselor. I finally had a breakthrough about me being molested as a child an I wanted to tell my parents. Motherfucking counselor said it was a bad Idea! Fuck him!
The military seemed like a lame and stifling option to me. I value my country, and generally believe in its policies. So, I became a civilian software engineer at Lockheed Martin working on targeting systems for submarines, surface combatants, and cruise missiles. I am dead certain that taking orders from a dumbass drill instructor would have been a waste of time and talent. As a civilian, working 14 hour days with the best engineers in the world, amplified my competance, as well as my contributions to the combat effectiveness and force multipliers that result from good design. Later with 25 years experience under my belt, I trained countless new engineering graduates to be world class performers.
I have no regrets for all the free overtime I worked to bring other people home alive. I only hope, the State department works as hard as I did. Peace thru diplomacy is almost always the most stable of all world orders.
I was one of the stupid guys who put up with the Navy BS for nearly a decade, during which time I worked on the same systems you (or, more likely, your predecessors) created, since I was a Poseidon Fire Control Technician.
Ah yes. As a fresh engineering graduate, I cut my teeth on the software development for the Ohio class Trident boomers. It was a good career with lots of travel. When peace broke out in 1995, I was assigned to a commercial contract working the fail-safe floor trading systems at the New York Stock Exchange. Career wise, I absolutely would never have done anything differently.
Currently in process. Still got more paperwork to do! Entering takes forever with a pile of crap to sign!
I did, tho it's not what you'd call a grand military career...
I'm a Senior sergeant of the Bulgarian army. Served for 8 months, 2 of those were in Novo Selo (Bulgarian-American joint base). It was the most fun, cause I could mingle with Americans and drive newer and cooler vehicles.
I've never been deployed and because conditions in Bulgaria are less strict than with other militaries, I had my car at base and could often drive home on weekends to visit my parents and my girlfriend. Also a lot of people that were in charge, were good friends with my dad, so life in the army wasn't difficult at all.
I did it to honor our family's military tradition. Every man in our family has been a high ranking officer. My great grandfather was a general, my grandfather was a major, my father was a Captain in the navy. My rank may be the lowest, but I feel it shows respect.
After that, I went to university.
Fine, but it's a long post. I'll gloss over what happened before me, cause the story is really long and it's best to discuss in person over a bottle of whiskey, but the long story short is my great grandfather was a general of the Bulgarian army, friend of the king of Bulgaria and manager of his private security. A highly decorated military man, loving father and a very successful businessman.
Communism came, he was murdered for being an enemy of the state and having ties with the nazis. Both of my grandfathers served jail time and narrowly avoided execution for having ties with the "nazi" royal family and being against the soviet regime. They were only released, cause the reds made a deal. Their lives for their owned land and businesses.
My father served in the navy, before switching to the merchant fleet for better pay and career options. As communism fell, he could start making serious money and start his own business.
Communism took everything my family had and nearly drove it to the breaking point, but we still stand. We may have lost money, property, land and influence, but at least we are here today.
Unlike many others that were brutally murdered for being "enemies of the state" of the "glorious" red bastards.
Anyway, fast forward some more and we get to my military career...
The summer of 2010, just finishing school. I wanted to honor the family tradition and history and leave my mark in the Bulgarian army. Tho when I went to base, I quickly realized things had changed... The stories I've heard from my dad about basic training and the military in general were quite different now... My story is not glamorous.
Half of the day, you could slack off in civilian clothing, there was a pub on base grounds, girls were allowed to be in the military, so everyone was trying to hook up with everyone half of the time...
Getting out of base on evenings was quite easy, especially if your dad was a decorated navy captain. They even let me park my Mercedes in one of the hangars, cause I didn't want to leave it on the street.
True, we did train, we did shoot at targets, we had exercises, drills and I felt like a badass doing those. I hated the running! I loathed it with a passion! But because of lack of government funding, everything felt a bit half-assed, thankfully the running sessions were half-assed too...
Still, I enjoyed my time in the Bulgarian Army and quickly got a few promotions, just because I liked to drive and would shuttle high ranking officers around with a military G500 Mercedes they had. The last two months of my time in the army, I spent in Novo Selo. A Bulgarian-American joint base. At that point I was a senior sergeant, so my job was mostly to follow schedules I've been handed and bark orders at other soldiers. And to hang out with the Americans and teach the inexperienced drinkers how to drink Rakia. I made new friends, got to drive cool American military vehicles, ranging from jeeps, to amphibious transporters and tanks!
I left the army as a Senior Sergeant and felt that the time I actually put effort into was worth it and honored the family history and heritage. So after a total of 8 months and 1 week, I left the Army, as I was accepted into university in Germany and went to study economics.
Good on you mate! I'm always happy to support an ally in arms. Navy during peace time is practically the same especially when home. I'm a happily transitioning out as a leading seaman (petty officer 3rd class). May we both find success.
I doubt I'll ever have anything to do with the Bulgarian army, I achieved what I set out to do. I graduated in Germany and found a job as a car salesman. I also opened a cleaning/ gardening company and I make much better money than I would in the Bulgarian military... Heck, even if I was a general, I'd still make less.
If I had a choice of military, it'd be the US navy, or the USAF. I have huge respect for the US military.
Cause at least America knows how to run a military, look after it's men and keep the reds, the middle East and North Korea at bay. Unlike the liberal idiots in Brussels that keep flooding Europe with sand monkeys.
Anyway, I wish you good luck and smooth sailing. God bless my friend!
Know there is one Bulgarian who stands with you and the USA.
See what happened? next time maybe you will keep your mouth shut instead of provoking megadriver to make some super long post.
Just got told I'll be discharged for needing testosterone injections... I'm currently in the navy being seperated for it. Goes to show the navy bootcamp is more about will power than brawn if I could get in. Oddly enough my MEPS station doctors got a brand new PowerPoint on the importance of checking the balls haha!
Ps: fuck you extra X chromosome for fucking up a guys life.
Testosterone injections? Tell me more! How much? How often? How old are you? Were they perscribed?
Turns out I have klienfelters syndrome. Obviously not that bad if I managed to get into the navy for 2 solid years before they tried to figure out why I sucked at physical training. Now I'm getting admin with a full honorable. I'm fine with it.
I take testosterone once a week and its covered by most health plans, because I'm under tricare I actually don't know how much it cost.
Okay cool. That would make physical training tough for you. Some people are saying that steriods should be used more in the army and stuff. But yet they discharged you for needed TRT? Something doesn't make sense. Also, moderate steriod use is not as dangerous as once thought.
I know a guy that got kicked out of the army for smoking weed after he came back from Afghanistan and had off duty at home with family. They don't play about that stuff.
back in the early 90's the punishment for failing a drug test was losing like a month's worth of pay, losing rank, and being on restriction for a couple weeks, meaning doing extra work. Usually bullshit work like cleaning up trash around the post.
BUT - you didn't get kicked out. Maybe for repeat offense but after going thru THAT bullshit, I don't think repeat offenses were common.
Yeah zero tolerance. In San Diego 420 day the entire city seemed off limits to military personnel with all the festivities.
I was in from 93 to 96. Didn't do a whole lot but it did afford me the chance to live in Colorado Springs. I would not trade that for anything
It takes a certain kind of person to enlist in the armed forces. One who is tough/thick skinned, and one who can take orders from tougher/ thicker skinned authority. Neither are qualities I have.
I think if I had been accepted I would be the kind of soldier who had to always do push ups, and run laps, or whatever. I'm not the sort of person who necessarily has a lot of respect for authority.
I have genuinely thought about joining, but I have too many health problems that would exempt me
I'm sorry to hear that. I used to think I was healthy, except for my mind of course.
Something I seemed to have always experienced quite regularly were excruciating menstrual cramps, and I also seemed to experience these cramps when it was not my time of the month. I probably should have told my doctor, and seen a gynecologist, but I've always hated going to the gynecologist so I just took lots of over the counter pain pills, and just kinda lived with it.
Well, when I was about 36 I started experiencing abdominal pain that was even worse than what I was I had become accustomed to as well as rectal pain, and diarrhea. I ended up in the emergency room on morphine. They gave me some exam where I had to drink barium. I was told that I had colitis. I was on a liquid diet, bed ridden, prescribed Vicodin and unable to go to work for six weeks. When I finally got in to the gastroenterologist for a colon scope they told me I didn't have "ulcerative" colitis, and prescribed me muscle relaxers.
Now fast forward to the present I seem to have lower abdominal pain almost every day, and the pain is so awful about 45 minutes after most bowel movements. The specialist I saw most recently told me that I have a spastic colon, and prescribed me anti-spasmodic medication. I told him about what happened to me back in 2006, and he seemed to think that it was due to stress, just as he believes what I now experience is stress related.
To this day I still don't go to gynecological exams very often, or with much regularity, because I hate it so much.
I also have allergies, hypothyroidism, high blood pressure, and chronic sinus infections.
Sorry for the crazy rant. I sincerely hope your health problems get better! I think good health is a thing that many people take for granted. Anyway, that's my story.
Mainly agree with what you say, but it's a paradoxical fact that the higher up the military tree your perch is, the thinner your skin. No other way to explain how petty senior NCOs and officers can be.
Always wanted to. Part of me still does. But you know openly being trans kinda screwed me there and I wasbf willing to wait 4 years if service to start my transition so I never got to.
When I went in, homosexuality was strictly forbidden. Transgender didn't even come up on those days.
Yes bunny I know, being homosexual and transgender are totally different but back then no one even tried to differentiate. Back in the early 90's. Of course in 92, Clinton had the "don't ask don't tell" after some debate if gays should be allowed to join.
You might be able to enlist, I have little clue what the rule is now.
Its the same. 2018 it got changed but 2 days later trump starting posing everywhere so to speak. And its good don't ask dont tell isnt around anymore. And I know with time. So I'm glad those in the future will be able to join. Rumor has it the national guard will take you but I really have zero interest in that
I don't get why needle-dick Trump specifically forbids TG to join. I mean is there like this mob of trannies trying to join all the sudden?
When I was in I was not living as a woman yet, that came about 10 years after.
It's more if a mental health thing. I know the navy doesnt want unstable people on a ship where they can easy kill themselves and then the navy will fork over the 400k life insurance not even accounting for replacing personnel and all the related costs. When trans are proven to have a 16x more of a chance to commit suicide then the average sailor. Any whisper of suicide will cause the navy to make sure you dont get on a ship.
Only 10% of the population can even consider to join so it's not that big of a deal.
Never served, but i want an army under my control to attain my goals. I am interested in warfare, tactics and weaponry.
I was denied for my attitude. I was told that I was cocky, and immature. Now as a middle aged person I can see that I'm not the type of person who has the most respect for authority.
Rose, that means you are still a pain in the ass ;)
When you are an old granny, they will say you are "feisty"
Yeah, and now at almost 50 I look back on my life, and feel a sense of loss for what might have been. I have to be honest with you in saying that the main reason I wanted to join the Army was to be like my father. It's a kind of juvenile sensibility I had, and sometimes still feel.
So did they tell you at the recruiter's office or were you in the thick of boot camp?