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Teelf · 04-26-2002, 08:41 PM

Of course they try to appeal to kids that don't have a plan for the future. Are you saying they should try and persuade some kid who knows he wants to be an engineer into enlisting?

Wading through the rest of your post I found your major point to be that many kids join the military for reasons such as money for college without realizing they are putting themselves in harms way.

I agree with you on this.

However you also assume that all the glitz and glory of the ads on TV don't wear off after you join. You seem to think that many military people would be in for a rude awakening if they actually saw any action.

This I very much disagree with.

Once you go through boot camp and training and you actually get to your first duty station, from then on, all you do is train. You train non-stop. On my ship, I can not count the number of simulated missile hits and mine hits we have taken. Or how many times we simulated shooting down incoming missile and planes. While not the same as a screaming bullet by your head, you start to get the point that this job is for real and there is a reason for what you are doing. And this training is taken very seriously. There is no career-minded officer that doesn't take it seriously, because he or she wouldn't have a career. And this training works.

For evidence I point to the USS Cole. Remember the ship that had the zodiak full of explosives rammed into its side? I read several reports about that incident. Far from a "break-down in the ranks" nearly every sailor said the same thing, "My training took over." It took over and they saved several lives as well as the ship from sinking.

So while some soldiers don't realize exactly what they are getting into when then sign on the dotted line, they all learn soon enough. And those that don't like it get out.

04-26-2002, 08:41 PM	#4
Teelf Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 32	Of course they try to appeal to kids that don't have a plan for the future. Are you saying they should try and persuade some kid who knows he wants to be an engineer into enlisting? Wading through the rest of your post I found your major point to be that many kids join the military for reasons such as money for college without realizing they are putting themselves in harms way. I agree with you on this. However you also assume that all the glitz and glory of the ads on TV don't wear off after you join. You seem to think that many military people would be in for a rude awakening if they actually saw any action. This I very much disagree with. Once you go through boot camp and training and you actually get to your first duty station, from then on, all you do is train. You train non-stop. On my ship, I can not count the number of simulated missile hits and mine hits we have taken. Or how many times we simulated shooting down incoming missile and planes. While not the same as a screaming bullet by your head, you start to get the point that this job is for real and there is a reason for what you are doing. And this training is taken very seriously. There is no career-minded officer that doesn't take it seriously, because he or she wouldn't have a career. And this training works. For evidence I point to the USS Cole. Remember the ship that had the zodiak full of explosives rammed into its side? I read several reports about that incident. Far from a "break-down in the ranks" nearly every sailor said the same thing, "My training took over." It took over and they saved several lives as well as the ship from sinking. So while some soldiers don't realize exactly what they are getting into when then sign on the dotted line, they all learn soon enough. And those that don't like it get out.