Only read this because you should...

kellogg2185 · Jan 16, 2011

Try this... Watch Black Hawk Down, except imagine every person that has a name in this movie is your best friend, or brother. Then stop again, and act like you actually care. Then stop one more time, and realize that every day since you've left high school, people that you used to not care about have been doing things you hope to never hear about, so you can enjoy what you have. Then look at them at the ten year reunion. And realize that you, on your best night, can only hope to say thank you enough, over your next twenty years...

KansasMustang · Jan 16, 2011

It is my one wish, that everyone in this country would think just once about all of those who put their lives on the line every day for the rights of others. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart for this thread.

XDM 9MM Squared · Jan 16, 2011

100% disabled Vet

The problem is the people that read this and have feelings have been in the military or have been married to the military.

People that never serve are the first to bitch about the military. I think we sould be like Germany and have a mandatory two year serve in the military.

Then people would know what it’s been like to searve and whats it’s like to live after searving.

P.S.
I’m am a 100% Disabled Vet and pissed no one will give me a chance to work for them! So I sit at home day after day watching the world go by.

Correction...... 80% Disabled, 100% Unemplyable (In V.A. terms).

HeroHog · Jan 16, 2011

XDM 9MM Squared said:
The problem is the people that read this and have feelings have been in the military or have been married to the military.

People that never serve are the first to bitch about the military. I think we should be like Germany and have a mandatory two year serve in the military.

Then people would know what it’s been like to searve and whats it’s like to live after searving.

P.S.
I’m am a 100% Disabled Vet and pissed no one will give me a chance to work for them! So I sit at home day after day watching the world go by.

Correction...... 80% Disabled, 100% Unemplyable (In V.A. terms).

Hello brother. I am 20% service connected / 100% disabled. I have been fighting for just over a year for my long term disability insurance and for my Social Security and haven't gotten a penny yet! I lost my $70k/yr job and everything we owned Dec 17 of last year. Not but some 4 months ago my wife got an $8/hr job with no benefits and that simply isn't enough to pay the cost of living and it has been pure HELL for us this past year.

Hang in there man... I feel your pain.

25sierraman · Jan 16, 2011

You guys are making me scared to file any claims when i get out

CalicoJack10 · Jan 16, 2011

100% service connected here. I started an organization a couple years ago called Befriend A Veteran that was supposed to encourage people to get off their lazy Azz's and do more for any veteran than just send money and hope that it actually helped. After years of running that organization, I realized that I was one of only a few that were actually doing it, so i closed the doors last month and will just keep on keepin on.

Anyone who serves gives their life to their country, even if they live for 100 more years, in effect their lives are over because of the choice to serve. Thats the part of the deal they never tell you about at MEPS.

P.S. Don't be afraid to file a claim, just don't expect any results when you do. I was rated at 240% before they paid me 100% for multiple injuries and disabilities that were service connected.

MK · Jan 16, 2011

My brother was a member and a pilot of the Night Stalkers who flew the birds into that fight. A very good friend of his is the pilot, Michael Durant, who was captured.

When I watch that movie and when I talk to my brother about some of the missions he went on, at least the ones he's allowed to talk about, I think of all the lives our leaders are wasting using our young men and women in combat actions that have nothing to do at all with protecting our rights and freedoms that many of them signed up to protect. They might be protecting some people somewhere but it isn't America's constitution they are protecting. Many more times than not, they are dying in foreign lands for political reasons if not for even worse reasons that have nothing to do with our rights and freedoms here at home.

since9 · Jan 17, 2011

MK said:
When I watch that movie and when I talk to my brother about some of the missions he went on, at least the ones he's allowed to talk about, I think of all the lives our leaders are wasting using our young men and women in combat actions that have nothing to do at all with protecting our rights and freedoms that many of them signed up to protect. They might be protecting some people somewhere but it isn't America's constitution they are protecting.

That's not the only thing we're protecting. Access to relatively cheap oil is another thing we're protecting, and instability in the Gulf tends to skyrocket oil prices, not to mention dozens of critical economic ties with other countries who rely on oil prices remaining where they are. None of our countries can function on higher prices, and they would most certainly effect our freedoms back here at home.

Imagine having to bundle up like it was winter inside your own home, being able to use electricity just a few hours a day... Hot in the summer? Open a window. Walking or riding a bicycle to work instead of a car.

You bet what we're doing over there affects us all back here at home.

Citizen · Jan 17, 2011

MK said:
SNIP I think of all the lives our leaders are wasting using our young men and women in combat actions that have nothing to do at all with protecting our rights and freedoms that many of them signed up to protect.

You serve, you get out, you scrape to get by while others who didn't serve get a jump on the game of life, then you find out the government you were supporting lied to you, has been eroding your rights, and mortgaging your future with unbelieveable deficit spending and national debt.

I dream of a time machine that lets me go back in time and tell my recruiter, "Hell, no!!"

zack991 · Jan 17, 2011

Citizen said:
I dream of a time machine that lets me go back in time and tell my recruiter, "Hell, no!!"

I think even if I could I would still say hell yes, it’s not something everyone gets the chance to experience and I would do it all over again If I could. I will be leaving again for another tour here in the next few months and I still wish I had stayed on active duty and not gone to the NG, but it’s better than me being out all together. When i get back I will try to go back active if by body can take the abuse. It’s a bug that even though all the lies and hard times my family has gone through it’s something I am extremely proud to be a part of. Maybe it is just me but I am never comfortable when people come up and thank me, I understand why I just don't like having that spotlight on me as something "special".

dedeye · Jan 17, 2011

Citizen said:
You serve, you get out, you scrape to get by while others who didn't serve get a jump on the game of life, then you find out the government you were supporting lied to you, has been eroding your rights, and mortgaging your future with unbelieveable deficit spending and national debt.

I dream of a time machine that lets me go back in time and tell my recruiter, "Hell, no!!"

My Hats Off To You Guys!
And a Heart Felt Thanks!
Did I serve? No, But my father was aboard the USS. Forrestal for four years. I could tell you some stories. In Fact i quess i'm a navy brat Born in Portsmouth Va on the Base.

Citizen · Jan 17, 2011

zack991 said:
I think even if I could I would still say hell yes, its not something everyone gets the chance to experience and I would do it all over again If i could. I leave again for another tour here in the next few months and wish I stayed active duty and not gone NG but its better then me being out all together. Its a bug that even though all the lies and hard times my family has gone through its something I am extremely proud to be apart of.

I understand.

The deeper I dig, the worse the fedgov looks to me, though.

There is just no way I would support it by wearing its uniform again.

If large numbers of high school and college students really knew how putridly rotten the fedgov is, and refused to don the uniform until after the stench was swept away, we'd all be a lot better off. Quid pro quo, Uncle Sam. Restore our freedom, get off our backs, abolish the Federal Reserve and its economic planning and inflationary games, and maybe then we will think about defending you elites and dying for you. Otherwise, you want to fight [insert country here]? Then you go fight them, I ain't.

Force them to reinstitute the draft. Then see how fast things change politically.

sudden valley gunner · Jan 17, 2011

It's one reason I never joined I just couldn't see my self being "owned" by these corrupt politicians and a government that is so far off the track of liberty.

hotrod · Jan 17, 2011

I'm an 80% disabled veteran and thank God everyday that I have a job. I don't walk well, but my mind is still good or as good as it was before my injuries. I hope every veteran who wants to work can find what they want. We gave parts of ourselves so that every American can legally own the handgun of choice. So, if you have a job opening, try a VET!

CalicoJack10 · Jan 17, 2011

zack991 said:
I think even if I could I would still say hell yes, it’s not something everyone gets the chance to experience and I would do it all over again If I could.

+1

I never chose to serve the government, I chose to serve Americans. Though the way i had to go about that was to take orders from the politicians. I have said since I got out that it was the greatest decision and the biggest mistake of my life.

golddigger14s · Jan 17, 2011

Military

I retire in May after 21 years. I'm not saying the military is perfect, but it was a pretty good life that I will miss. I respect all who serve HONORABLY for two years or twenty years.

NRAMARINE · Jan 17, 2011

kellogg2185 said:
Try this... Watch Black Hawk Down, except imagine every person that has a name in this movie is your best friend, or brother. Then stop again, and act like you actually care. Then stop one more time, and realize that every day since you've left high school, people that you used to not care about have been doing things you hope to never hear about, so you can enjoy what you have. Then look at them at the ten year reunion. And realize that you, on your best night, can only hope to say thank you enough, over your next twenty years...

Amen. I also notice, that the loudest critics of how the military "should be" have never so much as been in ROTC.

slowfiveoh · Jan 17, 2011

When you are in, be sure to have EVERYTHING in your medical records annotated. It is amazing, the copious amount of BS the VA will spoon-feed you to justify why they should not pay you for legitimate injury.

Do not be "Hooah", or "OohRah" about everything and tough it out. Let the medic or the docs check you out and annotate it.

I wish I had understood this more before I went in.

I have something that has been preliminarily diagnosed as BPPV, and I know it stems from a fall off the top of a vehicle called the AMG, where I landed on the back of my neck in Iraq in full battle-rattle.

The VA is being rather dubious about it, because I was in a tactical convoy, and good golly gee, couldn't stop off at my local Iraqi branch of the VA, or major army medical facility in the middle of combat.

I am rated for other things, so I feel everyones pain.

To elaborate on Blackhawk Down; Shugart and Gordon, and their exploits, are a part of Basic Training (or were) as an example of selfless service. What a story it is.

To my brothers and sisters in uniform, my fellow vets, and those who paid the ultimate price, we will always be family.

rodbender · Jan 17, 2011

I have never been in the military. I show my appreciation by buying the meals of all military and police when I eat out. I simply tell my wait person that I want the tickets of any police or military that I see in the place. Once at our local Tex-Mex place there were 12 military in the restauraut. They were staying at the Holiday Inn next door while training at Camp Swift. My wife thought I was nuts. The bill was over $200. The waitress ratted me out after I told her not to tell who it was. I had to endure trying to explain to each one, as they came over to thank me, that it was I that owed them the thanks. Once I was getting my hair cut and there were 2 from Camp Swift getting ready to leave and I motioned to the cashier that I was going to pay for their haircuts and she ratted me out as well. Dang women. So much for anonymous.

NRAMARINE · Jan 17, 2011

My CO once asked me "Why are you here?"
" To protect my country sir."
"No it's too big, you can't carry the world, find something smaller, something that just screams America to you."
After a moment I replied, " I love to go to high school baseball games on saturdays in spring, a hot dog with mustard, cold beer, and the sun on my face watching a game."

That's what I fought for, the little things we take for granted. Not the politicians, or the bankers. I fought for baseball games and kids having a safe place to play.

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