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Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

chrisseaton.com

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Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#421

Post by Cabal »

photochemsyn wrote: post #131

The most important thing to realize about military service is that you sign away all your citizenship rights (free speech, etc.) when you sign up for the service. Hopefully you won't be used in ridiculous debacles like the 2003 Iraq Invasion, based on lies about WMDs pushed by Washington (and see British role as well), but you'll have no say in the matter. The other thing to realize is that, at least in the USA, they…

None of this matches my experience serving, but it turns out this person didn't serve at all and is just trolling. Sad, man.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#422

Post by splitstud »

dntrkv wrote: post #112
toomuchtodo wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The groups you support (progressives, similar PACs, politicians) have recently started telling the world about how poverty is systemic and how useless their actions are in the face of such a fucked up system, so how can you sit here and tell me that these people need to find a way to pull themselves by their own bootstraps while taking away their army issued boots? Much easier to get out of poverty with universal h…

> Much easier to get out of poverty with universal healthcare and subsidized education Isn't that the case though? Medicaid provides great healthcare for those in the lower income brackets (my family used it for the majority of my childhood years) and most colleges are basically free (community college and some state schools will actually pay you). I don't think the ability to pay for education or healthcare is reall…

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Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#423

Post by ramesh31 »

Terr_ wrote: post #417
wolverine876 wrote: post #379

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a lot of Americans are disconnected from members of the military, especially in the upper classes where people do not need to serve, or in fields (like tech) where people can often find less intrusive ways to pay for college. I think that's a serious problem. Americans have little idea how the US military works and tend to form extreme opinions, either glorifying it or villifying it - the former especially in the l…

The flip-side is that with mandatory manpower for military adventurism, politicians and the military leaders who advise them have fewer reasons to temper their aspirations. > Part of the problem is the narrow population from which the military recruits. I wonder if this relates to how military service (not civilian-contractor roles) appear to have a bit of an, er, "sign your soul over and hope for the best" mechanic.…

>The flip-side is that with mandatory manpower for military adventurism, politicians and the military leaders who advise them have fewer reasons to temper their aspirations.

That's not really true. Open democratic societies that still practice conscription like Israel for instance, have a much higher level of civic engagement and understanding of foreign affairs amongst the average people. The population is ultimately much less tolerant of macho strong men and war mongering when they know what it looks like in reality.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#424

Post by peteradio »

Terr_ wrote: post #417
wolverine876 wrote: post #379

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a lot of Americans are disconnected from members of the military, especially in the upper classes where people do not need to serve, or in fields (like tech) where people can often find less intrusive ways to pay for college. I think that's a serious problem. Americans have little idea how the US military works and tend to form extreme opinions, either glorifying it or villifying it - the former especially in the l…

The flip-side is that with mandatory manpower for military adventurism, politicians and the military leaders who advise them have fewer reasons to temper their aspirations. > Part of the problem is the narrow population from which the military recruits. I wonder if this relates to how military service (not civilian-contractor roles) appear to have a bit of an, er, "sign your soul over and hope for the best" mechanic.…

> "Try it for a year" promotion for their National Guard service, and the guy on it ended up being stop-lossed over to Afghanistan or Iraq.

AMERICA AF

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#425

Post by throwaway675309 »

Diesel555 wrote: post #419
photochemsyn wrote: post #131

The most important thing to realize about military service is that you sign away all your citizenship rights (free speech, etc.) when you sign up for the service. Hopefully you won't be used in ridiculous debacles like the 2003 Iraq Invasion, based on lies about WMDs pushed by Washington (and see British role as well), but you'll have no say in the matter. The other thing to realize is that, at least in the USA, they…

As I read this post I kept thinking you had a rough time in service. This doesn’t match my experience at all. Then I saw at the end you didn’t serve, made assumptions based on stories, and had an axe to grind. > The most important thing to realize about military service is that you sign away all your citizenship rights (free speech, etc.) when you sign up for the service. False. I can say the same things as any citiz…

He's not totally wrong. If you enlist in the army and later during your service they tap you for a conflict which you have ideological differences with, YOU ARE GOING irrespective of your convictions... unless you want a military tribunal and possible jail time.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#426

Post by the__alchemist »

photochemsyn wrote: post #131

The most important thing to realize about military service is that you sign away all your citizenship rights (free speech, etc.) when you sign up for the service. Hopefully you won't be used in ridiculous debacles like the 2003 Iraq Invasion, based on lies about WMDs pushed by Washington (and see British role as well), but you'll have no say in the matter. The other thing to realize is that, at least in the USA, they…

This reads like one of the perspectives other comments here lament, ie about Americans disconnected from the miilitary, and not having a clue what it's like.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#427

Post by tekknik »

pyinstallwoes wrote: post #403
oaxacaoaxaca wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>None of that is true. All of that is true about my Army experience lol. If I could go back and do it again, I'd definitely choose Air Force. I agree that the military can be a positive experience and it's a good idea for some people, but the caveat with my endorsement is that you gotta carefully choose the branch and the job. I almost chose linguistics, but for some silly reason chose mechanic and paratrooper, and w…

So you’re allowed to choose your job? I thought it wasn’t guaranteed what interests you had vs what you are placed in.

Somewhat. If you say choose to be an electrician, and it’s later found you are colorblind, you will be placed somewhere. When I joined the Navy, I was given the rate of AV, which doesn’t really exist at the lower ranks. After joining (read contract already signed) I found out that I would be an AE.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#428

Post by throwaway675309 »

giraffe_lady wrote: post #26
watwut wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Afaik, soldiers don't get to choose. The queens enemies is pretty much good description, because his guess is as good as yours.

I don't think they were literally looking for an answer for this specific question, but pointing out how unsettling, at the very least, the lack of concrete answers is. Anyway if they won't say it I will: signing up to fight without knowing who or why you'll be fighting is morally compromised at the extreme very best . Modern economic powers like the UK do not use their militaries for self-defense. Someone able to wr…

THANK YOU. it's amazing how this point seems to be lost on so many people, it would be one thing if I were able to contribute to a specific conflict or situation that I was ideologically aligned with... it's a completely different thing to sign away my life to the military and give them carte blanche to point me anywhere they choose.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#429

Post by tekknik »

giantg2 wrote: post #92
sputknick wrote: post #8

I spent five years in the Air Force. Posts like this are really helpful, a lot of Americans are disconnected from members of the military, especially in the upper classes where people do not need to serve, or in fields (like tech) where people can often find less intrusive ways to pay for college. My favorite part of the article is dispelling the myth that in the military senior people bark orders, and don't ask for…

"My favorite part of the article is dispelling the myth that in the military senior people bark orders, and don't ask for feedback, and subordinates dutifully carry out those orders. None of those is true. There is a time to "shut up and color" but that is by far the exception." Based on my limited knowledge, I think it's highly dependent on the leaders in the unit. I have a friend who always dreamed of being an nava…

> They are leaving due to the political BS of the organization and poor leadership by those in command.

I have a brother-in-law (a chief) leaving 3 years prior to retirement for the same reason. Except it’s exactly the opposite. They’re not allowed to yell anymore, have a lot of limitations on punishment, and have to accept things like enlisted being late to work. They’re leaving because they think the military is on a downtrend and can’t control the high schoolers under their command.

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