| Author | Message | ||
     Wyckedflesh |
This is going to •••• some people off, and I know that some people will take this entirely wrong but its something I do have to get off my chest. Of late I have noticed that the military ego has reared its ugly head. Not just on message boards on the net but also offline as well. I am expected to give respect to our Military Personel at all times as well as my support of our Military Personal regardless of how I may feel about that person. For the most part I do. I support our men and women with everything I have, but this is a reminder to all of you Military Personel out there. With very few exceptions currently you volunteered for the Service. Some of you may have actually been pulled in by draft and chose to finish it out as a career but it was still a choice to continue with the Service. For that I applaud you. I applaud all of our Military Personel, Active, Reserve, Gaurd or Retired/Inactive out there. But take a moment before you spout off about being military and think. Is the person you are about to spout off to not in the military because they chose not to be? Or are your about to throw the fact your serving your country in to the face of someone who was not allowed for medical reasons beyond THEIR control to serve themselves. The only time I have ever lost respect for someone in the military is when they use their military status against a civilian. And honestly of late, I have been getting it thrown at me alot. Yes it has become personal for me. For circumstances beyond my control I was forced to withdraw both my application and leave date from the military. So don't just take for granted that you are military and that every civilain around you owes you. But do take respect for the fact that you were ALLOWED to serve your country in a manner very honorable in its nature. Take a moment to not just accept our thanks and gratitude for the risks you take but understand that many of us wish that we too could be right along your side helping you to help and aide our country but were not able to for reasons other then just not wanting to serve. There are quite a number of us who were not allowed to. | ||
| CJXB |
Glad you got that off your chest, now move on and feel good about yourself no matter what !! My son volunteered, liked it enough he re-enlisted for another term and that was after 9-11, and he may still re-enlist again, he likes being in the Air Force !! I support all our service personnel whole heartedly, but then again I've not met any who have ever treated a civilian without proper respect ??!! CJ  | ||
| Buelliedan |
Wycked, I really don't understand what some GI said that has you so upset. It usually is just the opposite where some punk ••• kid is criticizing a GI who just has to smile and take it so as not to disrespect the uniform he or she so proudly wears. (Message edited by buelliedan on October 28, 2004) | ||
| Buells Rule! (Dyna in disguise) |
I respect those who joined, my brother is making a career out of it & has already been in almost 17 years. Is currently stationed in Saudi Arabia. Personally I had no desire to join & I wont apologize or make excuses for it. Different strokes ya know. | ||
| Shky_jake |
Wycked, I serve with pride and I also understand that some people do not for what ever reason. I am fine with that. That is called freedom of choice. I help defend that right. Whom ever spouted off to you is a narrow minded person. I can say I have never disrespected any body on their choice to serve or not to. The only thing I ask of people is to support our troops at all times not only in war. You do not have to support the war or the person or persons who sent us but just support the solider. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Good reminder. Thanks again to those that served and are serving, and are risking their lives to protect my family. I literally can't thank you enough. I could care less if you volunteered, enlisted while drunk, were drafted, whatever. The fact remains that you are giving up much at a minimum, and possibly everything, to protect my family and my country. God Bless, and God Save. | ||
| Kevyn |
Elvis enlisted. Gary Cooper served. Audie Murphy was a decorated veteran. There doesn't seem to be much respect or enthusiasm from the 'arts' crowd now... My S.O. served in Afghanistan and in the Iraq conflict, is enthusiastic about her military career and now wants to also volunteer at the USO to greet and care for our military personnel in transit. There are many ways to serve. A uniform or association with one branch or another is not mandatory. | ||
| Tork |
Wycked, Sorry you got dissed by some military morons. However, there are hundreds of thousands of us that aren't obnoxious a-holes. Don't lump us all together. | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Wycked, you only feel that way because you are a nasty civilian!  Just pokin fun brotha. I gladly serve so that all views, including your right to criticize may be upheld, and I'm sorry that some of us are arrogant, asses. The thing is, it's normal behavior in the ranks. When interacting with civilians, we sometimes don't know we're offending until the damage has been done. I also recognize that military service isn't the only honorable way to serve America. Any red blooded American who is productive in society is owed a big thank you on my part. The average American is what makes America great. I greet my garbage man every Tues. and Thurs. with a smile. He's a hard working American performing a less than desirable job for all of us. Don't think he's so important? Try not having him show up for a few weeks... Just my example of how everyone has something to give. "Those of you who worry about todays youth have not seen my young Marines in action." Marine OIF Commander. | ||
| Ethanr |
I don't think Wycked was trying to lump all uniformed personnel together. Most of the servicemen (preserving the correct gender neutral English usage of the term) I've known have deserved my personal respect. Regardless, I respect the uniform even if I don't respect the individual. But I do know where he's coming from. I grew up an Air Force brat...Dad put in 20 years. I was signed up for Marine Platoon Leadership Class (Quantico) my senior year in college, but failed the physical after a knee injury that Spring. A couple times (though not recently & it's the rare exception) I've been hit by a "So why aren't you in uniform?" type remark from a serviceman and it's really grating...because I wanted to be. Wycked, the jerks really are the exception. Keep the rest in mind and don't let the few get your blood pressure up. | ||
| Bomber |
it's clear that in any group of folks, the bell shaped curve indicates that there will be some who are selfless, generous, and wonderful human beings there will also be venal, stupid, obnoxious jerks this is true of people in uniform, check out personnel at the local grocery store, school teachers, doctors, elected officials and BB Moderators {grin} the idjits are the ones that deserve our pity -- they seem to live in a very threatening world in which they can only build by tearing someone/thing else down -- sad, I'm thinkin that said, all the folks in uniform have my respect and thanks for their service -- almost all have my admiration for their personalities and actions the rest, well, folks are folks, yes? you can generally ignore em without cost to yourself | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I totally agree with you Wycked, I was refused for the Army & RAF on medical grounds (Asthma), & odd times have had it thrown at me that I didn't serve, but hell, if they won't take you, what can you do? I made up for it later by hauling munitions for the RAF & USAF in the 1st gulf war. These days it doesn't bug me, I must be mellowing with age. In France it's only a few years since they stopped national service so most guys over about 20 have done their bit, If they have a pop at me I ask them what rank they attained, then refer them to the wife, she used to be a Sergeant! | ||
| Outrider |
To serve honorably is a good thing. To not serve and be supportive of those that do in any way you can is also a good thing. To serve dishonorably or selfishly (read: suck off the system and balk at doing what they enlisted for and were trained to do) is as worse than those that are totally unsupportive of our government and the military. I am not referring to questioning authority, but I am referring to undermining its effectiveness once the wheels are in motion. Lastly, I feel it is wrong for the military to not except applicants with minor (and perhaps major) physical challenges (including age). There are so many positions that these folks can fill that would not put them in harms way beyond their limitations. Not to mention, it would be a real act of Patriotism to demonstrate to the world that the US really is equal opportunity. Any comments? | ||
| Sgtbuell |
Outrider Yes I have comment. I have been in the Air Force for a short 12 years. I have never seen so much hiring of the physical and mentally challenged in any business like I have seen in the Air Force. When is the last time you have been on an AF base? Take a look around the BX, Chow Hall, Post Office, and Library etc. Also one of the current uniform maker’s obligations for their contract was to have at least 75% handicapped employees. Some business claim to be an EOE employer while the AF is in my opinion the greatest EOE supporter. Wyckedflesh If you ever have a problem again get that military persons name and the number to their 1st Shirt or commander. Give the Shirt or commander a call and that problem will be taking care of. | ||
| Polekat |
I do not think that attitude is just a military problem. I heard cable tv guys in a restraunt bragging to waitresses about how they climb the BIG poles and work on heavy conductors as part of their job and how damgerous it was. They were just trying to impress the girls. It got loud and another guy asked them to quiet down. They informed the dude that they were contruction workers and that is just the way they are and if the dude were in contruction he'd understand. The dude got a bit peeved. He referred to the cable guys as BOYS. He then told the waitresses (in front of the boys) that cable guys rarely went higher that 24 feet off the ground and the big cable the boys were referring to was much smaller and lighter than phone or electric wires. The boys asked who the dude was and he told them that was a guy who had ladders longer than the cable boys climbed and that he was just a nobody that worked on the high voltage wires at the top of the poles not very very low voltage wires near the bottom. The cable boys were quiet after that. So it is not just military folks. This type of thing goes on all the time. There is a lot of poeple who are full of themselves everywhere you look. (Message edited by polekat on October 30, 2004) | ||
| Aztec12r |
OK, is everyone done crying like a bunch of silly girls and ready to move on yet? Just curious. Think of all the riding you could have done instead of writing that long story of "woe is me". | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Yeah, but it's cheaper than therapy. | ||
| Rocketman |
There doesn't seem to be much respect or enthusiasm from the 'arts' crowd now... That's because what normally follows the 'arts' crowd are the intellectuals too. Bin Laden's latest video go's a long way to show a man who is devout and committed to his faith in such a manner that no one could accuse him of looking the fool, idiot , prat or whatever. To watch the fiasco that surrounds Bush and Kerry fighting for leadership of a country is beyond farcical. Bin Laden can only be sickened and disgusted, much as I am, and no doubt those 'arts' crowd types are too, seeing the respective candidates campaigns as nothing more than circuses for their own betterment. I mean, can you imagine Bin Laden being so flippant with something he holds so implicitly close to his beliefs? His resolve can only be strengthened by watching the actions of such baboons on satellite TV. In fact, baboons would show more dignity in any leadership struggle than Bush or Kerry. Disgraceful I say. It's enough to put one off those once 'arty' types, Schwartzeneger or Springsteen, for eternity. Rocket | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Welcome to the "Rocket Dating Agency" Mr Cat, I'd like you to meet Pigeons.  | ||
| Sgtbuell |
Polekat Whats up I'm a POL-CAT in the AF. | ||
| Polekat |
SgtBuell, After the recent the high winds, what's been up (on poles) is me and a number of my compadres :-) Are you in com or power distribution? | ||
| Sgtbuell |
Polekat, I'm not in your line of work. I'm a POL troop. Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants. We just happen to call are selves POLCATS to. I just thought it was cool some else used that moniker. | ||
| Doughnut |
wow. |
