everyone has different taste.. so i want to know what is YOUR likes and dislikes of the military!

Hmmm...
Has a specific goal- to kill people and break things

does not live up to that goal- peacekeeping is the job of the UN. (Ok, let's not get carried away)
Eats up a huge portion of the budget
Few of the projects on that budget are of definite use.
Highly politicall motivated in upper echelons

Pros-
Keeps me safe in my own bed
I have role models from past heroism
Idealistic at lower levels for most officers
Patriotic duty
Paid education
Hey, I get to use firearms, and that's a plus in my book ANY day

all I can think of at the moment

Originally Posted by deerslayer

Hmmm...
Has a specific goal- to kill people and break things

does not live up to that goal- peacekeeping is the job of the UN. (Ok, let's not get carried away)
Eats up a huge portion of the budget
Few of the projects on that budget are of definite use.
Highly politicall motivated in upper echelons

Pros-
Keeps me safe in my own bed
I have role models from past heroism
Idealistic at lower levels for most officers
Patriotic duty
Paid education
Hey, I get to use firearms, and that's a plus in my book ANY day

all I can think of at the moment

Seeing as how you can't produce something from nothing, I guess they need money.

Seeing as how the National Guard provides relief and aid in natural and manmade disasters, they keep the boogie man off the front steps and back porch, help in the development of new and old devices, and alot of the house hold things we take for granted everyday. Has helped keep our country to stay free of oppresion and tyranny.

Specific Goal: Support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Army -trains you to be a Radio Repairman and then makes you a Radio Operator where the closest you come to repairing a radio is when you replace a battery. (6 years of Army service)

Navy - trains you to be a Hull Tech and then puts you on a ship where you spend at least half the year at sea. (15 years of Naval service)

Air Force - trains you to be an Engine Mechanic and then allows you to spend almost all of your 20 years of service at one base (sometimes). (was stationed at an Air Force base for 9 months)

Reserve Forces - train you to do a whole variety of jobs and then when a war is declared or a trouble spot is invaded, you are the one who is sent into harms way. (3 years on a Reserve ship - active duty training personnel)

Marines - trains you to be a Clerk Typist and then puts you in a forward unit where the main thing they train you to do is to take a beach (or) to act as the forward units for the Reserve Forces in a war zone.. (some of my best friends were Marines in Bermuda .. 3 years as Security Guard / Police/Range Master / Weapons Department)

Coast Guard - trains you to be a Diesel Mechanic and then assign you to various Coast Guard Cutters where the most exciting thing you do is to go on drug interdiction operations with Naval units. (almost 7 years stationed at the same docks as the Coast Guard)

Originally Posted by Chief Bones

Army -trains you to be a Radio Repairman and then makes you a Radio Operator where the closest you come to repairing a radio is when you replace a battery. (6 years of Army service)

Navy - trains you to be a Hull Tech and then puts you on a ship where you spend at least half the year at sea. (15 years of Naval service)

Air Force - trains you to be an Engine Mechanic and then allows you to spend almost all of your 20 years of service at one base (sometimes). (was stationed at an Air Force base for 9 months)

Reserve Forces - train you to do a whole variety of jobs and then when a war is declared or a trouble spot is invaded, you are the one who is sent into harms way. (3 years on a Reserve ship - active duty training personnel)

Marines - trains you to be a Clerk Typist and then puts you in a forward unit where the main thing they train you to do is to take a beach (or) to act as the forward units for the Reserve Forces in a war zone.. (some of my best friends were Marines in Bermuda .. 3 years as Security Guard / Police/Range Master / Weapons Department)

Coast Guard - trains you to be a Diesel Mechanic and then assign you to various Coast Guard Cutters where the most exciting thing you do is to go on drug interdiction operations with Naval units. (almost 7 years stationed at the same docks as the Coast Guard)

Chief Bones, forgive me for not knowing due to the fact that I'm a newb to these forums, but were you in ALL those armed organizations/agencies/branches/etc.?

Job Security
Retierment Benefits (50% at 20 years and 75% at 30 years)
Medical Benefits (yeah some of you old salts will laugh at it)
Education Benefits (I know some people who have gotten their masters at very little personal cost)
You get to travel on the government's dime (See new places, meet new people, kill them, etc)

Awful food, awful conditions, years away from home, rotten pay, sleeping rough, being tired and dirty for weeks on end, a whole bunch of silly sods trying kill you, the list could be endless.

are those pros or cons? some of them could go either way for me.

Originally Posted by Cadet Seaman

Seeing as how you can't produce something from nothing, I guess they need money.

Seeing as how the National Guard provides relief and aid in natural and manmade disasters, they keep the boogie man off the front steps and back porch, help in the development of new and old devices, and alot of the house hold things we take for granted everyday. Has helped keep our country to stay free of oppresion and tyranny.

Specific Goal: Support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Sorry, the NG seems to have slipped my mind

Wow reading all these posts...makes me wonder if they are any TRUE benefits to joining any service. I am starting to get scared that my husbands LIFE changing decision might not be what our family needs or wants. He wants to serve and better our family. All the above posts (some of you with a LOT of time in) makes me think stayin at his job and where we are out ways anything any branch has to offer us!

what the heck does it mean only 50% pay at retirement after 20 yrs???

Coming down to draw...waiting on dependant wavier, going to MEPS for MOS search and meeting with conselor. I think I want to keep my man home now more than ever. Is any of the above worth him missing out time with us and seeing his children every night, reading to them and tucking them in??????????
~more confused than ever~
Nikki