Why do people believe that just because you are in the military you are a "machine"?

G

gridironkid

5-Year Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
90
For example you turn into an emotionless person who becomes a danger to your family, society, and yourself. There are people who are against today's military that believe that when you are in the military you become a "paid killer for politicians" (I don't know if these allegations are directed towards enlisted or officers because there is a HUGE difference between these roles) especially with what is going on now--U.S. picking fights for the purpose of national interest but innocent people getting killed in the process.
 
gridironkid said:
For example you turn into an emotionless person who becomes a danger to your family, society, and yourself. There are people who are against today's military that believe that when you are in the military you become a "paid killer for politicians" (I don't know if these allegations are directed towards enlisted or officers because there is a HUGE difference between these roles) especially with what is going on now--U.S. picking fights for the purpose of national interest but innocent people getting killed in the process.
Click to expand...

They are simply anti-military, pay way too much attention to movie stereotypes, just make it up out of nothing, or all three. My kid is one of the gentlest, most caring people I know. No way is he a machine, but he'll do what's required, when it's required.

And the US picking fights? Really? I suppose one could make a debatable argument about Iraq, but at best it's only debatable.
 
Here's a different take on the o.p.'s question. The USAFA C14 motto is Aequeac Machina, "Like a Machine". Think powerful efficient organized tireless productive focused on a common goal...
 
gridironkid said:
For example you turn into an emotionless person who becomes a danger to your family, society, and yourself. There are people who are against today's military that believe that when you are in the military you become a "paid killer for politicians" (I don't know if these allegations are directed towards enlisted or officers because there is a HUGE difference between these roles) especially with what is going on now--U.S. picking fights for the purpose of national interest but innocent people getting killed in the process.
Click to expand...

Who thinks that? Even here in the bluest of blue states - Massachusetts I haven't run into too many people who think that beyond the occasional HS Kid posting on the web hoping to get a rise from somebody perhaps. Tell me - what is such a "huge difference" between officer and enlisted?. And which fights are the US picking with those poor innocents abroad?
 
gridironkid said:
For example you turn into an emotionless person who becomes a danger to your family, society, and yourself. There are people who are against today's military that believe that when you are in the military you become a "paid killer for politicians" (I don't know if these allegations are directed towards enlisted or officers because there is a HUGE difference between these roles) especially with what is going on now--U.S. picking fights for the purpose of national interest but innocent people getting killed in the process.
Click to expand...

What is the difference between one group telling you one thing and another group telling you something different - what you do with the information.

Serving in the military is something special, it is not for everyone and it doesn't turned out to be what they wanted for everyone.

Again, I suspect that you are looking to self-justify that if you decide not to serve in the military you are making the right decision. From being experienced in life, being old, you might have a difficult life ahead of you if you constantly seek external validation of your decisions, especially if you already picked your validation sources.
 
MemberLG said:
What is the difference between one group telling you one thing and another group telling you something different - what you do with the information.

Serving in the military is something special, it is not for everyone and it doesn't turned out to be what they wanted for everyone.

Again, I suspect that you are looking to self-justify that if you decide not to serve in the military you are making the right decision. From being experienced in life, being old, you might have a difficult life ahead of you if you constantly seek external validation of your decisions, especially if you already picked your validation sources.
Click to expand...

I am not picking any validation sources, I was just watching military videos on youtube and fell across an individual who highly opposed it then the people that came to mind were those that were trying to prevent me from joining in the first place. Deep down, I know that if I don't go for what I want in life that I will regret my decision and not know who I truly am.
 
gridironkid said:
I am not picking any validation sources, I was just watching military videos on youtube and fell across an individual who highly opposed it then the people that came to mind were those that were trying to prevent me from joining in the first place. Deep down, I know that if I don't go for what I want in life that I will regret my decision and not know who I truly am.
Click to expand...

Then why do you bother keep posting, almost like a clock work, something "stupid" every time you see something negative about the military (so you claim)?

I don't see the connection between "negative" comments about the military and your posting. Read your reply - an external event, linkage to "people" that oppose you joining the military. What's the connection to this forum?

What do you expect from this forum?

There has to be a reason why you keep on posting types of questions you do?
 
You shouldn't let anyone's opinions dictate your actions. Not your parents, the stranger in the video, your cousin Vinny, etc.
 
Gridiron,

Let me get this correct...you are 22?

Not to be crass, but at that age I am not sure why you are having intellectual issues with this idea, nor why you have yet to realize how to approach your folks about serving.
~ Are you going to listen to them on other major issues in your future, such as who you should marry, where and when to buy a home, when and how many children you should have or how to raise them? Exactly when does your life become your decisions? 30, 35, or when they have left this earth?

The fact is if you read the threads on ROTC or SAs forums there are 17 year old kids that have managed to find a way to not only stand up to their parents, but also society regarding the military.

You say it has always been a dream of yours to serve as an officer, but I don't think you understand what an officer is like. They are leaders...not followers. Are you a leader or follower? Your posts appear to me that you are the latter.
~ Yes, I know great leaders listen to all sides, but they also don't walk in with always looking at the negative and no ideas of their own on how to win.

At 22 most posters here are already in uniform and if you ask them how often people say something deragotry about the military to them it is going to be incredibly rare. Now ask them how often they are thanked for serving and I bet everyone can say it is often.
~ We took our DS out for a celebration luncheon after he commissioned into the AF at a restaurant. He was thanked and congratulated every few minutes as people walked by, and people sent drinks to our table in appreciation.
~ When Bullet returned from a 6 month deployment for OIF, we went out to dinner. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a couple walk past and point at him. he was wearing a Polo shirt with a small flag and the words Operation Iraqi Freedom. When we went to pay the $100+ bill the waiter informed us that couple had picked up the tab in appreciation for what our family did/sacrificed so he didn't have to. That his biggest worry was getting a babysitter for the night, and that there were military families tonight with much bigger worries. He put 2+2 together when they passed our table with us all smiling and laughing, Bullet's short hair and the polo shirt that he just returned. He asked the waiter and the waiter informed him that indeed Bullet only arrived back @ 4 hours early that day from Iraq.

So you go ahead and watch all of those negative you tube videos, I OTOH will cherish how many times I have stood proud next to my DH and DS as complete strangers took a moment out of their life to appreciate my loved ones with their kind words and actions.
~ OBTW many of the times the comments were also directed to me as a wife and a mother for devoting my life and supporting them.

Good luck in your future, but I have to agree with others on your other thread, I don't believe the military is a good fit for you, it appears that you need constant hand holding on the why.
 
Last edited:
Pima said:
Gridiron,

Let me get this correct...you are 22?

Not to be crass, but at that age I am not sure why you are having intellectual issues with this idea, nor why you have yet to realize how to approach your folks about serving.
~ Are you going to listen to them on other major issues in your future, such as who you should marry, where and when to buy a home, when and how many children you should have or how to raise them? Exactly when does your life become your decisions? 30, 35, or when they have left this earth?

The fact is if you read the threads on ROTC or SAs forums there are 17 year old kids that have managed to find a way to not only stand up to their parents, but also society regarding the military.

You say it has always been a dream of yours to serve as an officer, but I don't think you understand what an officer is like. They are leaders...not followers. Are you a leader or follower? Your posts appear to me that you are the latter.
~ Yes, I know great leaders listen to all sides, but they also don't walk in with always looking at the negative and no ideas of their own on how to win.

At 22 most posters here are already in uniform and if you ask them how often people say something deragotry about the military to them it is going to be incredibly rare. Now ask them how often they are thanked for serving and I bet everyone can say it is often.
~ We took our DS out for a celebration luncheon after he commissioned into the AF at a restaurant. He was thanked and congratulated every few minutes as people walked by, and people sent drinks to our table in appreciation.
~ When Bullet returned from a 6 month deployment for OIF, we went out to dinner. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a couple walk past and point at him. he was wearing a Polo shirt with a small flag and the words Operation Iraqi Freedom. When we went to pay the $100+ bill the waiter informed us that couple had picked up the tab in appreciation for what our family did/sacrificed so he didn't have to. That his biggest worry was getting a babysitter for the night, and that there were military families tonight with much bigger worries. He put 2+2 together when they passed our table with us all smiling and laughing, Bullet's short hair and the polo shirt that he just returned. He asked the waiter and the waiter informed him that indeed Bullet only arrived back @ 4 hours early that day from Iraq.

So you go ahead and watch all of those negative you tube videos, I OTOH will cherish how many times I have stood proud next to my DH and DS as complete strangers took a moment out of their life to appreciate my loved ones with their kind words and actions.
~ OBTW many of the times the comments were also directed to me as a wife and a mother for devoting my life and supporting them.

Good luck in your future, but I have to agree with others on your other thread, I don't believe the military is a good fit for you, it appears that you need constant hand holding on the why.
Click to expand...

Well said PIMA
 
Does the American public think military members are mindless robots? People without emotion or remorse, simply following orders and cold-heartedly killing people indiscriminantely in far away lands? Returning from the "horrors and suffering" with a few momentoes and a head full of rage and depression because each and every one of them is suffering from debilitating PTSD they are unable to handle?

Well, gridiron. I'll first agree with what Pima stated above (smart move on my part). But let me add what I think the REAL issue is here: most Americans have NO CLUE what it is like in the military. Less than 1% are serving or have served. Just like they have NO CLUE what it is like to play in the NFL, or be an Astronaut, or have over $1 Billion dollars in their bank accounts. They get their IMPRESSION on what military members are like by the media, and the media is TRYING TO SELL THEM A PRODUCT (never forget that). And 99% of the time, the media has no clue as well.

Frankly, as Pima mentioned, we normally get a lot of "Thank You for your service", but I have had the rare "You're a Baby Killer" conversations before. I tend to politely respond to both (albiet slighty differently :smile:), and move on. THEY JUST DON"T KNOW, SO I JUST DON'T CARE THAT MUCH.

Pima eloquently stated what you should be caring about. Be a leader and not a follower. Trying to convince your parents that the military is for you? Well ask them, who told them when they were your age that thier current life path was for them? Or did they discover it for themselves? And frankly, they are SO MUCH MORE to gain from the military experience that far outweigh the astronomically small risk of battle injury or death faced in the current conflicts. You would be less safe driving to work everyday where I do; just don't remind Pima of that fact! :biggrin:
 
So curiosity got this cat and looked up Gridiron's previous posts.

I think from those posts they are someone with major second thoughts and this is their problem.

Posts are changing....early posts say the folks support this decision, but felt due to being a minority they won't be promoted, nothing about fear of death. They originally posted their dream was SF.

Than there was a promotion rate issue...again parents misinformation, but sorry this is where I get off the I am an immigrant bus. OP was 8 mos old when they moved to the US from Ethiopia. Your parents, yes because 1/2 of their life was living in Ethiopia, you OTOH are to me 1st gen. American. You attended school from the 1st day in FFX VA . I am betting you were not in English as a 2nd language even in kindergarten. I am not denying your home life was not more akin to an immigrant's family, carrying traditions from Ethiopia, just saying
For you personally you may hold dual citizenship, but you were raised in the US and you have no memories of what life was like in Ethiopia before moving to the US, only stories from your parents.
~ Classic post from the OP was their fathers argument was so ridiculous he was left speechless....sound familiar?

From there it went into I am going to VT.... And into so what you are saying is at VT (an SMC) I won't have a life outside of ROTC and Corps the fall semester as a new cadet! :eek:
{Me LMAO....what did you think life at an SMC would be like, it is an SMC for G sake!)
They also want to change their majors due to the fear that they can't juggle both an SMC life and college.

At the same time the posts of deployment came up regarding armor vs infantry.

Than we had the parents don't want me to die thread so what are the cushy jobs.

Now it is the military is a war machine.

I am starting to see a trend, and the trend is I want to wear the uniform and medals, but not thrilled about the idea of the amount of work and sacrifice required to get those medals and wearing the uniform.

I think they are entering this realm of joing the Army because they watched too many Army commercials. Sorry for diverting the thread, but unless as Other posters understand the root of all these threads, than we are all just spending time for no gain. They will start another thread that is negative in some form or shape and then defend themselves by saying I asked BC the folks or others are thinking for them,


LMAO at Bullet's driving statement. You see early on my SIL asked me if I wasn't scared he would die in a plane crash. This was right after Gulf I. Without skipping a beat I asked are you worried your DH will die on the NJTPKE, he drives it everyday and there are crashes on that road everyday?! If I lived in that fear I might as well go insane. God has a day he will die, and I can lock him in a closet, but he will still die.

I also was once called a war monger to my face by someone in our family because I supported what Bullet did. I smiled and looked at them, then quietly said and tonight and tomorrow and the rest of your life you can sleep easy because my Bullet was willing to die for your right to call him and I a war monger. They never said a deragotory remark again to me or anyone in my family. They actually matured and when 9/11 came around they called me to see if we were okay and would be there if Bullet had to be deployed. They apologized in that call for what they considered as an ignorant remark years ago.
 
Last edited:
Bullet said:
Less than 1% are serving or have served.
Click to expand...

I think it's 1% serving active duty (not sure what that percentage looks like after adding in National Guard and reserves), 10% veterans and 1% retired. While 10% is still small....it's 10 times bigger (am I doing my math right :wink:) than 1%.

That said, the VAST majority have no idea what military service is like, including people who had relatives who served.
 
Pima said:
So curiosity got this cat and looked up Gridiron's previous posts.

I think from those posts they are someone with major second thoughts and this is their problem.

Posts are changing....early posts say the folks support this decision, but felt due to being a minority they won't be promoted, nothing about fear of death. They originally posted their dream was SF.

Than there was a promotion rate issue...again parents misinformation, but sorry this is where I get off the I am an immigrant bus. OP was 8 mos old when they moved to the US from Ethiopia. Your parents, yes because 1/2 of their life was living in Ethiopia, you OTOH are to me 1st gen. American. You attended school from the 1st day in FFX VA . I am betting you were not in English as a 2nd language even in kindergarten. I am not denying your home life was not more akin to an immigrant's family, carrying traditions from Ethiopia, just saying
For you personally you may hold dual citizenship, but you were raised in the US and you have no memories of what life was like in Ethiopia before moving to the US, only stories from your parents.
~ Classic post from the OP was their fathers argument was so ridiculous he was left speechless....sound familiar?

From there it went into I am going to VT.... And into so what you are saying is at VT (an SMC) I won't have a life outside of ROTC and Corps the fall semester as a new cadet! :eek:
{Me LMAO....what did you think life at an SMC would be like, it is an SMC for G sake!)
They also want to change their majors due to the fear that they can't juggle both an SMC life and college.

At the same time the posts of deployment came up regarding armor vs infantry.

Than we had the parents don't want me to die thread so what are the cushy jobs.

Now it is the military is a war machine.

I am starting to see a trend, and the trend is I want to wear the uniform and medals, but not thrilled about the idea of the amount of work and sacrifice required to get those medals and wearing the uniform.

I think they are entering this realm of joing the Army because they watched too many Army commercials. Sorry for diverting the thread, but unless as Other posters understand the root of all these threads, than we are all just spending time for no gain. They will start another thread that is negative in some form or shape and then defend themselves by saying I asked BC the folks or others are thinking for them,


LMAO at Bullet's driving statement. You see early on my SIL asked me if I wasn't scared he would die in a plane crash. This was right after Gulf I. Without skipping a beat I asked are you worried your DH will die on the NJTPKE, he drives it everyday and there are crashes on that road everyday?! If I lived in that fear I might as well go insane. God has a day he will die, and I can lock him in a closet, but he will still die.

I also was once called a war monger to my face by someone in our family because I supported what Bullet did. I smiled and looked at them, then quietly said and tonight and tomorrow and the rest of your life you can sleep easy because my Bullet was willing to die for your right to call him and I a war monger. They never said a deragotory remark again to me or anyone in my family. They actually matured and when 9/11 came around they called me to see if we were okay and would be there if Bullet had to be deployed. They apologized in that call for what they considered as an ignorant remark years ago.
Click to expand...

I think you are dissecting my post a bit incorrectly but thank you for looking through my history because we seem to have a mutual understanding about certain things

1) I never wanted to be an officer for the glory of it (ie medals, uniform, Hollywood) I was a USMA candidate 2x--once in H.S. and in college unfortunately neither attempts worked out for me due to low SAT scores. Also, I have wanted to be an officer since I was in the 11th grade and my parents knew that its just that they hit me with unreasonable reasons as to why I shouldn't be in the military. I am someone who holds in emotions and obviously I don't respond well to ignorance so I come here to just ask and not be judged unfairly. I always talk to to former officers about my decisions and for advice about what being an officer is like and what the military life is like as well--not because I am scared.

2) In regards to the VTCC thread, you have completely misunderstood why I asked that question. I was just worried that I won't commission ON TIME not because I won't be able to balance the cadet life with my academics. Thankfully I found out that in the event a cadet completes his/her ROTC requirement before their academic requirement they would still be able to commission. Also I wanted to know if it is possible for ROTC cadets to have the opportunity to make friends and get into relationships outside of VTCC (its refreshing to know that you are allowed to meet people outside of VTCC however that does not justify what my true priorities are)

Hope this helped :smile:

Don't get it twisted I do want to serve as an officer so I talk to military personnel about my parents and the questions/worries they may have. I know that if I listened to them I would regret it down the road. I also never said anything about wanting to go SF
 
Last edited:
MemberLG said:
What is the difference between one group telling you one thing and another group telling you something different - what you do with the information.

Serving in the military is something special, it is not for everyone and it doesn't turned out to be what they wanted for everyone.

Again, I suspect that you are looking to self-justify that if you decide not to serve in the military you are making the right decision. From being experienced in life, being old, you might have a difficult life ahead of you if you constantly seek external validation of your decisions, especially if you already picked your validation sources.
Click to expand...

I don't listen to these people MemberLG, I just want to know why they bash the military.
 
gridironkid said:
I don't listen to these people MemberLG, I just want to know why they bash the military.
Click to expand...

You are listening to them as you are not igonoring them or giving them more attention than they deserve.

When you figure out why some people bash the military let me know - words like hate, misunderstanding, brainwashing, narrow minded, media, and etcs comes to my mind.

We are products of our environment - so people that bash military have something in their enviornment that makes them act in such way.
 
I am not going to beat a bush dead. You say this is XYZ, and I will accept it. That does not mean I buy it.

That being said you bring us back to ?????
gridironkid said:
I just want to know why they bash the military.
Click to expand...

Really? Really ?? Really you have to ask????

Did you miss Bullet's response
Bullet said:
They get their IMPRESSION on what military members are like by the media, and the media is TRYING TO SELL THEM A PRODUCT (never forget that). And 99% of the time, the media has no clue as well.
Click to expand...

Have you not watched the news?

I am going to be insanely harsh now.

You are 22, and I get a 17 year old asking this, but not a 22 year old. It scares me regarding your posts. At 22 my kid was wearing the uniform and couldn't give a rats arse what others thought. This was his dream and he was going to live it.

Why on earth do you care what ignorant people say or think? Move on and defend this great nation or get out of the way so somebody else can!

Stop the my folks are worried I will die, and the you tube naysayers. Get on board and go 110% in and believe in your self and quit the defense of why I am asking.

Enough already! Be proactive and defend your decision, don't rely on us to give you your answers. The fact that you rely on us speaks volumes as a 22 year old when it comes to being a leader.

I am probably going to get a red card for this post, but sometimes gridiron you have to fall on your sword to defend your beliefs.

OBTW, my DD just graduated from VT, not ROTC, anyone and everyone in VA knows that VT maybe an SMC, but it is not the Citadel or VMI, it is akin to TAMU. The Corps are a small % of the school. The majority are not in the Corps. So please don't play that card with me...if you do it is only proving you never investigated VT as a college. We our very proud parents of her...she is a fellowship recipient for Grad school. Will receive her Masters on their dime come May 2015 in Education.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top