Your Experience

[clamelken2]

I was just curious about the experiences of those who have served in the military:

First off, why did you want to be in the military?

Have there been situations where your moral/ethical values were challenged? What did you do/How did you react?? Did your values change as you were served in the military?

What advice can you give to those just beginning their military careers?

Just some food for thought, Thanks!

 

[i1c5x1]

I was just curious about the experiences of those who have served in the military:

First off, why did you want to be in the military?

Have there been situations where your moral/ethical values were challenged? What did you do/How did you react?? Did your values change as you were served in the military?

What advice can you give to those just beginning their military careers?

Just some food for thought, Thanks!

Hello
I am currently enlisted in the AF. I love it. I joined because the job I was working in was a dead end. I had pretty much failed out of college my first time. I wanted a new start and a chance to do education over again.
My values really haven't changed much other than I think I embrace service more than I used to. Sometimes as my job, I feel like service is what its about.

To those starting out, officer and enlisted, keep pursuing your education. Go above in everything you do. Keep track of everything you do, because sometimes the only one who can toot the horn is yourself.

 

[LineInTheSand]

I joined the Coast Guard after 9/11. It was between that and the Navy, and for a number of reasons, I chose the Coast Guard (academy felt right, liked the idea of them working without a spotlight etc).


I've had my nerves tested, that's for sure, compliments of Cubans. They first time you get a group of migrants you really "feel" for them. I still feel that way about the kids and babies involved, but that changed for the adults. We had adults stealing food from kids (so we fed the kids in a different area). We had mini-riots, etc etc etc. Just a lot of entitlement. Saw some of the same migrants, and the trouble makers the first time were the trouble makers the second time. The district 7 cutters had more experience with the migrants, and weren't nearly as willing to pacify the disruptive migrants. Cubans tended to take their frustration out on the crew while Haitians took their frustration out on each other. We didn't do anything unethical, but I think I was "hardened" through the process.

The one time I really was tested ethically involved Obama administration officials killing news releases that were politically sensitive during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response.

Fox News detailed some of that interference here...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...n-slowed-flow-information-claims-coast-guard/


My advice, never compromise your ethics, try hard, watch out/advocate for your people and learn everything you can. You'll have some interesting experiences which you won't appreciate until you're out of the service.... take it ALL in, even the bad... and reserve those experiences for sweet sea stories for unsuspecting audiences.

 

[patentesq]

I was just curious about the experiences of those who have served in the military:

First off, why did you want to be in the military?

Have there been situations where your moral/ethical values were challenged? What did you do/How did you react?? Did your values change as you were served in the military?

What advice can you give to those just beginning their military careers?

Just some food for thought, Thanks!

clamelken2, if I were you, I would not hesitate to accept the appointment to USMA. Of course, you should weigh all of your options very carefully and don't make the decision until you are sure. Your education at USMA will make you a much better person. Your follow-on experience in the military will teach you leadership and basically set you off on the right path for the rest of your life. Personally, although I had some scary moments, if I had to do it all over again, I'd do it all over again. Definitely worth the experience, and you will come out of this appreciating things so much more and you will develop a sense of critical thinking that is hard to come by outside of the military. And the Army pays you to do it!!

 

[clamelken2]

clamelken2, if I were you, I would not hesitate to accept the appointment to USMA. Of course, you should weigh all of your options very carefully and don't make the decision until you are sure. Your education at USMA will make you a much better person. Your follow-on experience in the military will teach you leadership and basically set you off on the right path for the rest of your life. Personally, although I had some scary moments, if I had to do it all over again, I'd do it all over again. Definitely worth the experience, and you will come out of this appreciating things so much more and you will develop a sense of critical thinking that is hard to come by outside of the military. And the Army pays you to do it!!

Oh patentsesq, I already did!! I was just thinking about all the experiences of all the other members here. I truly value all the insight on this forum! I also needed ideas for a paper I'm writing

Thanks for your insight!!

 

[LineInTheSand]

Oh patentsesq, I already did!! I was just thinking about all the experiences of all the other members here. I truly value all the insight on this forum! I also needed ideas for a paper I'm writing

Thanks for your insight!!

Pretty soon, you're going to start making your own stories....

 

[clamelken2]

Anyone else have experiences they could share?

 

[raimius]

Why did I join?
I wanted the chance to fly, the challenge, and the chance to do something positive in the world.

There have been situations where I found people's activities less than what I thought was right, but not against the institutional rules. I usually made a choice to either give them my opinion or let them continue. It depended on my position (I tended to offer more advice as a peer).

I've also found that my threshold for excuses and BS has been reduced. There comes a time when you have to admit you messed up, and not try to make yourself look good. There was a time when I got sick for the few days before a major paper was due. I usually did my writing/editing in the 2-3 days before hand. That did not work, and I asked for an extension. When the instructor asked if I had any reason other for not having it done than procrastinating until the last couple days, I had to say no and take the late penalty (which was significant). After living with the USAFA honor code, and seeing what happened when it was broken, I definitely do not tolerate lies as much as I used to. Now, "friends" using convenient lies to save face is very grinding to me.