Hopefully I don't miss the boat on my response here. I've been trying hard over the last few days to direct my thoughts to this thread without going off in every direction.
I am a very angry American these days. (Join the club right?)
Growing up my heroes were Hasbro, Kenner, Mattel, GI Joe, and SGT Rock comic books. Small Wisconsin town, population 1800 people. We would play "guns" and roll around on our bikes, climb roof tops of local business and demonstrate our sniper skills at ages 11-13. In the winter months, I'd ascend on top of the biggest pile of consolidated snow mounds with my "jump pack" of soup, crackers and snacks from the cupboards of the house and occupy that snow mound for a little bit in the late hours of the night. No ipods, no cell phone.
Just me and a dream of being an infantry guy someday.
In 8th grade my parents got a call from school because I didn't select high school electives that would support going to collage someday. Didn't need to, I was going in the Army as soon as I turned 17. (National Guard). That would give me a headstart and than when I graduate school I can switch to Active Duty.
My Dad, being a Vietnam vet, MP, wasn't happy that I signed up for a job that would not be able to transfer to the civilian sector when I got out. But, they still signed the waiver for me to join at 17.
I served my country from 1991 - 2013. I did because it was in my blood and my soul. I am a retired 13Fox, Fire Supporter, better known as FiST Teams. In short, we controlled everything "indirect fire" related for maneuver units, (Infantry and Armor).
Everything includes, Naval gunfire, Attack Helicopters, Fixed Wing, Mortars, Artillery and Rockets. I was the guy either planning or executing the release of death to come to bad guys. (My favorite CAS platform, the A-10!!)
In 2013, the Army I had once joined had changed drastically. To this day now, I am not a big proponent of talking kids into joining the military. I joined because I LOVED the "college party that never ended" environment for me. Everything else, money, bonuses, hot chicks, cars, material things all sort of fell in place.
I liked being deployed because on a deployment that's the ****IN SUPERBOWL!! It's a place to showcase YOUR years of training, dedication, and a free pass to kill based on the rules of engagement.
Todays military.......
There is no place for WOKEism
Females DO NOT belong in certain combat arms professions
Military is to "administratively focused" more PowerPoint presentations and sexual harassment classes, checking the block stuff instead of going out and getting hands on training to combat the real problems.
Would I sign up today and do it all again? Yes! Because bad people need to be interdicted and expunged from this earth. And I have the skill set to do just that.
We lost in Afghanistan. We lost in Iraq. WE LOST
Everything else is lip service. People say, we as a nation haven't learned anything from Vietnam. I disagree. People have learned to be compassionate, encouraging and recognize through varies methods their appreciation of what service members have done.
Obviously, what wasn't learned from previous war engagements is that military leaders need to do military things and politicians need to do political things. What makes a good dynasty of a football team? The GM doesn't do the play calling, the Offensive Coordinator does.
~~Blackmail is a powerful weapon~~
I am a very angry American these days. (Join the club right?)
Growing up my heroes were Hasbro, Kenner, Mattel, GI Joe, and SGT Rock comic books. Small Wisconsin town, population 1800 people. We would play "guns" and roll around on our bikes, climb roof tops of local business and demonstrate our sniper skills at ages 11-13. In the winter months, I'd ascend on top of the biggest pile of consolidated snow mounds with my "jump pack" of soup, crackers and snacks from the cupboards of the house and occupy that snow mound for a little bit in the late hours of the night. No ipods, no cell phone.
Just me and a dream of being an infantry guy someday.
In 8th grade my parents got a call from school because I didn't select high school electives that would support going to collage someday. Didn't need to, I was going in the Army as soon as I turned 17. (National Guard). That would give me a headstart and than when I graduate school I can switch to Active Duty.
My Dad, being a Vietnam vet, MP, wasn't happy that I signed up for a job that would not be able to transfer to the civilian sector when I got out. But, they still signed the waiver for me to join at 17.
I served my country from 1991 - 2013. I did because it was in my blood and my soul. I am a retired 13Fox, Fire Supporter, better known as FiST Teams. In short, we controlled everything "indirect fire" related for maneuver units, (Infantry and Armor).
Everything includes, Naval gunfire, Attack Helicopters, Fixed Wing, Mortars, Artillery and Rockets. I was the guy either planning or executing the release of death to come to bad guys. (My favorite CAS platform, the A-10!!)
In 2013, the Army I had once joined had changed drastically. To this day now, I am not a big proponent of talking kids into joining the military. I joined because I LOVED the "college party that never ended" environment for me. Everything else, money, bonuses, hot chicks, cars, material things all sort of fell in place.
I liked being deployed because on a deployment that's the ****IN SUPERBOWL!! It's a place to showcase YOUR years of training, dedication, and a free pass to kill based on the rules of engagement.
Todays military.......
There is no place for WOKEism
Females DO NOT belong in certain combat arms professions
Military is to "administratively focused" more PowerPoint presentations and sexual harassment classes, checking the block stuff instead of going out and getting hands on training to combat the real problems.
Would I sign up today and do it all again? Yes! Because bad people need to be interdicted and expunged from this earth. And I have the skill set to do just that.
We lost in Afghanistan. We lost in Iraq. WE LOST
Everything else is lip service. People say, we as a nation haven't learned anything from Vietnam. I disagree. People have learned to be compassionate, encouraging and recognize through varies methods their appreciation of what service members have done.
Obviously, what wasn't learned from previous war engagements is that military leaders need to do military things and politicians need to do political things. What makes a good dynasty of a football team? The GM doesn't do the play calling, the Offensive Coordinator does.
~~Blackmail is a powerful weapon~~
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