Things Must Change

Feelslikefar

Feelslikefar

Senior Member
Location
Nashville, TN
Not sure where to put this, maybe in the Veterans Forum, maybe not.
I think lot of us would agree that we need to keep our young people out of needless wars.

Having joined in 1970, when the Vietnam War was still happening and did my service.
Loading bombs on a B-52 during this time, I know that it was my duty and my responsibity.

This Thead is about how you feel today.

We have all seen the people who put us in harm's way, and then their sons had a deferment.

I questioned our involvement during 'Operation Desert Storm'. My Second War.
Still went over and did my job.

Not sure what I want to say, but things must change in Upper levels of the Military.

Too few Military members, so more have to be deployed, many who just got back from a deployment.

Off my soapbox
 

Don M. said:
I think every young person who is not physically or mentally disabled should be required to perform a period of military, or community service.
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I absolutely agree. Bring back National Service..

My first husband joined up at 19.. and was in the Navy when the Falklands war was raging on between Britain and Argentina.. Britain won the war but there was a lot of needless loss of lives on both sides..

I was married to my then husband all through his time in the Royal Navy.. and believe me he went in a boy and came out a man... definitely made a much better person out of him..

I have family members who were deployed to Afghanistan with the Royal Marines.. and also with the army.. all of who came out of the services after doing their time proud to have served their country.. and with a completely different perspective on life and the world, than before they enlisted..
 
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The price paid, sometimes is too much. I really didn't like us going into Afghanistan,when it was Saudis who did the deed.

But what got me, was this picture.

There's nothing in this world, that makes this acceptable.
 

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I enlisted but have mixed feelings about this. I think the politicians should duke it out with the opposing side and then maybe we could learn better cooperation rather than resorting to conflict;)

I can’t believe in this day & age war even exists. It’s all because of stupid morons… The world spends more money on the war machine than it would if we just took care of one another and our planet! No need for a national service!
 
War is a big money maker for the military industrial complex and they have a lot of power over politicians.

Remember this line: "You go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you might want or wish you had at a later time."

That was Donald Rumsfeld, making excuses for not providing soldiers with the protection they needed. I guess whoever supplied armor didn't fill the coffers of elected officials, so that wasn't a high priority. But we sure dropped a lot of bombs! There's big money in bombing the crap out of other countries.
 
SeniorBen said:
War is a big money maker for the military industrial complex and they have a lot of power over politicians.

Remember this line: "You go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you might want or wish you had at a later time."

That was Donald Rumsfeld, making excuses for not providing soldiers with the protection they needed. I guess whoever supplied armor didn't fill the coffers of elected officials, so that wasn't a high priority. But we sure dropped a lot of bombs! There's big money in bombing the crap out of other countries.
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While studying U.S. History in college, I remember reading about all the bombs that were dropped in Vietnam. There must be a lot of money for the Oligarchs that get paid.
 
Feelslikefar said:
Not sure where to put this, maybe in the Veterans Forum, maybe not.
I think lot of us would agree that we need to keep our young people out of needless wars.

Having joined in 1970, when the Vietnam War was still happening and did my service.
Loading bombs on a B-52 during this time, I know that it was my duty and my responsibity.

This Thead is about how you feel today.

We have all seen the people who put us in harm's way, and then their sons had a deferment.

I questioned our involvement during 'Operation Desert Storm'. My Second War.
Still went over and did my job.

Not sure what I want to say, but things must change in Upper levels of the Military.

Too few Military members, so more have to be deployed, many who just got back from a deployment.

Off my soapbox
Click to expand...
Seems obvious to me that, what with Russia's embarrassing invasion of Ukraine, Finland joining the EU, nationwide protests in China (against the CCP, no less!), much of Europe in a sweat over fuel and Africa sweating over grain imports, things will definitely change. And probably real soon. Seriously, I can hear the clock ticking.
 
Feelslikefar, it was inevitable. Everything has changed. Ex-pat the only viable solution. Get the heck out. It's only going to get worse.

Me? Too old to Ex-pat. No country is eager to take on a 79+ y.o. Do my daily push-ups and leg lifts and go to the rifle range once a month. Pay my bills. Vote for what that's worth. Basically, fly under the radar.

Yeah, what it is today is not what I signed up for in 1961. But it is what it is. Suck it up and gut it out. One of these days it's all going to end.
 
Father, Air force, I was born in France, then we went to Germany for a couple of years. He served in Japan and Greenland that I know of. He died of a heart attack at 36, I was only 3. Veterans benefits to Mom, sister and me helped us have a good life. He was not here but he made sure we were taken care of. The true measure of a man, making sure his family is safe if the worst thing happens/
 
Chet said:
Usually it's the young and naive who enlist and only find out later that the government and a whole lot of the country doesn't give a damn about them.
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For sure. (y)
Similar to Nathan I enlisted in 1968 at 18 years old. Shipped to Vietnam after basic training (8 weeks) and A.I.T. ( 11b, another 8 weeks).
Wish I could say I left Nam. Physically it was November 1970, mentally, not yet. :( although it has gotten some better over these last few years. (thank you dear wife).
 
Yep. Watched the vid. Don't disagree. Problem is the "disasters" keep getting acknowledged, but solutions are lacking. What to do?

The focus is on 'kids' and the young. Particularly in the military. At 40 you're old. Too old. I know. Hung in there until age 58 and it darned near wasted me.

For sure things must change. How to effect that change is the challenge. So few of our young men are even qualified to serve in the military-mentally, physically or socially. Is the solution watering down enlistment standards and compromising training to flesh out the force? Sure, that meets the numbers games. All the recruiters care about. Force readiness? That's a whole nother mother.
 
ArnoldC said:
So few of our young men are even qualified to serve in the military-mentally, physically or socially. Is the solution watering down enlistment standards and compromising training to flesh out the force? Sure, that meets the numbers games. All the recruiters care about. Force readiness? That's a whole nother mother.
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Maybe we should have some minimums for the commander in chief. Lets see, must be 35 and a natural born citizen. Hell even the armed services are more selective.

I think some minimums should be:
  • Medically Fit
  • Psychologically Fit
  • Understand the Constitution
  • Understand the Chain of Command
  • At least High School Graduation Preferably College
  • Some Kind of Government Experience Local/State/Federal
Come on, the most powerful job position in the world with no requirements. Doesn't make sense!
 


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