Will/Did you encourage your kids to join the military?

[gabosaurus]

NON-CONFRONTATIONAL question here. If you have older kids, did you encourage them to pursue military careers? If you have younger kids, will you encourage them?

I ask this partially because of some of the current topics in this forum, and partially because the high school where the 16-year-old girl my sister has guardianship over had an assembly on Monday where military careers were discussed.
She declined to talk to any of the recruiters because she wants to pursue a career in architectural design. And has already been offered a full college scholarship.

I am not going to encourage my daughter to do so either. I have nothing against those who volunteer to help defend our country. I would rather have my daughter pursue an education and then be part of the work force that helps run our country.

Your mileage may vary.

[glockmail]

My son's 15 and I am actively encouraging him to the Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, or ROTC while in college for aerospace engineering. His dream is to fly a fighter plane and then design planes.

[manu1959]

i have little kids.....i encouarge them to persue what they are interested in....and do not preasure them nor discourage them from any particular interest....if either of them decides on a military carrer....then i will support that choice.....

after all i am pro choice....

NON-CONFRONTATIONAL question here. If you have older kids, did you encourage them to pursue military careers? If you have younger kids, will you encourage them?

I ask this partially because of some of the current topics in this forum, and partially because the high school where the 16-year-old girl my sister has guardianship over had an assembly on Monday where military careers were discussed.
She declined to talk to any of the recruiters because she wants to pursue a career in architectural design. And has already been offered a full college scholarship.

I am not going to encourage my daughter to do so either. I have nothing against those who volunteer to help defend our country. I would rather have my daughter pursue an education and then be part of the work force that helps run our country.

Your mileage may vary.

[Hagbard Celine]

My parents discouraged me. I have a bad eye so if I had joined I wouldn't have been able to do anything cool anyway. I think they require 20/20 vision if other people's lives are going to be in your hands. They'd have stuck me behind a desk as a cog in the bureacracy. *Pthppbbbbbbbbppbbb!* Ugh. I've got to get out of this cubicle.

[5stringJeff]

I have talked with my daughter about it briefly, but she shows absolutely no signs of interest. Then again, at 14, neither did I.

I am hoping that one or both of my two sons follows in my West Point footsteps.

[Mr. P]

NON-CONFRONTATIONAL question here. If you have older kids, did you encourage them to pursue military careers? If you have younger kids, will you encourage them?

I ask this partially because of some of the current topics in this forum, and partially because the high school where the 16-year-old girl my sister has guardianship over had an assembly on Monday where military careers were discussed.
She declined to talk to any of the recruiters because she wants to pursue a career in architectural design. And has already been offered a full college scholarship.

I am not going to encourage my daughter to do so either. I have nothing against those who volunteer to help defend our country. I would rather have my daughter pursue an education and then be part of the work force that helps run our country.

Your mileage may vary.

Just joining does not mean a career.

One of my best friends joined the Navy and they payed for his Med school, then he served 6 yrs and got out.

I joined and they payed for a great deal of my flight training, about $350K back then, I served 3 additional yrs an got out.

We, and thousands more, joined the civilian work force that runs the Country.

There are benefits to service.

[gabosaurus]

Very true, Mr. P. Thank you for making that point.
Then again, if an institution has already offered to pay for your education, you don't need to worry about it.

[darin]

I would rather have my daughter pursue an education and then be part of the work force that helps run our country.

The Military provides an education unlike ANY available through college or university. Why not encourage both?

I'll hand-out information to my kids, as they age, to help set themselves up for success. If my son or daughter thinks about taking advantage of the life-experience, technical knowledge, and traditional education benefits of service, I'll also remind them of the moral, ethical, and other intangible benefits of service.

[Hagbard Celine]

The Military provides an education unlike ANY available through college or university.

Then again, if they get their limbs or face melted off fighting for God-knows-what their lives will be ruined so the point would be moot.

[avatar4321]

if my children want to, then yes i will encourage them to do their best in it.

[darin]

Then again, if they get their limbs or face melted off fighting for God-knows-what their lives will be ruined so the point would be moot.

Dude - you won't like this, but yours is SUCH a godless-liberal response. Either way, I've met people who say their war wounds SAVED them...made them better.

[Trigg]

Then again, if an institution has already offered to pay for your education, you don't need to worry about it.

My son (14) is curious about the Air Force Academy and although it is to far away for my taste if that is what he wants to do, I will not stand in his way.

We have told him that if he wants to join and doesn't make it into the Academy, since it's very hard to get in, we would like him to go to college and then join since he can then join as an officer. They pay off college debt also, which is a plus.

I have a feeling that even if my son gets a scholership he is still going to be interrested in the Air Force. But who knows things could change. His best friend's dad is career Air Force and getting ready to retire next year at 40.

[Hagbard Celine]

Dude - you won't like this, but yours is SUCH a godless-liberal response. Either way, I've met people who say their war wounds SAVED them...made them better.

I'd say it's a logical one.

[Trigg]

Then again, if they get their limbs or face melted off fighting for God-knows-what their lives will be ruined so the point would be moot.

Navy and Air Force are almost never in the fighting.

[darin]

I'd say it's a logical one.

Of course you would.