Attention Veterans!

[tailfins]

US Army 1988-95. ETS'd as a SSGT E-6. 7th ID (Light at that time), 24th ID, 2nd ID.


National Guard 1995-2000 and then 2002-2005.


11B all the way through except for the last hitch, I was still 11B but I worked in S-2. Left the Guard as a MSGT E-8.


I don't normally talk about my time in the service, the only civilian I've ever talked about it with was one of my sons when he told he wanted to enlist. It's kind of hard not to here though, there seem be a lot a veterans on this board.

Why wouldn't you want to talk about it? It's part of your life's experience. I'm sure you learned lots of interesting things.

[Motown]

I don't know exactly why I don't like talking to civilians about it, I just don't.

[Abbey Marie]

I don't know exactly why I don't like talking to civilians about it, I just don't.

Maybe you think they won't really get it (your experiences), so why bother?

[Motown]

Maybe you think they won't really get it (your experiences), so why bother?

I had to think about this. I don't think it's that they don't get it, my experience is that most civilians don't want to get it. They want to say thanks for your service and they have preconceived notions about what the military is like and they prefer to keep things that way.

[Gunny]

Why wouldn't you want to talk about it? It's part of your life's experience. I'm sure you learned lots of interesting things.

Most vets don't. As Motown says, it's hard not to on the board. The means of communication here sort of dictates. While I am the same person in real life I am on this board, I don't talk much at all. I "talk" more on the board in a day than I do in 2 weeks in real life. But for someone like me who spent the first 40 years of his life in the military as a dependent then a Marine, it's REALLY hard not to. Same with ANY career military person.

But there IS a disconnect. I'm a lousy civilian and I'll be the first to say it. Y'all are generally disorganized, inefficient, wasteful, and closed-minded.

[Motown]

But there IS a disconnect. I'm a lousy civilian and I'll be the first to say it. Y'all are generally disorganized, inefficient, wasteful, and closed-minded.

Yeah, they are disorganized aren't they? And I bet you do suck something awful but at least you aren't the only one.

[Gunny]

Yeah, they are disorganized aren't they? And I bet you do suck something awful but at least you aren't the only one.

Not sure I like the way you said that.

I'm a hardass prick by civilian standards, but I'm really not a mean person. Babies, kittens and puppies are like WTF-ever dude. Get me angry, we got a different discussion going on. Another civilian-military discrepancy. I don't go into combat to lose and when it's on it's ON. I have been chastised more than once hereabouts for such behavior.