what was your experience like?
would you do it again?

several of my family members have served in the military with mostly all positive experiences. my dad was in the army for a big chunk of my childhood, and i really liked it as a kid, i felt really proud of him, & i still do. i think if my dad could do it all over again, that he would.

Every generation in my family has had a member serve during a time of war, Vietnam, Korean War, WW I &II and now I have one cousin on my mom's side that's in Afganistan. Every family member that I've had go off to the military came back screwed up in the head. Especially the men that were in the Marine's like my son's father. I have two cousins that are currently seriving in the military, AirForce and Army... they decided to make it their life-long careers.

This is why we made the decision to turn down West Point for my son. They sent us 4 letters, and called us once. Its a wonderful school, and many go on from their to do very well for themselves but, I just didn't want my son trained in that mentality. He's at Northeastern University now... 100% tuition free thanks to the academic scholarship and grants.

Its a great career/stepping stone if you can handle it mentally.

My grandfather served in the Canadian military, WWI. He died when my dad was really young, but not in battle.

I served onboard the USS Independence CV-62, which was a Forrestal class aircraft carrier.


I served from 1987-1989. I went to boot camp in Great Lakes, IL, and my ship was in Philadelphia when I reported for duty. We were finishing up a huge overhaul program called SLEP (Service Life Extension Program). They had basically stripped and refitted the ship w/ the latest in technology and fittings. I got there near the end of it, and I served through the trial runs, the Gitmo 30-day testing. Our goal was to change home ports to San Diego's North Island (Coronado Island). We stopped in Norfolk, VA for a few weeks, then headed to St. Thomas, Rio, and around the tip of South American (we were too big to fit in the Panama Canal), and Acapulco. We spent a good week in all those places. We were due to stop in Valpariso, Chile, but because of some political unrest there or something, we kept going. We arrived in San Diego on October 8, 1988. I spent only 5 months there as I was discharged in March 1989. My time was done, and I didn't even have a Career Counselor approach me for reenlisting. They knew that I wasn't going to.

I hated the experience. I hated the routine every day. I did have a decent job once I got out of Engineering. I landed an office job, and did well at it, but I hated it. I didn't like having to stand in line for food, or dozens of guys around while I tried to sleep. I hated not having enough storage space. I hated not having a bathtub to bathe in if I wanted.

I was happy I got to visit all those places. Even Philadelphia, Virginia, California, and Illinois were firsts for me at 18 years old. (I turned 19 right in the middle of boot camp.) I probably would not have seen Livesexy had I not been in San Diego at the time, and went to Los Angeles to stay w/ my aunt and uncle (dad's brother) and go see Prince at the L.A. Forum. I'd not have met a good friend Stephen, who was a huge Prince fan like myself. I lost track of him in about 1991. Oddly, he is on Prince.org and Orgnoted me a few months ago. Amazing that we met because of Prince, and reconnected because of Prince after 18 years. I called him about 2 weeks ago too.

Would I do it all again though? Fuck no. I hated it, I resented the fact I went into the Navy, etc. I've had some things lean my way because of being a Veteran, but still...I'm not sure it was all worth it. But my God the stories I have from that time period. Two years, and two books worth at least.

If I had the good sense, I would have saved my money while living in San Diego, and gotten an apartment there, found a job when I got out, and just stayed in California.


Bootcamp pictures.



Trying to work my International Male eye wear. I was so tired in this picture, I just wanted to get off the ship and be normal again. We were under a long stretch of being out to sea when this picture was taken.

My stepbrother went in the Navy in the early 90's, and ended up on my ship, which had then moved permanently to Japan. When it was decommissioned, the Kitty Hawk took it's place as the only US ship to be permanently "out" to sea by being home ported in Japan. My natural brother went into the Navy (partly to avoid his drug buddies to who he owed a LOT of money at the time), and ended up at the same boot camp, and hung out w/ our stepbrother for a while. My brother ended up on some other ship, and was ported in Hawaii for 4 years. Must be rough!

Dad - Marine
Dad's brother - Marine
Granddad - Army Air Corp, later Air Force
Grandpa - Army


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[Edited 1/24/10 9:43am]

Dad ~ Marine

Brothers (2) ~ Airforce

Son ~ Airforce

Son ~ Law enforcement, K9 ( simular to Military )

That's just my direct family ~ extended family has many military people

i have two uncles that were Army and my oldest son is National Guard. My honest opinion is it made the three of them assholes.

Mach said:

And you're a moderator! The whole fam keeping order!

Grandpa- Army, served in WW2, died in a tank blast
Step Grandpa- Army
Dad- Marines then navy
Father in Law- Army
Brother- Air force
Brother in law- Air force
Husband- Army
Son- Currently serving in the Marines

Great Great Gran Dad - Civil War Vet (I believe)

Great Gran Dad - Army

Grand Dad - Army

Dad - Air Force

Me - Air Force

Word.

dad- army air corps WWII
uncle- army
cousins-army, marines, air force
brother- army
brother(s) and sis in law- air force
me- air force
hubby- US ARMY RETIRED
HOOOOOAAAAAHHH

butterfli25 said:

yes I'd do it again.

My father and one of my uncles on my mother's side were in the military and both of them are assholes too. Other than that, most of the rest of my family are pretty cool.

My Uncle was in the Air Force and one of my cousins and my Ex whom Im really good friends with is still in the Air Force.

Cinnie said:

Didn't think of that at all

BUT

I am far from militant in my Mod actions ~

vainandy said:

I just want to clarify that I do not believe all military people are assholes. Just the ones in my own family.

Mach said:

No but it stems from the sense of duty to public safety/health I believe.

Same here.

My father was a sargent or something during the Korean War. I think he expected us to snap to attention like they do in the army. He even used to say to me...."What are you going to do in the army when they tell you to snap to attention". I would simply reply..."They'll have to force me to be in the army first and if they catch me before I make it to Canada, I'll tell them they better snap their fingers in somebody else's face". My mother (who simply was together with him because she couldn't afford to raise four kids on her own) told him he would make a great prison warden.

Add that to the fact that he was an extreme racist who couldn't stand me having a mind of my own and tried to beat his views into me made growing up a pure hell. He tried to run the house like the army where what he said goes and don't question it just do it and think like he does or be punished for it.

vainandy said:

after watching this movie...no way i could serve

My father was drafted into the viet nam war. He came home a different person and to this day hasn't ever really healed. I cannot tell you the havoc that has wreaked on his life and subsequently the lives of his family.

CarrieMpls said:

Must have been horrific.

Cinnie said:

Ahhhh - good point

Dad was in the Army

My son in law is in the Air Force

My bf is in the Army

Great maternal grandfather ~ WWI (killed on his way home after fighting in France in 1916)

Father ~ conscription during the Palestine conflict

Hubby ~ US coast guard

My brother ~ Canadian military (Air Force). He's no longer in. He has served in Bosnia and during the Gulf War.

My dad drove a truck in the Army in the early 50s.

My sweetie graduated from the Air Force Academy and was a fighter pilot.

I'll be separating from the AF after 10 years in. I have 3 months to go. It's not that I hated it or anything, I'm getting out simply because I opted not to accept orders to Hawaii of all places because it puts me farther away from my daughter. I don't regret my decision at all, since after 3 years of her living in Arizona, she is finally coming this weekend to live in Maryland with me, something that may not have happened if I were in Hawaii. I intend to join the AF Reserves.

FauxReal said:

Good for you concentrating more you your daughter

It's hard being away for long periods of time