Quote Originally Posted by boozeboxer View Post
I believe No Contest started a thread stating he was trying to join the Army.

Many different beliefs on whether that is a good or prudent decision.

He in reality has asked the forum members, so I believe Hornfinger owed it to his fellow poster to state that he believed it was a waste of time.

The bottom line is Hornfinger is of an opinion similar of many people you will encounter, whether they tell you or not. I think it is only fair he would be told this before he joined.

If this is only a puff piece giving slaps-on-the-back and attaboy's, he might as well join an Army Forum.


Before someone gives their life away they ought to be able to have several idea's given. Just because some dude in Texas who is life-long military thinks it is a great idea, doesn't automatically invalidate other opinions on it.
That guy is an asshole anyway

In all seriousness Booze is correct that joining any military service is a serious decision and shouldn't be taken lightly. For one, the military is more than just a job it is a lifestyle and people need to think long and hard if they can conform to it b/c if they can't their time in uniform will be unpleasant. Two, while a very small percent of the U.S. military has ever had to actually pull the trigger it is something to be considered. No Contest should put serious thought into how he feels about the prospect of using lethal force. Its not cool or glamorous and I have never nor have I ever allowed my Soldiers to act like they just scored a game winning goal. In the end it is really impossible to know how you will react in the instant and afterward. Lastly, the military doesn't create foreign policy they execute it. So No Contest should be aware that he might be told to go to a foreign country for a mission he doesn't really believe in. Honestly I've never sat around thinking a whole lot about what the over arching strategic meaning of my deployment was. If I wasn't in uniform, some other guy would be leading the same eight Soldiers I am, so I'd just as soon it be me. I didn't address these issues in my first post b/c quite frankly it is my experience that people have reconciled them before they step into an Army recruiters office. Hornfinger's isn't wrong to challenge No Contests desire to serve I just wish he would have shown a little more class in doing it. Lastly military member's roles are often equated just to the conflicts we see on the news. As I pointed out earlier there is a tremendous amount of real service and humanitarian aid carried out that has nothing to do with putting lead down range. If you are a victim of a horrific natural disaster around the world there is a good chance that a U.S. service member is somewhere nearby helping people.

By the way this thread has gotten really strange.