Perceptions about the Military
 

Two years I retired after serving for 20 years in the military for this great country of ours. I have no regrets about serving 20 years in it. I know get a pretty good retirement check, I still work, im not worried about it. I don't know if alot of the people realize other benefits that I am presently enjoying. My insurance for myself, wife, and son is presently under $500.00 for the entire year. A visit to the doctor's office is under $15.00, prescriptions are either $9.00 or $3.00 depending upon it being a generic brand or name brand.

One of the main reasons why I joined the military was that I wanted to do some traveling. I made my 1st cruise at the crisp young age of 19. How many 19 year olds can say they have been to Spain, France, Italy, Crete, and England. Where I grew up there used to be steel mills, now they are either malls or just empty land. People are right about the military paying for outside education, my associates that I received while active cost me $2500, the military paid for the rest. I totally agree with Revolution's post. I grew up in a middle class family, during my senior year I made my mind up that I wasn't going to live off of my dad's money, unlike some of the spoiled brats that are still living with thier parents. I joined the military in December of my senior and I had the peace mind knowing that my future was set for the next four years. Also while in the miltary I received extra money for housing and food, and all medical care was free for my wife and son as long as they went on base. I was also lucky that where I was stationed at had a free five hole practice golf course on the base. It might not of been much to look at, but it was free and it entertained my family on numerous occasions.

Fox News is full of idiots, but an elitist is somebody who thinks he knows what is best for everyone. Saying poor people suck isn't elitist, it is just somebody who lacks compassion. There are plenty of elitist people that aren't wealthy, they make up a large proportion of professors on college campuses. They have all the answers and love free speech as long as the free speech is what they believe.

Kerry acts like the people that join the military only do it because they are stupid and don't know any better. He seems to have all the answers to everything that is best for people and we need him to protect us from our own stupidity. He also comes across as very uncomfortable around average americans. His calling Lambeau field Lambert field didn't exactly help him. His saluting and reporting for duty garbage at the Democratic convention was so fake it wasn't funny. I don't think he is a bad person, like a Dick Cheney, but he is an elitist, and he probably doesn't even know it.

my son actually had a teacher tell him 'oh, you're too smart to go into the navy, what a waste'. i could have screamed. thank god he didn't listen! this is what he chose to do, he could have done anything, been anything--he chose to join two years ago--every branch of the military was after him because he scored so high on his asvab. my daughter is talking of going in, as is my son who wants to turn a naval aviation career into becoming an astronaut. yeah, real country hicks huh? evidently those who feel the need to belittle those who work to allow them to continue to abuse their freedom of speech must not realize the level of training, the sheer amount of knowledge necessary, to operate so much of the high tech equipment in our modern military!!

I love your comment. I am wrong on many things, but you just can't point them out. Go ahead point out where I am wrong. I am waiting dahoss, but i know you will make your statement and run off like a coward.

There is a real guilt that a lot of people that have never done anything to serve their country feel, and what they do is attack people that do something like join the military because it helps them deal with their knowing they have never done anything that wasn't selfish.

I mistakenly used the word poor in my last reply because you insinuated I was speaking of poor people. My mistake.

But regardless most middle class families cannot afford to send their kids to college. That burden usually falls on the child through means of student loans and/or a job.

I have never said one disparaging word about the troops. Learn how to read before you make an ignorant accusation like that, you pretentious jackass.

Good for him. Do you want a cookie?

Thanks for enlightening me. I still fail to see your point but i'm willing to bet you don't have one.

ADHD in the hizouse.

it really angers me to see people just brush off those who fight, and sometimes die, to protect them--to slight them, to suggest they had no choice, that they are victims who had to join the military or starve, as if that was the only way to get ahead. and yes, some do join partly due to the gi bill--which to me is a great way for the govt to help those veterans who helped their country, but many more look at the military as a viable career in and of itself. they don't go to the recruiter like lambs to the slaughter, these men and women are proud of what they are doing--and the incredibly high re-enlistment rate bears that out!! they aren't doing four year tours and running for the nearest college, they're staying in droves.
i'm proud of my son, and i'm far from proud of some of my countrymen for belittling them and their career choice.

I am still waiting for you to show me where all the mistakes were in my above post.

I don't think Kerry feels poor people suck, but he definitely has an issue with members of our armed services. I am sure he feels they are idiots because they voted in large numbers for Bush and not him. He is an elitist snob, always has been. That is his reputation among people in Washington. It is understandable, he is married to a billionaire and he himself is a trust fund kid connected to the Forbes family.

Hey, if I owned a 6 floor, $7 million townhome in Boston's Beacon Hill Neighborhood, a $9 million oceanfront home on Nantucket, a $5 million ski retreat in Idaho, a $4 million estate near Teresa's hometown of Pittsburgh, and a $5 million home in Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood and a $1 million yacht and a $35 million Gulf Stream Jet, I would be an elitist too. It is human nature.

You can't win with these people. They will always criticize people who join the military, probably because people who serve our country will always be able to say they did something for their country, and most of them have done nothing. I am going to be a post-bac next year and finish up my requirements, but USU is definitely my first choice for medical school.

people joining is not declining, every branch has had more enlistments than they needed or aimed for, and more re-enlistments as well.
i think the dems biggest problem with the military is that most military is tilted towards the republican party. so it's not a demographic the dems really seek to please.

the only real job kerry ever had was while he was in the military. He screwed that up at the best and was a rat at the worst.
He has lived off the money of former husbands and or the families of two very stupid woman. I think that is what he meant by being uneducated. It was Teresa he was talking about not the troops.
Now Mr. Kerry go work a real job and take that drunk Kennedy with you!!!! I for one don't want to pay either one any part of your salaries.

LMAO,

john kerry is full of sh*t and so are the morons who try to defend him now.

and here is a newsflash to all you b*tchy liberals.
nobody gives 2 sh*ts what you think about the war or anything else for that matter.

You morons LOST the election.
you can not present the American people with even a half way credible candidate so dont b*tch about decisions that President George W Bush makes.
he won the election and earned the right to make all the decisions(good or bad) that he wants.
if he wants us to invade the freaking whaling stations at the bottom of the world with miliatery force, then thats what is going to happen.
deal with it losers.


Repent

I hope you're being sarcastic or you're at least severely intoxicated.

**** you *******!

your new to the group arent you...lol