People in the military- do you hate it?

you know dude, I came to Canada when I was 11 years old from the former Soviet Union. It took me a lot of years to learn all about the country I am in now, and it will take many more for me to truly find myself. I am 20 years old. I have currently been in the infantry for 1 and a half years, and am scheduled to go to Afghanistan in Feb 2008. I will be employed as a company marksman, using an AR-10 7.62mm sniper system to take out targets up to 2 km away. There are times when the military is nothing but a gay chess game that your officers play to show off. But overseas, rank will be disregarded in turn for experience. There are times when I am enjoying my life and find meaning in it. There always will be the select few that excel at their jobs and rise through the ranks, and plenty of those that are content with the bare minimum. There will always be those that are jealous, and would do anything to dirty your reputation. The military has changed me very little (believe it or not), as I was already conditioning myself and training hard in order to get the things that I wanted in my life. All in all, I believe the government is trying to do something right by stepping up to global oppression, and I am mostly in support of it. Hope you find answers in my reply, albeit I have been drinking since life got me down a bit nowadays.

Did my compulsory military service. I liked it, but I didn't really like some of the people I served with.

We didn't have any of the psychopaths, but we did have our share of Bozz:s. Practically worthless people in the field. They would use every possible trick to avoid doing anything, which meant that somebody else had to do their job as well. As I served in the artillery, it meant that when a normal gun crew would be 6 men and somebody wasn't pulling their weight or was malingering, you would notice the difference. Most people there would just do what they were told without doing more than gripe a little, just because everybody quickly learned the benefits of doing things right. Every single "Bozz" made things worse for everybody else and I don't think anybody appreciated their presence.

We had a couple that would injure themselves on purpose, smashing their fingers between doors on trucks for example, but those who wanted out just had to ask to get re-assigned to civilian service.

I don't think anybody had any delusions about heroism, country, honour, freedom, glory or anything like that.


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If god did not intend for us to eat animals,
then why did he make them out of meat?

I'm currently enlisted in the US army. I am a line medic attatched to a combat troop (that's cavalry jargon for company). I go through a lot of the bullcrap that the grunts have to endure. The physical training everyday rain or shine. Spending countless hours washing vehicles after training in the field. Spending 3 months in the mud and *beep* of beautiful fort hood. Another 30 days at ft irwin for pre deployment training sweating my ass off in 130 degree tempatures couped up in a bradley or m113 personnel carrier. it sucks. yes it does. but, not every job is meant to be easy. i hate, despise the army some days. and some days i look back and think of the good times i have had and the good people i have met. there are plenty of scumbags and lazy people like bozz. hell, i am similiar to bozz, i think about finding ways of getting of the army. what for though? its a dirty job, but someone has to do it. its not fair that only the poor and underpriviledged have to suffer in iraq. i just want to do my part in serving my country. tigerland is still one of my favorite movies.

Jesus, did I say that? Or just think it? Was I talking? Did they hear me?

Your post is an insult to every enlisted soldier, myself included. We're an all-volunteer force. To say compassion, intelligence, and the ability to think for oneself, that they're not good traits for soldiers, well hell that is just wrong. To insinuate that enlisted soldiers are all poor people with no other options, it's absurd. As it is to say all officers come from rich families. You don't know jack about the Army, you don't know jack about soldiering.

Stick to commenting about crap you understand.

I served 4 years in the army during Gulf war part one (Desert shiled/Desert strom) .I considered my military service to be honorable and sacred duty yet very abstract and interesting experience .There was sure is no joy in long road march, guard duty , manuvered in the mud and rain , clean up and overall following the order and told what to do all the time but I guess all of this come with being in the military . I like guns (and I really mean LIKE guns ) so it kind of okay because the army issued me M9 , M16 , two M 240 and big M2 Maduece to play with.

Tigerland was strangely felt like a prequel to Platoon although the time frame were different private Bozz was in the bootcamp in '71 and private Chris was in Cambodia fighting the NVA in '68. I did not met any Bozz type in my military experience most of the smart mouth ,smart a** usually got weed out in the first year or so. Private Bozz was pulling some stunts that would land him a good time in Ft.Levinworth like disobey the direct ordered , insubordination etc. but I think the captain in the movie kind of make a point already that he knew what Bozz wanted -to get kick out of the army and not going to Nam but he was not goingt to give Bozz that satisfaction. The movie kind of play a methapor about anti estabishment , anti war during late 60's and early 70's I can not be too sure because I was barely learn how to walk during that time.

I loved my time in the Army.
I especially loved the second unit I was in.
My first unit was straight infantry and I had some good friends and worked with some squared away soldiers... but there were a few idiots and a few shammers that made things difficult.
My second unit was more high speed and selective so there were no idiots and anyone who couldn't cut it was sent packing.
I loved what I did... even the hard times evoke fond memories.

I wouldn't go back now... not because of the war... but because I have a wife and kids and it would be too hard to raise a family.
I admire those that are able to balance Army and family, but I've seen too many families and relationships suffer.

While I was young and not in a serious relationship, I loved being a soldier.

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I took my Basic and A.I.T. at Ft Polk in 1973 (two years after the setting in the movie). It was at the dawn of the "new army" (just after the final cease fire in Vietnam), so things had changed a lot by the time I got there.

While I did hear a lot about the live-fire training and the abuse as was depicted in the film, I never personally saw any of it. The "Tigerland" camp was similar to the P.O.W. camp they had set up for virtually the same purpose.