I am a Military Recruiter and would like to clear up some misconceptions.

Originally posted by Aberinkula

I got separated before completing training. When I went to MEPS and got checked out, the guy said I have flat feet, which was an auto-disqualification. He said he wasn't putting it down on the paper work so I could get in, as everything else about me was tip-top shape. In training, my flat feet (plantar fasciitis) acted up severely to the point that I woke up one morning in week 3 and couldn't walk. I as sent to a doctor, where it was confirmed I have flat feet and was sent to the 319th TRS, the medical flight. I spent 4 weeks there before they sent me home. The Air Force threatened to throw me in jail AND sued me. Why? Because they said I knew about my flat feet before I enlisted. I told them that MEPS told me I had flat feet but the guy didn't put it on my papers. They didn't believe me, and of course MEPS denied everything. I settled out of court. I got a plane ticket home. No benefits, nothing. To this day I have permanent damage from basic training that I have to pay out of my pocket to take care of because all this.

That's my story.

I have flat feet and I did 4 years in the navy.
When i was in the service it was only a auto-disqualification for the marines and army because the had to hump all over the place.

I also had a armed forces physical before i went to boot camp.
and the navy knew i had flat feet.
What did the military do.
Did they stop doing pre-induction physicals to save money.

Then when i got to boot camp the first week was issueing uniforms, the armed forces test battery. shots. and another physical and they saw the flat feet to and gave me arch supports for my shoes.

Sounds like the Air Force was covering for dumb doctors that missed that you had flat foot or knew you had flat feet and did not give you the arch supports and you injured your arches because of it and then they tried to cover it up to save the air force money.

Now the army has used a trick like that on there people with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury.
They have discharged them as having pre-existing personality disorder and cheated them out of a lifetime of disability and medical benefits.
www.thenation.com...
bpd.about.com...

[edit on 21-6-2009 by ANNED]

Okay Im having a really hard time understanding a lot of the posts, if you dislike recruiters you're suddenly anti-all military and liberall hippy commie coward assholes?
Maybe I missed them (I do not read every single post) but I dont recall people dissing soldat in general or anything just war and recruiters in general... because I would have then been offended too but I wasnt. And then a flood of people come in and start being defensive for no reason...

I dont get this American mentality of being somehow better than and having disgust for the 'cowardly' civilians, you guys are just like the Russians in that respect, so arrogant... but in Scandinavia it was like 99% of us dont think like tthat. And dont get all offended if someone criticises their profession.
I know I am going to get yelled at for this but, American soldat are not well respected in the circles, from all my experience. Especially from Russians and Germans. The Russians I trained with always laughed because so many Americans near, thought they were 'Rambo' after going through basic training. Theirs is ridiculous. A close friend of mine who went to Irkusk for training would not speak of it, I think he must have had to kill kittens or something... :S
They went to countless separatist conflicts with fire from every space imaginable with # rations from their uncaring government and no issued body armour... etc etc. But then again they are just as arrogant. Every soldat suffers one way or another. Personally I think it should be judged individually.

But this whole mindset of militarisation, we're nothing without war, soldat are always the greatest people in the world... I agree, some of us do great things, and I have great respect (especially for Russians... they are the only ones in the world who scare me), I am sure you have noticed that I do not use the english word, out of respect. But I dont hold us in some godly light like so many people on here... we are just people. Like civilians. Our stresses are just more life-threatening and physically challenging than theirs, but its not something unfathomable.
We have a motto here that means: Human first, soldat second.
Basically meaning war and taking lives are always the absolute LAST resort, and should be despised, something that is not looked upon with respect, our jobs should not be necessary!! No matter what retain your humanity. I have known too many people who view others just as 'the enemy', 'evil', 'them', with it desensitising them even more every time they kill!! Always dehumanising, not remembering that the people you are fighting are often fighting for the same things you think you are!

And then there are people who would continue to fight even if the world was at peace. Some people just love war and guns. And justify it by saying they are fighting for justice...

I dunno I kind of went all over there... but I just dont see why everyone saw this thread as a bash against us all in general. Yup I have sacrificed a lot, but I dont use it as an excuse to get pissed off at someone bitching about war...

I should add, the OPs avatar and musical choice should not affect your posts. I listened to Dimmu Borgir growing up as a Catholic, it is music, Im sure if the music was the same and the lyrics about bunnies he would still listen to them

[edit on 21-6-2009 by Ridhya]

Originally posted by jkrog08
reply to post by NeoAstra

 

Wouldn't your autism disqualify you anyways? I would have thought something like that would. I know my friend was having major issues just because he had surgery on his right wrist.

it would have disqualified if i would have told the recruiters, i try not to use it as a crutch, but rather a tool to help me get along in life.

Originally posted by lpowell0627
I can't believe this thread.

You all should be ashamed of yourselves, PERIOD.

You know, when all hell breaks loose, and you guys are busy wetting yourselves, you're going to begging for the military to come and protect and/or save you. I hope they take names off of this site and save your sorry butts last.

So let me get this straight:

-- You're mad at the military for war? Learn the process - they have no say whatsoever. You think they ask each soldier his/her opinion? What a joke.

-- You were promised things during recruitment you didn't get? SHOCK! This same complaint can be applied to credit card companies, mortgages, insurance companies, etc. LEARN TO READ THE FINE PRINT.

-- Recruiters claim it's all fun and glamorous? You're being asked to train for the hardest physical job in the world, possibly fight in a war, and serve in various countries all over the world -- and you need to ask if this is fun? More than 5500 soldiers have been killed in the last seven years alone -- does that sound fun?

What would you like them to say: This job sucks and will kill you in one of three ways: physically, mentally, or in combat. And the people you are PROTECTING will turn their backs on you and call you dogs?! Sign here.

I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT I HAVE 4 FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE SERVED IN THREE WARS. And ALL 4 of them, yes all four, have never been more proud of their service and would do anything to protect OUR country.

Is it for everyone? No, of course not. BUT TO THOSE THAT CHOOSE IT -- THANK YOU

[edit on 20-6-2009 by lpowell0627]

well im glad your name will be on the list too, isnt that what your great government calls guilt by association?

there shouldnt be any fine print when signing your life away.

it shouldnt be fun, the recruiters put it off that way so you will join, then during BT and stuff they tell you you are their piece of property and you have no say in what you are going to do, sorry but im more preoccupied with making my own decisions rather than having another mommy there spanking my bottom, but this time its different because you have to kill for mommy.

i dont see any army, marines, air force or navy protecting me, i sit here in the states amidst all the chaos, what do they protect me from?
thugs, gangsters, drugs, car accidents? nothing. they fight for another country - IRAQ, thats why it was called operation iraqi freedom, i dont think saddam was going to come over and harm us, so why are we helping them?
you cannot say it is for their freedom as most soldiers frankly dont give a sh!+ about them.

and now, my best friend has been overseas for some time now, and he tells me that nothing is worrying them over there, they sit there all day, maybe get a little trigger happy and shoot some # on the side of the road.
he does love his country.
but if this war was going on on american soil then my whole viewpoint would change accordingly.
thank you
- astra

reply to post by Juston


As a retired Navy vet and former recruiter, I salute you. A quota of two per station rather than the two per recruiter when I was recruiting makes better sense. Outright lying is a good way to get investigated and punished. We were not trained to lie. We were taught to sell the Navy and answer all questions and misgivings truthfully. Good job!

Originally posted by BeyondBelow
I as most others on this site are not at all interested in reading your posts.

Then don't read them.

reply to post by Juston





Well when you right something like this

, I'm almost certain that I can apply the same bad apple ratio to a number of other things people hold near and dear, like Religious figures, Teachers, Law Enforcement officers, Senators, Representatives, Doctors...

Then I guess you have almost missed the entire idea of this website -

anyone who recruits for war and death has already lost my respect. If people really wanted to volunteer then why do we nned to recruit - to let them know about the US military , like they didn't already ? To inform them about the the debilitating life time which follows as they pursue legal action to cover even the most basic of medical expenses and even their pensions ?
Or is it to dangle enticing offers of education and careers in front of people with no other option in life from a society already crippled by war ?

You bet I can find things wrong with the above mentioned - and you - buts thats just a matter of opinion - informed opinion.

Originally posted by wyleecoyote
If a possible recruit came in tomorrow and asked you if he/she would be truly fighting for our county's freedom if sent to Iraq what would you tell them?

Do you truly believe that by constantly invading other countries you are gaining any freedom for Americans?
We had more freedom before the patriot act, invading Iraq didn't give any of that back.

In fact, the more we invade, the more freedoms are taken away from American people under the guise of war time.

First off, thinking the patriot act and the Iraq war have anything in common shows little attention to the events around you.

Second, war, at times is a necessary evil in more ways than not. Maybe some day, humanity will evolve passed their peaty differences and need to destroy others unlike them, but until then, we need a strong military that can, and will wreak havoc on those who wish to do us harm.

And lastly, the military is just not a war machine out to destroy anything and everything. Most of the technology we enjoy today was brought to you by our military. The internet, GPS, MRI's etc.

reply to post by audas

anyone who recruits for war and death has already lost my respect.

Then you truly have no idea what the military is. Combat is only a fraction of their job. Aircraft carriers can be a life saving platform after a natrual disaster.

The military only takes lives when needed. They have saved a hell of allot more lives than they have ever taken!

reply to post by Juston


Call it whatever you want but a recruiter is merely a salesman.
A military recruiter is merely a salesman for the US Government Corporation.
His job as in all sales is numbers based. How many people can he, the recruiter get to "sign up". He is rewarded and compensated on this metric alone.

Sales are all built upon qualified leads.

The OP is using this site in order to acquire new leads which just isn't right.

Why is it that a representative of the government is allowed to "U2U" and "email" people from a public website known to be frequented by young adults for his own gain ?

What next ? Are we going to have people posting used car for sale ads here next ?


And Juston, as well as the rest of you ATS members need to listen to the words of the twice decorated Medal of Honor recipient
Major General Smedly Butler a man who fought for his country and his views on the military.

www.youtube.com...

NH Motto:

LIVE FREE OR DIE !

It's just amazing the amount of strawman arguments people use to justify the wars and their behavior feeding this insanity.

It is not often we get others on here willing to stand up and say something to dispute what a lot of these paranoid fools are spouting out of their ignorant mouths about not only the military as a whole - but specific parts of it as well.

That's a common way to not adress the issues posted here about the U.S. military and their allies, name calling, nice stupid "argument" where everyone with a diferent opinion are paranoid crazies living in their mom's basement.

Another common "argument" is the patriotic bs, again this is not about your country, the people in the U.S. closed the former School of America and protested against the atrocities in Guatemala and El Salvador, it's about the machine and the bloated army used to maintain the status quo of the elite.

Look at the numbers worldwide and tell me if this is a army to defend your country or the interest of the government/corporations:

-156 countries have U.S troops;
-63 countries with U.S. military bases and troops;
-250.000 U.S. troops deployed worldwide;
-World military expenditure in 2007 is estimated to have reached $1.339 trillion, The USA military expenditure now accounts for just under half of the world total, at 45% of the world total.

As i said in my other post the issue of recruiting teenagers and saying that they will CHOOSE to join or not is irrelevant because most of them are desperate or confused, it's easy for a recruiter/salesman to show the wonders they can acomplish with their lives if they join, but although most of them will learn something and gain some self respect through this ordeal the price is too high, so high it taints the entire experince.
Look at what Hitler did with the German youth, teenagers want to be directed, to be instructed, just try to watch "Die Welle" and see for yourself how even fascism is easy to be imposed on them.

And they don't even care about you, the history of your military is filled with episodes where they inadvertely or intensonally killed your soldiers:

-Agent Orange;
-Depleted Uranium;
-Nuclear Tests in american soil with live troops (most died of cancer btw, not from the nuclear blast itself of course).

And yet you choose to disregard all that and say that this is how they defend you?this is how they maintain you freedom?

I'm not advocating the end of your military but the return of them to your country, to the end of preemptive wars and only to be used as a last resource to defend your nation, like it should be.

[edit on 22-6-2009 by JesusBorba]

Wow I read this bullcrap that a lot of people are posting and it sickens me... I see how many vaginas live in the us now... the military is a evil corporation blah blah blah. I joined the navy and my recruiter did not force me he always asked do you have any questions for me ? And always said this is your descision not mine. I also have uncles and friends who are all in the navy and they always tell me it was the best desision I made. I'm an EM that's my mos I'm an electricians mate and answer me this how am I killing innocent people workin on electrical wire how am I evil? The people that don't want to join good don't your a weak link and need to do hard work here or maybe get in trouble with the law and have a life of greef and troubles, but in a hypothetical situation and someone trys to invade and come kill you then tell me how evil I am coward. I commend this recruiter for trying to inform because there are a lot of illinformed idiots out there that think the navy is evil. the navy saves more lives than takes you dingbats look at the facts its on paper. And I'm sure if your not 100% sure on things the military could tell you you can walk into your local recruit station you can say I just want information packets and you can walk right back out. Godbless our soldiers and sailors and pilots

Originally posted by Bearack

First off, thinking the patriot act and the Iraq war have anything in common shows little attention to the events around you.

Second, war, at times is a necessary evil in more ways than not. Maybe some day, humanity will evolve passed their peaty differences and need to destroy others unlike them, but until then, we need a strong military that can, and will wreak havoc on those who wish to do us harm.

And lastly, the military is just not a war machine out to destroy anything and everything. Most of the technology we enjoy today was brought to you by our military. The internet, GPS, MRI's etc.

First off you seen to be the one paying little attention to the events, you think it's a coincidence that the Patriot Act came after 911, only through fear could they pass such a anti constiutional piece of crap like the PA and the Military Commissions Act of 2006, your Bill of Rights is under attack, i just hope they don't take away your guns, like they did in others countries before they turn into police states (USSR, China, etc.)

Yeah war is a necessary evil when a crazy # like Hiltler shows up, you don't need to bomb civilians (not ever btw, not even with Hitler), to find the buggyman in some cave in Afghanistan. And you only went to Iraq to find what again?WMS was another bs propaganda to scare the big jesus out of the people and throw public opinion in favor of the "necessary evil".

Yeah the military needs the tech to do their job, and as you have shown they even made money by selling this tech after they have invented it, just like a corporation right?

[edit on 22-6-2009 by JesusBorba]

reply to post by Juston


Dude, I don't know who you are trying to stand up for, but you need to take a REAL HARD LOOK as to WHAT YOU REPRESENT!

For one thing, I HOPE you are for protecting the US of A from the SCUM WITHIN!

WHY??

Because they use the 'HEGELIAN DIALECTIC' and 'FALSE FLAGS' as their means to an end!

THIS LINK SUMS IT UP!!!:

Wolves are a-Roving, Off With Sheep's Clothing: www.cuttingthroughthematrix.com...

If you haven't read it, do so: "War is a Racket" by Major General Smedley Butler.

Here is the direct link so you can read it online:

www.scribd.com...

FYI, my dad was a conscientious objector in the "Vietnam War" ended up being a mortician. This is the kind of crap he had to deal with: www.prisonplanet.com...

All the world is a stage--don't be a tool.

Originally posted by Dallas87
I'm an electricians mate and answer me this how am I killing innocent people workin on electrical wire how am I evil?

Yeah i'm sure that there was someone to handle logistics during the Holocaust, you know the guy who look at those train schedules, he was just following orders and never questioning where the heck all those people where going, if there was food or water in the train for everybody, etc.

I'm not saying that you are a murder or evil, just don't try to defend this genocide (1 million+ civilians already in Iraq), with some bright side and life changing experience of military personel, there will always be more than grunts in the army, but aren't you a part of the war "effort" too?

[edit on 22-6-2009 by JesusBorba]

Originally posted by JesusBorba

First off you seen to be the one paying little attention to the events, you think it's a coincidence that the Patriot Act came after 911, only through fear could they pass such a anti constiutional piece of crap like the PA and the Military Commissions Act of 2006, your Bill of Rights is under attack, i just hope they don't take away your guns, like they did in others countries before they turn into police states (USSR, China, etc.)

I think you misinterpreted my comment. I was addressing the previous poster equating the PA to the Iraq war which is an incorrect assertion. Those are two totally separate events and have nothing to do with each other. I have never condoned the PA and as Chelton Heston put it "you will have to pry my gun from my cold dead hands"

Yeah war is a necessary evil when a crazy # like Hiltler shows up, you don't need to bomb civilians (not ever btw, not even with Hitler), to find the buggyman in some cave in Afghanistan. And you only went to Iraq to find what again?WMS was another bs propaganda to scare the big jesus out of the people and throw public opinion in favor of the "necessary evil".

When military targets tend to be obvious choices, crazy whack jobs tend to relocate and civilians become shields.

Yeah the military needs the tech to do their job, and as you have shown they even made money by selling this tech after they have invented it, just like a corporation right?

[edit on 22-6-2009 by JesusBorba]

And that is wrong how? As I said, the military has created several applications that have nothing to do with combat that is used in everyday life today. In respect, many of their inventions have taken us out of the stone age and into the techno age.

Where would Hot Pockets be today without NASA?

Originally posted by nh_ee
reply to post by Juston

 

The OP is using this site in order to acquire new leads which just isn't right.

Wow, I've got to hand it to you nh_ee, 15 pages in and you discover my diabolical plan. Something that everyone else failed to realize, including the moderators who have been here. Wow, impressive.

Wrong.

I'd like to point out that not once in this whole thread have I lauded the merits of joining the military, and guess what? I won't. That's not what I came here to do.

Furthermore, your understanding on how military recruiting generates and uses leads is completely off. Tell you what though, log out of ATS then come back in as a guest and open this thread. Do you see all the advertisements at the top? Those are what generate leads, not some shmuck behind a keyboard.

Oh, and this:

Why is it that a representative of the government is allowed to "U2U" and "email" people from a public website known to be frequented by young adults for his own gain ?

Well, I'm a member of this website and I have adhered to the T&C.

Why are you allowed to U2U?

Besides that, I have given the Mods or anyone else that has access, to read any of my U2U's to ensure that I am not recruiting, or trying to. If you would read the whole thread you would see that I said that clearly. Oh, and for my own gain? Right. I'm sure that the people reading this thread are going to start U2U'ing me their address and phone numbers so I can whisk them away, oh and you know, whenever I am on ATS all I do is start threads encouraging people to join the military.

To question my basis behind contributing to ATS in uncalled for.

reply to post by Juston


Supposing you are who and what you say you are, aren't you wasting tax payer money by surfing the web and ATS? That is some cushy recruiter job.

reply to post by warrenb


We get time off too ya know

2nd line