What Would You Do if Your Child Said They Wanted To Join the Armed Forces?

Originally posted by HomerinNC

Originally posted by Liberal1984
I threaten to disown them, unless of course they were joining to bring democracy to our own country, in which case I could 100% support them –even if there was a great risk of them-me getting killed!!!

With a father (or mother) like you, they'd be better off in the military
Some people shouldn't be allowed to have children

What he is saying is absolutely right. Our military should be used to defend our country after being attacked. These countries that we have invaded never attacked America and there was no declaration of war. Our military is being used to make profit for the corporations something that never should have happened.

reply to post by buster2010


No he's not, you don't DISOWN your children for the choices THEY MAKE. If you do, you're NOT A PARENT FIT TO HAVE CHILDREN.

Originally posted by HomerinNC
reply to post by buster2010

 

No he's not, you don't DISOWN your children for the choices THEY MAKE. If you do, you're NOT A PARENT FIT TO HAVE CHILDREN.

Ne'er a truer statement has been uttered. Never disown. Distancing a little? Maybe....but never too far. A parent is ALWAYS an influence in their childs life.

reply to post by Suspiria


...and that, ultimately, is all you can do. Try, as best you can, to prepare them for their life decisions.

Personally? I've seen the good and the bad of military service. As one who's never been in the military, but as an Air Force brat surrounded by those who did serve? As with any thing in life, it's what you make of it.

My only question would be "Are you sure?". Their decision. Support and prepare them as best I can...

reply to post by thesmokingman


My Son is only 12. However, he has expressed his desire to join the armed forces. I am a totally against this idea of his. I've told him that the only reason I could see for him to join would be if we were attacked here on American soil. I told him to join the Coast Guard. The more I try and talk him out of it the more he says he wants to join. At this point I'm hoping that because of his age his interest will diminish. I would fight and die for my family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers if it came down to it. But I cannot willfully send my child to fight a war on foreign soil based on politics, religion, greed, or some idiots private agenda!

I have my two oldest kids both on active duty in the Navy. I did 24 yrs active duty and never pushed them to join up, they decided on their own. So far they've enjoyed it, took advantage of educational opportunities and have learned alot about themselves. My daughter get's out next year. My son has about 2 1/2 yrs left in his enlistment. They're both currently stationed at the same base in Texas. They both do alot of TDY's to Central/South America and the Caribbean.

My youngest son (19) has no desire to enlist.

reply to post by txjab512


My step-son wants to be a cop. I don't want to say no, but he's only 15.

My dad was career air force, retired. He has said that he would pay for any grandson of his to go to Canada to avoid a draft, he is so absolutely against what our country has done in Vietnam and so forth...

My dad is absolutely against the communist democratic party, Obama and the rest, as I am.

I think our country is nearing it's end. Unless some people actually understand the political ramifications of the "progressive party" are.

I appreciate and are grateful for our military people, but I don't think a lot of them see who is sending them out in the world and what their plan really is.

I would say...whatever you feel you think is right, as long as you have researched all your options. I found myself asking the same questions not too long ago and now here I am, serving the US Army as a 74D...being in the military is not as bad as what people see in the news media outlets. There are many job MOS's in the military that'll keep you out of direct line of combat an attached to rear detachment. So don't always fear for the worst, it is a great experience and teaches us about combat, techniques, life saving training an self awareness of your surroundings that most soldiers end up learning after a couple of years or so and maintain that for life....
truth is, its not the life in the army but the stress that gets to soldiers, other then that, you have your battle buddies to rely on an you form a bond, a brotherhood that's unbreakable, like family they your back an will always back you up, for those are the bonds needed for a combat situation. Like any other job in the world an society also, nothing is ever perfect an the military is also effected by that. Yeah, the GOV is messing up pretty bad I guess, but being military myself, I have yet to complain about anything.
In my honest opinion, have them sign up for the minimum, it being 3 an a half years including basic training an AIT, trust me, it goes by quick...real quick! an if they decide the military is not them, then by all means they can leave after there term and leave honorably with a fat check to any school of there choosing, skills learned from the military and a great background being military, lets face it, people hire MILITARY, especially those with secret clearances.
Great thread!

reply to post by thesmokingman


Dear thesmokingman

As one smoker to another.

I would take them to a veteran’s hospital and Arlington cemetery or if these are not accessible in real life at least look them up on the internet.

I would go to utube and play them Universal Solider.

I would show them all the fat rich men that they are considering dieing for.

There have been fights that needed to be fought in history for sure but very few, and at that time the young men of that generation did through and paid the ultimate sacrifice.

In my humble opinion there have been none of these since the end of WW2.

When you have done all this to the best of your ability and they still want to go, all you can do is hope.

reply to post by Arnie123


So, You researched all your options 1st?

Did you research the Wars you are signing up for?

Did you research the Corporations you have to protect while on tour?

Did you research the amount of innocent men, women and children that have been murdered in the last 20 years of the Corporate war machine?
That is 1 million Iraqis!!....And....10's of thousands of Afghans.

WoW.....If only people did some research before joining up, Unless your a masochist or just plain nasty, why would a human being want to murder another in the name of greed!

The True Reason For War In Afghanistan

reply to post by thesmokingman


Given the way our forces are currently being used (i.e. crusading, not defending) I'd point out that it wouldn't be a very noble career path and remind him of the story about The Emperor's New Clothes.

After all, if you steal land and kill people whilst not wearing a uniform, you're a thief and a murderer.

first, id homeschool my kid. get him a true education--like the good education the Elect get, not training like in public school.

then id----oh, wait!

my kid would be too smart to join, having been taught critical thinking, logic, reason.

and i hardly did anything!

when a friend of mine was unemployed and having trouble find work some years back he mentioned he wanted to re - enlist in the army. at that time the army was actively recruiting for a surge in the infantry to go to Iraq and Afghanistan. at that time the body counts were high on our side. after talking to him and explaining that if he went " he would come back in a body bag" and how would that help his wife then? or realize the dreams they both had? it was ludicris to do such a thing and i wasnt so anti government then as i am now. i like to speak reason and explain the cons of a situation in that type of scenario. if there are pros great! but i saw no pros to him going..

reply to post by psyko4570


Thank you for you kind words of appreciation and encouragement... It means a lot from parents like myself.

reply to post by zerozero00


WOW, simply anti-military huh? well like it or not, the military is here to stay, regardless of how much you like it or not. An for the record, in the gulf war, 82000, yes, 82000 iraqs surrendered, we practically had one marine for every 1000 POWs in line, they were happy to leave, to leave a regime that killed without question an murdered more then you think, yes I weighed my options. You fail to see what this world is about and blinded by your foolishness.There are gonna be many reasons for us invading other countries, I have'nt come back in a bodybag and in rather GREAT health as I am in currently responding to your post, as are my other battle buddies, yea its easy to sit there an say, "this an that, the corporate war machine, yada, yada..." What would you have us do? sit idly by as other nations come upon us an destroy everything we have done??? in those countries of war, yes we occupy, but we also AID!! *GASP!!* water, food, you name it. this "War machines" insures your freedom, your ability to act without question, post on sites like this without it being blacklisted (china), yes I have most assured weighed my options before I came in, I was into Conspiracy, Ufology and Cryptozoology long before I was thinking military and believe it or not, there are plenty of people in uniform who believe in this, THATS RIGHT, PLENTY OF MILITARY WHO BELIEVE THAT WE MAY BE DOING THINGS FOR REASON OTHER THEN FREEDOM, but thats the nature of the beast. MY family is fed, YOU are safe, so what? trust me I understand where your going with all this, but what is it you intend to do? huh? what is your end goal?

Originally posted by Expat888
Dont get and dont want a damn thing from the u.s ... wont even accept u.s or western currencies ... I earned everything I have by working for it .. and before you go condemning people junior I did my time ... 4 tours in a little place called vietnam with s.o.g before you were even a gleam in your daddies eye ... I earned my attitude ...
not to mention last ones that truly fought for americas freedom was the revolutionary war ... so spare me the tired old bull# that people fought for my freedom ... Ive got far more feedom over here than you do in that corrupt cesspool of a country that commits murder for profit around the world...

Lemme guess....you were Agent Orange, right?

www.youtube.com...

i'd require a main reason for my piece of mind.

if its to escape a horrible civilian economy, and reclaim benefits the government took from all the taxes we paid over the years, go for it!

however if its under the facade of defending our country from all the countries like cambodia, laos, afghanistan, iraq, libya that are attacking us left and right, i'd disown my child for being so brainwashed, and scald myself for the rest of my life for having failed as a parent - having failed at teaching some basic morality as well as common sense.

when a vet of 3 wars and 12 invasions says in referring to Bush, the last POTUS..

and I quote .. "someone needs to.. that SOB"

that should pretty much say it all ~!

ETA: and the wars I'm talking about are .. WWII, Korea & Nam...not the conflict we had in Iraq in 91' and all the ones after.. those are not wars.. those are take overs..

reply to post by thesmokingman


I would wonder whose child I had. My children were raised to know that violence is wrong and to know the difference between offensive and defensive action. The only time violence might need to be used is in defense. That means if danger comes to you, not going around looking for a fight. It was my duty as a parent to teach them the difference.

reply to post by OldSchoolMom


I love your post, thats one of the many things I try an preach to my new soldiers, all these new privates come in ready to go gungho in the world an wish for combat action an deployments....I always tell them, don't be so keen ti run an gun, its a terrible thing to do, "....Don't go looking for a fight!" You'll have more success in defending than offending an agenda. If it were a perfect world I'll fence them in from deploying at all during there first term, rather if they wanna stay in, then by all means, re-enlist and have your hand in it.
Just for the record, the military is re-shaping itself an increasingly getting tougher to join in anyways. Asvab scores are required to be higher an standards are enforced to a higher degree, going old school with strict discipline. You should be very proud if your child is able to make that very small margin, the three percentile.