I think we're gonna need one of these.

/i'll do it

To all the conservatives out there, on behalf of Obama: I'm sorry.

I'm sorry that Obama is not using the name of military actions taken against Al Qaida and other anti-American groups to gin up unwavering fake patriotism and to make himself look good in the eyes of his die-hard supporters while hiding his own ineptitude in conduction such military actions. I'm sorry that Obama is deciding to not go the route of the War on Poverty and the War on Drugs, two stellar examples of wars fought using this very same idea.

I hope we're still cool with each other.

Lt. Cheese Weasel: I think we're gonna need one of these.

If you read the article, you'd see that they're being selective because they can. I went out to see a movie with a friend of mine yesterday, and saw 30 people applying for movie theatre jobs. There were so many applicants that they were doing group interviews. I'm sure the army is seeing a similar glut of applications.

Bored Horde: Lt. Cheese Weasel: I think we're gonna need one of these.

If you read the article, you'd see that they're being selective because they can. I went out to see a movie with a friend of mine yesterday, and saw 30 people applying for movie theatre jobs. There were so many applicants that they were doing group interviews. I'm sure the army is seeing a similar glut of applications.

Lets not let the facts get in the way of what should be a very entertaining thread. Subby lobbed the first salvo, lets see who bites.

solokumba: /i'll do it

Very Special Forces!

There goes my waiver for an OTH. Used to be you could serve in the NG for two years w/ an OTH then go regular army. No more.

elitist snobs

Maus III: There goes my waiver for an OTH. Used to be you could serve in the NG for two years w/ an OTH then go regular army. No more.

What did you do?

Yakk: Lets not let the facts get in the way of what should be a very entertaining thread. Subby lobbed the first salvo, lets see who bites.

It's easter goddamn sunday, fark that.

I only want the best and brightest to be shredded by an IED.

Bored Horde: Yakk: Lets not let the facts get in the way of what should be a very entertaining thread. Subby lobbed the first salvo, lets see who bites.

It's easter goddamn sunday, fark that.

jesus farking christ, enough of that language on this most sacred of days.

One Thirty-two and Bush: I only want the best and brightest to be shredded by an IED.

Ha! An Army of One...limb over there....one over here.

At least until the next major terrorist attack....

One Thirty-two and Bush: I only want the best and brightest to be shredded by an IED.

Now this is how you should troll the article.

mark12A: At least until the next major terrorist attack excuse for right-wingers to go apeshiat and call for a police state ....

FTFY

/except it will be interesting to see if it happens when Hussein Obama is president, will they still cry for more government power?

zarberg: mark12A: At least until the next major terrorist attack excuse for right-wingers to go apeshiat and call for a police state ....

FTFY

/except it will be interesting to see if it happens when Hussein Obama is president, will they still cry for more government power?

If there is another attack, I can only hope it comes from radical Christians (since Obama is a Muslim and all, they won't attack us anymore). Then, Obama can order wiretaps for all Nascar fans and people who eat at Ponderosa. We'll see how they like it when the shoe is on the other foot.

oh^tm how^tm I^tm love^tm the^tm new^tm trend^tm on^tm Fark^tm here^tm

The barbarians are at the gates and a fair number of you folks hate the military...


A friend's son, out of HS a year and sorta 'lost' went to the Coast Guard to enlist.

They turned him down.

Why?

Three arrests/tickets for pot and one for drinking in less than a year.

And the kid is mad; he said what he did before shouldn't matter and shouldn't affect what he wants to so i>now.

My only response is 'Welcome to adulthood' where most actions
have consequences.

mfaby: The barbarians are at the gates

You mean the gates to that country we occupied halfway round the world?

turtleking: ohtm howtm Itm lovetm thetm newtm trendtm ontm Farktm heretm

You said that already.

Service in the Guard seems a lot nicer than the TA here in the UK.
Here it still is the "Total Amateurs" (as opposed to Territorial Army), the "Weekend Warriors Brigade" and gets a lot of stick. Add to that little to none support after deployment ends, jobs are "supposed" to be protected, but good luck getting yours back after you've been in theatre 6 months, and you can forget benefits like free tuition etc. for veterans...
Shame really, being in the Guard or TA should be seen as what it is: service.
Sure, the money's good, but serving your country is a GoodThing™ too. If only said country didn't turn around and say "yeah, thanks, sorry about your leg" and ignore you..

/ Used to be in TA
// Never saw deployment
/// Might rejoin if I can ever lose the beer-belly
//// Slashies!!!

Karma Chameleon: Maus III: There goes my waiver for an OTH. Used to be you could serve in the NG for two years w/ an OTH then go regular army. No more.

What did you do?

curious too, as i got one like eleven years ago

mfaby: The barbarians are at the gates and a fair number of you folks hate the military...

Indeed they are! The Mexican army is building up just outside our border and the Canadians are doing the same. China has instituted a massive naval building spree so that they may have enough ships to transport troops over here to KILL US ALL!

Our military is oversized for the likely conflicts we will face in the next 20 years. We are not likely to be invaded (no country on earth possesses the naval force required for such a task and building one that could do it would take a long time and be kinda obvious to boot). If we stay the fark out of other people's countries, then we don't need to spend more than the rest of the world combined on a military force.

fireside68: Karma Chameleon: Maus III: There goes my waiver for an OTH. Used to be you could serve in the NG for two years w/ an OTH then go regular army. No more.

What did you do?

curious too, as i got one like eleven years ago

What did you do?

Karma Chameleon: fireside68: Karma Chameleon: Maus III: There goes my waiver for an OTH. Used to be you could serve in the NG for two years w/ an OTH then go regular army. No more.

What did you do?

curious too, as i got one like eleven years ago

What did you do?

Didn't tell on a group of people I saw smoking weed, but someone else did and included me in the group.

The original charge was having smoked it myself, but after I passed urinalysis (two days after, might I add), they decided that since I didn't come forward and report "illegal activity", I was as guilty. Masted, discharged, so goes life. I was in the Navy at the time.

It's the economy stupid.

Suddenly, it's a lot harder to get into the National Guard, and harder to stay in. Across Maryland and the nation, National Guard recruiters are demanding higher test scores and at least a high school degree - no more GEDs.

Well, there's always the Marines but you have to be able to take long and deep hot showers with other overly muscled studs I mean dudes.

fireside68: Karma Chameleon: fireside68: Karma Chameleon: Maus III: There goes my waiver for an OTH. Used to be you could serve in the NG for two years w/ an OTH then go regular army. No more.

What did you do?

curious too, as i got one like eleven years ago

What did you do?

Didn't tell on a group of people I saw smoking weed, but someone else did and included me in the group.

The original charge was having smoked it myself, but after I passed urinalysis (two days after, might I add), they decided that since I didn't come forward and report "illegal activity", I was as guilty. Masted, discharged, so goes life. I was in the Navy at the time.

That's pretty ridiculous all around.

My father was in the Navy during Vietnam (of course no one really cared about it then), but has always said that he didn't see how anyone could deal with the military if they weren't stoned).

Maddogjew: We are not likely to be invaded (no country on earth possesses the naval force required for such a task and building one that could do it would take a long time and be kinda obvious to boot).

Man, when that Chinese tunnel opens up, you'll be so very suplized!

Am I the only one suffering from cognitive dissonance when I read things like that?

The National Guard is likely to be busy in the years ahead with a rising demand for its expertise, particularly in shorter and more frequent deployments not only to Iraq and Afghanistan but across Europe and Africa

I hope that couch is nice and cozy at home, because it isn't so nice where I'm at.

Technical Sergeant, Air National Guard, deployed.

/Short bus my arse
//99 on ASVAB
///College graduate

F42: Man, when that Chinese tunnel opens up, you'll be so very suplized!

You shouldn't say that, it will scare mbaby even more.

CreepyBasementGuy: It's the economy stupid.

is that some kinda dance?

Is that Kid Rock "I'm an American Warrior" ad I saw in the movie theater still playing?

/Didn't make me want to sign up...

Karma Chameleon: fireside68: Karma Chameleon: fireside68: Karma Chameleon: Maus III: There goes my waiver for an OTH. Used to be you could serve in the NG for two years w/ an OTH then go regular army. No more.

What did you do?

curious too, as i got one like eleven years ago

What did you do?

Didn't tell on a group of people I saw smoking weed, but someone else did and included me in the group.

The original charge was having smoked it myself, but after I passed urinalysis (two days after, might I add), they decided that since I didn't come forward and report "illegal activity", I was as guilty. Masted, discharged, so goes life. I was in the Navy at the time.

That's pretty ridiculous all around.

My father was in the Navy during Vietnam (of course no one really cared about it then), but has always said that he didn't see how anyone could deal with the military if they weren't stoned).

I was in the nuke field. They're pretty anal retentive.

/i said anal

fireside68: Karma Chameleon: fireside68: Karma Chameleon: fireside68: Karma Chameleon: Maus III: There goes my waiver for an OTH. Used to be you could serve in the NG for two years w/ an OTH then go regular army. No more.

What did you do?

curious too, as i got one like eleven years ago

What did you do?

Didn't tell on a group of people I saw smoking weed, but someone else did and included me in the group.

The original charge was having smoked it myself, but after I passed urinalysis (two days after, might I add), they decided that since I didn't come forward and report "illegal activity", I was as guilty. Masted, discharged, so goes life. I was in the Navy at the time.

That's pretty ridiculous all around.

My father was in the Navy during Vietnam (of course no one really cared about it then), but has always said that he didn't see how anyone could deal with the military if they weren't stoned).

I was in the nuke field. They're pretty anal retentive.

/i said anal
Nuke Waste, eh?

Surprised you didn't just get made into an ET or FC.

Bored Horde: One Thirty-two and Bush: I only want the best and brightest to be shredded by an IED.

Now this is how you should troll the article.

Totally agreee.

F42: Am I the only one suffering from cognitive dissonance when I read things like that?

The National Guard is likely to be busy in the years ahead with a rising demand for its expertise, particularly in shorter and more frequent deployments not only to Iraq and Afghanistan but across Europe and Africa

Not all deployments are combat deployments. Alot is probably joint training exercises and humanitarian relief. More and more the national guard is expected to function in a defacto regular army capacity. It's not even just the multiple GWOT deployments as the result of a lack of manpower. Guys get phone calls every week for "volunteer" training, slots for schools coming up, work details, etc. ALot of guys do it for the extra money or get brownie points. Plus they frequently violate the one weekend a month two weeks a year thing, even though supposedly thats in a contract. I've seen 6 weeks of AT in a year, and sometimes a "weekend drill" is flying down to Fort Bragg Tuesday through Sunday. There were a bunch of guys in their late 20's still working on their degree from taking so much time off. I tried to prioritize college and it still took me until 26 to graduate. I saw once an entire battalion got orders to report about 2 weeks before college finals. The result was almost the entire group of college students had to withdraw from all their courses at the end of the semester. Ridiculous.


Plus many guys are seamlessly transitioning to and from active duty. Despite what you might hear about "nasty gurls" or fort livingroom, I would say that at the end of my six year enlistment the National Guard has essentially become a defacto branch of Regular Army, only you get less pay and get to live at home.

It seems odd to me that they would completely not accept the GED instead giving a score cutoff.

The_Time_Master: fireside68: Karma Chameleon: fireside68: Karma Chameleon: fireside68: Karma Chameleon: Maus III: There goes my waiver for an OTH. Used to be you could serve in the NG for two years w/ an OTH then go regular army. No more.

What did you do?

curious too, as i got one like eleven years ago

What did you do?

Didn't tell on a group of people I saw smoking weed, but someone else did and included me in the group.

The original charge was having smoked it myself, but after I passed urinalysis (two days after, might I add), they decided that since I didn't come forward and report "illegal activity", I was as guilty. Masted, discharged, so goes life. I was in the Navy at the time.

That's pretty ridiculous all around.

My father was in the Navy during Vietnam (of course no one really cared about it then), but has always said that he didn't see how anyone could deal with the military if they weren't stoned).

I was in the nuke field. They're pretty anal retentive.

/i said anal
Nuke Waste, eh?

Surprised you didn't just get made into an ET or FC.

This was in February 1998, back when they were still kicking people out for bullshiat drug offenses and such. I'd imagine I would've been retained had this happened a little later on, but I'm not all that sure I mind this as much.

I was an MM (probably should've gone ET) just because the schools were shorter.

Forbidden Doughnut: Is that Kid Rock "I'm an American Warrior" ad I saw in the movie theater still playing?

/Didn't make me want to sign up...

Oh lord. I saw that in a theater down the road from Fort Riley, Kansas. Half the audience was guys from the Big Red One who had gotten back from Iraq a few months ago. Cue massive facepalm.

Good. I'm glad their standards are getting higher.

You mean the gates to that country we occupied halfway round the world?

No, the airport gate they got past last time....

I always thought the National Guard was a bit of a ripoff all around. The enlistees have their life schedule screwed with at least once a month, as well as sucking up some of the summer. They aren't making that much, and could be called up to deal with some stupid BS at any time, utterly farking their life over. Seems better to just join a regular branch, do your 4 years active + 4 years reserve or whatever, and get the maximum benefit you can out of it.

On the otherside, the US military gets a bunch of guys who either signed up strictly for the college money or who just wanted to play with the big shiny toys- either way they don't necessarily get professional soldiers, and it's totally pot luck as to how useful they'll be in a given situation. I know I'm generalizing horribly and that there are many many NG-people who are completely professional and effective soldiers... but in general it seems like the National Guard is either getting farked or is farking over the regular military. Go fig.

/total props to NG peeps out in the sandbox, btw. Y'all are hardcore.
//you do the job you're ordered to do, as best you can. Not your fault some idiot decided he wanted to go pissing in the Saudi's back yard.

This goes great with our bonus cuts throughout the whole guard that went into effect the week the AIG bonus fiasco.

They went from $15000 down to $5000, but if you wind up getting stop-lossed, you have the option to take merely a $5000 pay cut instead of getting a $10000 pay cut, as if that's a perfect time to ask to reenlist after dragging your ass out of the blue to war.

Now that is evil. Farking evil.