10 pros & 10 cons for joining the army.
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There is no pro that can justify your life
Deiciding to join the army should be taken very seriously, as essentially you are not only deciding to put your own life on the line but any others when you are engaged in warfare. Too often people rush to join the army because it offers free school or a pension. However, joining the army means placing your life on the line and essentially being given the license to kill. It should not be a decision that is taken lightly.
I am disgusted when i here people sign up for the army because of the perks it offers. When i was a new high school graduate I received many free offers for sock or pen sets when I joined the army, much like perks that are advertised to join a book club. It's disgusting really that the army relays on the same level of silly marketing, but it works unfortunately for the uneducated masses or for people who have no other choice.
I respect the army, but I think its sad that a great deal of our army is made up of people from the lower classes who have very few other options. In essence it is a way for people who were not born into privileges to get ahead, with the sacrifice of their own life hanging in the balance. I know two people who have joined the army with less than desirable results.
My cousin made it through basic and his initial two year tour, but joined the national guard and reenlisted because the draw of a pension was too strong. He is now almost 35 and in less than a few days will be deployed to Iraq. He pushed his luck for benefits and now his wife and two children as well as the rest of the family is in disbelief. This is what happens when you take military service for granted.
In the same way, an old dear friend of mine reenlisted after getting out easy because he wanted to finish school. He didn't finish college because he was called up two years ago. Hopefully he is still ok in Iraq, the army is hard to communicate with and too often you don't hear the names or receive contact as you like. However a great deal of casualties have come from our area, and if he is one of them not only will he never finish college, but he will also have sacrificed his life to a war he didn't believe in which is sickening.
Bear these in mind and i think it may be more enlightening then any pros or cons list you can read.
Oh yea, and you can also receive free plastic surgery in the army now, but how great are those new implants going to look in a coffin? Not to mention augmentation when you are fighting in a land that despises woman is probably counter productive.
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Comments
I am actually in the Army and I plan on writing several articles on it. Some small tidbit I have to say is this: The job I have with the Army calls for people who have high intelligence and common sense, and yes they do test for this. I do not consider my service in the United States Military to be a waste, because I and countless others, joined not for our future and what's ahead of us, but for who we leave behind and for their futures. My uncle is also a POW from WWII and I'm grateful that he hasn't read what's in this article, because he didn't survive all of that just to read this casual disregard for the people of the U.S. Army. I am thankful, though, for the opinions of the people I know I, and the rest of us, will protect in the future.
Jessica, I by no means mean to disrespect your army service as you and your uncle may honor your service. If you believe in the cause you are fighting for the story changes ever so slightly.
I have simply pointed out that statistics show that most people who sign up for the army do so because they have no other options. This is well documented not only in my own experiences with people in the army but in many polls and news articles. I am sorry if their reasons for joining are not yours, but you cannot deny that this happens if you are current in world politics.
Once again I appreciate your service, but tactics such as offering monetary compensation and free pens are tactics the army uses. I received the letters six years ago as did my friends, more recently my brother did, and I am quite sure that people still do currently. If you do not like the image of how the army is represented I suggest you look deeper at the organization and its publicity efforts as a whole.
Being in Intel in the Army I would say that I have never met a single person who joined the Army simply for the bonus even though the rewards for Intel are extreme. But good post regardless.
These army cats have their heads in the sand! You never met anyone who joine dthe army for the bonuses - your either a liar, a recruiter or antisocial - I have many friends who are recruiters, i know how they do their job- i wa actively recruited for high ASVAB testing and language skills and know quite a few drooling idiots from my high school class who are proud cannon fodder (because they got tired of the gas station and/or roofing)
you have to be kidding right.
I come from many generations of army/marines and air force - there are legit reasons to join (more so in the past than now) and much honor involved in serving to protect others.
But 99% of you are just in it for the paycheck - and are either fooling yourselves, very well brainwashed or you two are part of that magic 1%
i can wait to get back in
funny enough, since i wrote this. my best friend decided to join the army, guess why, a weak economy and promise of money. so i have my own example and debate answered. ps. he was against the military and is now facing a poor economy despite a college education and wants to provide for his family.
do i respect him? yes the same way i respect my other friends in the military. do i think the recruiters targeted him with bonuses and promise of high pay and little threat? i know they did.
Hence, its a fruadualent way to say the military ethically recruits. bs.
funny enough, since i wrote this. my best friend decided to join the army, guess why, a weak economy and promise of money. so i have my own example and debate answered. ps. he was against the military and is now facing a poor economy despite a college education and wants to provide for his family.
do i respect him? yes the same way i respect my other friends in the military. do i think the recruiters targeted him with bonuses and promise of high pay and little threat? i know they did.
Hence, its a fruadualent way to say the military ethically recruits. bs.
its funny cuz i agree with everything this post says i have to friends who keep sayin they want to join the service there to girls i ask them y jus curious and they say u get a house u get money u get free medicare da government pays for your college dis realy upsets me cuz i have a brother whos puttin his life on the line out there he had $125,000 a year paying job he left it along with his wife and two kids to represent our county so year things like this do upset me
recruiters are shameless pricks i just enlisted and all they cared about was getting their quota for the month...phuc recruiters
HA wow, duh recruiters are trying to reach their quota hello IT'S THIER JOB! It's your fault for going at the wrong time of the month.AND if you didn't get what you wanted or felt you deserved, also your fault. You don't have to sign up it's your choice. dumb, dumb, dumb.
So I'm sitting here reading over all the posts, and I am slightly confused because I thought that in the army a person could choose whether or not they wanted to be in combat or not. I am 19 and thinking of joining; because of the money, because of the housing, food, insurance, etc. I havent spoken to a recruiter yet, but I intend on not being involved in combat. Am I being nieve?
this is very true. i went to a recruiter today, and depending on your ASVAB test score will determine the type of job you could potentially get. the higher the score, the better. a woman rarely goes into combat unless they choose to do so. however, there is a high risk nof getting deployed. is that a chance you're going to risk? that's up to you. yea the benefits are great and yes they offer bonuses and a pension but what "educated" person would want to retire in the military. if you do that's great, don't get me wrong but there is a million of other choices. you could use what the government has to offer you or turn it down. just read the fine print in your contract.i wouldnt chose to go into the arm JUST for benefits. rethink it.
I am going into the Army and I am completely taunted by some of these posts. Yes, the recruiter has a quota but it is YOUR CHOICE to sign the contract. They don't force you against your will. Yes, they may try to persuade you with large sums of money and the guarantees of insurance but they don't strap you down and tell you that you have to serve your country. I personally feel like EVERYONE should have to serve their country. YOUR LIVE in this country and you strive from all it gives you but when it comes down to the nitty gritty and YOU DON'T WANT TO DEFEND IT? look at all the other countries? I would consider myself lucky to live here. I bet each and every one of you sit on your couch every now and again and complain about the problems in our economy. The economy, the health care plans....blah blah blah. But, DO YOU EVER DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT? NO. You sit there and read articles in the newspaper about soldiers dying for something more than themselves and your stomach gets weak. They lost their lives and went down in history for their country. They gave up their lives WILLINGLY for you. And yet, your ignorant selves are sitting here ranting about how the Army and anyone in it is a load of crap. Well, next time you watch the television and you get the next quota on how many people died for YOUR COUNTRY, or you read an article on how somebody met their death...I want you to come to your sense and realized that they didn't only meet their death for their country, they also met it for you. so you can live a better life and benefit from what America as to offer.
honestly, not too many people do it for the benefit of their country but for themselves. i applaud you for your beliefs. unfortuantely..... it just doesnt happen that way. everyone in THIS country, OUR country is selfish and they want money or insurance or a penison. very few people do it for the country, but i am happy you will.
I would like to add to Kara that I make it plain and simple that I respect people in the military, i just think that bribing people to their deaths is not appropriate because that is what they are doing.
if the armed forces were made up of people who had full comprehnesion of what they were doing it would be different, but its not.
besides, we i am not even touching on war in general and ethics. my point is simply that war is not a game and life is not either, and treating soldiers lives as a bribe is not ethical.
I am not a recruiter, but I am still in the Army. I am stoked at all of the benefits that I am receiving. But I have worked my butt off for those benefits. I too have met a number of soldiers who believe that they should not deploy just because they don't agree with the situation. Whether they agree or not is not the point. The point is to follow the orders of those above you as long as they are ethical. The soldiers with those opinions against the military only joined because of the money. I end up telling them that they do not deserve to wear the uniform. There are many who out weigh the selfish, undeserving ones. And will respectfully deploy. Also I have met civilians who would love to join in order to serve our country. I know you said that the recruiters are unethically bribing civilians to join, but like Kara said, they don't have to join. They're greed overcame them and their fight for a comfortable life with a decent job is limited. The reasons of joining for the money is not the fault of the military. To a comment above, top flight, those who think they can get out of deployments are the ones who do not deserve to be in the Army. I met females like that too. I am almost done with the Army and I am thankful for the experience and care I was given (health, education......) I am ready to start my own life now. I will too, always have respect for those who serve for ever and always. Since I was in high school or junior high (can't remember) I wanted to join. Seemed exciting. Sure there were times when I was disappointed, but in the end everything worked out. I hope people can start to see that the Army or any branch is not just a job with great benefits, but a way of life for how long you choose. The only thing I disagree with you, Armog, is the advertisement for the wrong reasons. Last time I checked, this is still a free country and people have a choice if they will join or not. One more thing, I have met some who joined for the college, benefits, and money, but during their first few years their passion grew and it was no longer about the money or benefits.
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Yoshi Ninja says:
10 months ago
i agree with you completely. i was just seeing if there WERE any pros besides money. 2 of my mates reckon theyare joining the army. its upsetting.