As a retired combat Vet, I approve of anyone NOT signing up; not the way they’ve propped up wars yet leave fellow 🇺🇸Americans🇺🇸 insecure, poor, hungry, homeless… literally in the dust. Happy 4th, everyone!
@@justinesagan178US military standards have risen due to technology: drones, AI, & so on. Top tier veterans are recruited by universities & corporations.
As a Marine Veteran I don't fault the young adults. I served my country and Honorably Discharged in 2000, during my time of service I severely damaged my left knee..to this day it still swells up, locks out, clicks when walking, there are weeks it's so bad that I have to stay off it and ice it, the throbbing pain is horrible. But the VA gives me a whopping $100/month for my service connection. So I don't blame anyone for not wanting to serve because they'll use you and throw you to the curb and everything is on you and the military no longer has anything to do with you. VA hospitals are a joke, when you show up..everyone from the front door to the PA not Doctor will mock you and discredit you so many don't like that and just leave. Go to school, learn a trade, you'll make more money than any service member.
Younger generations are just aware what to expect when joining the military. We are living in the age of information after all. People are not joining the army blindly anymore.
politicians should be in the front line. I almost joined 2001 but I realized, the politicians are staying home. 18 year old soldiers are dying but the politicians are using words? Politicians are not sending their kids in the front lines either. If politicians want to fight each other, they should do it like the olden days. Like Genghis Khan, in the front lines. Somethign like that.
I think it's much more about Young Americans been incredibly lazy even more lazy than their fat disgusting parents. But it would be nice to think that young Americans aren't going to get involved in this global terrorism that America keeps enforcing on the world
As a combat vet I lost my best friend to suicide after we returned from our second tour. The average hovers around 20 per day. Civilians see this and are much more aware than in the past due to the internet and social media. After reading "War Is a Racket" (The Profit That Fuels Warfare) by Major General Smedley D. Butler I realized what we have been fighting for and more people are waking up.
Your best friend made the best decision in his life by taking his own life the world is better place with out murderers like him and yourself American military kills civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan
Those who opposed the Iraq War from the get-go saw this coming. Children of the 2000's are now grown and don't want to risk being sent to war over false pretenses.
@@LilXancheXthe military-industrial complex is a real thing as a soldier I can tell you it exists but unfortunately the soldiers don't benefit it's the companies that do
Not a word about veterans left to fend for themselves in the streets, having to fight for every penny from a government that spends trillions with arms contractors 😡
I fear for those joining today for when America is determined to be bankrupt, they probably won't even get a ride home from the 1000 or so duty locations around the world.
I served 15 years in the U.S. Army, climbing the ranks from Private( E-1) to Chief Warrant Officer (W-2) from 2002 to 2017, mostly in airborne units as a paratrooper. When I left the military due to service-connected disabilities, I never received adequate support from the VA. Not only did I have to leave the military with only 5 years left before I could retire, but I have been having to pay out of pocket for my own PTSD treatment because the VA classified my PTSD as a "mood disorder" because that is how they are able to avoid spending money on disabled veterans that have PTSD. So with 15 years of service including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, the only thing I came out with is a bad back, bad knees, unstable mental health, and no retirement benefits. A few months ago I sold all of my guns because I have been struggling with thoughts of suicide; I know that I would have put a bullet in my own head by now if I kept them, I daydream about it constantly. It doesn't help that I can barely afford to pay my bills even with my full-time job as an HR Investigator. I am so sick of society; people always say that they support veterans but that is a lie; when you leave the military it's difficult to even get a job because civilian employers treat us like entry-level employees and they lowball our salary. I applied for several higher paying jobs that I am qualified for, but I get rejected every time because they don't seem to know that organizational management in the military does translate to business management in the civilian world. Society has abandoned the veteran population, every day I wake up just wishing I was dead; that is why I tell people that joining the military is not worth the sacrifice. I lost my marriage from deploying too frequently, I lost friends that were killed overseas, my health has rapidly deteriorated, I might lose my house this year, and the only real satisfaction that I get out of life is knowing that someday I am going to die.
Hire a VA lawyer. Most judges will rule in your favor for your mental health if you have a physical injury. Get the compensation you deserve. Good luck.
For every good successful military career story there are dozens of failures. Homelessness, depression, PTSD, physical long term injuries, divorces and bankruptcies are usually the stories that you'll see the most. Kids today are not stupid, they see how the government treats our vets and they make the right decision for not joining. Even vets warn their kids against joining.
I’m a third generation combat vet & told mine not join. I would have felt like a failure. We shouldn’t all have to keep starting at that same point. It’s time to break the cycle and for them to start a step ahead.
Yeah but but Republicans said we had to invade and occupy Iraq and Afghanistan. If we didn't fight them over there we would have to fight them here, remember? Republicans wouldn't make that up. They never lie.
All of the above. I served 15 years, medically retired and discouraged my kids from joining for those reasons. Particularly not taking care of our veterans, and the wars we choose to fight in. The lies that led us into Iraq created two generations of winter soldiers.
The military historically always has trouble recruiting when unemployment is low with everyone hiring who ever they can get young people from blue collar families have options right now. As a disabled Army vet I try to steer kids away from the military with the exception of the Air Force if they can get a good "MOS" job field to serve in.
If you actually don't want people joining the military anymore than you should probably start brushing up on your Mandarin and learning how to use chopsticks.
@@riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip we aren't gonna ever be invaded by China. Mutually assured destruction assures that. So whats the point of our multi-trillion dollar a year military?
I'm an Army veteran and I hope it hits rock bottom. While you're in you are treated terribly (because you have very few rights and the ones you do have are hard to fight for), the food is horrible (unless you're on an AF base), and the housing wouldn't qualify for section 8 housing. I hope it gets so bad they are forced to treat troops like people, provide them with the quality of life that a person collecting life long disabilities should receive (everyone leaves with back, knee, shoulder, etc...issues), and finally do something about all the rapes.
That won’t happen, these people are evil. Instead they will institute a draft. When that happens, one can only hope that the amount of Officer fragging far exceeds the numbers in Vietnam.
My grandfather was in the Navy and my father in the army. They both told me not to join, and I did. And I regretted ever since I did a full six years and it was hands-down the most radical thing I saw. Leadership sleeping with junior enlisted, riddled mentally ill soldiers, men and women constantly harassed and abused and no one even cares about it. I should have listened to the two generations telling me not to join
What a nightmare. Impossible going to a full scale war with other power with iron discipline or suicide combatants, even having less weapons, jet fighters or missiles. Our army cannot keep up in a battlefield within range. Just see Irak and Afghanistan.
Well don't worry they are focusing on more inclusiveness in the forces, trying to avoid sir and ma'am. And using more gender neutral salutation. So, yeah US forces are in safe hand ;)
As someone who is not from the USA, I get the impression that more Americans are aware that they are fighting wars for the military industrial complex for profits not because someone is threatening them.
Years in Iraq 🇮🇶 and Afghanistan 🇦🇫 have made Americans aware of the rigged politics that send their kids to unnecessary wars, those of us told them long before they attacked Iraq don't do yet they did it anyway and insulted us in the process 🧐🥺🤷♂️
There's a NATO empire that the US has been holding up since after WW2. Russia actually tried to settle things down and talked of joining around 2000 but it was shot down ultimately... I think a civil war is what patriots must be wary about rather than a full scale invasion...
Profit Ability Is the Fundament of Nurture of Life. Any In-Civility Is In-Humane, and In-Humanity Is a Threat to Life of the Concept of Respect. 😶. "...14. The Nature of Life, In and Of It-Self, Does Not Contribute Boot-Straps: 15. . "To improve one's life or circumstances through one's own efforts, rather than relying on others." Pull yourself up by your bootstraps - Idioms by The Free Dictionary : 16. Self-Reliance is Im-Possible by Inter-National Infrastructural Capitalism: the Purpose of the Phrase Is Effort: 17. Personal Success Is Im-Possible, With-Out, First, Effort: and, Personal Observance that Gratifies Is Not the Indicative Factor of Necessity of Work, Employment, Etc.: 18. To Wash Dishes Shouldn't Prevent Employment Offers, that Other-Wise, Is only Offered to Individuals Perceptive As Lazy. 19. Knowledge of Superiority Can Include the Belief of Imminent Death: You, Either, Agree or Dis-Agree..." Respectively. Tanika Nakeya Lewis, 6127
Dude look how our veterans are treated. You think people want to end up in that boat. You really dont have to be a genius to figure out all the reasons why nobody is signing up
Veterans of where ? The middle east ? This is Why The Constitution does not allow government to keep standing army's. It's a total waste to let government do as it pleases.
@@meghan42 I wasn’t duped. I watched the invasion of Iraq at school when I was a junior in H.S. I had an idea of the war we were fighting. I didn’t have all the details and how deep everything went…but I wasn’t going for them. I was going for the other warfighters.
My Dad is a vet and he begged me not to go. I wish I would have listened to him. I wasted 4yr of my life and didn't get anything I was promised by the recruiters. My career did not transfer over into the civilian world either. If you are reading this don't do it. You don't owe anything.
1) Pay better 2) Stop getting into wars all over the globe for corrupt politicians 3) Make sure they have a skill they can use outside of the military 4) Get rid of the woke and back to -> "Be All That You Can Be!" 5) Raise the standards ; nobody wants to be along side dumbasses.
You don’t owe anything, but you will still get an adventure of your lifetime and the social experience like no other, and getting paid doing it. Also getting PAID to go to college instead of racking up the student debt was nice too ;)
My father served in the navy in the 90s and my father in law served in the Vietnam war. After seeing how the military has treated them, aside from all the other things I’ve seen. That made me see things for how they are. It’s not worth leaving your family to fight for leaders who won’t take care of everyone that served. I made up my mind that I’d rather do everything I can here for my family at the home front than to go to a foreign country to fight someone else’s oil war. My job is to serve and protect my wife and kids.
Nope. I know for a fact I came back a different person from Bagram and Nasiriyah. I miss my brothers and sisters, but it's not worth permanent mental issues.
I think the experience of vets who were involved in the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan are coming back and don't want their loved ones to go through that. Being dropped into a foreign country as a teenager to fight "the bad guy" and then slowly realizing that YOU are the "bad guy" will definitely make you change your view of the military you dedicated your life to serve in. Also, the VA is notorious for leaving our vets without the proper care they deserve.
As a veteran, I'm not surprised. I did 6 years and all of those years were extremely depressing. Now I can't even get an appointment at the VA without waiting 6 weeks or more. The younger generations aren't stupid. They see what's going on and they're not going to put themselves in a bad situation just for free college.
Maybe if we werent pumping trillions of dollars into the military and instead used that money for schools. The public, private and college school system could be paid for by taxes.. Theres a whole world of possibilities of helping your fellow countrymen when the U.S. ceases to be a warmongering greedy empire.
@@echochamber1234State Universities have been “For profit” for decades, you must be a child! I went to “State” decades ago, too expensive even back then, had to join the guard to pay for it….the same college is now over $20,000 a year for tuition!
Military families are a subset of the American population; there will always be people who mismanage their finances in the military just like there are in the general population. Many bases are “little Americas” where many families don’t even have to leave if they don’t want to. They have their own Walmart (Base Exchange) their own Grocery Store (Commissary), their own 7-11 (Shoppette/class six), their own dog parks, tennis courts and food courts, gyms, basketball courts, education centers …and if you live on an air force base, even pools and golf courses. That’s all before a single event the military puts on for families of service members. Yeah, some families struggle, but without knowing how that family spends, you can’t blame that on “a lack of military pay.”
@@tonefaulcon9729First of all they call this BS fighting for freedom. Who's coming to this country trying to take away the our freedom? Nobody! Who's the ones bringing the fighter jets, battleships and tanks? We are! We are the one starting the wars and interfering in other countries wars! I really don't blame them when they are told don't join the military!
As someone who is currently serving. It’s not worth it. I advise people to get out and not reenlist. There are better jobs outside of the military. The pain and struggle isn’t worth it.
My stepdad had developed such severe PTSD from serving in the Military for over 26 years that I myself developed PTSD from how he treated me and my sibling. It destroyed our family and nearly my mental health as a whole.
Kids can get CPTSD from parents who were never in the military, but yeah, doubtless yours owned an arsenal and didn't hesitate to threaten you with it.
A big problem is the leadership once you are in. They act as though we aren't wearing the same uniform and have taken the same oath. They are very dismissive to enlisted issues. I served 13 years Navy and I have seen all manner of behavior from the leaders. Its truly sad and disgraceful how they do the young men and women who WANT to serve.
You’re not going to get chosen unless they know you will continue the plan and legacy whether by belief or by being personally validated and sometimes….BUTT STUFF BABY! Oh yeah, it’s the military and of course there’s butt play by rough gruff married killers. Look up pink triangle gang. They’re out there. It’s like you would think but you better never mention they are LGBTQ because in their head they are not and they don’t do all of this posturing like sometimes LGBTQ dudes do either. It’s very Frank Tolson and J Egder Hoover.
Every station, branch or MOS (/ period) will be different - though as an 11B I must say from OSUT to my first station I have rarely seen leadership, be it NCO or Officer, act in any way unbecoming of their rank/ title:o. For me it's been quite the opposite actually. (OSUT wasn't fun, don't get me wrong^^.. but it will pass and Drill SGT's have a job to do too). In any event, if you want more good (military, police, politicians, bakers whatever) you need more good. All I can say is find a job you think you could be suited for and try to set a high standard (even if you won't stay there, you may learn/ help more). At the least, as they say in the service, learn from bad leadership so that you might do better if/ when you get there. Take care everyone: Look for the good in others, and maybe you could help them find it in themselves, if not your-self:P. Peace ~
Your dad deserved a better experience than what he clearly had. The military has so much funding, and yet it treats those who enlist so poorly. The institution itself needs a revamp.
@@zoyadulzura7490there’s a misconception that the funding we give our military actually goes to support the troops who are in it. Nearly 70% is just to pay Lockheed Martin, or Boeing, whoever to build new tanks and planes.
@louis-we3yi every president in the past 50+ years has treated the military as a disposal resource to be milked for corporate profits, that includes Trump, Obama, Bush 1 and 2, Clinton so on and so forth
I enlisted from 2001 to 2004. My dad is a 20 year retired Vietnam Vet. I joined as an older recruit at 26. That being said, I told my son that the military wasn't an option for him when he turns 18. Joining the Army was the best decision I ever made, but I left with healed fractured hip socket joint and 10 percent disability. I've been reevaluated and I still get 10 percent even though I now have arthritis. The best thing joining the Army did for me was using the VA home loan. Without that, I would have never been able to my houses. The zero percent down was a lifesaver.
As a younger person not from the US, I have thought of joining my country's army, but decided against it in the end because of the elevated risk and the fear of loosing my personal freedom. I am currently pursuing higher education, mostly because that's where the money is at, but this comment made me think about what life is like in other places. Anyway, may I know why you think that joining the army was the best decision you ever made? Very curious, as the only "vet" I know served on a ship which didn't see any combat. (Sorry for the wall of text😅)
My grandson wanted to join the Army. After Biden was put in the office, I told him not to do it. He talked to other vets, and they told him the same thing !
Currently at 17 years Navy. The biggest issue I see is during the span of a 20-30 year career they expect service member to move every 3 years to some different random locations. No chance to settle into a community anywhere and raise a family. This is a tremendous sacrifice for military member and their family's to shoulder and all doing so for a job that pulls you away from home on deployments for 5-8 months and duty day rotations while in home port and the pay is very mediocre. BAH is either just enough or inadequate. Pay does not keep up with inflation, generally speaking the compensation package (speaking from senior enlisted) is very soft for what is asked of us. Submitting for retirement at 20 on the dot as I do not feel it is financially worth it to remain active. Would I recommend this career to my own kids? Yes, just do 4 years to get out of the house, get on ur own and grab some college benefits and that's it. Good initial entry into adult hood and being independent. Long term career, do not recommend.
I disagree, Chief. I was recruited to be an Avionics tech. Had 6 months of schooling and wore the AT rate badge while I washed airplanes and worked in the galley. Sub 80 IQs were placed in charge of me and held tremendous power over me. Maybe kids would sign up if they could reevaluate if they wanted to remain in every 6 months. 4 years is too much to much to ask somebody to stay committed when the navy isn't keeping it's end of the deal. I'm one of the people telling young people not to do it. Then you got the possibility of having to salute a man wearing a skirt, nowadays.
@@micclay If the possibility of having to salute a trans person is a deal breaker then yeah, you shouldn't join. That just shows how small of a person you are and you'd be more of a liability than anything.
When I graduated high school, I was strongly considering joining the marine corps. During this time, I spoke to several family members who served to get advice, cheif of which being my great grandfather, who served as a marine during the Korean war. The general consensus between them all was that joining was not a good idea and to find other things to pursue. Seeing how the military gets treated, I'm glad I listened to my grandpa. To all who serve or have served, I salute you.
@thewatcher4552 I wouldn't say so. I trust my grandfather and his experiences, hence why I heeded his words. There is no use in dwelling. There is only use in using my time on this earth to the best of my ability, as it should be with us all. We all have our roles to play in the wheel of life, and our decisions are our own.
"No draft" He means the poverty draft isn't pushing people into the military as their only choice. It's why I joined, and the reason my kids won't. Neither the pay or benefits are competitive and history has shown we have to fight tooth and nail for the benefits we earned. Look at how many died in poverty paying medical bills for over a decade fighting over burn pits.
You people talk about it like it some sort of industry that needs to be there just stop starting wars and none of you people will be required . The world is sick to death of global terrorism caused by the Americans
If I was able to join, my starting rate would be $250/hour to fight for this laughably insufferable and comically evil excuse of a “UnItEd” country. A man can dream for fair pay and equal rights. You hear how comically evil that sounds? But it’s true.
Congress is big time Military Industrial Complex share holders. They keep writing future BS war bills on American taxpayers while MIC shares continue to profit from it .
My husband and I are both vets. We very much pushed our boys not to join. As active duty, we are treated as property (and we literally are property-by choice-of the USA) and as veterans who were disabled directly by our military jobs, we are tossed aside. My husband and I were limited in options as young people but our sons are not and luckily have chosen different paths.
Buddy was marine corps infantry. he claims a friend of his accidentally threw a knife into his foot (probably playing some stupid game) and the corps charged him with destruction of gov property. Dunno if I believe that one, but if its true, it's hilarious and sad at the same time.
Stop getting into pointless wars and stop treating veterans like dirt. As a veteran, I wouldn't encourage anyone to join. It's not about freedom. It's about making politicians rich.
As a millennial, I grew up watching the extreme mismanagement and bureaucracy of the VA for wounded vets and decided not to risk it. There are career opportunities through the military branches, but it's a major risk
@@amose32 I mean sure, to a point, every sector has it's risks. Some are more easily avoidable than others. Not getting PTSD from killing brown people overseas is a good place to start.
@@LuciusAurelius69 yet another LIE! I've changed my job 3xs and always pick where I'm going to be stationed. Quit lying join find out for yourself or shudddup
After watching my uncle lose his mind in Afghanistan Kandahar in 1997 without any benefit. Only therapy that made his PTSD” worst. Plus until this day the USA government has always forgotten about its veterans patriots. Good luck recruiting for the bankers. The people are the once’s in charge don’t forget that elites.
Definitely saw this coming. Retention is almost as bad as recruiting. I got out after 10 years and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. You regain your dignity.
@@alanshearer3682 You're not dignified protecting this woke wasteland no. The peoples duty must be earned and if they can't even treat their own soldiers with dignity, then they're going to collapse (and hopefully a less degenerate, feminised world order will take its place).
Combat soldier here 2005- 2006, Iraq. I told my young teen son when I got back, that if entered any service, I would rather he served in the coast guard. At least doing that, he would be primarily serving the average citizen with rescues, navigation hazards and general safety on the water ways and at sea. I told him, unless he wanted to come back effed up like me. He has never even considered entering service. We rock it at defeating an enemy and conquering. Occupation? The way we conducted the occupations was utterly stupid. "Winning the hearts and minds"? What a farce. Doing things that actually did something for the general populace? Simple things like, ensuring the hospitals had power and supplies. Nope. Why spend money on a people that we conquered and try to actually build any trust with, when we have these massive Forward Operation Bases to build? Making contractors rich? Absolutely! So much wasted money. So much wasted lives - both there and the continuing suicides here. The VA is an inconvenient reminder of flawed and even failed foreign policy. We veterans are just the physical residual trash of that foreign policy. Thank you leadership on high. Y'all really effed things up, when it could have been so much more humane and productive. Instead, it was highly profitable for all those contractors. It apparently helped grease that GDP and stock markets for awhile. The one suggestion I have for the future (There will be another occupation one day, somewhere); Occupation forces need to be more like EMT's and help the healing of the common person in a nation we have conquered, instead of the "authoritarian" - looking for a fight - all the damned time. Being proactive instead of reactive. It was an honor to be target. Fiddler's Green
Bush the Younger was told we could not win. The military had learned from VietNam. He sent us into the mideast anyhow. Then, it was supposed to be just get Hussein and get out. The Hussein part went well, so well, Bush decided to stay and "fix" Iraq. HA! And it turns out that wasn't about avenging 9/11. It was protecting oil resources.
@@AFRO_KEENFirst of all they call this BS fighting for freedom. Who's coming to this country trying to take away the our freedom? Nobody! Who's the ones bringing the fighter jets, battleships and tanks? We are! We are the one starting the wars and interfering in other countries wars! I really don't blame them when they are told don't join the military!
I'm a veteran with 100% p&t disability from the VA and that was warned by a family member not to join. His exact words to me were "Don't do it. It was the best mistake I ever made". While I don't regret my service per-se, I can say I wouldn't do it again knowing what I know now and I would give the same advice a family member gave to me, which I ignored, over 20 years ago.
@@Blackbird_Singing_in_the-Night yep, same story here. At least now I can say I'm 40, basically retired and have enough income from my 100% disability to live very comfortable in many countries except for most of the US. I currently live in Mexico but I'm seriously considering immigrating to Argentina. I wouldn't want to do it if I had to work and earn money in the country but since the dollar is strong relative to their dumpster fire currency us americans have huge buying power. Basically it is kinda like if the VA doubled the pay for 100%. That would be more than a comfortable living in most of the US. With owning property a person could live in Buenos Aires, which is a modern city on par with Paris, for well under 1k usd per month.
@@crypticnomadThe rural areas surrounding Medellin are nice to live in. My grandfather (a pasty white Scottish man) bough a half acre and built a 3 bed 2 bath brick house for $27k USD all in. His house is surrounded by beautiful rose farms. And it's safe, they actually gave him a CCW despite not being a Colombian citizen.
Truthfully I thank every veteran who reads this .. I’m sorry that some of you have to endure after effects for a country that doesn’t truly appreciate the effort and blood sweat and tears … y’all are the definition of a human being willing to be front and center for others …. Y’all do more than the government could ever dream of doing and I salute you one million percent!
One of the best decisions I ever made. It afforded me many opportunities & experiences I don’t think I would have otherwise. I saw this coming a decade ago when I ETS’d. The US military is at their weakest & most vulnerable right now. Honestly, you would make more working at Wal-Mart than being an E-1 through E-4 & the new generations just aren’t willing to be government tools for mere pennies when they could make millions from being influencers on social media. 😅
Don't regret my time in service. 2 combat deployment, college degree, great career, no injury. It's for some, not for all. I would want my kids to join, but it's their choice, not my
@@simplymotivated1511 My grandfather told me about a officer that got fragged in his platoon. He was a replacement and lead them into 3 really bad ambushes by going against the words and thoughts of his more experienced subordinates because "Im a west point grad, I know a thing or two". One guy snapped and got him in the middle of the night.
I served, and unfortunately I was bullied out by some of my superiors (NCO). I am not a troublemaker and have always tried to keep my head down, but I was deemed too good at my job and made them nervous at how well I managed every extra job responsibility they threw at me. It took being setup to take blame for missing information on a patient procedure that had been dumped on me when I was supposed to be on lunch break to finally get me in enough trouble to get kicked out. Sad thing was that everyone I worked with knew what was going on, but couldn’t get proof to help me out. My coworkers were happy to see me go because it meant I would no longer have to targeted and could move on to better things with my life.
Were you by chance MASH or a nurse, had a similar experience happen to me with a non profit position, and it’s things like this that make me hesitant to try and enlist, attempting to go Med Serve though
It’s all narcissistic garbage all over but the medical side is a little more treacherous in my opinion. I came over from infantry and I had good NCO habits. One of the soldiers had a serious problem with IBS so I went to see them (female) in the hospital. The command flipped totally out. This specialist said all kind of high ranking people were coming up to her on breaks and at vending machines just to let her know how welcome and OK it would be if she had anything to say about SA.
Ehhhh...."they bullied me because I was too good at my job" is exactly what incompetent narcissists say...every time I run into someone whose people skills.are so bad that they're ruining their career, they have some narrative like "they are just intimidated by me because I'm so good". Nobody who is actually operating at a high level says stuff like that, it's just a weird thing to say.
2 years ago when I was 28 I'm 30 now I was this close to joining the air force already had a recruiter but then at the last minute and I said no I'm not doing it. Probably best bullet i ever dodged.
Idk about you but those recruiters look mighty young nowadays. I haven't seen a dude who looks over 30, it's insane. A decade ago recruiters look like they were in their 30's and 40's. I don't think they even got enough people going career now.
Once you see how the government treats it's veterans (leaving them with a high percentage of unemployment, homelessness, PTSD) it is very easy to understand why no one in their right mind would voluntarily join.
Veterans are often most unemployable for America isn't true and noble. This didn't start with Biden nor Obama in government and corporate America. A veteran employment rep with my state helped me to get on with IRS in 2020 just before the shutdown which went well until mid 2021 when I got a new radical woke lady team lead. Every day, I'd wake up asking, I wonder who's my team lead today? Which left me insecure feeling for I knew eventually I'd get a real bad one. I've been unemployed since and very struggling though have VA section 8 housing assistance. It's crazy having to be from the world empire going down the drain full of nasty bosses from Joe down to my old team lead who's probably raking in the money today like Joe and Hunter.
@@mathemat3939First of all they call this BS fighting for freedom. Who's coming to this country trying to take away the our freedom? Nobody! Who's the ones bringing the fighter jets, battleships and tanks? We are! We are the one starting the wars and interfering in other countries wars! I really don't blame them when they are told don't join the military!
As prior military, I've experienced toxic work environments where gossip was spread among service members, superiors felt it was right to talk down those who were lower rank, and military members appeared miserable during work. With all the negativity I've seen and people taking the job too seriously, I'm happy I left without any regrets.
Serving in the military and sounds just like my current work environment. The funny thing is the peeps doing the gossiping are the ones favored by leadership and get squadron awards literally every quarter.
There's also lack of privacy, I told a psychologist something in confidence not knowing my supervisor had access to those records. Then one day in the elevator he told me in explicit detail the same happened to his mother. I never shared anything again.
More like the "I hate it here" mentality where you guys would rather play Fortnite on your mothers wifi after your done making TikTok videos. No balls. At all.
@@thetraveler1182 you telling me I should be willing to fight and die for corrupt zillionaires and career politicians who couldn't care less? No thanks.
Yes, the boomers joined to fight the communist "boogeyman" but it all turned-out to be anti-propoganda propaganda. Conspiracy Theories are nothing new....
22 years ago I was a Freshman in H.S. Four years later I was in boot camp…then two years later I was in Iraq. Today I still feel like I am there mentally. And for what?!
I am the first Man on my Dad's side of the family in 4 Generations who decided not to serve. One of my best moves in life and my Dad who served says it was absolutely the right decision!!
I'm a veteran and I wouldn't want to serve alongside a conscript. Period. Part of the reason people hesitate to serve is because they see how poorly veterans that come back from war are taken care of. The colonel laments the fact that 9/11 did not motivate people to enlist in as great a volume as did Pearl Harbor-- well, politicians in Congress nowadays have to be publicly shamed before they will provide legislation to permanently take care of 9/11 first responders dying of terminal cancer. Many politicians are not willing to approve legislation to make it easier for veterans to file medical claims. I don't think it's simply a problem of a younger public that is unwilling to serve.
Also because the US has a history of starting and getting involved in unnecessary wars and conflicts. Look at how Biden left Afghanistan, don't think that can't be a factor for anybody.
My dad served 31 years in the Navy, he actually died while active and was about to retire. I remember before graduating high school I thought about joining the Air Force or navy, but dad convinced me not to and just go to school.
The younger generation is getting exceptionally good at understanding the personal cost/benefits ratio of things like going to college and military service. We are spending billions on the latest tools and gadgets that the military doesn’t even fully utilize while also churning out veterans who can’t find a job or have extreme difficulty reintegrating with society.
Yes. The U.S. doesn't need to bring back the draft--it needs to find ways to appeal to people who understand what they are getting into. If the military must use force, trickery, or misinformation in order to recruit, then that speaks volumes about the quality of the U.S. military. They have the job to make people *want* to serve, and be proud that they did.
I still think it is a viable option if you are just getting out of High School, and don't have a plan what to do with your life. If you play your cards right, you can serve 4 years, plan to get out and go to school and have it paid for. considering the cost of college these days. Not to mention getting the guarantee Home loan. But seeing how the government treats Veterans, I can see why Gen Z are refusing to do it today. They'll take their chances the old fashion way, and I honestly can't blame them.
@@zoyadulzura7490no, we as citizens of a free society owe a service to said society. Freedom comes with a cost that must be paid by those that enjoy it or they'll lose the luxury.
@@Certifiably_Unhinged A parent who tells their child that the child owes them something for having brought them into this world is a bad parent. The same with a nation. But if the parent is good to the child, the child will love the parent and take care of them when the time comes. Same with residents joining the military. And besides, joining the military is just one of many ways a person can work to take care of their society.
Simply put, The United States just isn’t a society worth fighting for anymore and until we see some change I don’t think we’ll see an improvement in recruiting numbers
What Colonel Clueless missed entirely is that people my age have seen just how futile wars can be, how serving in the military can dramatically change your life (and not for the better), and how veterans are actually treated. There was a reason after 9/11 people in my generation (I was in college at the time) hesitated to join up, it was our parents, the Vietnam generation, that were influential in those decisions. They saw how veterans were treated, they saw how everyday kids were fodder for some political ideology that was a total loss. They saw the handwriting on the wall in Iraq and Afghanistan long before the rest of us and warned us ahead of time. Now fast forward, we are in generation that witnessed the debacles of Iraq and Afghanistan, the udder uselessness of both conflicts and the lack of change those conflicts resulted in. Another difference between 9/11 and Pearl Harbor is who was responsible. You could point to Japan (and the axis powers) as direct state actors, physical geographic locations that could be identified in a map. 9/11 was a bunch of individuals, not state sponsored (well maybe the Saudi’s). So there was no dot on the map, no state actors. You could argue Afghanistan’s government let it happen, but that is/was a stretch considering bin Laden was all over the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Pakistan planning and funding the attack. It was senseless, money and lives lost for an outcome that was at best no better then when it started and at worst destabilizing to entire regions. We should have killed bin Laden and his terrorist buddies, not invaded two counties and tried to change their way of life….
Exactly this guy completely clueless he’s the type of leader that made ppl wanna leave the army he’s still stuck in his old times …the world has changed and ppl can actually think for themselves and differ wats good for them or not
Ill give him one salute. He is a Medal of Honor recipient. But after that he is still an officer and I dislike officers. I dont care much for the class system.
What do you expect. You have men and women serving for years with low pay, giving their time, body, and health for this country; and what do they get in return, a country that doesn't care for em in getting health care or programs that would help them at all
^^^spot on @johnavis1089 ^^^^ Gen X was the first generation in American history to not do better than the previous. Instead of investing in the future of America Boomers chose to make their own lives more lavish.
@@eugenefirebird8938 The GI Bill was enforced by a grateful nation, during WW2; when you give your all the nation created benefits for all of those whom served; do your homework, you don't have a clue about what you're saying; some of these guys never made it home, others so badly wounded for life.
I recently got our after doing 13 years in the navy. I also served in Afghanistan for a year in a joint mission. I did a total of eight deployments.I couldn’t take it anymore after getting stuck out to sea during covid for ten months straight. I was literally harassed and bullied every single day by my leader. When I tried to talk to someone over them I was told I was “to interesting” and that’s when I knew that I could do it anymore. If you want to sign up for torment, harassment, and stalking then go ahead. It’s not worth the mental abuse. Just do a few years and get out of you have to go!!
This is one of the reasons I didn’t join the Navy. I met dudes after ETS who did nothing but clean ships and get bullied by racists. Their entire military careers consisted of cleaning up after other men on ships.
I have known people that joined the military in the mid 70s and none of them came back with anything good to say about the military. The dissatisfaction has been with us for a long time.
I remember a wife of someone serving whose house was being foreclosed while the husband was ducking bullets overseas! They don't get help when they come back! When the country needs your help, you provide it, when you need your country to help you no one remembers you! It should be a two-way!
They don't care. Look how they treated them after Vietnam. The war was stupid but we shouldn't have blamed the soldiers. I can't believe that I ever supported the idea of Mandatory Military Service!
@@JacobK-j8yMy grandfather went to Vietnam. His name is Linwood William Moore. He earned a Bronze Star when he was in country. He didn’t talk of it much, but I’m sure he was called everything in the book, to include ni&&er. I later joined and went to Iraq twice. My grandfather saw me come home once. He gave me a hug in his wheelchair and whispered something in my ear… He died in July 2009…six months before I went back the second time. We are forgotten.
I don’t want to be mean but where was the soldier’s paycheck going to when the foreclosure was happening? The military is a job at the end of the day, nobody is over there for free. Low pay is one thing but not paying your bills isn’t the militaries fault.
My father served in Vietnam along with my uncle. As far a I can tell, this country doesn't take care of it's veterans. He tells me all about the V.A. and what he goes through with them. He will drive hours to the V.A. to get blood work done and somehow they lose his paperwork and he has to come back and do it again. Not to mention, they would rather give him prescriptions pills then actual preventative treatment, it's ridiculous
Yes Im 61 and saw many Vietnam Veterans die on streets of Los Angeles growing up. I worked for a non profit we would sell things via telephone for sleeping bags and other things they might need. Back then there was no help for homeless people, or compassion.😢😢😢😢
@@Chad_Maxyou seem to have very little understanding about how money works. The military budget is +/- three quarters of the us budget. The social services budget is part of that last 25%. And welfare comes from the sliver of the budget that went to social services. People who qualify for welfare don’t have time to sit home and play video games. Being poor is a lot of work.
@@Chad_Max george w. bush had a republican controlled congress in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, yet the VA was arguably at its worst. funding for the VA did not get a meaningful increase until 2008, when barack obama was president. the VA budget doubled during his presidency. so tell me again about liberals not taking care of veterans. refer to page 4 of the congressional report on VA appropriations: crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46964
When I graduated HS I had intentions on joining the Army. Recruiters would come by your home and discuss the Army, etc. Well my dad an old Korean Marine vet came in told the recruiter to leave or he'd kick his a$$. I had to tackle my dad in the yard, the recruiter jumped in his car took off. My dad yelled at him, ''Have the rich politicians, gas companies send their kids to war''.
Glad I didn’t join as well. All my buddies/cousins were 4 years or less and out. Just because you’re not a veteran doesn’t mean you wouldn’t give your life for your country. We can still defend America if we ever have too 🇺🇸 Lots of minutemen here.
I had just turned 21, and was a week away from MEPS, going into the Air Force. Had really good test scores, the recruiter gave me several more tests and I was offered basically any job I wanted. They wanted me to try for combat controller (80% wash out rate at the time so I knew I likely wouldn’t make it). My buddy joined while I was in community college and was traveling the world, dragging fighters as a KC10 crewman. Got free schooling as well from a much better college. Anyways, I got hit head on by an F150 and shattered my right knee amongst other injuries…and of course that ended my recruitment process at the time. I look back and wonder how different my life would have been, likely for the better at the time (2008). My brother was a recruiter at the end of his Army career and…let’s just say it was very hard for him, especially while talking with mothers of the recruits. Now- I wouldn’t consider joining. I LOVE my country and my people, don’t miss that on my next statement. I am ASHAMED of my government. I do not want to serve them, because the will of the government is NOT the will of the people anymore. The biggest threats I see to my country in recent years are not foreign, they are domestic. Stay sharp, love your neighbors, protect your families, and most importantly- STAY FREE ✊🏻 🇺🇸
You nailed it. I don’t know any young person who wants to take the vaccine in order to serve either. This administration is dedicated to China and the Ukraine, definitely not worth risking my child’s life .
@@dianakidd4219I would join in a heartbeat if they told me that I didn't have to get any type of jab and could smoke Herb once and a while during leave. Why enslave yourself to a vindictive government and ungrateful people who torment you and design the system to fail unless you give up all autonomy just to end up as damaged goods. To be treated like guinea pigs for the pharmaceutical companies.
@@dianakidd4219 Goodluck! Because soon the demon lords will implement mandatory service so they could brainwash your kids mind while its still fresh and programmable into dying in a senseless war like sending your kids to iraq because they have "mass weapons of destruction" when really the demons just needs more oil. When they start implementing mandatory service, RESIST! Resist, I tell ya! Dont let your kids be brainwashed or be sexually abused like what happened to most countries with mandatory service, especially countries like thailand....
And in regards to the vaccine. My son is currently serving in the Marine Corps he took the vaccine and now he has heart problems but the government is telling him that is not associated with the vaccine. Meaning when he gets out they're not going to compensate him he's going to be on his own. How's that for the green weenie.
Honestly, my leadership was beyond trash. NCO's (not all of them) are literal bullies and highly unprofessional. I would have stayed, but the experience at my unit made me want to run back home and that I did. There are good aspects of the military, but it really depends on what job or career path you take. The military can be fulfilling and amazing, but all it takes is one bad leader to ruin a good soldier, airmen, and every other one that's new to the service. I don't regret going to the Army, but I would definitely tell my kids to choose a different branch and career path if they wanted to join.
When I ETSd, I jumped over to the Air Guard from the Army. Night and day difference, and it really just came down to the mindset of leadership. The grass was in fact greener.
Served as a ranger and I can say I lost my best friends to suicide to war, lost my marriage, my finances, the military isn’t for everyone especially nowadays, I suggest to the people thinking about it, don’t. Go get educated, learn a trade, live your life.
struggle to recruit. wonder why. huh. what could it be?? I know so many vets who can't even get their rent paid, not to mention proper respect at the VA's office. Too little is done for when people come back, so why would you expect someone to give up everything, be traumatized for the rest of their life, only to come home and be treated like a parasite???
Well it's a job. So you get pay and benefits and housing for very reasonable costs. You have a lot of benefits working for the federal government and it's a volunteer army so that's why people would do it. You have health care for life. Maybe it's not what you're looking for, but you have access to it and you will everyday for the rest of your life. Not to mention the GI bill. You know what you're signing up for. And if you don't that's on you.
@@angle5520everything you say is correct, however! that still doesn’t change the fact that just because you sign up to to serve your country family and All who live there, you still shouldn’t be treated like dog water
@@Night-Vision09 I guess as a civilian I see it differently. Every business I've ever walked into has some type of discount for veterans. You could spend your day going from business to business and get a discount every time. That's a lot of savings in one day. How exactly are you treated like dog water? You act like all of those benefits are available to every person in this country. I just don't think you realize how fortunate you are. On my end my gratitude is never-ending, but that doesn't mean you're above anyone. you get paid to do a job. A dangerous job, but it's the choice you made.
Life is a parasite write off if you play your money against government taxation like business dose. The employed actually get taken the worst by government taxation.
Joining the military used to be a smart call, if you knew what you were doing. You could receive top flight training in any number of in-demand fields, from computer sciences to vehicular repair. As a civilian, after you finished your time, you got priority, when applying for a position. Then, during the Bush administration (2001-2008) they started recalling folks who’d done their time. This caused massive amounts of disruption in the workforce. Within two years, being a vet took you from being 1st pick to being a prohibitive hire. When you couple this with the very real possibility of grievous bodily harm and/or death, why would you ever sign on the dotted line? If they want more to join, the military’s going to have to change its ways. It’s going to have to start showing personnel real respect and not just saving that for when, God forbid, they die in service.
I work in the oil and gas industry. We always prioritize veterans and have had veterans only job fairs. The oilfields want and respect military because it’s a tough job and military folks get it and don’t end up quitting the first time they are asked to work an extra hitch or some OT. I’ve worked with many vets and also had a couple of supervisors that were either retired military or had several years. All great guys to work with and for.
@@joefrederick6471 - not military, but am still glad to hear this. Those are hard jobs, but they’re good paying jobs. You can solidly provide for a family, if you have one, working those jobs. That’s always a good thing. At least it is to me.
Veteran Employment Assistance of the Private Sector Market Is As Bigoted As Veteran Assistance of any other United States' Department of Defense Enlistment Employment, of any Military Branch Not Enlisted In, of the Public Sector Market.😶. Respectively. Tanika Nakeya Lewis, 6127
If you want to spend 4 years doing working parties (military jargon for chores), cleaning your barracks room for days on end, getting yelled at for no reason, hurrying up then waiting around for no reason (like getting up at 4 am for company formation only to go to the range at 10 am), being incessantly insulted, being treated like a sewer rat for not intending to re-enlist, then by all means, enlist. Watching congress, mainly republicans, talk about slashing VA funding also adds to the stress even after you get out!
@@randyboisa6367 Well, if you look at the record, it's mainly republicans that threaten the VA. The last 22% cut in the VA budget was done under this Republican controlled Congress. Also look at the burn pit bill, it was all republicans who resisted it.
@@randyboisa6367because its true it’s something you can look up rather quick, they were also trying to take away the “serve for citizenship “ that’s how I got my citizenship as a veteran now.
Oh, you're still partisan shill... A servant to the uniparty. Neocons own your party and your tribal mentality. Biden=Bush, you're just too much of a hyena to realize.
Served 5 years in the Marine Corps. Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Got treated like crap, friends died. Still dealing with issues from my time in service. I do not recommend joining the military. There are healthier ways to make a living.
I’m currently in the Air Force stationed in Alaska. Yes it is not for everyone but you’ll never know if you don’t try. Your supervisor and type of job you do will be a big factor.
@@CheznriceThat’s a pretty high rank for someone in the Air Force with only 13 years, she must be good. Once she makes E-8, she becomes like an office manager. I retired from the Army as an E-8.
I’m a retired Army combat vet by disability (serious car crash ended my career after I got back from desert storm, was other driver’s fault), seemed like the military started changing after many became very sick after getting home from the gulf war and I’ve heard and read many stories of suicides and murders of family members from their own relatives because the government never gave the complete care and help to the many soldiers, marines and airmen after they got out of the military (no housing, no food stamps, no therapy for PTSD and depression etc…)…..I used to think at that time why did my career get cut short but looking back on it now it was the best thing that happened to me, because with how the government are always fighting other countries wars for them with no planning whatsoever strains our military forces thin because all that money being spent for those wars that same money needs to be spent here at home to help the countless veterans on the street that need housing, medical care, transportation, jobs etc… It’s no wonder why young adults aren’t enlisting in the military after graduation, if the government took better care of active duty veterans and those who are out then maybe we’d see a more healthy percentage of recruiting numbers of those graduates who wants to enlist than what the pitiful recruiting percentage numbers we have now.
It’s hard to treat when millions are ripping the system off. We got fools who never left the wire with ptsd. How people gonna do 3 years and get 3k a month for the rest of your life while complaining? I’ve been in 22 years working. Everyone has depression, I know it’s 2023 and that popular to use now
Many United States' Department of Defense Enlisted Employees' "Maternity" Express Their Ignorance about the Rationale of Wars, Nationally and Inter-Nationally, Inclusive Of/By Their Sponsor-Spouses and/or "Family Members". In-Sanity Is a Perspective of Poverty, If Not the Actuality of Poverty. 😶. Respectively. Tanika Nakeya Lewis, 6127
Yeah why would we want to join a military to fight for a country that doesn't care about us. The US is the richest country in the world and yet somehow has no universal healthcare, laughable public transit, a terrible education system, and rampant homelessness due to wages not keeping up with inflation, and our veterans have been hung out to dry. Why? Because fixing those problems isn't considered profitable by the corporations that pull the government's strings. Corporate greed has caused the downfall of our country, and until we worry about what's happening on our own land rather than meddling in foreign affairs, we will never be a part of the developed world
I've lost friends, mentally and physically, to those wars. I never met my grandfather, who served in Germany during world war 2, because a hospital would not take his VA benefits due to government slowdowns, that cost him much needed healthcare and he died far too young.
Well stop starting wars and this won't be a problem . You started World War 1 which in turn started World War 2 you're constantly creating wars so that you can make money or interfering in wars that have nothing to do with you to sell your bright shiny new military equipment. Just stop starting wars and all this goes away it is the Americans that are stopping world peace no one else
I have two good friends who joined the Marines from 2013-2019 They finished off depressed, uncertain and troubled with some benefits they were supposedly provided by the military that never pulled through.. don’t know details but one of them told me it’s only worth it if you literally got nothing else going on after high school if you’re young. His overall rating was a 5/10
@2jz97and words of wisdom hurt people like to see others hurt. Anyone been in the military will not today advise you to join if they do that's because they want to see you join to become Miserable as they are don't do it young man
@2jz97bruh you literally could be doin anything else. Just find a decent job for now until you find the hobby you like. I really hope you're parents aren't forcing you to go into the military. That would be terrible
As a retired veteran, I don’t think these kids want to go through what I went through which was not the worst. I still haven’t signed on to that burn pit registry yet; man, that was the blackest smoke I ever saw in my life on our FOB in Iraq. Used to go running by it every day, I hope I’m okay. Besides the deployments, how about day to day active duty life, like the time the army removed all the stalls from the bathroom in Grafenwoer, Germany? They were tired of people writing not so nice things on the walls. We could all see each other sitting on our own toilets, except we were all staring at the ground, especially when someone got up to leave. Our American kids today are not going to put up with that……
I told my doctor at VA last January I wanted to do the burn pit toxic materials registry, but they aren't really doing that since announcing it last December. When I called a bit later asking why I haven't been given an appointment date, they said the program is backed up. You won't get taken care. Sorry bud.
As an 18 year old kid 20+ years ago ready to sign my life away.....Im glad I listened to my jarhead dad who told me not to. Have yet to regret that time I listened to the ol' man. I am definitely telling my kids the same thing, too many better opportunities in life for them.
Joined Army @ 17 they told me go airborne you can pick where you want to go, the first lie severed 8 years , in my 6th year I was headed to BLC but my E-6 kept pushing my date back so I changed units trying to push for my sergeant rank, in my 8th year I gave up after that E-7 gave someone else my slot. I ended up going to school and getting 100% disability cause of PTSD and my Injuries on the knees. I own a barbershop now and also have 2 incomes ,proud with the decision I made was a uphill battle for a black man trying to prove a point to people who could care less and replace you
Not only recruitment, but retention as well. Our military preaches a lot of values that a lot of soldiers don't really care about, you'll be surprised that even high ranks don't really care. For my experience, it's a toxic environment filled with discrimination and racism. Leaders only care about there career progress most of the time. A lot of great soldiers that has potential leave because they don't get recognized, instead they get worked more. Only a few, but not everyone in the military really care about anybody who's serving with them. I got a few months left and I'm tapping.
It's not just that they don't care. In fact I'd argue that at first most do care, but when you have to live by a code , only to see the organization and people that taught you that code ignore it completely, you become jaded and sick of the hypocrisy and double standards, a d you start to wonder why should I live by these values when no else does? Not saying it's right, but most people don't start out that way.
@@michaelrivera2080 well in the military side you never really clock out, you can get called in anytime. If some of these leaders don't like you because you want to do the right thing every time, expect those calls more often even on your weekend in the middle of the night.
I did 6 years and 2 combat tours and I’ve been fighting hard for my disability compensation and I’ve met “vets” that’s never even made it to their duty stations getting 90% compensation crazy
File a claim NOW and use the PACT Act as “medical evidence” it’s easier than ever to get connected. I know what you mean. I’ve met “Marines” who washed out of boot, never served active duty and never deployed but stick their chests out like gods gift to the world. File that claim and get your benefits
My grandfather was a WW2 combat vet in the pacific Theater. He said it best before he passed away - “when I served, we were defending our country. Those who serve today are defending some rich guy’s bank account.”
@@varg8696 Germany had officially declared war on the USA and German U-Boats were sinking American ships within sight of east coast beaches. The Germans were also trying to build bombers capable of crossing the ocean to bomb US cities.
@@blackdan0259 The leader ship for one, they have crap housing crap pay crap working hours crap health care the list goes on and on Walmart has better benefits and pays better than the military.
Audit the money going to military contractors is a good first step. Take care of our soldiers with good equipment and good pay. Take care of our veterans after they come home. Stop letting private, corporate interests dictate military action. Audit the money going to military contractors, please!!
@@Elversonfox Amen Brother. My pay was so awesome as soon as we PCS'd to Hood my wife was approved for WIC and Food Stamps. We just starved for 3 years in Germany. "You don't need no housing, no pay, or no healthcare, soldier. All you need is a rifle and a ruck sack."
This is awesome ! As a vet .. coming from and out of war … I’ve learned we don’t need it. We really don’t. People are not our terrorists or enemies.. it’s GREED. If we over come that as a race.. wow what we could accomplish
fallin human nature won't be overcome any time before Jesus comes back. Even if you could teach a generation this lesson the next generation would swing the pendulum back.
I served in the coast guard in New Orleans. Was there for Hurricane Katrina. That event and a few others messed my head up pretty hard. Got my honorable discharge and went back to civilian life. Or tried to. Hyper vigilance, ptsd, and major anxiety problems made it impossible to keep a job. No employer wants to deal with a guy with “issues”. I wasn’t even told about the VA until I was out for 5 years. It took me another 6 years to get disability pension. My kids have seen what my service time did to me and don’t want anything to do with it. I don’t want it for them either. I’ve told them the good, bad, and ugly. And the good just doesn’t balance the rest.
Don't listen to these other commenters. They couldn't imagine working for days to save thousands of stranded, nor the horror of witnessing the aftermath of an event that killed over a thousand people. I see you and hear you.
I retired out after 22 years. The amount of WOKENESS has been increasing. Mandated sensitivity classes, forced acceptance of transgender, but denial of religious liberty. Add in dubious missions, bad leaders that drop pallets of money on our potential enemies, why would anyone serve?
When I was a junior enlisted combat engineer on the way to NTC, the battalion commander gathered the entire battalion in the brigade gymnasium. He divided us into four groups: junior enlisted living in the barracks, married soldiers, single soldiers with children, and soldiers married to another service member. He started off by addressing those of us in the first group. He told us we should consider ourselves lucky that he let us live in his barracks. He then turned his back on us and addressed the other three groups regarding all the ways that a rotation to Ft Irwin was going to affect them and their dependents. There were far too many leaders like this.
As a retired combat Vet, I approve of anyone NOT signing up; not the way they’ve propped up wars yet leave fellow 🇺🇸Americans🇺🇸 insecure, poor, hungry, homeless… literally in the dust. Happy 4th, everyone!
@@watuloswhy not enlist tomorrow then?
Way ahead of you 😂
@@justinesagan178 Apparently since he's made the oath, he already did.
@@justinesagan178US military standards have risen due to technology: drones, AI, & so on. Top tier veterans are recruited by universities & corporations.
@@watulos You mean like from Iraq or Libya 🤡?
As a Marine Veteran I don't fault the young adults. I served my country and Honorably Discharged in 2000, during my time of service I severely damaged my left knee..to this day it still swells up, locks out, clicks when walking, there are weeks it's so bad that I have to stay off it and ice it, the throbbing pain is horrible. But the VA gives me a whopping $100/month for my service connection. So I don't blame anyone for not wanting to serve because they'll use you and throw you to the curb and everything is on you and the military no longer has anything to do with you. VA hospitals are a joke, when you show up..everyone from the front door to the PA not Doctor will mock you and discredit you so many don't like that and just leave. Go to school, learn a trade, you'll make more money than any service member.
Thanks for your military service. The free handouts of welfare programs are too generous and dwarf VA benefits.
@@johnw4748 absolutely. And that's our government's priority.
Former Marine infantryman here... served from 1986-1990. Stop lying about the VA.
@@warrenlewis3977 it's not a lie. I traveled 3 hours to Albuquerque to get talked down to..it ain't worth the miles, money, time.
@@MrStaybrown what was ur MOS and who did you serve with?
Younger generations are just aware what to expect when joining the military. We are living in the age of information after all. People are not joining the army blindly anymore.
💯
politicians should be in the front line. I almost joined 2001 but I realized, the politicians are staying home. 18 year old soldiers are dying but the politicians are using words? Politicians are not sending their kids in the front lines either. If politicians want to fight each other, they should do it like the olden days. Like Genghis Khan, in the front lines. Somethign like that.
@@WarRior-rn4kbTruth
facts
I think it's much more about Young Americans been incredibly lazy even more lazy than their fat disgusting parents. But it would be nice to think that young Americans aren't going to get involved in this global terrorism that America keeps enforcing on the world
As a combat vet I lost my best friend to suicide after we returned from our second tour. The average hovers around 20 per day. Civilians see this and are much more aware than in the past due to the internet and social media. After reading "War Is a Racket" (The Profit That Fuels Warfare) by Major General Smedley D. Butler I realized what we have been fighting for and more people are waking up.
yeah i know that feeling, 2 of mine did too long ago. i almost came close couple times.
Your best friend made the best decision in his life by taking his own life the world is better place with out murderers like him and yourself American military kills civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan
@@jayholder283bro why tf would you say that bs
@@YungFhHe thinks he’s the “cool kid” 💀
Non vets commit suicide
Those who opposed the Iraq War from the get-go saw this coming. Children of the 2000's are now grown and don't want to risk being sent to war over false pretenses.
Weapons of Mass Deception. 🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♀️🤦🏿♂️🤦🏿♀️
I was born in 1998 so the afghan war was pretty much as long as I can remember my entire childhood until it ended
Or at all. Maybe they realize it's always been dumb
Why is there always war? Can’t we all just be friends? I’m pretty sure we can talk it out and not fight
@@LilXancheXthe military-industrial complex is a real thing as a soldier I can tell you it exists but unfortunately the soldiers don't benefit it's the companies that do
Not a word about veterans left to fend for themselves in the streets, having to fight for every penny from a government that spends trillions with arms contractors 😡
So true! Agree 100%
I fear for those joining today for when America is determined to be bankrupt, they probably won't even get a ride home from the 1000 or so duty locations around the world.
And billions spent on illegals.
@@D1008W Why would you have your kids repeat your mistake? Makes no sense.
They should have gotten jobs and gone back to school, my family did it anyone can...no excuses.
I served 15 years in the U.S. Army, climbing the ranks from Private( E-1) to Chief Warrant Officer (W-2) from 2002 to 2017, mostly in airborne units as a paratrooper. When I left the military due to service-connected disabilities, I never received adequate support from the VA. Not only did I have to leave the military with only 5 years left before I could retire, but I have been having to pay out of pocket for my own PTSD treatment because the VA classified my PTSD as a "mood disorder" because that is how they are able to avoid spending money on disabled veterans that have PTSD. So with 15 years of service including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, the only thing I came out with is a bad back, bad knees, unstable mental health, and no retirement benefits. A few months ago I sold all of my guns because I have been struggling with thoughts of suicide; I know that I would have put a bullet in my own head by now if I kept them, I daydream about it constantly. It doesn't help that I can barely afford to pay my bills even with my full-time job as an HR Investigator. I am so sick of society; people always say that they support veterans but that is a lie; when you leave the military it's difficult to even get a job because civilian employers treat us like entry-level employees and they lowball our salary. I applied for several higher paying jobs that I am qualified for, but I get rejected every time because they don't seem to know that organizational management in the military does translate to business management in the civilian world. Society has abandoned the veteran population, every day I wake up just wishing I was dead; that is why I tell people that joining the military is not worth the sacrifice. I lost my marriage from deploying too frequently, I lost friends that were killed overseas, my health has rapidly deteriorated, I might lose my house this year, and the only real satisfaction that I get out of life is knowing that someday I am going to die.
If it's any conciliation, employers treat applicants with years of experience and education, the exact same way....
Hire a VA lawyer. Most judges will rule in your favor for your mental health if you have a physical injury. Get the compensation you deserve. Good luck.
❤️
Do you have a rating?
Karma
They way America treats their veterans made me turn my eye to joining the military at a young age.
Same
I was always too fat to join
@@IsaacSilver1props for the honesty
Soldiers are just canon fodder, anyone telling you otherwise doesn't know any better.
All those TH-cam videos of homeless people who are veterans is crazy. I think a lot of people get turned off by that.
For every good successful military career story there are dozens of failures. Homelessness, depression, PTSD, physical long term injuries, divorces and bankruptcies are usually the stories that you'll see the most. Kids today are not stupid, they see how the government treats our vets and they make the right decision for not joining. Even vets warn their kids against joining.
The majority of the issues/shortcomings veterans face are a result of their own actions.
I’m a third generation combat vet & told mine not join. I would have felt like a failure. We shouldn’t all have to keep starting at that same point. It’s time to break the cycle and for them to start a step ahead.
@@yourwifesboyfriend6081 that's a bold statement
@@yourwifesboyfriend6081Absolutely not I have seen way to many of my friends get absolutely fu*ked by the military it’s because of the military.
@@yourwifesboyfriend6081 statement matches the username.
I think its a combination of bad advertising, poor leadership, not taking care of our veterans, and the wars we choose to fight in.
Yeah but but Republicans said we had to invade and occupy Iraq and Afghanistan. If we didn't fight them over there we would have to fight them here, remember? Republicans wouldn't make that up. They never lie.
All of the above. I served 15 years, medically retired and discouraged my kids from joining for those reasons. Particularly not taking care of our veterans, and the wars we choose to fight in. The lies that led us into Iraq created two generations of winter soldiers.
No Americans are just less patriotic and fat these days
The military historically always has trouble recruiting when unemployment is low with everyone hiring who ever they can get young people from blue collar families have options right now. As a disabled Army vet I try to steer kids away from the military with the exception of the Air Force if they can get a good "MOS" job field to serve in.
Rejecting some and their are people that break in basic training
As a Vet I am telling you don't Join and fight for corporate interests!
Fighting for Wall Street.
@@eugenefirebird8938hm
If you actually don't want people joining the military anymore than you should probably start brushing up on your Mandarin and learning how to use chopsticks.
Yes vets aren't treated very well either
@@riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip we aren't gonna ever be invaded by China. Mutually assured destruction assures that. So whats the point of our multi-trillion dollar a year military?
I'm an Army veteran and I hope it hits rock bottom. While you're in you are treated terribly (because you have very few rights and the ones you do have are hard to fight for), the food is horrible (unless you're on an AF base), and the housing wouldn't qualify for section 8 housing. I hope it gets so bad they are forced to treat troops like people, provide them with the quality of life that a person collecting life long disabilities should receive (everyone leaves with back, knee, shoulder, etc...issues), and finally do something about all the rapes.
Faxt!
That won’t happen, these people are evil. Instead they will institute a draft. When that happens, one can only hope that the amount of Officer fragging far exceeds the numbers in Vietnam.
Draft all the migrants they obviously love america.
@@toshiojohnston3732- exactly. Not sure why this is never an option
Because this country likes make believe patriotism or liberty and freedom of convience.
My grandfather was in the Navy and my father in the army. They both told me not to join, and I did. And I regretted ever since I did a full six years and it was hands-down the most radical thing I saw. Leadership sleeping with junior enlisted, riddled mentally ill soldiers, men and women constantly harassed and abused and no one even cares about it. I should have listened to the two generations telling me not to join
*No comments*
What a shame
What a nightmare. Impossible going to a full scale war with other power with iron discipline or suicide combatants, even having less weapons, jet fighters or missiles. Our army cannot keep up in a battlefield within range. Just see Irak and Afghanistan.
Well don't worry they are focusing on more inclusiveness in the forces, trying to avoid sir and ma'am. And using more gender neutral salutation.
So, yeah US forces are in safe hand ;)
That’s all you got from his post? If Fox News, Newsmax and Oann didn’t exist what would you do. 🤔🤦🏼♂️🤫🤡
As someone who is not from the USA, I get the impression that more Americans are aware that they are fighting wars for the military industrial complex for profits not because someone is threatening them.
💯
Right. We're always told 'Veterans fought your freedom.'
...
How...? How does shooting a middle easterner do anything for my freedom?
Years in Iraq 🇮🇶 and Afghanistan 🇦🇫 have made Americans aware of the rigged politics that send their kids to unnecessary wars, those of us told them long before they attacked Iraq don't do yet they did it anyway and insulted us in the process 🧐🥺🤷♂️
There's a NATO empire that the US has been holding up since after WW2. Russia actually tried to settle things down and talked of joining around 2000 but it was shot down ultimately... I think a civil war is what patriots must be wary about rather than a full scale invasion...
Profit Ability Is the Fundament of Nurture of Life. Any In-Civility Is In-Humane, and In-Humanity Is a Threat to Life of the Concept of Respect. 😶.
"...14. The Nature of Life, In and Of It-Self, Does Not Contribute Boot-Straps:
15. . "To improve one's life or circumstances through one's own efforts, rather than relying on others." Pull yourself up by your bootstraps - Idioms by The Free Dictionary :
16. Self-Reliance is Im-Possible by Inter-National Infrastructural Capitalism: the Purpose of the Phrase Is Effort:
17. Personal Success Is Im-Possible, With-Out, First, Effort: and, Personal Observance that Gratifies Is Not the Indicative Factor of Necessity of Work, Employment, Etc.:
18. To Wash Dishes Shouldn't Prevent Employment Offers, that Other-Wise, Is only Offered to Individuals Perceptive As Lazy.
19. Knowledge of Superiority Can Include the Belief of Imminent Death: You, Either, Agree or Dis-Agree..."
Respectively.
Tanika Nakeya Lewis, 6127
Dude look how our veterans are treated. You think people want to end up in that boat. You really dont have to be a genius to figure out all the reasons why nobody is signing up
Veterans of where ?
The middle east ?
This is Why The Constitution does not allow government to keep standing army's.
It's a total waste to let government do as it pleases.
I tell my sisters to advise their kids to not join the military.
I served twice in Iraq.
@@noneshere*armies
@@publicuser2534 I'm curious about this. Do you feel you were duped?
@@meghan42 I wasn’t duped. I watched the invasion of Iraq at school when I was a junior in H.S. I had an idea of the war we were fighting. I didn’t have all the details and how deep everything went…but I wasn’t going for them. I was going for the other warfighters.
I’d rather not die for a country that doesn’t care about me at all.
My Dad is a vet and he begged me not to go. I wish I would have listened to him. I wasted 4yr of my life and didn't get anything I was promised by the recruiters. My career did not transfer over into the civilian world either. If you are reading this don't do it. You don't owe anything.
1) Pay better
2) Stop getting into wars all over the globe for corrupt politicians
3) Make sure they have a skill they can use outside of the military
4) Get rid of the woke and back to -> "Be All That You Can Be!"
5) Raise the standards ; nobody wants to be along side dumbasses.
🧢😂😂
You don’t owe anything, but you will still get an adventure of your lifetime and the social experience like no other, and getting paid doing it. Also getting PAID to go to college instead of racking up the student debt was nice too ;)
@@temich1985debt is an investment being poor is being poor
@@temich1985looks like you copied and pasted that comment off a brochure in a recruitment office
My father served in the navy in the 90s and my father in law served in the Vietnam war. After seeing how the military has treated them, aside from all the other things I’ve seen. That made me see things for how they are. It’s not worth leaving your family to fight for leaders who won’t take care of everyone that served. I made up my mind that I’d rather do everything I can here for my family at the home front than to go to a foreign country to fight someone else’s oil war. My job is to serve and protect my wife and kids.
Lies again? Ramenten Tactics
Every coward has an excuse. We are t even at war.
Coward? If that where even the truth it would still be better that being a sheep
@@NateChaudTV you're a coward. Embrace it.
@@bigtimepimpin666 hey sarge, worry about meeting those high schooler recruitment quotas instead weirdo
I don't know anyone who spent time in Afghanistan who came home a happier, more fulfilled person.
Nope. I know for a fact I came back a different person from Bagram and Nasiriyah. I miss my brothers and sisters, but it's not worth permanent mental issues.
@@XxBuRkaDuRkAI had a few brothers die in Afghanistan. One of which died while I was in Iraq in 2010.
My son did two tours in Afghanistan with army Special Forces and he loved it... but he's an adrenaline junkie. He's been wanting to go back....
@@mannsolo6294Special Forces makes sense. How many kills were actual terrorists?
@@adamlaouiti6415 Lets not get too far ahead of ourselves.
I think the experience of vets who were involved in the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan are coming back and don't want their loved ones to go through that. Being dropped into a foreign country as a teenager to fight "the bad guy" and then slowly realizing that YOU are the "bad guy" will definitely make you change your view of the military you dedicated your life to serve in. Also, the VA is notorious for leaving our vets without the proper care they deserve.
As a veteran, I'm not surprised. I did 6 years and all of those years were extremely depressing. Now I can't even get an appointment at the VA without waiting 6 weeks or more. The younger generations aren't stupid. They see what's going on and they're not going to put themselves in a bad situation just for free college.
Yeah now they expect tax payers to give them free college 🙄
@@kelsormjaquan we already have a non profit system called state schools. they are just as good as private schools and less than half the tuition.
@@taylorhession1905 Free high school education is all dumb Americans deserve, that includes you Taylor.
Maybe if we werent pumping trillions of dollars into the military and instead used that money for schools. The public, private and college school system could be paid for by taxes..
Theres a whole world of possibilities of helping your fellow countrymen when the U.S. ceases to be a warmongering greedy empire.
@@echochamber1234State Universities have been “For profit” for decades, you must be a child! I went to “State” decades ago, too expensive even back then, had to join the guard to pay for it….the same college is now over $20,000 a year for tuition!
When you see military families struggling to make it on that salary and still rely on food programs, that is not encouraging.
And wait till they get out of the military, now they have to deal with the VA!
Military families are a subset of the American population; there will always be people who mismanage their finances in the military just like there are in the general population. Many bases are “little Americas” where many families don’t even have to leave if they don’t want to. They have their own Walmart (Base Exchange) their own Grocery Store (Commissary), their own 7-11 (Shoppette/class six), their own dog parks, tennis courts and food courts, gyms, basketball courts, education centers …and if you live on an air force base, even pools and golf courses. That’s all before a single event the military puts on for families of service members.
Yeah, some families struggle, but without knowing how that family spends, you can’t blame that on “a lack of military pay.”
@@tonefaulcon9729First of all they call this BS fighting for freedom. Who's coming to this country trying to take away the our freedom? Nobody! Who's the ones bringing the fighter jets, battleships and tanks? We are! We are the one starting the wars and interfering in other countries wars! I really don't blame them when they are told don't join the military!
@@tonefaulcon9729 man you a government simp!
Nothing we did in the last 22 years has made us more free or more safe.
As someone who is currently serving. It’s not worth it. I advise people to get out and not reenlist. There are better jobs outside of the military. The pain and struggle isn’t worth it.
My stepdad had developed such severe PTSD from serving in the Military for over 26 years that I myself developed PTSD from how he treated me and my sibling. It destroyed our family and nearly my mental health as a whole.
🥹
💔
If you allow people to step on you they will. Get the compensation you deserve.
Yeah men are so dramatic and miserable.
Prostis have a higher rate ptsd
Kids can get CPTSD from parents who were never in the military, but yeah, doubtless yours owned an arsenal and didn't hesitate to threaten you with it.
A big problem is the leadership once you are in. They act as though we aren't wearing the same uniform and have taken the same oath. They are very dismissive to enlisted issues. I served 13 years Navy and I have seen all manner of behavior from the leaders. Its truly sad and disgraceful how they do the young men and women who WANT to serve.
You’re not going to get chosen unless they know you will continue the plan and legacy whether by belief or by being personally validated and sometimes….BUTT STUFF BABY! Oh yeah, it’s the military and of course there’s butt play by rough gruff married killers. Look up pink triangle gang. They’re out there. It’s like you would think but you better never mention they are LGBTQ because in their head they are not and they don’t do all of this posturing like sometimes LGBTQ dudes do either. It’s very Frank Tolson and J Egder Hoover.
They use to erase my comments after 23 seconds for PINK TRIANGLE GANG.
A men!
Always was a game for the rich you were just deceived it was something else....
Every station, branch or MOS (/ period) will be different - though as an 11B I must say from OSUT to my first station I have rarely seen leadership, be it NCO or Officer, act in any way unbecoming of their rank/ title:o. For me it's been quite the opposite actually. (OSUT wasn't fun, don't get me wrong^^.. but it will pass and Drill SGT's have a job to do too).
In any event, if you want more good (military, police, politicians, bakers whatever) you need more good. All I can say is find a job you think you could be suited for and try to set a high standard (even if you won't stay there, you may learn/ help more). At the least, as they say in the service, learn from bad leadership so that you might do better if/ when you get there.
Take care everyone: Look for the good in others,
and maybe you could help them find it in themselves,
if not your-self:P. Peace ~
My dad was in the army for a few years to told me he’d be proud of me if I literally did anything else with my life.
Your dad deserved a better experience than what he clearly had. The military has so much funding, and yet it treats those who enlist so poorly. The institution itself needs a revamp.
@@zoyadulzura7490there’s a misconception that the funding we give our military actually goes to support the troops who are in it.
Nearly 70% is just to pay Lockheed Martin, or Boeing, whoever to build new tanks and planes.
@@homiej8163 Exactly. It's bloated and doesn't go where it should.
@louis-we3yi every president in the past 50+ years has treated the military as a disposal resource to be milked for corporate profits, that includes Trump, Obama, Bush 1 and 2, Clinton so on and so forth
I enlisted from 2001 to 2004. My dad is a 20 year retired Vietnam Vet. I joined as an older recruit at 26. That being said, I told my son that the military wasn't an option for him when he turns 18. Joining the Army was the best decision I ever made, but I left with healed fractured hip socket joint and 10 percent disability. I've been reevaluated and I still get 10 percent even though I now have arthritis. The best thing joining the Army did for me was using the VA home loan. Without that, I would have never been able to my houses. The zero percent down was a lifesaver.
And you couldn’t hold a regular job in AMERICA ?
As a younger person not from the US, I have thought of joining my country's army, but decided against it in the end because of the elevated risk and the fear of loosing my personal freedom. I am currently pursuing higher education, mostly because that's where the money is at, but this comment made me think about what life is like in other places.
Anyway, may I know why you think that joining the army was the best decision you ever made? Very curious, as the only "vet" I know served on a ship which didn't see any combat. (Sorry for the wall of text😅)
My grandson wanted to join the Army. After Biden was put in the office, I told him not to do it. He talked to other vets, and they told him the same thing !
Not to mention you may qualify for a VA old folks home spot.
@@aaron___6014 what is that ?
why fight somebody else's war?
I agree, sadly most wars are about geo-political leverage and as allways interests, Oil/gas etc.
@@AahFukItno oil no gas the country wouldn’t run…. Stop being entitled
Almost All of US wars have been somebody else’s wars.
US does need a much of state military to defend its territory from invasion and conquest.
Currently at 17 years Navy. The biggest issue I see is during the span of a 20-30 year career they expect service member to move every 3 years to some different random locations. No chance to settle into a community anywhere and raise a family. This is a tremendous sacrifice for military member and their family's to shoulder and all doing so for a job that pulls you away from home on deployments for 5-8 months and duty day rotations while in home port and the pay is very mediocre. BAH is either just enough or inadequate. Pay does not keep up with inflation, generally speaking the compensation package (speaking from senior enlisted) is very soft for what is asked of us. Submitting for retirement at 20 on the dot as I do not feel it is financially worth it to remain active. Would I recommend this career to my own kids? Yes, just do 4 years to get out of the house, get on ur own and grab some college benefits and that's it. Good initial entry into adult hood and being independent. Long term career, do not recommend.
Extremely agreed
I disagree, Chief. I was recruited to be an Avionics tech. Had 6 months of schooling and wore the AT rate badge while I washed airplanes and worked in the galley. Sub 80 IQs were placed in charge of me and held tremendous power over me. Maybe kids would sign up if they could reevaluate if they wanted to remain in every 6 months. 4 years is too much to much to ask somebody to stay committed when the navy isn't keeping it's end of the deal. I'm one of the people telling young people not to do it. Then you got the possibility of having to salute a man wearing a skirt, nowadays.
@@micclay If the possibility of having to salute a trans person is a deal breaker then yeah, you shouldn't join. That just shows how small of a person you are and you'd be more of a liability than anything.
I'm glad someone else sees this issue as well, thank you for serving as long as you have it probably wasn't an easy career but its valued anyways.
Great point 👉
When I graduated high school, I was strongly considering joining the marine corps. During this time, I spoke to several family members who served to get advice, cheif of which being my great grandfather, who served as a marine during the Korean war. The general consensus between them all was that joining was not a good idea and to find other things to pursue. Seeing how the military gets treated, I'm glad I listened to my grandpa. To all who serve or have served, I salute you.
Like anyone believes this story. You live in Mommy's mommy's basement.
@Bob-bb3ur LOL, I don't know who hurt you, but you're projecting a little too hard there, buddy.
And you will die forever thinking what if???
@@Bob-bb3ureveryone does boomer
@thewatcher4552 I wouldn't say so. I trust my grandfather and his experiences, hence why I heeded his words. There is no use in dwelling. There is only use in using my time on this earth to the best of my ability, as it should be with us all. We all have our roles to play in the wheel of life, and our decisions are our own.
People are wiser these days. I had no idea what I was really signing up for. Luckily I wasn’t damaged in the process.
"No draft" He means the poverty draft isn't pushing people into the military as their only choice. It's why I joined, and the reason my kids won't. Neither the pay or benefits are competitive and history has shown we have to fight tooth and nail for the benefits we earned. Look at how many died in poverty paying medical bills for over a decade fighting over burn pits.
You people talk about it like it some sort of industry that needs to be there just stop starting wars and none of you people will be required . The world is sick to death of global terrorism caused by the Americans
If I was able to join, my starting rate would be $250/hour to fight for this laughably insufferable and comically evil excuse of a “UnItEd” country.
A man can dream for fair pay and equal rights.
You hear how comically evil that sounds? But it’s true.
@@sup8447😂😂😂😂
This is one of the reasons I didn’t join, the military preys on low income families.
Wouldn't that be funny? Even people stricken with poverty are refusing to join🤣
Maybe people realize that while the army fight and defend our country we have billionaires who get more rich and get to sit on their comfy couch?
Congress is big time Military Industrial Complex share holders.
They keep writing future BS war bills on American taxpayers while MIC shares continue to profit from it .
💯💯💯💯💯💯🍺🍺🍺
They're not fighting or defending our country bud. Get your info straight.
Why serve when you can just borrow money from the bank and become a landlord? Go capitalism!
Best comment! 💯 agree!
My husband and I are both vets. We very much pushed our boys not to join. As active duty, we are treated as property (and we literally are property-by choice-of the USA) and as veterans who were disabled directly by our military jobs, we are tossed aside. My husband and I were limited in options as young people but our sons are not and luckily have chosen different paths.
Buddy was marine corps infantry. he claims a friend of his accidentally threw a knife into his foot (probably playing some stupid game) and the corps charged him with destruction of gov property.
Dunno if I believe that one, but if its true, it's hilarious and sad at the same time.
Thank you for you and your husband's service
@@tylerstewart3181 It is true.
Did you cheat on him when he was on tour? Or vice versa?
@@HeWhoMustNotBeNamedYouKnowWho
L
Stop getting into pointless wars and stop treating veterans like dirt. As a veteran, I wouldn't encourage anyone to join. It's not about freedom. It's about making politicians rich.
As a millennial, I grew up watching the extreme mismanagement and bureaucracy of the VA for wounded vets and decided not to risk it. There are career opportunities through the military branches, but it's a major risk
What's not a major risk?! 🤦🏾♂️
@@amose32 I mean sure, to a point, every sector has it's risks. Some are more easily avoidable than others. Not getting PTSD from killing brown people overseas is a good place to start.
@michaelbannan9972 I mean since we're not in a war right now hw is that even a risk. I swear yall just want to talk for no reason
@@LuciusAurelius69 yet another LIE! I've changed my job 3xs and always pick where I'm going to be stationed. Quit lying join find out for yourself or shudddup
@@LuciusAurelius69 I gotta be a recruiter because wat? I'm proving yall to be liars. Ok bud
Good on the vets for warning people. Nothing beats a first-hand account of what you're getting yourself into.
After watching my uncle lose his mind in Afghanistan Kandahar in 1997 without any benefit. Only therapy that made his PTSD” worst. Plus until this day the USA government has always forgotten about its veterans patriots. Good luck recruiting for the bankers.
The people are the once’s in charge don’t forget that elites.
Amen. I hope their numbers keep decreasing. I am a two time veteran of Iraq.
That’s just sad. 45 percent of the homeless population in the USA are veterans. Just imagine the devil they work for.
Why would I fight for people who want me dead or want to take away my rights? Let white Christian conservatives and baby boomers fight for themselves.
@@publicuser2534 Why did you feel you needed to go to Iraq?
@@meghan42 There were other men and women deploying there. I wanted to go there to cover their six.
Definitely saw this coming. Retention is almost as bad as recruiting. I got out after 10 years and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. You regain your dignity.
What do you mean? were you not dignified in the military
Too add to what you are saying at Fort Cavazos we have more ETS's than retentions, its awful.
@@alanshearer3682 he was enlisted. So.
@alanshearer3682 Yes. That would be correct. We are not treated as people, just a means to an end for someone else's NCOER or OER.
@@alanshearer3682 You're not dignified protecting this woke wasteland no. The peoples duty must be earned and if they can't even treat their own soldiers with dignity, then they're going to collapse (and hopefully a less degenerate, feminised world order will take its place).
Combat soldier here 2005- 2006, Iraq.
I told my young teen son when I got back, that if entered any service, I would rather he served in the coast guard. At least doing that, he would be primarily serving the average citizen with rescues, navigation hazards and general safety on the water ways and at sea.
I told him, unless he wanted to come back effed up like me.
He has never even considered entering service.
We rock it at defeating an enemy and conquering. Occupation?
The way we conducted the occupations was utterly stupid. "Winning the hearts and minds"? What a farce.
Doing things that actually did something for the general populace? Simple things like, ensuring the hospitals had power and supplies. Nope.
Why spend money on a people that we conquered and try to actually build any trust with, when we have these massive Forward Operation Bases to build?
Making contractors rich? Absolutely!
So much wasted money. So much wasted lives - both there and the continuing suicides here.
The VA is an inconvenient reminder of flawed and even failed foreign policy. We veterans are just the physical residual trash of that foreign policy.
Thank you leadership on high. Y'all really effed things up, when it could have been so much more humane and productive.
Instead, it was highly profitable for all those contractors. It apparently helped grease that GDP and stock markets for awhile.
The one suggestion I have for the future (There will be another occupation one day, somewhere);
Occupation forces need to be more like EMT's and help the healing of the common person in a nation we have conquered, instead of the "authoritarian" - looking for a fight - all the damned time.
Being proactive instead of reactive.
It was an honor to be target.
Fiddler's Green
Bush the Younger was told we could not win. The military had learned from VietNam. He sent us into the mideast anyhow. Then, it was supposed to be just get Hussein and get out. The Hussein part went well, so well, Bush decided to stay and "fix" Iraq. HA!
And it turns out that wasn't about avenging 9/11. It was protecting oil resources.
From what I know, the Coast Guard got deployed in Nam.
Iraq is now a proxy state of Iran now lol.
@@AFRO_KEENFirst of all they call this BS fighting for freedom. Who's coming to this country trying to take away the our freedom? Nobody! Who's the ones bringing the fighter jets, battleships and tanks? We are! We are the one starting the wars and interfering in other countries wars! I really don't blame them when they are told don't join the military!
Coast guard I like but I don't like the international activity that goes on "war is a racket by general butler is a good book" it's free and online
I'm a veteran with 100% p&t disability from the VA and that was warned by a family member not to join. His exact words to me were "Don't do it. It was the best mistake I ever made". While I don't regret my service per-se, I can say I wouldn't do it again knowing what I know now and I would give the same advice a family member gave to me, which I ignored, over 20 years ago.
@@Blackbird_Singing_in_the-Night yep, same story here. At least now I can say I'm 40, basically retired and have enough income from my 100% disability to live very comfortable in many countries except for most of the US. I currently live in Mexico but I'm seriously considering immigrating to Argentina. I wouldn't want to do it if I had to work and earn money in the country but since the dollar is strong relative to their dumpster fire currency us americans have huge buying power. Basically it is kinda like if the VA doubled the pay for 100%. That would be more than a comfortable living in most of the US. With owning property a person could live in Buenos Aires, which is a modern city on par with Paris, for well under 1k usd per month.
The less American soldiers the better we're sick to death of global terrorism caused by these people
Thank you for your service and I wish you love, peace, and comfort.
@@crypticnomadThe rural areas surrounding Medellin are nice to live in. My grandfather (a pasty white Scottish man) bough a half acre and built a 3 bed 2 bath brick house for $27k USD all in. His house is surrounded by beautiful rose farms. And it's safe, they actually gave him a CCW despite not being a Colombian citizen.
Well put... thanks for your service, see you on the other side, Godspeed!
Truthfully I thank every veteran who reads this .. I’m sorry that some of you have to endure after effects for a country that doesn’t truly appreciate the effort and blood sweat and tears … y’all are the definition of a human being willing to be front and center for others …. Y’all do more than the government could ever dream of doing and I salute you one million percent!
No more wars for Israel.
@@GrigRP👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
@grigrp1227 Nah. That's too creepily specific.
*No more war.*
That one. No need to be weird about it.
Trump respected the military and took care of them now Biden says they are low on ammunition.
Amen ✝️🙏
One of the best decisions I ever made. It afforded me many opportunities & experiences I don’t think I would have otherwise. I saw this coming a decade ago when I ETS’d. The US military is at their weakest & most vulnerable right now. Honestly, you would make more working at Wal-Mart than being an E-1 through E-4 & the new generations just aren’t willing to be government tools for mere pennies when they could make millions from being influencers on social media. 😅
Facts!
That is hilariously sad one would think to pay the people protecting the country more than some weirdo on TIKTOK
Don't regret my time in service. 2 combat deployment, college degree, great career, no injury. It's for some, not for all. I would want my kids to join, but it's their choice, not my
@@simplymotivated1511 My grandfather told me about a officer that got fragged in his platoon. He was a replacement and lead them into 3 really bad ambushes by going against the words and thoughts of his more experienced subordinates because "Im a west point grad, I know a thing or two". One guy snapped and got him in the middle of the night.
@@realtalkhealthyfoodI personally think we should get rid of TikTok all together, it’s done nothing but weaken the nation. Plus it’s owned by china
I served, and unfortunately I was bullied out by some of my superiors (NCO). I am not a troublemaker and have always tried to keep my head down, but I was deemed too good at my job and made them nervous at how well I managed every extra job responsibility they threw at me. It took being setup to take blame for missing information on a patient procedure that had been dumped on me when I was supposed to be on lunch break to finally get me in enough trouble to get kicked out. Sad thing was that everyone I worked with knew what was going on, but couldn’t get proof to help me out. My coworkers were happy to see me go because it meant I would no longer have to targeted and could move on to better things with my life.
I’m proud of you for overcoming all of it .. thank you for your service and time truly … god bless 🙏
Were you by chance MASH or a nurse, had a similar experience happen to me with a non profit position, and it’s things like this that make me hesitant to try and enlist, attempting to go Med Serve though
It’s all narcissistic garbage all over but the medical side is a little more treacherous in my opinion. I came over from infantry and I had good NCO habits. One of the soldiers had a serious problem with IBS so I went to see them (female) in the hospital. The command flipped totally out. This specialist said all kind of high ranking people were coming up to her on breaks and at vending machines just to let her know how welcome and OK it would be if she had anything to say about SA.
I am sorry that you experienced that. It is not specific to the military. Incompetent workers trash competent workers in every field.
Ehhhh...."they bullied me because I was too good at my job" is exactly what incompetent narcissists say...every time I run into someone whose people skills.are so bad that they're ruining their career, they have some narrative like "they are just intimidated by me because I'm so good". Nobody who is actually operating at a high level says stuff like that, it's just a weird thing to say.
2 years ago when I was 28 I'm 30 now I was this close to joining the air force already had a recruiter but then at the last minute and I said no I'm not doing it. Probably best bullet i ever dodged.
No, you could have joined the Army. Go back and tell the Air Force you want to sign up.
@@gbb82 I'll pass, im making good money and get to see my family whenever i want. It simply wasnt worth it. Or are u you being sarcastic lol
@@DreDay1993 No, not sarcastic, I retired from the Army and the Air Force has been known to be the better branch.
@drac7520 .... Good for you! If people are joining the military for money, we are no better than mercaneries.
Idk about you but those recruiters look mighty young nowadays. I haven't seen a dude who looks over 30, it's insane. A decade ago recruiters look like they were in their 30's and 40's. I don't think they even got enough people going career now.
Once you see how the government treats it's veterans (leaving them with a high percentage of unemployment, homelessness, PTSD) it is very easy to understand why no one in their right mind would voluntarily join.
Veterans are often most unemployable for America isn't true and noble. This didn't start with Biden nor Obama in government and corporate America. A veteran employment rep with my state helped me to get on with IRS in 2020 just before the shutdown which went well until mid 2021 when I got a new radical woke lady team lead. Every day, I'd wake up asking, I wonder who's my team lead today? Which left me insecure feeling for I knew eventually I'd get a real bad one. I've been unemployed since and very struggling though have VA section 8 housing assistance. It's crazy having to be from the world empire going down the drain full of nasty bosses from Joe down to my old team lead who's probably raking in the money today like Joe and Hunter.
@@Worldofourown2024 UNDER EMPLOYMENT IS AS BAD AS UNEMPOLOYMENT.
@@mathemat3939First of all they call this BS fighting for freedom. Who's coming to this country trying to take away the our freedom? Nobody! Who's the ones bringing the fighter jets, battleships and tanks? We are! We are the one starting the wars and interfering in other countries wars! I really don't blame them when they are told don't join the military!
Desert Storm vet. I do not, repeat, DO NOT recommend that you join the US military today until the force takes a massive turn to the right track.
As prior military, I've experienced toxic work environments where gossip was spread among service members, superiors felt it was right to talk down those who were lower rank, and military members appeared miserable during work. With all the negativity I've seen and people taking the job too seriously, I'm happy I left without any regrets.
Serving in the military and sounds just like my current work environment. The funny thing is the peeps doing the gossiping are the ones favored by leadership and get squadron awards literally every quarter.
@@srainairforcewell, you can always quit your job. Imagine being stuck in it indefinitely for 4 years and face prison time if you want out.
@FadeHook23 facts. Plus when you PCS the other shops talk about who is coming too there shop. You will never get a fresh start.
There's also lack of privacy, I told a psychologist something in confidence not knowing my supervisor had access to those records. Then one day in the elevator he told me in explicit detail the same happened to his mother. I never shared anything again.
@DP-qw1ly trueee they already had me looked up on Facebook. Later on I closed my FB between transfers 😅.
With all due respect, people are asking themselves: "Why should i put my life on the line for some politician's slefish endeavors?"
For $1200/month.
1200$? Wow. Really? 😮
More like the "I hate it here" mentality where you guys would rather play Fortnite on your mothers wifi after your done making TikTok videos.
No balls. At all.
@@thetraveler1182 you telling me I should be willing to fight and die for corrupt zillionaires and career politicians who couldn't care less? No thanks.
@@PlasticAddict301 Then leave. Why are you still here. No excuses, why are you still here
Alternate hypothesis: maybe more young people understand that the idea of joining the military to "defend freedom" has always been bogus.
So... Hitler Deserved Europe?
Yes, the boomers joined to fight the communist "boogeyman" but it all turned-out to be anti-propoganda propaganda. Conspiracy Theories are nothing new....
I'm not fighting for a nation that takes away rights
Yep. 100%
I never understood people who decry boots on the ground active duty? How is defending freedom not important?
Its almost like no one wants to fight for tyranny
In a country that once was free
Best day of my life was when I left the army. They all said that I’d be back…that was 7 years ago and I’ve never looked back.
22 years ago there was no internet. Youngsters today know better about the real traumas of belic confrontation.
They sit around all day looking for answers in their cell phones that will never be there.
I never see people use belli on the internet.
/ And they still don't know anything but click the screen 🙄
22 years ago I was a Freshman in H.S. Four years later I was in boot camp…then two years later I was in Iraq. Today I still feel like I am there mentally. And for what?!
@@noneshere And you couldn't even get that sentence out without screwing it up. Well played?
They treated my Father who was a Marine vet like, I don’t even want to say it. Horrible. Absolutely horrible.
I am the first Man on my Dad's side of the family in 4 Generations who decided not to serve. One of my best moves in life and my Dad who served says it was absolutely the right decision!!
I'm a veteran and I wouldn't want to serve alongside a conscript. Period. Part of the reason people hesitate to serve is because they see how poorly veterans that come back from war are taken care of. The colonel laments the fact that 9/11 did not motivate people to enlist in as great a volume as did Pearl Harbor-- well, politicians in Congress nowadays have to be publicly shamed before they will provide legislation to permanently take care of 9/11 first responders dying of terminal cancer. Many politicians are not willing to approve legislation to make it easier for veterans to file medical claims. I don't think it's simply a problem of a younger public that is unwilling to serve.
Also because the US has a history of starting and getting involved in unnecessary wars and conflicts. Look at how Biden left Afghanistan, don't think that can't be a factor for anybody.
My dad served 31 years in the Navy, he actually died while active and was about to retire. I remember before graduating high school I thought about joining the Air Force or navy, but dad convinced me not to and just go to school.
Is sure
The younger generation is getting exceptionally good at understanding the personal cost/benefits ratio of things like going to college and military service. We are spending billions on the latest tools and gadgets that the military doesn’t even fully utilize while also churning out veterans who can’t find a job or have extreme difficulty reintegrating with society.
Yes. The U.S. doesn't need to bring back the draft--it needs to find ways to appeal to people who understand what they are getting into. If the military must use force, trickery, or misinformation in order to recruit, then that speaks volumes about the quality of the U.S. military. They have the job to make people *want* to serve, and be proud that they did.
I still think it is a viable option if you are just getting out of High School, and don't have a plan what to do with your life.
If you play your cards right, you can serve 4 years, plan to get out and go to school and have it paid for. considering the cost of college these days. Not to mention getting the guarantee Home loan. But seeing how the government treats Veterans, I can see why Gen Z are refusing to do it today. They'll take their chances the old fashion way, and I honestly can't blame them.
@@zoyadulzura7490 it needs to change the way the military treats its recruits, not put in a defuncto draft
@@zoyadulzura7490no, we as citizens of a free society owe a service to said society. Freedom comes with a cost that must be paid by those that enjoy it or they'll lose the luxury.
@@Certifiably_Unhinged A parent who tells their child that the child owes them something for having brought them into this world is a bad parent. The same with a nation. But if the parent is good to the child, the child will love the parent and take care of them when the time comes. Same with residents joining the military. And besides, joining the military is just one of many ways a person can work to take care of their society.
Simply put, The United States just isn’t a society worth fighting for anymore and until we see some change I don’t think we’ll see an improvement in recruiting numbers
What Colonel Clueless missed entirely is that people my age have seen just how futile wars can be, how serving in the military can dramatically change your life (and not for the better), and how veterans are actually treated. There was a reason after 9/11 people in my generation (I was in college at the time) hesitated to join up, it was our parents, the Vietnam generation, that were influential in those decisions. They saw how veterans were treated, they saw how everyday kids were fodder for some political ideology that was a total loss. They saw the handwriting on the wall in Iraq and Afghanistan long before the rest of us and warned us ahead of time.
Now fast forward, we are in generation that witnessed the debacles of Iraq and Afghanistan, the udder uselessness of both conflicts and the lack of change those conflicts resulted in.
Another difference between 9/11 and Pearl Harbor is who was responsible. You could point to Japan (and the axis powers) as direct state actors, physical geographic locations that could be identified in a map. 9/11 was a bunch of individuals, not state sponsored (well maybe the Saudi’s). So there was no dot on the map, no state actors. You could argue Afghanistan’s government let it happen, but that is/was a stretch considering bin Laden was all over the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Pakistan planning and funding the attack. It was senseless, money and lives lost for an outcome that was at best no better then when it started and at worst destabilizing to entire regions. We should have killed bin Laden and his terrorist buddies, not invaded two counties and tried to change their way of life….
Well said.
Exactly this guy completely clueless he’s the type of leader that made ppl wanna leave the army he’s still stuck in his old times …the world has changed and ppl can actually think for themselves and differ wats good for them or not
"Udder" 🐄
Ill give him one salute. He is a Medal of Honor recipient. But after that he is still an officer and I dislike officers. I dont care much for the class system.
@@lawrenceleverton7426 definitely, he earned that medal, I’m sure. He just does not understand the current social dynamic in the country….
What do you expect. You have men and women serving for years with low pay, giving their time, body, and health for this country; and what do they get in return, a country that doesn't care for em in getting health care or programs that would help them at all
Wait until the VA, get their hands on them especially the black veterans, they get tossed into the garbage bin!!!
There was no promises when the guys returned from WW2. They made a great life for themselves.
@@eugenefirebird8938By pulling up the ladder behind them. Classic boomer move.
^^^spot on @johnavis1089 ^^^^
Gen X was the first generation in American history to not do better than the previous. Instead of investing in the future of America Boomers chose to make their own lives more lavish.
@@eugenefirebird8938 The GI Bill was enforced by a grateful nation, during WW2; when you give your all the nation created benefits for all of those whom served; do your homework, you don't have a clue about what you're saying; some of these guys never made it home, others so badly wounded for life.
Who would have thought an entire generation growing up during a war based on a lie doesn’t want to participate?
I agree...if you live in a free country, you are obligated to serve. The sad thing is that the US is no longer a free country!
I recently got our after doing 13 years in the navy. I also served in Afghanistan for a year in a joint mission. I did a total of eight deployments.I couldn’t take it anymore after getting stuck out to sea during covid for ten months straight. I was literally harassed and bullied every single day by my leader. When I tried to talk to someone over them I was told I was “to interesting” and that’s when I knew that I could do it anymore. If you want to sign up for torment, harassment, and stalking then go ahead. It’s not worth the mental abuse. Just do a few years and get out of you have to go!!
I'm only doing a few years, so yeah, lol.
This is one of the reasons I didn’t join the Navy. I met dudes after ETS who did nothing but clean ships and get bullied by racists. Their entire military careers consisted of cleaning up after other men on ships.
Interesting, what do you do now???
What about army national guard?
@@jermainelatimer804 I’m a full time student and I work as a accounting intern. I’m thinking about law school once I graduate
I have known people that joined the military in the mid 70s and none of them came back with anything good to say about the military. The dissatisfaction has been with us for a long time.
I remember a wife of someone serving whose house was being foreclosed while the husband was ducking bullets overseas!
They don't get help when they come back!
When the country needs your help, you provide it, when you need your country to help you no one remembers you!
It should be a two-way!
They don't care. Look how they treated them after Vietnam. The war was stupid but we shouldn't have blamed the soldiers. I can't believe that I ever supported the idea of Mandatory Military Service!
@@JacobK-j8yMy grandfather went to Vietnam. His name is Linwood William Moore. He earned a Bronze Star when he was in country. He didn’t talk of it much, but I’m sure he was called everything in the book, to include ni&&er.
I later joined and went to Iraq twice. My grandfather saw me come home once. He gave me a hug in his wheelchair and whispered something in my ear…
He died in July 2009…six months before I went back the second time.
We are forgotten.
@@publicuser2534 Sad.
I don’t want to be mean but where was the soldier’s paycheck going to when the foreclosure was happening? The military is a job at the end of the day, nobody is over there for free. Low pay is one thing but not paying your bills isn’t the militaries fault.
That's bs, the military pays house allowance. She was probably just his baby momma.
GOOD! STOP ENDLESS WARS!
Lack of troops doesn’t end wars, you do realize that right?
My father served in Vietnam along with my uncle. As far a I can tell, this country doesn't take care of it's veterans. He tells me all about the V.A. and what he goes through with them. He will drive hours to the V.A. to get blood work done and somehow they lose his paperwork and he has to come back and do it again. Not to mention, they would rather give him prescriptions pills then actual preventative treatment, it's ridiculous
And VA employees know they can never be fired.
Yes Im 61 and saw many Vietnam Veterans die on streets of Los Angeles growing up. I worked for a non profit we would sell things via telephone for sleeping bags and other things they might need.
Back then there was no help for homeless people, or compassion.😢😢😢😢
@@Chad_Maxyou seem to have very little understanding about how money works. The military budget is +/- three quarters of the us budget. The social services budget is part of that last 25%. And welfare comes from the sliver of the budget that went to social services. People who qualify for welfare don’t have time to sit home and play video games. Being poor is a lot of work.
@@Chad_Max george w. bush had a republican controlled congress in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, yet the VA was arguably at its worst. funding for the VA did not get a meaningful increase until 2008, when barack obama was president. the VA budget doubled during his presidency. so tell me again about liberals not taking care of veterans. refer to page 4 of the congressional report on VA appropriations: crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46964
When I graduated HS I had intentions on joining the Army. Recruiters would come by your home and discuss the Army, etc. Well my dad an old Korean Marine vet came in told the recruiter to leave or he'd kick his a$$. I had to tackle my dad in the yard, the recruiter jumped in his car took off. My dad yelled at him, ''Have the rich politicians, gas companies send their kids to war''.
I mean, your dads probably not wrong about that and did the right thing
as a good dad should do.
My dad was a retired air force vet. 23 years... he told me not to sign up even tho his father and grandfather served. I followed his advice.
Ok
How about being your own man and make your own decisions.
@@thetruthhurts131how bout you go sign up and grow a pair
If you haven’t enlisted you don’t have a say in anything
As a young healthy male, I thought about it, my army retired dad talked me out of it. Probably the best choice I ever made.
Good. It's not worth it.
Glad I didn’t join as well. All my buddies/cousins were 4 years or less and out. Just because you’re not a veteran doesn’t mean you wouldn’t give your life for your country. We can still defend America if we ever have too 🇺🇸 Lots of minutemen here.
I had just turned 21, and was a week away from MEPS, going into the Air Force. Had really good test scores, the recruiter gave me several more tests and I was offered basically any job I wanted. They wanted me to try for combat controller (80% wash out rate at the time so I knew I likely wouldn’t make it). My buddy joined while I was in community college and was traveling the world, dragging fighters as a KC10 crewman. Got free schooling as well from a much better college. Anyways, I got hit head on by an F150 and shattered my right knee amongst other injuries…and of course that ended my recruitment process at the time. I look back and wonder how different my life would have been, likely for the better at the time (2008). My brother was a recruiter at the end of his Army career and…let’s just say it was very hard for him, especially while talking with mothers of the recruits. Now- I wouldn’t consider joining. I LOVE my country and my people, don’t miss that on my next statement.
I am ASHAMED of my government. I do not want to serve them, because the will of the government is NOT the will of the people anymore. The biggest threats I see to my country in recent years are not foreign, they are domestic.
Stay sharp, love your neighbors, protect your families, and most importantly- STAY FREE ✊🏻 🇺🇸
You nailed it. I don’t know any young person who wants to take the vaccine in order to serve either. This administration is dedicated to China and the Ukraine, definitely not worth risking my child’s life .
@@dianakidd4219I would join in a heartbeat if they told me that I didn't have to get any type of jab and could smoke Herb once and a while during leave. Why enslave yourself to a vindictive government and ungrateful people who torment you and design the system to fail unless you give up all autonomy just to end up as damaged goods. To be treated like guinea pigs for the pharmaceutical companies.
@@dianakidd4219 Goodluck! Because soon the demon lords will implement mandatory service so they could brainwash your kids mind while its still fresh and programmable into dying in a senseless war like sending your kids to iraq because they have "mass weapons of destruction" when really the demons just needs more oil.
When they start implementing mandatory service, RESIST! Resist, I tell ya!
Dont let your kids be brainwashed or be sexually abused like what happened to most countries with mandatory service, especially countries like thailand....
You always needed vaccines in the military dude....nice try
And in regards to the vaccine. My son is currently serving in the Marine Corps he took the vaccine and now he has heart problems but the government is telling him that is not associated with the vaccine. Meaning when he gets out they're not going to compensate him he's going to be on his own. How's that for the green weenie.
Honestly, my leadership was beyond trash. NCO's (not all of them) are literal bullies and highly unprofessional. I would have stayed, but the experience at my unit made me want to run back home and that I did. There are good aspects of the military, but it really depends on what job or career path you take. The military can be fulfilling and amazing, but all it takes is one bad leader to ruin a good soldier, airmen, and every other one that's new to the service. I don't regret going to the Army, but I would definitely tell my kids to choose a different branch and career path if they wanted to join.
What branch were you in?
You probably sucked 😂
When I ETSd, I jumped over to the Air Guard from the Army. Night and day difference, and it really just came down to the mindset of leadership. The grass was in fact greener.
This.
Tell your kids to either go to college or trade school. Much better off. Mi first NCOIC in my second assignment was a racist against white people🎸
Served as a ranger and I can say I lost my best friends to suicide to war, lost my marriage, my finances, the military isn’t for everyone especially nowadays, I suggest to the people thinking about it, don’t.
Go get educated, learn a trade, live your life.
struggle to recruit. wonder why. huh. what could it be??
I know so many vets who can't even get their rent paid, not to mention proper respect at the VA's office. Too little is done for when people come back, so why would you expect someone to give up everything, be traumatized for the rest of their life, only to come home and be treated like a parasite???
Blame Republicans for voting against bills that benefit veterans. 🤷
Well it's a job. So you get pay and benefits and housing for very reasonable costs. You have a lot of benefits working for the federal government and it's a volunteer army so that's why people would do it. You have health care for life. Maybe it's not what you're looking for, but you have access to it and you will everyday for the rest of your life. Not to mention the GI bill. You know what you're signing up for. And if you don't that's on you.
@@angle5520everything you say is correct, however! that still doesn’t change the fact that just because you sign up to to serve your country family and All who live there, you still shouldn’t be treated like dog water
@@Night-Vision09 I guess as a civilian I see it differently. Every business I've ever walked into has some type of discount for veterans. You could spend your day going from business to business and get a discount every time. That's a lot of savings in one day. How exactly are you treated like dog water? You act like all of those benefits are available to every person in this country. I just don't think you realize how fortunate you are. On my end my gratitude is never-ending, but that doesn't mean you're above anyone. you get paid to do a job. A dangerous job, but it's the choice you made.
Life is a parasite write off if you play your money against government taxation like business dose.
The employed actually get taken the worst by government taxation.
Joining the military used to be a smart call, if you knew what you were doing. You could receive top flight training in any number of in-demand fields, from computer sciences to vehicular repair. As a civilian, after you finished your time, you got priority, when applying for a position. Then, during the Bush administration (2001-2008) they started recalling folks who’d done their time. This caused massive amounts of disruption in the workforce. Within two years, being a vet took you from being 1st pick to being a prohibitive hire. When you couple this with the very real possibility of grievous bodily harm and/or death, why would you ever sign on the dotted line? If they want more to join, the military’s going to have to change its ways. It’s going to have to start showing personnel real respect and not just saving that for when, God forbid, they die in service.
Audit spending on military contractors. Put soldiers and veterans interests ahead of profit for military contractors.
I work in the oil and gas industry. We always prioritize veterans and have had veterans only job fairs. The oilfields want and respect military because it’s a tough job and military folks get it and don’t end up quitting the first time they are asked to work an extra hitch or some OT. I’ve worked with many vets and also had a couple of supervisors that were either retired military or had several years. All great guys to work with and for.
@@joefrederick6471 - not military, but am still glad to hear this. Those are hard jobs, but they’re good paying jobs. You can solidly provide for a family, if you have one, working those jobs. That’s always a good thing. At least it is to me.
@@joefrederick6471unny what having major consequences and signing away certain rights and freedoms does to a persons work ethics
Veteran Employment Assistance of the Private Sector Market Is As Bigoted As Veteran Assistance of any other United States' Department of Defense Enlistment Employment, of any Military Branch Not Enlisted In, of the Public Sector Market.😶.
Respectively.
Tanika Nakeya Lewis, 6127
If you want to spend 4 years doing working parties (military jargon for chores), cleaning your barracks room for days on end, getting yelled at for no reason, hurrying up then waiting around for no reason (like getting up at 4 am for company formation only to go to the range at 10 am), being incessantly insulted, being treated like a sewer rat for not intending to re-enlist, then by all means, enlist.
Watching congress, mainly republicans, talk about slashing VA funding also adds to the stress even after you get out!
I was with ya untill you put "Republican" into it, 1/504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. "Strike Hold"
@@randyboisa6367 Well, if you look at the record, it's mainly republicans that threaten the VA. The last 22% cut in the VA budget was done under this Republican controlled Congress. Also look at the burn pit bill, it was all republicans who resisted it.
@@randyboisa6367because its true it’s something you can look up rather quick, they were also trying to take away the “serve for citizenship “ that’s how I got my citizenship as a veteran now.
Hey in like 3 years you can start to yell at other people to clean their rooms😂
Oh, you're still partisan shill... A servant to the uniparty. Neocons own your party and your tribal mentality. Biden=Bush, you're just too much of a hyena to realize.
Served 5 years in the Marine Corps. Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Got treated like crap, friends died. Still dealing with issues from my time in service. I do not recommend joining the military. There are healthier ways to make a living.
I’m a 22 year old man and I’ve thought about joining the service a few times but everyone I knew with prior experience experience told me not too
12 years. Don’t do it. Not worth it.
I’m currently in the Air Force stationed in Alaska. Yes it is not for everyone but you’ll never know if you don’t try. Your supervisor and type of job you do will be a big factor.
5 years in the Marine Corps. Don't recommend.
Don’t recommend it dude
Do it
My daughter has been in for 13 years and I wouldn't recommend anyone join! They don't take care of them and it's completely unorganized!
Curious, which branch did she serve? What was her MOS?
@@CrabbyE8 she's in the Airforce E7 MP
@@CheznriceThat’s a pretty high rank for someone in the Air Force with only 13 years, she must be good. Once she makes E-8, she becomes like an office manager. I retired from the Army as an E-8.
I’m a retired Army combat vet by disability (serious car crash ended my career after I got back from desert storm, was other driver’s fault), seemed like the military started changing after many became very sick after getting home from the gulf war and I’ve heard and read many stories of suicides and murders of family members from their own relatives because the government never gave the complete care and help to the many soldiers, marines and airmen after they got out of the military (no housing, no food stamps, no therapy for PTSD and depression etc…)…..I used to think at that time why did my career get cut short but looking back on it now it was the best thing that happened to me, because with how the government are always fighting other countries wars for them with no planning whatsoever strains our military forces thin because all that money being spent for those wars that same money needs to be spent here at home to help the countless veterans on the street that need housing, medical care, transportation, jobs etc…
It’s no wonder why young adults aren’t enlisting in the military after graduation, if the government took better care of active duty veterans and those who are out then maybe we’d see a more healthy percentage of recruiting numbers of those graduates who wants to enlist than what the pitiful recruiting percentage numbers we have now.
It’s hard to treat when millions are ripping the system off. We got fools who never left the wire with ptsd. How people gonna do 3 years and get 3k a month for the rest of your life while complaining? I’ve been in 22 years working. Everyone has depression, I know it’s 2023 and that popular to use now
Many United States' Department of Defense Enlisted Employees' "Maternity" Express Their Ignorance about the Rationale of Wars, Nationally and Inter-Nationally, Inclusive Of/By Their Sponsor-Spouses and/or "Family Members".
In-Sanity Is a Perspective of Poverty, If Not the Actuality of Poverty. 😶.
Respectively.
Tanika Nakeya Lewis, 6127
Yeah why would we want to join a military to fight for a country that doesn't care about us. The US is the richest country in the world and yet somehow has no universal healthcare, laughable public transit, a terrible education system, and rampant homelessness due to wages not keeping up with inflation, and our veterans have been hung out to dry. Why? Because fixing those problems isn't considered profitable by the corporations that pull the government's strings. Corporate greed has caused the downfall of our country, and until we worry about what's happening on our own land rather than meddling in foreign affairs, we will never be a part of the developed world
I've lost friends, mentally and physically, to those wars. I never met my grandfather, who served in Germany during world war 2, because a hospital would not take his VA benefits due to government slowdowns, that cost him much needed healthcare and he died far too young.
Well stop starting wars and this won't be a problem . You started World War 1 which in turn started World War 2 you're constantly creating wars so that you can make money or interfering in wars that have nothing to do with you to sell your bright shiny new military equipment. Just stop starting wars and all this goes away it is the Americans that are stopping world peace no one else
Exactly ❤Thanks god people gets more smarter and don’t want to die for all this rich asholes
I have two good friends who joined the Marines from 2013-2019
They finished off depressed, uncertain and troubled with some benefits they were supposedly provided by the military that never pulled through.. don’t know details but one of them told me it’s only worth it if you literally got nothing else going on after high school if you’re young. His overall rating was a 5/10
@2jz97honestly try for coast guard thats what I would do
Go for it man, honestly just really be honest with yourself and ask “what do I want to get out of it”
@2jz97and words of wisdom hurt people like to see others hurt. Anyone been in the military will not today advise you to join if they do that's because they want to see you join to become Miserable as they are don't do it young man
@2jz97bruh you literally could be doin anything else. Just find a decent job for now until you find the hobby you like. I really hope you're parents aren't forcing you to go into the military. That would be terrible
@rzwitdauncut exactly! I thought about joining the Air Force, but I'm going into tech instead.
As a retired veteran, I don’t think these kids want to go through what I went through which was not the worst. I still haven’t signed on to that burn pit registry yet; man, that was the blackest smoke I ever saw in my life on our FOB in Iraq. Used to go running by it every day, I hope I’m okay. Besides the deployments, how about day to day active duty life, like the time the army removed all the stalls from the bathroom in Grafenwoer, Germany? They were tired of people writing not so nice things on the walls. We could all see each other sitting on our own toilets, except we were all staring at the ground, especially when someone got up to leave. Our American kids today are not going to put up with that……
One of these days the politicians are going to use the military on our own people.
I told my doctor at VA last January I wanted to do the burn pit toxic materials registry, but they aren't really doing that since announcing it last December. When I called a bit later asking why I haven't been given an appointment date, they said the program is backed up. You won't get taken care. Sorry bud.
Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan. What was it worth? I have 2 sons and I don’t want them to fight these quagmires based on politics.
As an 18 year old kid 20+ years ago ready to sign my life away.....Im glad I listened to my jarhead dad who told me not to. Have yet to regret that time I listened to the ol' man. I am definitely telling my kids the same thing, too many better opportunities in life for them.
Joined Army @ 17 they told me go airborne you can pick where you want to go, the first lie severed 8 years , in my 6th year I was headed to BLC but my E-6 kept pushing my date back so I changed units trying to push for my sergeant rank, in my 8th year I gave up after that E-7 gave someone else my slot. I ended up going to school and getting 100% disability cause of PTSD and my Injuries on the knees.
I own a barbershop now and also have 2 incomes ,proud with the decision I made was a uphill battle for a black man trying to prove a point to people who could care less and replace you
Story sounds a lot like mine bro, smartest move I made. Even with all the damage that came with it
Amazing account. Thank you for sharing.
Some young people are not stupid. They see what's going on in America.
People don't want to fight a war, that has nothing to do with the homeland. 👍
Not only recruitment, but retention as well. Our military preaches a lot of values that a lot of soldiers don't really care about, you'll be surprised that even high ranks don't really care. For my experience, it's a toxic environment filled with discrimination and racism. Leaders only care about there career progress most of the time. A lot of great soldiers that has potential leave because they don't get recognized, instead they get worked more. Only a few, but not everyone in the military really care about anybody who's serving with them. I got a few months left and I'm tapping.
100% facts 💯
It's not just that they don't care. In fact I'd argue that at first most do care, but when you have to live by a code , only to see the organization and people that taught you that code ignore it completely, you become jaded and sick of the hypocrisy and double standards, a d you start to wonder why should I live by these values when no else does? Not saying it's right, but most people don't start out that way.
Crazy because this is exactly how jobs treat their employees in the civilian side.
@@michaelrivera2080 well in the military side you never really clock out, you can get called in anytime. If some of these leaders don't like you because you want to do the right thing every time, expect those calls more often even on your weekend in the middle of the night.
@@profanityandpancakes ouch! , I feel ya on that.
I did 6 years and 2 combat tours and I’ve been fighting hard for my disability compensation and I’ve met “vets” that’s never even made it to their duty stations getting 90% compensation crazy
File a claim NOW and use the PACT Act as “medical evidence” it’s easier than ever to get connected. I know what you mean. I’ve met “Marines” who washed out of boot, never served active duty and never deployed but stick their chests out like gods gift to the world. File that claim and get your benefits
@@crypto_que ok I’ll def look into that
This country doesn’t take care of its vets, I’m shocked anyone joins at all.
Idk what TF you are talking about.
@@JohnDoe-vy5hh The number of homeless Vietnam veterans today is greater than the number of soldiers who died during the war
facts
My grandfather was a WW2 combat vet in the pacific Theater. He said it best before he passed away - “when I served, we were defending our country. Those who serve today are defending some rich guy’s bank account.”
He wasn't defending America. Germany had no intentions of invading The USA.
@@varg8696 but Japan did, and they had already made it as far as Hawaii, the Aleutian Islands, and even the Oregon coast.
@MrRoboto81 Yeah when the U.s is starving your country of resources you need for survival, you have no choice 😉
@@varg8696 Germany had officially declared war on the USA and German U-Boats were sinking American ships within sight of east coast beaches. The Germans were also trying to build bombers capable of crossing the ocean to bomb US cities.
@trevorn9381 Becuase the USA were sanctioning Germany
As a veteran myself, I have encouraged and helped people join the military but not anymore. A lot needs to change before I start doing it again.
What needs to change? Interested to know your take on this!
@@blackdan0259 The leader ship for one, they have crap housing crap pay crap working hours crap health care the list goes on and on
Walmart has better benefits and pays better than the military.
Audit the money going to military contractors is a good first step. Take care of our soldiers with good equipment and good pay. Take care of our veterans after they come home. Stop letting private, corporate interests dictate military action. Audit the money going to military contractors, please!!
@@Elversonfox
Amen Brother.
My pay was so awesome as soon as we PCS'd to Hood my wife was approved for WIC and Food Stamps.
We just starved for 3 years in Germany.
"You don't need no housing, no pay, or no healthcare, soldier. All you need is a rifle and a ruck sack."
This is awesome ! As a vet .. coming from and out of war … I’ve learned we don’t need it. We really don’t. People are not our terrorists or enemies.. it’s GREED. If we over come that as a race.. wow what we could accomplish
Amen
Facts
As a vet myself I believe this
fallin human nature won't be overcome any time before Jesus comes back. Even if you could teach a generation this lesson the next generation would swing the pendulum back.
@@MrPeach1incorrect. Jesus Christ is not real. Stop trynna mix your stupid religion with the realities of life.
@actionpotential23 You think Jesus is more far fetch than ending war and greed in humans? Let me know how that works out for ya.
I served in the coast guard in New Orleans. Was there for Hurricane Katrina. That event and a few others messed my head up pretty hard. Got my honorable discharge and went back to civilian life. Or tried to. Hyper vigilance, ptsd, and major anxiety problems made it impossible to keep a job. No employer wants to deal with a guy with “issues”. I wasn’t even told about the VA until I was out for 5 years. It took me another 6 years to get disability pension.
My kids have seen what my service time did to me and don’t want anything to do with it. I don’t want it for them either. I’ve told them the good, bad, and ugly. And the good just doesn’t balance the rest.
PTSD from Katrina? How?
Coast guard? PTSD?
@@NoJokesHere ~ The volleyball nets on the beach in front of the 4-star barracks had big holes ripped in them. :)
Don't listen to these other commenters. They couldn't imagine working for days to save thousands of stranded, nor the horror of witnessing the aftermath of an event that killed over a thousand people. I see you and hear you.
Wait..."you never heard" of the VA until after 6 years after discharge?? Is that what you're saying?
I retired out after 22 years. The amount of WOKENESS has been increasing. Mandated sensitivity classes, forced acceptance of transgender, but denial of religious liberty. Add in dubious missions, bad leaders that drop pallets of money on our potential enemies, why would anyone serve?
amen
When I was a junior enlisted combat engineer on the way to NTC, the battalion commander gathered the entire battalion in the brigade gymnasium. He divided us into four groups: junior enlisted living in the barracks, married soldiers, single soldiers with children, and soldiers married to another service member. He started off by addressing those of us in the first group. He told us we should consider ourselves lucky that he let us live in his barracks. He then turned his back on us and addressed the other three groups regarding all the ways that a rotation to Ft Irwin was going to affect them and their dependents. There were far too many leaders like this.
Ft.Irwin was notoriously ATE TFFFFFFFFFFFF UP
Throw a grenade in his shower and make him run out naked
Army is FULL of narcissists and bullies that are in leadership positions.
Junior Enlisted virtually have no humanity.
@@fromYAHUSHAreborn91 Somewhere, a grumpy and resentful senior NCO just chubbed, but a recruiter lost his wings.