The U.S. Military had GPS for years before they released it to the public. So well before Google was even a thing. In the first Iraq war in 1990, Saddam Hussein did not think anyone could navigate the desert because Iraq had tried and gotten lost. The US military had GPS! That's how the US easily navigated the Iraqi desert. There is a department here in the US called DARPA. DARPA along with a few other engineer corps, literally invent some of the best tech for the US Special forces and Military!
@@torrencel.2662 Not commenting on any of that. That's of course all true. Just say'n if you're maneuvering through the streets of a foriegn city google maps got used.
@@torrencel.2662 Yes indeed. Google maps uses formerly classified technologies, too. I heard, *but can't vouch* , that Google Earth uses late 1970s spy satellite tech. No telling what top secret technologies DARPA developed since 1990 that are still under wraps. Oh well, wait until 2040 and see.
Diane, other Marines will back me on this, but until recently, the first half of Full Metal Jacket was accurate (99%). The actor playing the Drill Instructor was an actual Drill Instructor.
If I remember correctly, he was originally brought on just as a consultant. The actor they hired was struggling and they ended up just paying Sgt. Ermey to act in the movie too lol.
I went through in 1979. My stepfather went through in 1940. When he saw the movie he asked: "Did they call you ladies?" When I said yes, he replied "I wouldn't have stood for that" and he walked out of the room, meaning that the discussion was over.
@@DianeJennings R Lee Ermey was a retired Marine, Vietnam vet, and former Drill Instructor, that was hired as a consultant, but he wanted the role. So he created an audition tape over 20 minutes long, that was similar to what he ended up doing in the movie. Most of the insults he created were ad libbed, on the spot, and they used almost all of them. R Lee Ermey went on to host a couple of very successful TV shows on The History Channel, and another one for The Outdoor Channel. He was also in several other TV shows, movies, commercials and even did voice work in animation. He worked as a good will ambassador and advocate of those in the military, and was honorarily promoted to Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps as a result. He was the only person so honored in the Marine Corps.
I went through in '78 and the boot camp part of the movie was almost exactly my experience. And let me say this, USMC boot camp was the best thing I've ever done for myself.
You can sign up before you graduate high school during your senior year, “Delayed Entry Progam.” I signed up at 17 years old, my parents had to sign the papers for me also, my mother cried.
My father tried to scare me into going to college at 18 (I hated school). Joke's on him, I gladly enlisted. My mother cried too. I told her I was also going Airborne and she cried harder.
Every time I hear that line about "no tolerance for hazing", I get a good chuckle. Hazing still goes on, because, it's tradition. You just have to be careful about not getting caught.
Too many people mistake abuse for hazing and vice versa. Unfortunately they’ve swung too far and for years have been throwing out the baby with the bath water resulting in recruits going from boot to active units literally incapable of passing the tests.
I can tell you some of the stories my dad told me about his WW2 experiences, he lied and joined the Arny at 15 in 1929, One story he told was when the dI asked for those with a driver's license to volunteer for special duty for the day. Well Dad had a licensee (in Alabama you could get one at 13 if you lived on a farm) so he raised his hand and was told, "Well Putnam, scents you can drive, you get to drive the wheelbarrow today.".
I was in the USAF during Vietnam, but never left the US. I did have a chance to hear the stories of classmates / friends who served in Vietnam in the various branches of the military. Most of those involved in actual shooting (Army / Marines) told me that they generally fired at a distance into brush / jungle from where they were getting fired on, but they didn't actually see who they were shooting at and afterwards there would be bodies, but they never knew if it was their bullets that hit or not. I did have one friend who was in one of the machine gun nests spaced out at intervals around their base in Vietnam when in the early hours of the morning, the enemy hit a tripwire and flares went up, making it quite bright. One of the enemy soldiers was running at their position with a satchel charge, and he shot him before he could get close enough to throw the satchel. When the fight was over, hours later, he checked the body and the young North Vietnamese soldier had a picture of his wife and child, and was wearing a St. Christopher medal, which (I learned from my friend) meant he was a Catholic, like my friend. This was years after the fact, and he was still struggling with a feeling of guilt about this. One of the functions of basic training is to break down some of the taboos we all grow up with, including killing another human being, if need be, but 10 weeks of basic training doesn't completely accomplish what 18+ years of civilization and religious teaching has put into us. I knew a boy from my homeroom at high school who joined the Marines with several others from my school when the military had a "buddy" program, where friends could join, train and serve together. I guess it was meant to increase enlistments. His unit was overrun in Vietnam, and the North Vietnamese regulars were approaching and shooting each body in the head to make sure they were dead. My friend was badly wounded and had a hand grenade in his hands, determined to take some of them with him before he died, when US helicopters came into the area and the enemy scattered before they got to him. He had a limp when I saw him back home and was the only one from the group that signed up together from my school to survive. I have a lot of other stories as well, some that are too graphic to put into a public forum, but I think PTSD was a lot more common than the official numbers that were put out. War is horrible, and a normal human being is going to be affected by being exposed to things like this. Both Russia and Ukraine are going to have major issues with PTSD when that war finally ends.
I recently saw a you tube video and the Ukrainian soldier said - when the war is over and if he lived the first thing he was doing was to see a mental health professional to see if he was OK. So smart , I feel for any soldier, they go through absolute hell. fortunately they have their brothers. All the respect.
I went to grammar school and high school with a friend who couldn't wait to join the Marines so he could go to Vietnam. He was killed on his sixth day deployed there. Requiescat in Pace, Bredon Turner from Uniondale.
I'm also a Vietnam ERA Vet, but I went to Iceland. So easy to get an icy rock in the middle of the North Atlantic confused with a war-torn rain forest in Southeast Asia. Air Force was really good at matching up your AFSC (Air Force Specialty Code, mine was 32470) with manning requirements. My sister-in-law was a helicopter avionics technician (avionics technicians repair and maintain a plane's electronic instruments, including radio communication devices and equipment, radar systems, and navigation aids) in the Army. Sent to Germany they had too many technicians, so they had her playing admin typist. You spend months training someone so they can type and file reports? My tech school was 46 weeks in addition to the 6 (8?) weeks of Basic Training. I was in training for over a year before going to an active base. You had to score in the top 5% to be offered the 324xx school and people did flunk out of it. That was the biggest waste (but flunking one 2 week block didn't flunk you out of the school, you had to flunk multiple blocks). Anyway, when they matched up your AFSC to overseas assignments they didn't stop there. We had all submitted "dream sheets" of where we would LIKE to be stationed. At that point, I had never been to Europe, so I put in for anywhere in Europe and got Iceland. They literally hand matched the ones selected (for being Stateside the longest), with you AFSC and then shuffled that small pile to match up as many of those with their dream assignments. Means you were only sent to where you could be used.
It wasn't diagnosed after WW2 but I'm fairly certain my grandpa had PTSD. Anytime my brother and I were horsing around he got real quiet and left the room. Any violence would trigger him and make him upset so we always had to be on our best behavior around him.
The condition had different names through the generations. George Carlin described it in his standup routine. Vietnam - Current Nomenclature: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD] WWII, Korean Conflict: Battle Fatigue World War I and earlier: Shell Shock. Same condition, just longer descriptions as time goes by.
@@CaptainFrost32 The thing is, that list was entirely subjective. My godfather served in WWII and he suffered from "shell-shock". Strait-jacket-level bouts of suicidal depression. He wound up with dementia after 2 decades of electroshock-therapy. Juno Beach was too much for him.
GED requirement changed in the 90's. in 83 ,when I enlisted, the pre test [ASVAB, Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery] determined a lot of your eligability. If you got a high enough score, the Army would offer you GED testing in basic. 14 of us in my basic training unit got ours. Graduation day from basic was a Double score for me.
@@Joshua-fo9zw The drop was to meet recruitment quotas during peacetime. The standards went back up after 9/11, because there was an understandable increase in enlistment applications. I took the ASVAB with my ROTC buddies in high school and got offers to attend Annapolis, Colorado Springs and West Point. The problem is, I also got a full scholarship to a Cal State, and I wanted to party rather than serve in the military, especially since we had just invaded Iraq.
@@LordBloodraven Ty for the fresh info, but I wasn't under the impression that the standards had stayed that low. I just know a friend from high-school scored a 53 on the ASVAB ended up a successful career Marine, due to the mentioned lowering of standards.
By independent space force, they mean independent from the rest of the military. Until space force, space came under the domain of the US Air Force. They converted part of an air force base into a space base. Good video!!
I worked in the defense industry for 15 years, at six different companies on all kinds of products. I have never served in the military. One thing I noticed is they hire lots of Vets. Some of these guys were the nicest people you have ever met. Those were always the ones with little comma scars on their faces, an eye missing, or some kind of walking stick (when they were in their 30s). They never talked about how these things happened, for the most part. They were mostly people who had come to terms with their past. I only met one guy in all that time who gave me the Heebie Jeebies. He was in Force Recon in the Marine Corps in Vietnam (these guys would go in behind enemy lines and do damage to enemy encampments). This guy had a badge which said "75 known killed". There wasn't a mark on him. He slept better than I do. 😨🥶🥶
6:20. Just went through marine Corp bootcamp about a year ago. I can guarantee you that it's still true. They will make you do back breaking amounts of exercise and yes, clean the entire squad bay with a toothbrush or towel etc. Whether they're supposed to, that's another question. But they certainly do.
I spent 20 years active duty in the Air Force and retired at 38 as a Weather Forecaster and have continued that career in civilian life. It's not for everyone but was a good fit for me.
As the son of a retired Air Force fighter pilot, nothing but respect brother. I can remember having all of the maintainers, weather shop guys, atc guys and on and on over to our house multiple times when my old man was the ops group commander at Osan and before that when he was the squadron commander for the 511th at RAF Alconbury. All the best to you and yours man.
Hey There Dianne: I'm a Veteran of the US Army. When I joined up in 1975, about a third taking the ASVAB just plain flunked out. One of the was a 26 Year Old that was trying to enlist to become a Helicopter pilot. Multiple unsuccessful tries and flunking those exams was his last chance. When I got out I had a somewhat different GI Bill: I went to college at Night (day job to pay the day-to-day bills). I was later reimbursed nearly all of my tuition fees. After I got my Degree in IT I used my Veterans Status to get a job in Civil Service with a State. I am now happily retired and receiving a nice little pension.
In the mid-70's a lot of Navy recruiters went to Captain's Mast because they'd taken the ASVAB for recruits who couldn't pass it. As a Personnelman working at boot camp I discharged a number of recruits who were functionally illiterate. To stay in they had to read at at least a 6th grade reading level.
@@JamesPolichak Looking at what "Schools" are now producing.....Dumbing down to make sure everybody Finishes at the same level....Lately I've gotten to the conclusion that less than a third of test takers today would pass ANY of the Exams I took Back Then. 6th Grade Reading Level....WHOSE 6th Grade? Mine or todays?
An awful lot of the shooting is what's called "suppressive fire", intended to make the other guys keep their heads down, while the rest of the unit maneuvers against them. More a case of the bullets being addressed "to whom it may concern", instead of having someone's name on them.
Both of my parents were in the US Army, and my mother grew up in an Army family. As she always says "Don't assume anything about people in the military -- it's a big place with a lot of people"
I was in the US Army in the 1990's. For the most part, it was no different than a regular 9-5 job with weekends off. A couple of times of year we'd go do training for a few weeks outdoors. Only once was I ever deployed and that was part of the NATO peacekeeping operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The video is very good. Thanks for reacting to it. 🙂
Thank you Diane for another awesome vid!! As an Irish emigrant who served in the US Army/ Reserves/ and National Guard I thank you from the bottom of my heart! We had on kid in my basic training unit who never owned a pair of shoes until he joined up. He was from the hills of West Virginia. Good kid but was mercilessly picked on by the Drill Sgts. We all felt bad for him and helped him out as much as we could. Keep up the awesome work and please stay safe! Excelsior! Heff
Happy Friday to you Diane! Both my late Father and my oldest brother were both former members of the military. Air Force and Marines to be exact. I have the greatest respect for our military and for what they do to protect and defend our great nation. Thanks for sharing this video with us Diane. I really enjoyed it. Have a great weekend and be well. 😎👍
I was in the North Carolina Army National Guard as a Medic from 1981 to 1987. I remember taking the ASVAB test. The Drill Sgts were allowed to yell at us and Touch us and Drop for Pushups plus other things. It might not be true now but was in my day!
As a young man in the late 1950s, my step father worked for a tree trimming service (sometimes called tree surgeons here in the US,) before he was drafted. So they trained him as a medic. Never fear, though: he spent his two years' service taking care of the base landscaping in Texas. 😅
When I was at an Army training company, we had a medical doctor from Mexico training as a cook. I'm pretty sure they managed to get him re-trained as a medic once his English was good enough.
We got our asses handed to us and had physical hands on corrective training in Army Basic in ‘84. Some were hazed. And it was NOT easy as it is now by any stretch! I trusted everyone with my life in a foxhole who went through the same basic, because we knew that they COULD handle stress.
My dad was in basic in Arizona in 1980. He's told me absolute horror stories. Unfortunately he was extra hard on us as a result. If we sprained our ankles (common because I did gymnastics and karate), no doctor for us, just wear high tops! If we complained, "I had to run 5 miles in the desert with a broken ankle, toughen up kid"... 🥲
Hazing has pretty much always (in the post-Vietnam era anyway) been against the rules, but the definitions of it have shifted and the attitudes of what you can get away with. I say this as a former Army reception station & AIT company commander, both of which had drill sergeants. Drill sergeants can operate well outside the view of their command. I imagine that coed basic training has changed some of the issues, at least in that environment.
I was in Navy basic in 95 and we got screamed at, cycled(making it rain by shutting all the windows, turning the heat on high, and turning all the showers on hot and leaving the bathroom door open. It rained from the ceiling due to humidity and heat while doing physical exercise, we would have to then mop the barracks after doing jumping jacks, burpees, etc.. for an hour.) My brother in law went in in the 2000’s and they got nothing like that.
It also might suprise people to learn that PTSD is rarely permanent, also it can happen at anytime. I worked with a guy that got diagnosed with it years after he left the Marines when he out of the blue started to have symptoms.
I have it also. It never goes away. It just manifest itself in certain situations. Flash backs are freighting at times. Always look forward never back my friend
I have dealt with PTSD literally my entire life. From horrifying events as a child and then violent events later on that I signed up for. I deal with it every day. I learned to separate the dreams and events from the past with the here and now. The worst thing is being reminded daily from the physical pain from injuries years ago. I just have to remind myself the truth that it is all over with.
I had PTSD for about 18 years then it miraculously went away. I spent 17 years in the Marines....and when I graduated high school, I got the hell out of my old man's house!! LOL Raised by a "psychotic" Marine that fought in the South Pacific then in Korea. The older I got, the more grateful I was for that up-bringing. The Greatest Generation is gone now. And I'm glad my dad doesn't have to see what a screwed-up society the US has become.
It's interesting to see how the military has changed over the years and what general public thinks about military. Thanks For making the weekend great with you reaction video, Diane. Glad to see Chewie getting cuddles. Don't forget its superbowl 🏈 weekend. I hope you and chewie have some good food this weekend. 🍕🍖
@@DianeJennings I got a solution you can watch one on the tv and the stream other on the desktop/tablet/phone. looking forward to the commercial's and the halftime on the superbowl. Happy Vibes. 🍀 🏉🏈🥳
I pressed the keys while I closed my eyes And this poem was the result, after three tries It was hard to believe, it was quite a surprise Until I read the line that said the first 3 were lies
I was a combat vet in the US army, and served in the Army as a paratrooper infantry. Something like only 5 percent of the Army is directly related to fighting.. The rest are support, medical, and administration. I was diagnosed with PTSD while in Iraq in 2008, and I will say that I am way less aggressive then I was when I was younger.
Also my unit ran the gambit of the social economic spectrum as they say. A few sons of millionaires, mostly middle or lower middle class with more than a few with college degrees in the line squads. I came from a middle class family with a military and and blue collar background. Dad's side was military going back to the US civil war whereas my mom's side became military after when she enlisted in the late 70s. She was hazed pretty bad in basic training and was one of the only women in her training course to not be injured. It was so bad that her drill instructor was arrested and sent to a criminal psychiatric ward and was kicked out of the military. And I got blood wings after airborne school and had my ranked "pinned" when I was in. Both of which are now considered hazing and are supposed to not be allowed now.
Looking back I could only have done what I did because of how young, foolish and small minded I was in how I viewed people and "the enemy". Any suffering now brings me to automatic tears
One of the things that is sad is that back in the 60's and 70's if a kid got into trouble, he might be offered the option to join the military to get the discipline he needed to straighten himself out in lieu of punishment. Now, the military is so concerned about their liability that you have to have a clean legal record and many kids that could use this structure in their life are kept out.
Correct. At least 4 guys I served with during the late 60's, had previous scrapes with the law and credited the Army with putting them back on the straight and narrow. All, were given the choice of going to jail or enlisting.
One of the things that studies done post WW-2 was that individual soldiers were reluctant to engage the enemy unless it was done to protect a buddy in your unit. The reluctance increased slightly if the other person was in your unit, but was a new replacement. Killing another person runs against the moral code of most people,and is an absolute last resort.
I remember getting a good score on the ASVAB and my poor Mom was convinced that meant I was going to get drafted 🤣In my high school, everyone took the test and it didn't mean much of anything though lol.
good to know that i am not alone in that category. i hesitated to speak to my ma about it, until she asked me directly, so, i stated to her, the score that i got was, `above average'. then she started to `worry' a bit. i said to her, `if they draft me, then they draft me. not much that i can do about that." i think that there may have been somewhat of a legitimate cause for worry, seeing that she had a relative and 3 of her brothers in the army. one in every war, from ww ii - her cousin's hubby who was over in the philippines, a brother that was in the korean war, another brother and her cousin's son (son of the one that was in ww ii), and another brother that was a green beret over in germany. i think that specific one that worried her the most was the one that was in the korean war. one day, my grandma got a call from, i guess it's what is called `graves registration' to notify her that he had been k.i.a. then 3 weeks later, he walks in through the door.
@@SamGray Haha I love my Mom and wouldn't change a thing about her. But the fact they stopped the draft 30 years before wasn't going to stop her from worrying lol. Best part of this story is it wasn't even that good of a score haha.
I took the ASVAB when I was starting ROTC in college in 77. I AM the guy that screwed up the curve for all the rest of you. I answered EVERY question correctly! A PERFECT score. So, this Captain comes over and says to me, "We don't even have officers that score that high!" My reply?...."Well, you must have a lot of dumb officers then. Because that was a pretty easy test." He didn't smile too much after that but did want me to take the "Language proficiency test for DLI. You had to score above 87 on the ASVAB to qualify to take the language test. I thought I would suck at that one. It's a weird sort of test. But I scored a 98% on that one. I ended up not following through with ROTC (too many dumb officers, LOL!!) But I should have enlisted instead and gone to DLI. My older sister had, and she spent 2 years at "The Country Club of the Army" in the best language school in the world. She said if you scored 94 on the Friday exam you got a weekend pass. So, she would take an Air Force hop to Hawaii for the weekend and stay in a barrack on base. Gravy train!
I served 20 years in the Marine Corps and two combat tours in Vietnam. The first tour as a machine gunner (0331) in 1965-66 and the second as a Platoon commander (0369) in 1970-71. I retired after 20 years and had a 30 year career as a California police officer ( Marin County). What I learned in the Marine Corps has helped me all my life. I highly recommend it to anyone needing direction and wishing to learn self discipline . Tom Boyte GySgt. USMC, retired Bronze Star, Purple Heart
When I joined the AF, the minimum ASVAB score was 25, but if you had < 35 you could not choose your career field and were stuck wherever they needed someone. Then there were specific requirements for more complicated careers.
They still use it to dictate career paths. You have the minimums scores then they will break it into categories that dictate what you can do and what you can't.
@@johncummings4917 , they track how people do getting through the training schools, using combinations of sections of the test to predict passing and learning the job.
Every entrance requirement can be waved if the branch is desperate enough. We had no hazing events in my basic class. They were “corrective actions” and could be for anything.
A study conducted by the U.S. Army in Europe after WW2 found that only about 20% of infantrymen actually fired their weapons in combat, and many of those aimed high to avoid harming the enemy. They seemed to assume that everybody else would shoot to kill, so they weren't hurting their unit. Getting normal people to kill one another is surprisingly difficult, even in combat.
I am retired AF and have medical coverage along with half of my base pay when I left. I can still shop at the on base grocery store (Commissary), and Base/Post Exchange (like Target), use sports centers, clubs, and petrol stations. Each activity is often cheaper than what others pay, and is tax free.
On joining: it used to be you could join the military pretty easily but that was many decades ago. The move to an all volunteer force changed it. The Air Force height requirements are for pilots, not general enlisted.
I was in the U.S. ARMY for 10 years, (1985-1994) and was a paratrooper, who was sent into combat several times. when I was in, there were a lot less restrictions on mistreatment of trainee soldiers, and "getting smoked" ( being dropped for pushups, sometimes as many as 50 at a time, and a dozen times a day if you were a smart ass like I was) and other extreme punishments was normal. I really hate that media and mental health people lump the strains of combat in with so many other causes and call it all PTSD. a lot of the older veterans, such as myself still hold the older wording, it is shellshock. movies and tv make us seem like a ticking timebomb, when the truth is it does a lot more damage to us, than we do to others. and is why in America, and average of 22 combat veterans commit suicide a day. the ONLY people we can talk to about it is others who had been where we were, chewed the same dirt, and were caught in the same $#!tstorms. I am not attacking you here, you are just showing how the media has caused a lot of misinformation. I wll end by saying that every man who died when I was in combat, both those who fell by my hand, and those who fell by my side haunt me. it has been 30 years since I got out, and I am still not all the way home.
I took ASVAB in High School. It was in the high 90s. So long ago, but I think it has questions to see how well-rounded you are, as well as mechanical, logical, and then some. I had all of the branches calling my guidance counselor. I ended up USAF did a Delay Entry in my Senior year. After I graduated High School I went to boot camp. Avionics tech on cargo planes. BTW I noticed a few of the cartoons were scenes from movies (yes, one was top gun)
You can join the Army and Marine Corps without a High School Diploma with a GED. However, you will be limited to certain fields of work. Second, you can enlist in the Army Reserve during High School, if you are 17 with your parents permission, and go to Basic Training during summer break of Junior/Senior year and then your job trading after graduation. I did this in High High School (wasting an entire Summer vacation at Fort Benning).
The PTSD thing happened to me just last week!! Drives me insane!! One guy at work was saying my name and hiding and another guy told him not to do that because I have PTSD. I was pretty mad about that because everyone thinks that if you have ever been to combat you are prone to violence. It's very upsetting. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty sure I have it but I am definitely not prone to violence.
When I was in high school in South Georgia every single student in the county were required to take that military aptitude test like the ones they talked about here. I ended up being hardcore recruited by every branch
Which is utter BS on the school and the school district because taking the ASVAB is strictly voluntary. One cannot be forced if one doesn't want to take it. There is no GA law that says you have to take it. Nor federal law or mandate from the Dept. of Education. I too went to a HS near Augusta, GA and my school did the same thing with every class having 3-4 recruiters licking their chops for the potential of getting their bonus quotas. On that day I came in late from a dental appointment on post from Ft. Gordon. So yes I was an Army brat and knew this but it seems many of my classmates whether or not they were interested in enlisting or educators were not too wise about this fact. Edit: Also unlike in GA, my HS that I graduated from in WA state has an Army recruiter office in the school itself and they schedule ASVAB tests for anyone who is interested to take it. No 3-4 hrs out of the school day was taken off just for the whole school body to do the ASVAB like it was in GA. Edit edit: Corrections, it was half the school because only Jrs and Srs are allowed to take the ASVAB. And it might not have been the recruiter's office but that of the JROTC commander.
There was a study that said in WWII, in any given battle in Europe, only 25-30% of soldiers on either side actually fired their weapon. I carried an M-16 in Desert Storm and never had to pull the trigger.
Back in high school, my best friend and I would take the ASVAB test all the time just as an excuse to get out of class. The Air Force recruiters always told us that we scored so high that we could have any job we wanted. The thing about "low pay" is that as a lower ranked member, you are living on base with free food and free lodging. The US Space Force is now "independent of" the US Air Force.
I would be interested in the things the military branches ARE allowed to do in order to prepare recruits to serve in combat situations. The basic training, as I understand it, creates soldiers. It breaks the person down into a base profile and rebuilds that profile into one that is supposed to be self-disciplined and understand and follow the UCMJ, including understanding the chain of command, etc. Past that, I would expect that instructors would have to have some say / input in the training techniques that would be allowed. After all, regardless of where a soldier is in a combat theater, they would need to be optimally prepared for the worst possible outcomes, the stress that could be experienced, and how to optimally perform in those situations. Without proper training, one could expect poor performance, up to and including large numbers of soldiers dying.
I was in the USAF from 1971-78 and I remember a report at the time that the closer the training matched actual stress and combat, the fewer actual battlefield deaths and injuries happened. No hazing that I remember in Basic Training, but a lot of physical stuff (run another lap, doing 20 pushups, etc.) Got up at 6 AM, showered, dressed, make the bunks, the baracks were frequently inspected while we stood downstairs at 7 AM. If your baracks failed, it was hit with a "white tornardo" where even your lockers were emptied into a pile, bedding, matresses, EVERYTHING piled high. You had one hour to put everything away, make the beds (and space them exactly the same distance apart in a straight line), even your uniforms in your lockers had to be evenly spaced apart on their hangers, etc. OR you did it all over again. Today's "young adults" whine about everything. We fired the AR-15 (civilian model of the M-16) in Basic Training. Never touched another one. I joined the Air Force as my Uncle had served in the Navy during WWII and had three destroyers sunk under him. The old story of Noah questioning God's asking him to build a boat ends with God asking Noah, "how long can you tread water?" Plus my Dad had served in the USAAC (Army Air Corps), the forerunner to the Air Force. Didn't hurt that I was offered the top school for enlisted, 46 weeks in Denver (and 6 more weeks TDY for additional training). My overseas duty was to Iceland for a year. Came back with a special duty assignment to McClellan AFB in California. But I also know that if you washed out of that school, you could end up mowing lawns or serving chow as your military career. As a side note on the school: First day of Block 1, you walked into the classroom and handing over the door was a massive cable with a sign that read "Warning, 1 Million Ohms"... those of us who had even one junior high school class of electronics or basic electricity got a kick out of it as ohms a measurement of resistance, not voltage nor current, so its harmless. We had a sense of humor throughout all eight years. And I soon found out, it was a lot easier to talk to a general than to a second lieutenant.
2:45 Correct. Yes, we're capable of all kinds of bad things; It's what we trained to do, so of course we can get pretty destructive pretty quickly. But the truth is that we're more often than not just interested in being left alone or, at the very least, not hearing the people around us whining because their sandwich wasn't toasted enough, or someone otherwise hurt their feelings. Yeah, it's certainly wise not to "poke the bear", generally speaking, but we're not a bunch of powder kegs walking around society, just waiting to blow up.
ya just have to love the homage that they pay to both the `full metal jacket'- (the guy wearing his pants down) and `top gun'- ( the volleyball game) movies.
I tried the US Navy after high school in 2007. I got a medical discharge during basic. My family has a rich military history on both my Father's and my Mother's sides. My grandpa was a Marine in World War II and saw every battle in the Pacific Campaign. Also my older brother is in the Navy now and has been in for almost 2 decades. I should also add my father was in the Army when I was born in 1988 and he served during Operation Desert Storm where I got to live in Turkey at the time.
@@celesteunderwood1094 Thank you very much. I appreciate that. I'm hoping to maybe join the Merchant Marines and possibly work in the Military Sealift Command as a CivMar which my older brother keeps telling me that they need the help.
@@kryaxe Cool and my grandpa was my father's side as well. On my mom's side, she had an Uncle who marched from Nigeria in Africa north to Mediterranean Sea where he took a ship into Italy. From there they drove trucks into Germany to help win the war.
As a former member of the Infantry, I can attest to the idea that it is BETTER to not kill the enemy, but to wound them, where they take the loss of not only that one soldier, but maybe up to 2 others to care for him. Attrition is not only measured by how many are dead, but how many are no longer actively shooting at YOU.
That doesn't work in other country's military...try China or Russia....you get wounded...you better be able to apply your own torniquet. And don't expect anyone to save you. And DON'T try to return to the rear. They shoot anyone that goes backwards. My father said that is how it was with the Chinese in Korea...That's how it was in the Red Army in WW2 and from intercepted phone calls in Ukraine, that is exactly how the Russians still treat their troops.
Being 100% volunteer, the US military is also 100% professional; it must have smart, literate, mathematically proficient recruits. The stuff they operate is complicated.
"...maybe not you...maybe you were in the US military but you know these things already. But us normal people..." Glad to know that with my veteran status, I was also demoted to the abnormal people grouping...😁😁😁
3:15 I have some personal experience with the fact that it's not easy to get into the armed forces. When I was a child, I always wanted to serve, so, when I was a young adult in the 2003-05 timeframe, I started trying to enlist. I spoke to recruiters from the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, and Minnesota National Guard, and, despite the fact that back then the United States was fighting two simultaneous wars, it was the same thing every time: They were interested in me until the fact that I have hypothyroidism and require daily doses of levothyroxine came up, which immediately ended the conversation. Basically, they told me that they couldn't take me with my meds because the meds would be contraband at basic training, and they couldn't take me without my meds because me going without the meds for the duration of basic training could create liability issues, so they couldn't take me, period. 11:00 Also worth noting that there can be tactical advantages to wounding an enemy combatant, as opposed to killing them. If you kill an enemy combatant, you take one enemy combatant off the battlefield, while if you wound that enemy combatant non-mortally, you might take multiple enemy combatants off the battlefield, because the enemy will then have to dedicate resources to getting medical attention to the wounded combatant and evacuating them from the battlefield. And if you happen to wound and capture an enemy combatant, you can interrogate them for intel.
Hello Diane from Boston, MA! Regarding the Air Force, only a tiny percentage of it's members are pilots or in peripheral jobs that would require any advanced knowledge of math, physics, etc. Most members are in jobs not related to flight and with similar jobs in the other services, such as transportation, logistics, military police, administration, various technician jobs, etc and in jobs supportive of flight, such aircraft mechanics, loading and munitions specialists, etc. I was never in the service (I took all the testing for the Navy after high school, but ultimately decided against it), but my uncle was in the Air Force for 20+ years (the Air Force and Coast Guard are well known to have the best living conditions for it's members). I also found it very interesting that service members who are in combat haven't necessarily been "trained to kill" their adversary 100% of the time, depending on the situation, which apparently is different from firearm training for police in America (considering the innumerable instances in which suspects, who are aggressive, but with only a knife or unarmed, have been riddled with multiple rounds from multiple cops).
I have PTSD. Never thought about hurting another living soul. I've wanted to stay in bed for a few a days, or flinched at random loud noises, or had panic attacks triggered by various negative experiences, but after many years, most of this has faded...now, the only thing that triggers me is roller coasters - which kinda sucks.
Ive yet to be diagnosed, but i also have PTSD, though unconnected to my military sevice. (both my duty stations were non-deployable for my job, the POG life is a blessing and curse.) A motorcyclist rear ended me going 160 mph on my way home from work. Being an EMT i had to call death on him as when i reached him, he was missing a leg, spine bent unnaturally, and brain leaking out of a crack in his skull. I also discovered at that point my insurance dropped me without notice due to being a couple dollars short since i struggled to find a job after my seperation from the military. To this day, any time a motorcyclist passes me i flinch, but ive never felt aggression.
The Coast Guard has the highest ASVAB requirement at a 40 AFQT score needed to qualify. All other branches have recently reduced theirs to 31, even the Chair Force.
Another comment. My Marine has fired his weapon in combat. He told me that he doesn't know if he killed anyone or not. My uncle, on the other hand knew that he had killed Japanese soldiers during WWII. It missed him up big time. He became a raging alcoholic after the war. My brother was on the USS Forrestal during Vietnam. Several of his shipmates were killed. That affected him.
In 1989, as a high school drop-out, I went into the US Navy on a "non-grad seat" because I scored well on my asvab. But 1989 (and there abouts) was that mushy middle-ground to what the military was, and what it is now. For example, when I went into basic training, they had just introduced "training time-out." However, my CC (Company Commander--it's what the navy calls drill instructors) was a bit of an old salt. Well, we failed a barracks inspection one day, and our CC said, "Everybody, into the head (the bathroom)!" From there, he went to the showers and turned on all the hot water, and commanded, "Jumping-jacks, 4-ever, begin!" Thankfully, I was way in the back of 80(ish) guys crammed into a small space. Then this one guy, in the front, goes down with cramps, declaring, "Training-time-out, sir!" To which, our CC responds, "Why? You dying?!" The recruit answers, "No, sir, I just can't stand up!" So, the CC says, "Fine! Do sit-ups!"
Was taught you shoot to wound it takes 2-3 people out of the equation having to move the injured. A lot has changed since the early 90s when I did my time
just some information. -The Marines are not their own separate "Branch" of military, they are part of the Navy Branch. but they do have their own "Corps". -The Air Force used to control things in the sky and military assets in space, that is no longer the case. The U.S. Space Force has now be created and they control the space assets. It is a separate Branch of the military than the Air Force. and the badge in the lower middle is the OLD patch for the Space Command part of the Air Force. BUT the new badge for the Space Force IS very similar. -the current Branches of the military are Army, Navy, Coast Guard, National Guard, Air Force, and Space Force. -it's estimated that around 10% of PTSD suffers are violent. most suffers have panic attacks and tend to 'shut down' instead. -there are MANY requirements to enlisting. minimal education is just one, and the more education (college) you have, the higher your rank in the enlisted ranks. Officers have to go to a special military college. there are medical, physical, psychological, and knowledge tests. you can't join if your IQ is too low (I think the cutoff is around 85). You can't have a sever criminal record. you CAN be a non-American citizen as there is a special program to allow foreigners to join in order to gain American citizenship. AND this is all BEFORE you sign your name to the contract to join. -ALL branches require some technical skill from most of their personnel. Though some jobs are MUCH more technical than others. So what you make on your ASVAB test affects what jobs are available for you to choose. -grueling training is still the norm, the only difference is that punishments that cause humiliation or direct physical assault are no longer allowed, but MANY more punishments (usually physical exercise) are VERY much still in use. -shooting a perceived enemy isn't just a matter of 'willingness' on the part of a solider. military personal ARE trained to kill if need be. BUT they are also trained to try and avoid having to shoot in the first place. there are extensive training on 'containment' and Rules of Engagement that dictate when certain military actions (like shooting) are not allowed and when they are allowed.
I was permanent Honor guard in the US Navy since I'm not allergic to wool. While there, we were taught foriegn protocols as well as our own (i.e. don't do a brit salute to a brit because it's an insult) But in 1995 I think it was I met/had dinner with John Major who was the UK PM. We mostly discussed soccer, and the fact that I eat weird food combinations. Also neither him nor anyone else saw someone eat soup with a knife and fork like I do.
The thing about pay that everyone forgets is that food, insurance, college tuition and housing is all paid for. Every penny of that base pay for an E1 or "Private" and above is take home money. In other words, they can spend it on whatever they want. A car, phone bills, internet, etc, are not included, but everything else is expendable income. Even young military members don't understand this. They think that they could have easily gotten a degree and have the same pay, while not taking into account that, even in some of the best paying areas in the USA, they would be paying $1500-2000 for a one bedroom apartment, then co-pay health insurance, utilities and other expenses. For example, if an 18 year old got a $1500, one bedroom apartment, paid $150 in health insurance, $300 on a college loan and $150 on utilities, they would have to make $46,000(12 months+$21k) a year before taxes to equal the same as a basic E1 which you are automatically promoted two ranks within 18 months, or faster, if you don't mess up. That is a little over $22 an hour for a 17-18 year old with training paid for or equivalent. After all of that, 36 months of college are paid for after even a 4 year soldier gets out with other benefits. It isn't bad. It is actually overpaid in jobs with equal requirements. Young soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and guardians aren't any less qualified or intelligent then the general populous.
I was deployed to Afghanistan but my job was supply soldier. Making sure other soldiers had enough uniforms, paper for the printer, and he'll making coffee. Other times I was tasked with base security. The point is my job varied in my time in the US Army.
Went through boot in '79. My drill sgt. told us, when possible, to NOT kill the enemy. He told us if we can just inflict an injury, it would do more harm to the opposition. I asked why? He went on to explain: If you shoot and kill an enemy, others just keep fighting, not much they can do at that point. But if you injure one, he screams in pain, and his fellow soldiers would come to his aid. He stated that one injury could cease the fighting of the injured soldier, plus any who come to his aid. In addition, it could take two to move/carry him away for help. Thus reducing the fighting force that you are facing. I am quite happy that I never had to experience live combat, and I have no idea how I could just injure one instead of taking one out. But it is quite the thought.
I spent 21 years in the Army. I came in as PFC (E-3), 21 years later I was a CW4, Rotary Wing Flight Instructor and Examiner flying Black Hawks. The point is, in the military there’s opportunity for anyone to go as far as they want. You just need to have the drive, desire, and vision to achieve it.
You should checkout "life on board an aircraft carrier". I was stationed on CVN-73 (USS GEORGE WASHINGTON) from 96-99 and went to the Persian Gulf 3 times. Most of our time was spent doing regular maintenance and training for emergencies at sea. I would say that the base salary when broken down to an hourly rate is actually very low when you consider that our "workdays" were rarely (if ever) 8 hours; the other compensations we received also varied on rank and time-in-service. I fully enjoyed my entire enlistment and would absolutely do it again if I got a reboot back to being 18. Thanks for another great Friday video Diane! Cheers!
We use the word ambulatory when we talk about casualties. When we say they are ambulatory it just means that the casualty can move on his own. It is one part of the nine line that you call in when you need casevac
At the age of 24 I joined the USNR (Navel Reserve) in 1974. I was stationed in Orlando right next to Disney World. I was able to finish my B.A. while in Orlando then earn an M.A. with the G.I. Bill when I got out. Now in my 70's I get a pension check every month. As to the question of shooting anyone I only shoot a rifle once in boot camp and wore a pistol for an hour or so when i was Petty Officer of the Deck for Family Day in the Brooklyn Navy Yard on the destroyer the USS Dyess (DD-880).
The ASVAB test changed around 1980. Prior to that it was more akin to an IQ test with vocational overtones. Afterwards it was a vocational test to see what you might be good at in the military. MENSA accepted pre-1980 ASVAB testing for entrance depending upon your (Army calculation) GT score on said test. Don't know if they still do, but they did at one time. I took the ASVAB in high school, again to go into the National Guard, and again to go into the regular Army. When I took the latter test, there were a BUNCH of people in the room who were having a seriously difficult time with it. (Pre-1980 btw). I got hit up by every branch of service, but chose the Army since I was already in the National Guard and had completed training. This irritated my mother and some of my family - I was supposed to go to college. I ended up spending 21 years in the US Army in a variety of jobs and assignments. No regrets. About PTSD. My father had it from WWII service. It wasn't apparent during the day, but he had some terrible dreams sometimes. They did have the term PTSD back then - shell shocked was the term mostly used, but only for the more serious cases. After Vietnam they called it Delayed Stress till the 80s or 90s when PTSD became the term, and took a wider view. There is a systemic adversion to seeking mental health treatment in the military. I have to assume that it persists today, but they have made great strides in correcting that over the last several years.
'Go into this office and cry at a stranger' is not, and will never, be appealing to men, much less men of strength and violence that fill out military forces. The alternative "treatment" ('here, take all these pills'), is worse.
There is a book called "On Killing" which dives deep into the psychology of many different reasons and paths that might lead a person to take another's life. The author explores the "most soldiers won't shoot to kill" thing, among other angles.
Editor Diane, can you look into making the video Diane is reacting to is the same or close to the same volume level as she is? I have to max my speakers to hear it, and then my speakers are nearly blown out when she randomly comments. Love the videos, but I don't wanna haver to buy new speakers again.
As a Veteran I can say we were trained to shoot center mass to avoid missing our target and to render the assailant incapable of continuing their actions that lead us to fire upon them.
Getting into the military can be easier if the recruiter feels you have something to offer. I’m not sure what it was but reason I say this is I went in with a couple friends to an office of the US Marines was asked to join after doing some of the physical tests for fun. I explained that I was flat footed and had slight scoliosis. The recruiter said he would make an exception and could get me through regardless. So not always the case for getting in.
I'm a retired US sailor. Here are a few items I can help out with a little. 1. A person can get into the Military without a High School degree or GED but they must get their GED before their first command is completed. 2. The ASVAB test partially determines potential career path. 3. Cleaning the deck wouldn't be so much a punishment, just a waste of time and resources. There are more productive ways to get the people where they should be. 4. Pay starts low but gets better with advancement and time. They are provided enough for what is necessary. 5. 30 days' vacation pay every year doesn't suck.
Just FYI, on the test the choice "adsorb" is not misspelled, "adsorption" means to be stuck to the outside,while "absorption" means to get stuck on the inside of material
the ASVAB is basically testing your skill levels to determine what jobs in the military you're suited for. i did ok and got calls asking if i wanted to be a nuclear engineer or a linguist
The “independent space force” means it isn’t part of another branch. A counter example is the US Marine Corps which is technically a part of the Navy not and independent force.
You wanted comments, this is totally unrelated, but completely YOUR FAULT!! You mentioned Kerrygold butter a few months ago in a video. Now, I had seen it in my local store, heard people say how good it was, but after hearing your video, the next day I was in my local grocery store and thought: "What the heck, let's try it."...and now, I not only am always buying butter that is twice as expensive as normal butter, but I am using butter far more than I used to. So, thanks to you mentioning Kerrygold, I am spending more money on butter....but really enjoying the results from using it. 😁
One of my boys was a Marine. He was in combat in Iraq, He was diagnosed with PTSD when he left the service. The other boy was in the US Army. He was a combat engineer in Iraq. He wasn't affected by it at all. My youngest daughter was in the USAF. She spent her time state side. And my nephew was USN. Also state side. Neither of the last 2 were affected,
I am a Vet, I joined in 1978, for the US Army Infantry. I severed overseas in what was West Germany for 2yrs 8mns and during that time we had people that weren't US citizens. Training was brutal, it's softened up quite a bit from 40yrs ago. Back in '78 we did have people who were given a choice serve 4yrs. in the Army or go to prison, the narrator failed to mention the sign on bonuses. Back when I joined you had option of 3yrs or 4yrs with a bonus of $2000, which in the 70's was a good piece of change, I signed up for 3yrs. Also, I think it was in 1979 the US Army added a 2yr enlistment option, also I don't know which year it was, but the sign on bonuses were increased for the 4yr option, however back then if you didn't complete your 4yrs of service you had to pay back that bonus, another reason I signed up for 3yrs. The increase in bonuses and 2yr option was a result of lack of people volunteering for the military, there was no draft. I served from 1978-81, I did not re-enlist, which at that time would have been for another 6yrs, anyways for the 3yrs I served the Army, the US military (all branches) was not involved in any conflict, so I never saw combat, we were under constant threat from a much larger Soviet force, they outnumbered us 45 to 1, with a constant reminder that if the Soviets did attack we had 6hrs to live, something that does weigh heavy in one's mind.
My dad enlisted in the US Army in 1957. He tricked his mother into signing the emancipation letter by attaching it to a failed test. He disappeared for three days before he called and let her know he was in the Army and at Camp Lee, currently Ft. Lee, Virginia. He was 16 years old. Dates of service are on his DD 214 to show his age. Doesn’t work like that anymore. My mom had to have witnesses sign the emancipation paper work so I got join at 17, in 1989.
I went to a new car show at the downtown convention center on a snowy, cold weekday about 20 years ago and got there just as they opened the doors. Due to the fact it was early on a weekday and the weather was so bad, I just about had the place to myself at first. I was walking around looking at cars and happened to look over to see Lee Ermy sitting by himself at an autograph table with absolutely no one in line. I hadn't heard that he was going to be there as a "special guest" so it was quite a surprise. I couldn't think of anything to say to him that wouldn't sound stupid and be exactly what people said to him every time he was in public, so I let him have his few minutes of peace.
A former boss of mine served in Vietnam in the late 60's and says that he killed three enemy soldiers that he knows of. The first was a case where he simply was faster on the trigger than the other guy, which he said was the only reason he survived the encounter. He said he was sick for two days afterward from the stress and the realization that he had in fact killed another human being.
👍 Actually, using google maps... is ok.
No way! That’s so interesting
The U.S. Military had GPS for years before they released it to the public. So well before Google was even a thing. In the first Iraq war in 1990, Saddam Hussein did not think anyone could navigate the desert because Iraq had tried and gotten lost. The US military had GPS! That's how the US easily navigated the Iraqi desert. There is a department here in the US called DARPA. DARPA along with a few other engineer corps, literally invent some of the best tech for the US Special forces and Military!
@@torrencel.2662 Not commenting on any of that. That's of course all true. Just say'n if you're maneuvering through the streets of a foriegn city google maps got used.
@@torrencel.2662 Yes indeed. Google maps uses formerly classified technologies, too. I heard, *but can't vouch* , that Google Earth uses late 1970s spy satellite tech. No telling what top secret technologies DARPA developed since 1990 that are still under wraps. Oh well, wait until 2040 and see.
It's probably Wikipedia that they frown upon in regards to not being completely reliable.
Diane, other Marines will back me on this, but until recently, the first half of Full Metal Jacket was accurate (99%). The actor playing the Drill Instructor was an actual Drill Instructor.
I didn’t know that about the actor!
If I remember correctly, he was originally brought on just as a consultant. The actor they hired was struggling and they ended up just paying Sgt. Ermey to act in the movie too lol.
I went through in 1979. My stepfather went through in 1940. When he saw the movie he asked: "Did they call you ladies?" When I said yes, he replied "I wouldn't have stood for that" and he walked out of the room, meaning that the discussion was over.
@@DianeJennings R Lee Ermey was a retired Marine, Vietnam vet, and former Drill Instructor, that was hired as a consultant, but he wanted the role. So he created an audition tape over 20 minutes long, that was similar to what he ended up doing in the movie. Most of the insults he created were ad libbed, on the spot, and they used almost all of them.
R Lee Ermey went on to host a couple of very successful TV shows on The History Channel, and another one for The Outdoor Channel. He was also in several other TV shows, movies, commercials and even did voice work in animation.
He worked as a good will ambassador and advocate of those in the military, and was honorarily promoted to Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps as a result. He was the only person so honored in the Marine Corps.
I went through in '78 and the boot camp part of the movie was almost exactly my experience. And let me say this, USMC boot camp was the best thing I've ever done for myself.
The shovel was a ground breaking invention
😮
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Ditchdiggers are in high demand because of high turnover rates.
LOL. Stop, I'll confess.
Excavators are very down to earth people and earthshattering.
You can sign up before you graduate high school during your senior year, “Delayed Entry Progam.” I signed up at 17 years old, my parents had to sign the papers for me also, my mother cried.
Aww 😢
My father tried to scare me into going to college at 18 (I hated school). Joke's on him, I gladly enlisted. My mother cried too. I told her I was also going Airborne and she cried harder.
I did the same thing. Signed up at 17 and turned 18 in basic.
Same with me. USAF 76-80
Every time I hear that line about "no tolerance for hazing", I get a good chuckle. Hazing still goes on, because, it's tradition. You just have to be careful about not getting caught.
Exactly. Policies and SOP's are more like CYA's.
Too many people mistake abuse for hazing and vice versa. Unfortunately they’ve swung too far and for years have been throwing out the baby with the bath water resulting in recruits going from boot to active units literally incapable of passing the tests.
I can tell you some of the stories my dad told me about his WW2 experiences, he lied and joined the Arny at 15 in 1929, One story he told was when the dI asked for those with a driver's license to volunteer for special duty for the day. Well Dad had a licensee (in Alabama you could get one at 13 if you lived on a farm) so he raised his hand and was told, "Well Putnam, scents you can drive, you get to drive the wheelbarrow today.".
There are also degrees. Heckling someone is one thing -- physically hurting someone is something else.
@@Michael-of6zf Which kid disappeared?
I was in the USAF during Vietnam, but never left the US. I did have a chance to hear the stories of classmates / friends who served in Vietnam in the various branches of the military. Most of those involved in actual shooting (Army / Marines) told me that they generally fired at a distance into brush / jungle from where they were getting fired on, but they didn't actually see who they were shooting at and afterwards there would be bodies, but they never knew if it was their bullets that hit or not. I did have one friend who was in one of the machine gun nests spaced out at intervals around their base in Vietnam when in the early hours of the morning, the enemy hit a tripwire and flares went up, making it quite bright. One of the enemy soldiers was running at their position with a satchel charge, and he shot him before he could get close enough to throw the satchel. When the fight was over, hours later, he checked the body and the young North Vietnamese soldier had a picture of his wife and child, and was wearing a St. Christopher medal, which (I learned from my friend) meant he was a Catholic, like my friend. This was years after the fact, and he was still struggling with a feeling of guilt about this. One of the functions of basic training is to break down some of the taboos we all grow up with, including killing another human being, if need be, but 10 weeks of basic training doesn't completely accomplish what 18+ years of civilization and religious teaching has put into us.
I knew a boy from my homeroom at high school who joined the Marines with several others from my school when the military had a "buddy" program, where friends could join, train and serve together. I guess it was meant to increase enlistments. His unit was overrun in Vietnam, and the North Vietnamese regulars were approaching and shooting each body in the head to make sure they were dead. My friend was badly wounded and had a hand grenade in his hands, determined to take some of them with him before he died, when US helicopters came into the area and the enemy scattered before they got to him. He had a limp when I saw him back home and was the only one from the group that signed up together from my school to survive.
I have a lot of other stories as well, some that are too graphic to put into a public forum, but I think PTSD was a lot more common than the official numbers that were put out. War is horrible, and a normal human being is going to be affected by being exposed to things like this. Both Russia and Ukraine are going to have major issues with PTSD when that war finally ends.
I recently saw a you tube video and the Ukrainian soldier said - when the war is over and if he lived the first thing he was doing was to see a mental health professional to see if he was OK. So smart , I feel for any soldier, they go through absolute hell. fortunately they have their brothers. All the respect.
I went to grammar school and high school with a friend who couldn't wait to join the Marines so he could go to Vietnam. He was killed on his sixth day deployed there.
Requiescat in Pace, Bredon Turner from Uniondale.
I'm also a Vietnam ERA Vet, but I went to Iceland. So easy to get an icy rock in the middle of the North Atlantic confused with a war-torn rain forest in Southeast Asia. Air Force was really good at matching up your AFSC (Air Force Specialty Code, mine was 32470) with manning requirements. My sister-in-law was a helicopter avionics technician (avionics technicians repair and maintain a plane's electronic instruments, including radio communication devices and equipment, radar systems, and navigation aids) in the Army. Sent to Germany they had too many technicians, so they had her playing admin typist. You spend months training someone so they can type and file reports? My tech school was 46 weeks in addition to the 6 (8?) weeks of Basic Training. I was in training for over a year before going to an active base. You had to score in the top 5% to be offered the 324xx school and people did flunk out of it. That was the biggest waste (but flunking one 2 week block didn't flunk you out of the school, you had to flunk multiple blocks). Anyway, when they matched up your AFSC to overseas assignments they didn't stop there. We had all submitted "dream sheets" of where we would LIKE to be stationed. At that point, I had never been to Europe, so I put in for anywhere in Europe and got Iceland. They literally hand matched the ones selected (for being Stateside the longest), with you AFSC and then shuffled that small pile to match up as many of those with their dream assignments. Means you were only sent to where you could be used.
It wasn't diagnosed after WW2 but I'm fairly certain my grandpa had PTSD. Anytime my brother and I were horsing around he got real quiet and left the room. Any violence would trigger him and make him upset so we always had to be on our best behavior around him.
That’s so sad 😢
The condition had different names through the generations.
George Carlin described it in his standup routine.
Vietnam - Current Nomenclature: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD]
WWII, Korean Conflict: Battle Fatigue
World War I and earlier: Shell Shock.
Same condition, just longer descriptions as time goes by.
@@CaptainFrost32 Yeah, I've seen that clip. He lays it out so well.
@@CaptainFrost32 The thing is, that list was entirely subjective. My godfather served in WWII and he suffered from "shell-shock". Strait-jacket-level bouts of suicidal depression. He wound up with dementia after 2 decades of electroshock-therapy. Juno Beach was too much for him.
PTSD has been around since the beginning of time just called by different things. World War 1- Shell shock
World War 2- Battle fatigue.
GED requirement changed in the 90's. in 83 ,when I enlisted, the pre test [ASVAB, Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery] determined a lot of your eligability. If you got a high enough score, the Army would offer you GED testing in basic. 14 of us in my basic training unit got ours. Graduation day from basic was a Double score for me.
USN 94-98 there was a point during my service that the ASVAB requirement dropped to 50 for certain branches
@@Joshua-fo9zw The drop was to meet recruitment quotas during peacetime. The standards went back up after 9/11, because there was an understandable increase in enlistment applications. I took the ASVAB with my ROTC buddies in high school and got offers to attend Annapolis, Colorado Springs and West Point. The problem is, I also got a full scholarship to a Cal State, and I wanted to party rather than serve in the military, especially since we had just invaded Iraq.
@@LordBloodraven Ty for the fresh info, but I wasn't under the impression that the standards had stayed that low. I just know a friend from high-school scored a 53 on the ASVAB ended up a successful career Marine, due to the mentioned lowering of standards.
By independent space force, they mean independent from the rest of the military. Until space force, space came under the domain of the US Air Force. They converted part of an air force base into a space base. Good video!!
But have we lost our chance to ever have "Space Marines" like in the movies? What will our space combat troops be called?
@@Ruespieler I'm gonna taste alien one day. Believe that.
@@Ruespieler lol dead
@@Ruespieler IIRC they chose 'Guardians' as the term for space force members.
The Space Force has Rough Necks 😂 Have to add the Mobile Infantry in case they run into trouble.
I worked in the defense industry for 15 years, at six different companies on all kinds of products. I have never served in the military. One thing I noticed is they hire lots of Vets. Some of these guys were the nicest people you have ever met. Those were always the ones with little comma scars on their faces, an eye missing, or some kind of walking stick (when they were in their 30s). They never talked about how these things happened, for the most part. They were mostly people who had come to terms with their past. I only met one guy in all that time who gave me the Heebie Jeebies. He was in Force Recon in the Marine Corps in Vietnam (these guys would go in behind enemy lines and do damage to enemy encampments). This guy had a badge which said "75 known killed". There wasn't a mark on him. He slept better than I do. 😨🥶🥶
6:20. Just went through marine Corp bootcamp about a year ago. I can guarantee you that it's still true. They will make you do back breaking amounts of exercise and yes, clean the entire squad bay with a toothbrush or towel etc. Whether they're supposed to, that's another question. But they certainly do.
I spent 20 years active duty in the Air Force and retired at 38 as a Weather Forecaster and have continued that career in civilian life. It's not for everyone but was a good fit for me.
Weather Forecaster seems like a mostly unexciting but solid and useful job.
As the son of a retired Air Force fighter pilot, nothing but respect brother. I can remember having all of the maintainers, weather shop guys, atc guys and on and on over to our house multiple times when my old man was the ops group commander at Osan and before that when he was the squadron commander for the 511th at RAF Alconbury. All the best to you and yours man.
Hey There Dianne: I'm a Veteran of the US Army. When I joined up in 1975, about a third taking the ASVAB just plain flunked out. One of the was a 26 Year Old that was trying to enlist to become a Helicopter pilot. Multiple unsuccessful tries and flunking those exams was his last chance.
When I got out I had a somewhat different GI Bill: I went to college at Night (day job to pay the day-to-day bills). I was later reimbursed nearly all of my tuition fees.
After I got my Degree in IT I used my Veterans Status to get a job in Civil Service with a State. I am now happily retired and receiving a nice little pension.
In the mid-70's a lot of Navy recruiters went to Captain's Mast because they'd taken the ASVAB for recruits who couldn't pass it.
As a Personnelman working at boot camp I discharged a number of recruits who were functionally illiterate. To stay in they had to read at at least a 6th grade reading level.
@@JamesPolichak Looking at what "Schools" are now producing.....Dumbing down to make sure everybody Finishes at the same level....Lately I've gotten to the conclusion that less than a third of test takers today would pass ANY of the Exams I took Back Then.
6th Grade Reading Level....WHOSE 6th Grade? Mine or todays?
As a child of military family, I always appreciate these types of videos!
🥰
An awful lot of the shooting is what's called "suppressive fire", intended to make the other guys keep their heads down, while the rest of the unit maneuvers against them. More a case of the bullets being addressed "to whom it may concern", instead of having someone's name on them.
😢
That is correct, from my experience, though I am not a combat veteran. The training that I remember very much deals with suppressive fire.
Battle drill one alpha. Much love to all my fellow 11bravo's out there.
To all who serve in the defense of freedom everywhere, including my grandson, thank you!
Both of my parents were in the US Army, and my mother grew up in an Army family. As she always says "Don't assume anything about people in the military -- it's a big place with a lot of people"
I was in the US Army in the 1990's. For the most part, it was no different than a regular 9-5 job with weekends off. A couple of times of year we'd go do training for a few weeks outdoors. Only once was I ever deployed and that was part of the NATO peacekeeping operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The video is very good. Thanks for reacting to it. 🙂
Thank you Diane for another awesome vid!! As an Irish emigrant who served in the US Army/ Reserves/
and National Guard I thank you from the bottom of my heart! We had on kid in my basic training unit
who never owned a pair of shoes until he joined up. He was from the hills of West Virginia. Good kid
but was mercilessly picked on by the Drill Sgts. We all felt bad for him and helped him out as much
as we could.
Keep up the awesome work and please stay safe!
Excelsior!
Heff
Happy Friday to you Diane! Both my late Father and my oldest brother were both former members of the military. Air Force and Marines to be exact. I have the greatest respect for our military and for what they do to protect and defend our great nation. Thanks for sharing this video with us Diane. I really enjoyed it. Have a great weekend and be well. 😎👍
I was in the North Carolina Army National Guard as a Medic from 1981 to 1987. I remember taking the ASVAB test. The Drill Sgts were allowed to yell at us and Touch us and Drop for Pushups plus other things. It might not be true now but was in my day!
As a young man in the late 1950s, my step father worked for a tree trimming service (sometimes called tree surgeons here in the US,) before he was drafted. So they trained him as a medic. Never fear, though: he spent his two years' service taking care of the base landscaping in Texas. 😅
When I was at an Army training company, we had a medical doctor from Mexico training as a cook. I'm pretty sure they managed to get him re-trained as a medic once his English was good enough.
Retired US Army here, Diane! Love your channel. 😁😁
Oh thank you! 🥰
We got our asses handed to us and had physical hands on corrective training in Army Basic in ‘84. Some were hazed. And it was NOT easy as it is now by any stretch! I trusted everyone with my life in a foxhole who went through the same basic, because we knew that they COULD handle stress.
My dad was in basic in Arizona in 1980. He's told me absolute horror stories. Unfortunately he was extra hard on us as a result. If we sprained our ankles (common because I did gymnastics and karate), no doctor for us, just wear high tops! If we complained, "I had to run 5 miles in the desert with a broken ankle, toughen up kid"... 🥲
Hazing has pretty much always (in the post-Vietnam era anyway) been against the rules, but the definitions of it have shifted and the attitudes of what you can get away with. I say this as a former Army reception station & AIT company commander, both of which had drill sergeants. Drill sergeants can operate well outside the view of their command. I imagine that coed basic training has changed some of the issues, at least in that environment.
I was in Navy basic in 95 and we got screamed at, cycled(making it rain by shutting all the windows, turning the heat on high, and turning all the showers on hot and leaving the bathroom door open. It rained from the ceiling due to humidity and heat while doing physical exercise, we would have to then mop the barracks after doing jumping jacks, burpees, etc.. for an hour.) My brother in law went in in the 2000’s and they got nothing like that.
Same in '86.
It also might suprise people to learn that PTSD is rarely permanent, also it can happen at anytime. I worked with a guy that got diagnosed with it years after he left the Marines when he out of the blue started to have symptoms.
Wow! 2 super interesting facts! Good to learn new stuff. Thanks Brian
I have it also. It never goes away. It just manifest itself in certain situations. Flash backs are freighting at times. Always look forward never back my friend
I have dealt with PTSD literally my entire life. From horrifying events as a child and then violent events later on that I signed up for. I deal with it every day. I learned to separate the dreams and events from the past with the here and now. The worst thing is being reminded daily from the physical pain from injuries years ago. I just have to remind myself the truth that it is all over with.
I had PTSD for about 18 years then it miraculously went away. I spent 17 years in the Marines....and when I graduated high school, I got the hell out of my old man's house!! LOL Raised by a "psychotic" Marine that fought in the South Pacific then in Korea. The older I got, the more grateful I was for that up-bringing. The Greatest Generation is gone now. And I'm glad my dad doesn't have to see what a screwed-up society the US has become.
Ya rare 22 years and something happens WOW freaking out. O man feels like heart attack.but I do well under med response during this time
It's interesting to see how the military has changed over the years and what general public thinks about military. Thanks For making the weekend great with you reaction video, Diane. Glad to see Chewie getting cuddles. Don't forget its superbowl 🏈 weekend. I hope you and chewie have some good food this weekend. 🍕🍖
It’s rugby weekend too! I’m so conflicted!!!
@@DianeJennings I got a solution you can watch one on the tv and the stream other on the desktop/tablet/phone. looking forward to the commercial's and the halftime on the superbowl. Happy Vibes. 🍀 🏉🏈🥳
I pressed the keys while I closed my eyes
And this poem was the result, after three tries
It was hard to believe, it was quite a surprise
Until I read the line that said the first 3 were lies
I was a combat vet in the US army, and served in the Army as a paratrooper infantry. Something like only 5 percent of the Army is directly related to fighting.. The rest are support, medical, and administration.
I was diagnosed with PTSD while in Iraq in 2008, and I will say that I am way less aggressive then I was when I was younger.
Also my unit ran the gambit of the social economic spectrum as they say. A few sons of millionaires, mostly middle or lower middle class with more than a few with college degrees in the line squads.
I came from a middle class family with a military and and blue collar background. Dad's side was military going back to the US civil war whereas my mom's side became military after when she enlisted in the late 70s. She was hazed pretty bad in basic training and was one of the only women in her training course to not be injured. It was so bad that her drill instructor was arrested and sent to a criminal psychiatric ward and was kicked out of the military.
And I got blood wings after airborne school and had my ranked "pinned" when I was in. Both of which are now considered hazing and are supposed to not be allowed now.
Looking back I could only have done what I did because of how young, foolish and small minded I was in how I viewed people and "the enemy". Any suffering now brings me to automatic tears
One of the things that is sad is that back in the 60's and 70's if a kid got into trouble, he might be offered the option to join the military to get the discipline he needed to straighten himself out in lieu of punishment. Now, the military is so concerned about their liability that you have to have a clean legal record and many kids that could use this structure in their life are kept out.
Correct. At least 4 guys I served with during the late 60's, had previous scrapes with the law and credited the Army with putting them back on the straight and narrow. All, were given the choice of going to jail or enlisting.
I'm in the Navy right now. This is still very much a thing. Alot of people with minor drug and violent were offered enlistment at the court house.
Well, there has been a major problem in the military of infiltration by urban gangs.
One of the things that studies done post WW-2 was that individual soldiers were reluctant to engage the enemy unless it was done to protect a buddy in your unit. The reluctance increased slightly if the other person was in your unit, but was a new replacement.
Killing another person runs against the moral code of most people,and is an absolute last resort.
Thank you for another amazing episode of “Learning Stuff With Diane”.😊❤🐾☘️💚
Glad you enjoyed it. My dad noticed one of your comments the other day and remembered the lovely blanket ❤
@@DianeJennings aww 🥰
I remember getting a good score on the ASVAB and my poor Mom was convinced that meant I was going to get drafted 🤣In my high school, everyone took the test and it didn't mean much of anything though lol.
good to know that i am not alone in that category. i hesitated to speak to my ma about it, until she asked me directly, so, i stated to her, the score that i got was, `above average'. then she started to `worry' a bit. i said to her, `if they draft me, then they draft me. not much that i can do about that." i think that there may have been somewhat of a legitimate cause for worry, seeing that she had a relative and 3 of her brothers in the army. one in every war, from ww ii - her cousin's hubby who was over in the philippines, a brother that was in the korean war, another brother and her cousin's son (son of the one that was in ww ii), and another brother that was a green beret over in germany. i think that specific one that worried her the most was the one that was in the korean war. one day, my grandma got a call from, i guess it's what is called `graves registration' to notify her that he had been k.i.a. then 3 weeks later, he walks in through the door.
Yeah, lol. Because they're pretty likely to suddenly draft a couple excellent individuals after stopping the draft in like 1975 or something.
@@SamGray Haha I love my Mom and wouldn't change a thing about her. But the fact they stopped the draft 30 years before wasn't going to stop her from worrying lol. Best part of this story is it wasn't even that good of a score haha.
I took the ASVAB when I was starting ROTC in college in 77. I AM the guy that screwed up the curve for all the rest of you. I answered EVERY question correctly! A PERFECT score. So, this Captain comes over and says to me, "We don't even have officers that score that high!" My reply?...."Well, you must have a lot of dumb officers then. Because that was a pretty easy test." He didn't smile too much after that but did want me to take the "Language proficiency test for DLI. You had to score above 87 on the ASVAB to qualify to take the language test. I thought I would suck at that one. It's a weird sort of test. But I scored a 98% on that one. I ended up not following through with ROTC (too many dumb officers, LOL!!) But I should have enlisted instead and gone to DLI. My older sister had, and she spent 2 years at "The Country Club of the Army" in the best language school in the world. She said if you scored 94 on the Friday exam you got a weekend pass. So, she would take an Air Force hop to Hawaii for the weekend and stay in a barrack on base. Gravy train!
@@SamGray the draft ended in June of 73
I served 20 years in the Marine Corps and two combat tours in Vietnam. The first tour as a machine gunner (0331) in 1965-66 and the second as a Platoon commander (0369) in 1970-71. I retired after 20 years and had a 30 year career as a California police officer ( Marin County). What I learned in the Marine Corps has helped me all my life. I highly recommend it to anyone needing direction and wishing to learn self discipline .
Tom Boyte
GySgt. USMC, retired
Bronze Star, Purple Heart
When I joined the AF, the minimum ASVAB score was 25, but if you had < 35 you could not choose your career field and were stuck wherever they needed someone. Then there were specific requirements for more complicated careers.
They still use it to dictate career paths. You have the minimums scores then they will break it into categories that dictate what you can do and what you can't.
@@johncummings4917 , they track how people do getting through the training schools, using combinations of sections of the test to predict passing and learning the job.
Every entrance requirement can be waved if the branch is desperate enough.
We had no hazing events in my basic class. They were “corrective actions” and could be for anything.
A study conducted by the U.S. Army in Europe after WW2 found that only about 20% of infantrymen actually fired their weapons in combat, and many of those aimed high to avoid harming the enemy. They seemed to assume that everybody else would shoot to kill, so they weren't hurting their unit. Getting normal people to kill one another is surprisingly difficult, even in combat.
I am retired AF and have medical coverage along with half of my base pay when I left. I can still shop at the on base grocery store (Commissary), and Base/Post Exchange (like Target), use sports centers, clubs, and petrol stations. Each activity is often cheaper than what others pay, and is tax free.
I knew all of this but quite a few people I went to college with went on to military careers as officers.
Random fact of the day, the can was invented (and in use) about 50 years before the can opener was.
On joining: it used to be you could join the military pretty easily but that was many decades ago. The move to an all volunteer force changed it.
The Air Force height requirements are for pilots, not general enlisted.
I was in the U.S. ARMY for 10 years, (1985-1994) and was a paratrooper, who was sent into combat several times. when I was in, there were a lot less restrictions on mistreatment of trainee soldiers, and "getting smoked" ( being dropped for pushups, sometimes as many as 50 at a time, and a dozen times a day if you were a smart ass like I was) and other extreme punishments was normal. I really hate that media and mental health people lump the strains of combat in with so many other causes and call it all PTSD. a lot of the older veterans, such as myself still hold the older wording, it is shellshock. movies and tv make us seem like a ticking timebomb, when the truth is it does a lot more damage to us, than we do to others. and is why in America, and average of 22 combat veterans commit suicide a day. the ONLY people we can talk to about it is others who had been where we were, chewed the same dirt, and were caught in the same $#!tstorms. I am not attacking you here, you are just showing how the media has caused a lot of misinformation. I wll end by saying that every man who died when I was in combat, both those who fell by my hand, and those who fell by my side haunt me. it has been 30 years since I got out, and I am still not all the way home.
❤❤❤
I took ASVAB in High School. It was in the high 90s. So long ago, but I think it has questions to see how well-rounded you are, as well as mechanical, logical, and then some. I had all of the branches calling my guidance counselor. I ended up USAF did a Delay Entry in my Senior year. After I graduated High School I went to boot camp. Avionics tech on cargo planes. BTW I noticed a few of the cartoons were scenes from movies (yes, one was top gun)
You can join the Army and Marine Corps without a High School Diploma with a GED. However, you will be limited to certain fields of work. Second, you can enlist in the Army Reserve during High School, if you are 17 with your parents permission, and go to Basic Training during summer break of Junior/Senior year and then your job trading after graduation. I did this in High High School (wasting an entire Summer vacation at Fort Benning).
The PTSD thing happened to me just last week!! Drives me insane!! One guy at work was saying my name and hiding and another guy told him not to do that because I have PTSD. I was pretty mad about that because everyone thinks that if you have ever been to combat you are prone to violence. It's very upsetting. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty sure I have it but I am definitely not prone to violence.
When I was in high school in South Georgia every single student in the county were required to take that military aptitude test like the ones they talked about here. I ended up being hardcore recruited by every branch
Which is utter BS on the school and the school district because taking the ASVAB is strictly voluntary. One cannot be forced if one doesn't want to take it. There is no GA law that says you have to take it. Nor federal law or mandate from the Dept. of Education. I too went to a HS near Augusta, GA and my school did the same thing with every class having 3-4 recruiters licking their chops for the potential of getting their bonus quotas. On that day I came in late from a dental appointment on post from Ft. Gordon. So yes I was an Army brat and knew this but it seems many of my classmates whether or not they were interested in enlisting or educators were not too wise about this fact.
Edit: Also unlike in GA, my HS that I graduated from in WA state has an Army recruiter office in the school itself and they schedule ASVAB tests for anyone who is interested to take it. No 3-4 hrs out of the school day was taken off just for the whole school body to do the ASVAB like it was in GA.
Edit edit: Corrections, it was half the school because only Jrs and Srs are allowed to take the ASVAB. And it might not have been the recruiter's office but that of the JROTC commander.
There was a study that said in WWII, in any given battle in Europe, only 25-30% of soldiers on either side actually fired their weapon. I carried an M-16 in Desert Storm and never had to pull the trigger.
Back in high school, my best friend and I would take the ASVAB test all the time just as an excuse to get out of class. The Air Force recruiters always told us that we scored so high that we could have any job we wanted.
The thing about "low pay" is that as a lower ranked member, you are living on base with free food and free lodging.
The US Space Force is now "independent of" the US Air Force.
I would be interested in the things the military branches ARE allowed to do in order to prepare recruits to serve in combat situations. The basic training, as I understand it, creates soldiers. It breaks the person down into a base profile and rebuilds that profile into one that is supposed to be self-disciplined and understand and follow the UCMJ, including understanding the chain of command, etc. Past that, I would expect that instructors would have to have some say / input in the training techniques that would be allowed. After all, regardless of where a soldier is in a combat theater, they would need to be optimally prepared for the worst possible outcomes, the stress that could be experienced, and how to optimally perform in those situations. Without proper training, one could expect poor performance, up to and including large numbers of soldiers dying.
I was in the USAF from 1971-78 and I remember a report at the time that the closer the training matched actual stress and combat, the fewer actual battlefield deaths and injuries happened. No hazing that I remember in Basic Training, but a lot of physical stuff (run another lap, doing 20 pushups, etc.) Got up at 6 AM, showered, dressed, make the bunks, the baracks were frequently inspected while we stood downstairs at 7 AM. If your baracks failed, it was hit with a "white tornardo" where even your lockers were emptied into a pile, bedding, matresses, EVERYTHING piled high. You had one hour to put everything away, make the beds (and space them exactly the same distance apart in a straight line), even your uniforms in your lockers had to be evenly spaced apart on their hangers, etc. OR you did it all over again. Today's "young adults" whine about everything. We fired the AR-15 (civilian model of the M-16) in Basic Training. Never touched another one. I joined the Air Force as my Uncle had served in the Navy during WWII and had three destroyers sunk under him. The old story of Noah questioning God's asking him to build a boat ends with God asking Noah, "how long can you tread water?" Plus my Dad had served in the USAAC (Army Air Corps), the forerunner to the Air Force. Didn't hurt that I was offered the top school for enlisted, 46 weeks in Denver (and 6 more weeks TDY for additional training). My overseas duty was to Iceland for a year. Came back with a special duty assignment to McClellan AFB in California. But I also know that if you washed out of that school, you could end up mowing lawns or serving chow as your military career. As a side note on the school: First day of Block 1, you walked into the classroom and handing over the door was a massive cable with a sign that read "Warning, 1 Million Ohms"... those of us who had even one junior high school class of electronics or basic electricity got a kick out of it as ohms a measurement of resistance, not voltage nor current, so its harmless. We had a sense of humor throughout all eight years. And I soon found out, it was a lot easier to talk to a general than to a second lieutenant.
I really love this video. Happy Friday! Have a good weekend.
Thank you! You too!
Six Branches of the US Military: "NASA, the SEALS, the Army, the Navy, the Retired People, the Airforce, and the other Airforce." That was awesome.
2:45 Correct. Yes, we're capable of all kinds of bad things; It's what we trained to do, so of course we can get pretty destructive pretty quickly.
But the truth is that we're more often than not just interested in being left alone or, at the very least, not hearing the people around us whining because their sandwich wasn't toasted enough, or someone otherwise hurt their feelings.
Yeah, it's certainly wise not to "poke the bear", generally speaking, but we're not a bunch of powder kegs walking around society, just waiting to blow up.
ya just have to love the homage that they pay to both the `full metal jacket'- (the guy wearing his pants down) and `top gun'- ( the volleyball game) movies.
In the Air Force, I only experienced the yelling and regular exercise drills in boot camp. Afterwards, you just had to pass the annual weight check
I tried the US Navy after high school in 2007. I got a medical discharge during basic. My family has a rich military history on both my Father's and my Mother's sides. My grandpa was a Marine in World War II and saw every battle in the Pacific Campaign. Also my older brother is in the Navy now and has been in for almost 2 decades. I should also add my father was in the Army when I was born in 1988 and he served during Operation Desert Storm where I got to live in Turkey at the time.
My grandpa on my father's side too.
Thank you, and your family, for your service. Even though yours was cut short, it is still very much appreciated ❤
@@celesteunderwood1094 Thank you very much. I appreciate that. I'm hoping to maybe join the Merchant Marines and possibly work in the Military Sealift Command as a CivMar which my older brother keeps telling me that they need the help.
@@kryaxe Cool and my grandpa was my father's side as well. On my mom's side, she had an Uncle who marched from Nigeria in Africa north to Mediterranean Sea where he took a ship into Italy. From there they drove trucks into Germany to help win the war.
As a former member of the Infantry, I can attest to the idea that it is BETTER to not kill the enemy, but to wound them, where they take the loss of not only that one soldier, but maybe up to 2 others to care for him. Attrition is not only measured by how many are dead, but how many are no longer actively shooting at YOU.
That doesn't work in other country's military...try China or Russia....you get wounded...you better be able to apply your own torniquet. And don't expect anyone to save you. And DON'T try to return to the rear. They shoot anyone that goes backwards. My father said that is how it was with the Chinese in Korea...That's how it was in the Red Army in WW2 and from intercepted phone calls in Ukraine, that is exactly how the Russians still treat their troops.
Re: PTSD...one of my buddies growing up had a dad who was a truck driver in Vietnam...we learned quickly to stay out of arms reach on 4 July...
Being 100% volunteer, the US military is also 100% professional; it must have smart, literate, mathematically proficient recruits. The stuff they operate is complicated.
there is always a need for some crayon eatin riflemen.
In 20yrs I never needed math. 🤔
@@helenaj9436 In my 7 years in the Air Force, I used it ALL THE TIME.
"...maybe not you...maybe you were in the US military but you know these things already. But us normal people..."
Glad to know that with my veteran status, I was also demoted to the abnormal people grouping...😁😁😁
😂 word twistage
We aren't normal. Our dark humor goes black hole quickly.
Who says that abnormal is always negative? Being more than one standard deviation ABOVE the norm is also abnormal.
3:15 I have some personal experience with the fact that it's not easy to get into the armed forces. When I was a child, I always wanted to serve, so, when I was a young adult in the 2003-05 timeframe, I started trying to enlist. I spoke to recruiters from the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, and Minnesota National Guard, and, despite the fact that back then the United States was fighting two simultaneous wars, it was the same thing every time: They were interested in me until the fact that I have hypothyroidism and require daily doses of levothyroxine came up, which immediately ended the conversation. Basically, they told me that they couldn't take me with my meds because the meds would be contraband at basic training, and they couldn't take me without my meds because me going without the meds for the duration of basic training could create liability issues, so they couldn't take me, period.
11:00 Also worth noting that there can be tactical advantages to wounding an enemy combatant, as opposed to killing them. If you kill an enemy combatant, you take one enemy combatant off the battlefield, while if you wound that enemy combatant non-mortally, you might take multiple enemy combatants off the battlefield, because the enemy will then have to dedicate resources to getting medical attention to the wounded combatant and evacuating them from the battlefield. And if you happen to wound and capture an enemy combatant, you can interrogate them for intel.
The required ASVAB score also varies based on what job requirements are, even. Within the same branch of service..
Hello Diane from Boston, MA! Regarding the Air Force, only a tiny percentage of it's members are pilots or in peripheral jobs that would require any advanced knowledge of math, physics, etc. Most members are in jobs not related to flight and with similar jobs in the other services, such as transportation, logistics, military police, administration, various technician jobs, etc and in jobs supportive of flight, such aircraft mechanics, loading and munitions specialists, etc. I was never in the service (I took all the testing for the Navy after high school, but ultimately decided against it), but my uncle was in the Air Force for 20+ years (the Air Force and Coast Guard are well known to have the best living conditions for it's members). I also found it very interesting that service members who are in combat haven't necessarily been "trained to kill" their adversary 100% of the time, depending on the situation, which apparently is different from firearm training for police in America (considering the innumerable instances in which suspects, who are aggressive, but with only a knife or unarmed, have been riddled with multiple rounds from multiple cops).
I have PTSD. Never thought about hurting another living soul. I've wanted to stay in bed for a few a days, or flinched at random loud noises, or had panic attacks triggered by various negative experiences, but after many years, most of this has faded...now, the only thing that triggers me is roller coasters - which kinda sucks.
Ive yet to be diagnosed, but i also have PTSD, though unconnected to my military sevice. (both my duty stations were non-deployable for my job, the POG life is a blessing and curse.)
A motorcyclist rear ended me going 160 mph on my way home from work. Being an EMT i had to call death on him as when i reached him, he was missing a leg, spine bent unnaturally, and brain leaking out of a crack in his skull. I also discovered at that point my insurance dropped me without notice due to being a couple dollars short since i struggled to find a job after my seperation from the military. To this day, any time a motorcyclist passes me i flinch, but ive never felt aggression.
The Coast Guard has the highest ASVAB requirement at a 40 AFQT score needed to qualify. All other branches have recently reduced theirs to 31, even the Chair Force.
Another comment. My Marine has fired his weapon in combat. He told me that he doesn't know if he killed anyone or not. My uncle, on the other hand knew that he had killed Japanese soldiers during WWII. It missed him up big time. He became a raging alcoholic after the war. My brother was on the USS Forrestal during Vietnam. Several of his shipmates were killed. That affected him.
In 1989, as a high school drop-out, I went into the US Navy on a "non-grad seat" because I scored well on my asvab. But 1989 (and there abouts) was that mushy middle-ground to what the military was, and what it is now. For example, when I went into basic training, they had just introduced "training time-out." However, my CC (Company Commander--it's what the navy calls drill instructors) was a bit of an old salt. Well, we failed a barracks inspection one day, and our CC said, "Everybody, into the head (the bathroom)!" From there, he went to the showers and turned on all the hot water, and commanded, "Jumping-jacks, 4-ever, begin!" Thankfully, I was way in the back of 80(ish) guys crammed into a small space. Then this one guy, in the front, goes down with cramps, declaring, "Training-time-out, sir!" To which, our CC responds, "Why? You dying?!" The recruit answers, "No, sir, I just can't stand up!" So, the CC says, "Fine! Do sit-ups!"
In basic, I was told to shoot to wound because killing takes out one soldier, wounding takes out that solder and two more who'll carry him to safety,
Was taught you shoot to wound it takes 2-3 people out of the equation having to move the injured. A lot has changed since the early 90s when I did my time
When I graduated high school the only branch to reach out was the navy but I couldn't join bc of slight asthma as a kid
No way! Even just childhood asthma?
@@DianeJennings yup 4th grade had an inhaler for about 6 months then no longer needed it
Still denied me
just some information.
-The Marines are not their own separate "Branch" of military, they are part of the Navy Branch. but they do have their own "Corps".
-The Air Force used to control things in the sky and military assets in space, that is no longer the case. The U.S. Space Force has now be created and they control the space assets. It is a separate Branch of the military than the Air Force. and the badge in the lower middle is the OLD patch for the Space Command part of the Air Force. BUT the new badge for the Space Force IS very similar.
-the current Branches of the military are Army, Navy, Coast Guard, National Guard, Air Force, and Space Force.
-it's estimated that around 10% of PTSD suffers are violent. most suffers have panic attacks and tend to 'shut down' instead.
-there are MANY requirements to enlisting. minimal education is just one, and the more education (college) you have, the higher your rank in the enlisted ranks. Officers have to go to a special military college. there are medical, physical, psychological, and knowledge tests. you can't join if your IQ is too low (I think the cutoff is around 85). You can't have a sever criminal record. you CAN be a non-American citizen as there is a special program to allow foreigners to join in order to gain American citizenship. AND this is all BEFORE you sign your name to the contract to join.
-ALL branches require some technical skill from most of their personnel. Though some jobs are MUCH more technical than others. So what you make on your ASVAB test affects what jobs are available for you to choose.
-grueling training is still the norm, the only difference is that punishments that cause humiliation or direct physical assault are no longer allowed, but MANY more punishments (usually physical exercise) are VERY much still in use.
-shooting a perceived enemy isn't just a matter of 'willingness' on the part of a solider. military personal ARE trained to kill if need be. BUT they are also trained to try and avoid having to shoot in the first place. there are extensive training on 'containment' and Rules of Engagement that dictate when certain military actions (like shooting) are not allowed and when they are allowed.
The shoot to kill point makes sense. I have heard, somewhere, that most soldiers in battles during World War II in Europe possible 80% shot to miss.
Diane in my experience in a war zone shoot-to-kill is mostly the end goal of the soldier because the enemy is certainly trying to kill them
I was permanent Honor guard in the US Navy since I'm not allergic to wool. While there, we were taught foriegn protocols as well as our own (i.e. don't do a brit salute to a brit because it's an insult)
But in 1995 I think it was I met/had dinner with John Major who was the UK PM. We mostly discussed soccer, and the fact that I eat weird food combinations. Also neither him nor anyone else saw someone eat soup with a knife and fork like I do.
The thing about pay that everyone forgets is that food, insurance, college tuition and housing is all paid for. Every penny of that base pay for an E1 or "Private" and above is take home money. In other words, they can spend it on whatever they want. A car, phone bills, internet, etc, are not included, but everything else is expendable income. Even young military members don't understand this. They think that they could have easily gotten a degree and have the same pay, while not taking into account that, even in some of the best paying areas in the USA, they would be paying $1500-2000 for a one bedroom apartment, then co-pay health insurance, utilities and other expenses.
For example, if an 18 year old got a $1500, one bedroom apartment, paid $150 in health insurance, $300 on a college loan and $150 on utilities, they would have to make $46,000(12 months+$21k) a year before taxes to equal the same as a basic E1 which you are automatically promoted two ranks within 18 months, or faster, if you don't mess up. That is a little over $22 an hour for a 17-18 year old with training paid for or equivalent.
After all of that, 36 months of college are paid for after even a 4 year soldier gets out with other benefits. It isn't bad. It is actually overpaid in jobs with equal requirements. Young soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and guardians aren't any less qualified or intelligent then the general populous.
I was deployed to Afghanistan but my job was supply soldier. Making sure other soldiers had enough uniforms, paper for the printer, and he'll making coffee. Other times I was tasked with base security. The point is my job varied in my time in the US Army.
Went through boot in '79. My drill sgt. told us, when possible, to NOT kill the enemy. He told us if we can just inflict an injury, it would do more harm to the opposition. I asked why? He went on to explain: If you shoot and kill an enemy, others just keep fighting, not much they can do at that point. But if you injure one, he screams in pain, and his fellow soldiers would come to his aid. He stated that one injury could cease the fighting of the injured soldier, plus any who come to his aid. In addition, it could take two to move/carry him away for help. Thus reducing the fighting force that you are facing. I am quite happy that I never had to experience live combat, and I have no idea how I could just injure one instead of taking one out. But it is quite the thought.
I spent 21 years in the Army. I came in as PFC (E-3), 21 years later I was a CW4, Rotary Wing Flight Instructor and Examiner flying Black Hawks. The point is, in the military there’s opportunity for anyone to go as far as they want. You just need to have the drive, desire, and vision to achieve it.
You should checkout "life on board an aircraft carrier". I was stationed on CVN-73 (USS GEORGE WASHINGTON) from 96-99 and went to the Persian Gulf 3 times. Most of our time was spent doing regular maintenance and training for emergencies at sea. I would say that the base salary when broken down to an hourly rate is actually very low when you consider that our "workdays" were rarely (if ever) 8 hours; the other compensations we received also varied on rank and time-in-service. I fully enjoyed my entire enlistment and would absolutely do it again if I got a reboot back to being 18.
Thanks for another great Friday video Diane! Cheers!
Heck, I don't recall many days the were less than 16.
Well, except for liberty ports.
We use the word ambulatory when we talk about casualties. When we say they are ambulatory it just means that the casualty can move on his own. It is one part of the nine line that you call in when you need casevac
At the age of 24 I joined the USNR (Navel Reserve) in 1974. I was stationed in Orlando right next to Disney World. I was able to finish my B.A. while in Orlando then earn an M.A. with the G.I. Bill when I got out.
Now in my 70's I get a pension check every month.
As to the question of shooting anyone I only shoot a rifle once in boot camp and wore a pistol for an hour or so when i was Petty Officer of the Deck for Family Day in the Brooklyn Navy Yard on the destroyer the USS Dyess (DD-880).
Shan't made the video for me! Enjoyed it!
Have a great weekend Diane. Ear scratches for Chewie too! Respect to the vets. Thank you.
The ASVAB test changed around 1980. Prior to that it was more akin to an IQ test with vocational overtones. Afterwards it was a vocational test to see what you might be good at in the military. MENSA accepted pre-1980 ASVAB testing for entrance depending upon your (Army calculation) GT score on said test. Don't know if they still do, but they did at one time.
I took the ASVAB in high school, again to go into the National Guard, and again to go into the regular Army. When I took the latter test, there were a BUNCH of people in the room who were having a seriously difficult time with it. (Pre-1980 btw). I got hit up by every branch of service, but chose the Army since I was already in the National Guard and had completed training. This irritated my mother and some of my family - I was supposed to go to college.
I ended up spending 21 years in the US Army in a variety of jobs and assignments. No regrets.
About PTSD. My father had it from WWII service. It wasn't apparent during the day, but he had some terrible dreams sometimes. They did have the term PTSD back then - shell shocked was the term mostly used, but only for the more serious cases. After Vietnam they called it Delayed Stress till the 80s or 90s when PTSD became the term, and took a wider view. There is a systemic adversion to seeking mental health treatment in the military. I have to assume that it persists today, but they have made great strides in correcting that over the last several years.
'Go into this office and cry at a stranger' is not, and will never, be appealing to men, much less men of strength and violence that fill out military forces. The alternative "treatment" ('here, take all these pills'), is worse.
There is a book called "On Killing" which dives deep into the psychology of many different reasons and paths that might lead a person to take another's life. The author explores the "most soldiers won't shoot to kill" thing, among other angles.
A stunning read by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
Editor Diane, can you look into making the video Diane is reacting to is the same or close to the same volume level as she is?
I have to max my speakers to hear it, and then my speakers are nearly blown out when she randomly comments.
Love the videos, but I don't wanna haver to buy new speakers again.
As a Veteran I can say we were trained to shoot center mass to avoid missing our target and to render the assailant incapable of continuing their actions that lead us to fire upon them.
Getting into the military can be easier if the recruiter feels you have something to offer. I’m not sure what it was but reason I say this is I went in with a couple friends to an office of the US Marines was asked to join after doing some of the physical tests for fun. I explained that I was flat footed and had slight scoliosis. The recruiter said he would make an exception and could get me through regardless. So not always the case for getting in.
I want to thank all of you for your service.
I'm a retired US sailor. Here are a few items I can help out with a little.
1. A person can get into the Military without a High School degree or GED but
they must get their GED before their first command is completed.
2. The ASVAB test partially determines potential career path.
3. Cleaning the deck wouldn't be so much a punishment, just a waste of time and resources. There are more productive ways to get the people where they should be.
4. Pay starts low but gets better with advancement and time. They are provided enough for what is necessary.
5. 30 days' vacation pay every year doesn't suck.
I just found you.. I had to subscribe. Love you're hair. I was in the Army way back in 1979 to 1982.. God speed..
Just FYI, on the test the choice "adsorb" is not misspelled, "adsorption" means to be stuck to the outside,while "absorption" means to get stuck on the inside of material
the ASVAB is basically testing your skill levels to determine what jobs in the military you're suited for. i did ok and got calls asking if i wanted to be a nuclear engineer or a linguist
The “independent space force” means it isn’t part of another branch. A counter example is the US Marine Corps which is technically a part of the Navy not and independent force.
You wanted comments, this is totally unrelated, but completely YOUR FAULT!! You mentioned Kerrygold butter a few months ago in a video. Now, I had seen it in my local store, heard people say how good it was, but after hearing your video, the next day I was in my local grocery store and thought: "What the heck, let's try it."...and now, I not only am always buying butter that is twice as expensive as normal butter, but I am using butter far more than I used to. So, thanks to you mentioning Kerrygold, I am spending more money on butter....but really enjoying the results from using it. 😁
I know! I’m both sorry to have made you fall in love with it. I’m happy that you loved it. I fill up my suitcase with the stuff when I travel.
One of my boys was a Marine. He was in combat in Iraq, He was diagnosed with PTSD when he left the service. The other boy was in the US Army. He was a combat engineer in Iraq. He wasn't affected by it at all. My youngest daughter was in the USAF. She spent her time state side. And my nephew was USN. Also state side. Neither of the last 2 were affected,
I am a Vet, I joined in 1978, for the US Army Infantry. I severed overseas in what was West Germany for 2yrs 8mns and during that time we had people that weren't US citizens. Training was brutal, it's softened up quite a bit from 40yrs ago. Back in '78 we did have people who were given a choice serve 4yrs. in the Army or go to prison, the narrator failed to mention the sign on bonuses. Back when I joined you had option of 3yrs or 4yrs with a bonus of $2000, which in the 70's was a good piece of change, I signed up for 3yrs. Also, I think it was in 1979 the US Army added a 2yr enlistment option, also I don't know which year it was, but the sign on bonuses were increased for the 4yr option, however back then if you didn't complete your 4yrs of service you had to pay back that bonus, another reason I signed up for 3yrs. The increase in bonuses and 2yr option was a result of lack of people volunteering for the military, there was no draft. I served from 1978-81, I did not re-enlist, which at that time would have been for another 6yrs, anyways for the 3yrs I served the Army, the US military (all branches) was not involved in any conflict, so I never saw combat, we were under constant threat from a much larger Soviet force, they outnumbered us 45 to 1, with a constant reminder that if the Soviets did attack we had 6hrs to live, something that does weigh heavy in one's mind.
My dad enlisted in the US Army in 1957. He tricked his mother into signing the emancipation letter by attaching it to a failed test. He disappeared for three days before he called and let her know he was in the Army and at Camp Lee, currently Ft. Lee, Virginia. He was 16 years old. Dates of service are on his DD 214 to show his age. Doesn’t work like that anymore. My mom had to have witnesses sign the emancipation paper work so I got join at 17, in 1989.
Your woah hearing the generals salary cracked me up
I went to a new car show at the downtown convention center on a snowy, cold weekday about 20 years ago and got there just as they opened the doors. Due to the fact it was early on a weekday and the weather was so bad, I just about had the place to myself at first. I was walking around looking at cars and happened to look over to see Lee Ermy sitting by himself at an autograph table with absolutely no one in line. I hadn't heard that he was going to be there as a "special guest" so it was quite a surprise. I couldn't think of anything to say to him that wouldn't sound stupid and be exactly what people said to him every time he was in public, so I let him have his few minutes of peace.
A former boss of mine served in Vietnam in the late 60's and says that he killed three enemy soldiers that he knows of. The first was a case where he simply was faster on the trigger than the other guy, which he said was the only reason he survived the encounter. He said he was sick for two days afterward from the stress and the realization that he had in fact killed another human being.
Thanks for reacting to it Diane!
No problem 😊