I just missed out on the nuclear era of artillery - in fact, the buildings where I was trained in Fire Direction were inspection sites for the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty.

My computers still had the software to shoot them from our howitzers for a while, though - I used to send down digital nuclear fire mission messages to the guns when we were testing our systems. Pain in the butt to process on my end, but worth it when I heard them doing a voice read-back and got to "Shell - Nuke!?" usually followed by "Fuck yeah, FDC, let's shoot one of THEM!"

Just knowing that they'd managed to fit a sub-kiloton yield warhead into a 155mm shell led me to learn a lot about nuclear weapon design - there was really some impressive innovation in that field.

man, all I did was play cards and paint murals in the motor pool. Very boring stuff.

1) What were/are the details of your service? Location? Specifics?I served 20 years in the Air Force. let's see if I can recall all my duty assignments:
1989-1993: Wright patterson AFB, OH. Operations Research Analyst and Staff protocol Officer
1993-1994: Laughlin AFB, TX. Student Pilot and Class Leader
1994-2000: McConnell AFB, KS. KC-135 Pilot (Receiver Qualified Instructor Pilot, Chief of Plans and Mobility, Stan Eval officer, Chief of Security, Flight Commander)
2000-2003: Offutt AFB, NE. C-21A Pilot (Assistant Operations Officer, Chief of Stndardization and Evaluation)
2003-2006: Eglin AFB, FL. Subscale Aerial Targets IPT Lead, Aerial Targets Director of Operations
2006-2007: Osan AB, South Korea. 7th AF Chief of Training, Deputy A-3, Defense readness Reporting System Program manager
2007-2009: Eglin AFB, FL. Capabilities Integration Program Manager

Of course, in all that time, I did numerous extended TDYs to places like Southern France, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, Northern Italy, and various locations throught the US.

2) Why did you serve/are you serving?
Well, the PRIMARY motivation I had to serve was the full tuition ROTC scholarship to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. If it wasn't for the scholarship, I would have ended up at the Spruce Head Institute of Technology! Once I got on active duty, I enjoyed the security of having a steady job, and it gave me a sense of satisfaction to do work that was seen as having serving the public good. Also, who can argue with getting paid to fly airplanes? Once I got into pilot trianing, the comittments for accepting that training put me at serving until I had been in for almost 14 years. Of course, at that point, another 6 years for wonderful benefits is sort of a no brainer!

One of the BEST jobs I had was developing and refining NON-lethal weapons. I felt that it was a paradigm shift that needed to happen, and will serve us as humanity much better than other weapons we have (which still serve a purpose mind you, but that last job had some great satisfaction for me).

3) In retrospect, would you do it again? Or, for how much longer are you planning to serve?
Actually yes. While there were many hardships that I had to endure, and sacrifices that I made, it was worthwhile. Not only that, I got a great benefits package out of it, it led directly to a great post-retirement career, and it has kept my perspective much more global than it may have been had I stayed in a civilian capacity. Also, as an aviator and an officer, i think that I managed to escape the worst horros that many of our troops face. War tends to be rather clinical from 30,000 feet. And once I got up into senior ranks, I ran things from control senters and such. I am one of the few people that can say that I used PowerPoint to blow stuff up.

4) Have you had any memorable experiences, and if yes, would you mind sharing them?
Wow, after 20 years, there are so many to share. If you really want the story, why not send me PM and ask for details? The laundry list:
1.) The French pilot that tried to kill me
2.) The 4 months that I unsuccessfully searched for a bad Italina wine
3.) Negotiating for a 6 foot rosewood giraffe and paying a bottle of Absolut and a pack of Camels for it
4.) Wondering if the Big Sky theory applied to Tankers and meteors over the pacific
5.) Being the "charming drunk" at the Carnivore Club in Nairobi
6.) Being one of the rare Americans that actually went out of my way to visit a village that hadn't seen them since the last war (in both Korea and Italy)
7.) Being glad that most people don't have incendiary rounds in their small arms.
8.) Retrograde and then finding out I was "that son of a bitch"

War stories and hangar talk! Old soldiers live for that, and of course the stories get better with each telling!

5) Has your service resulted in any sort of trauma or permanent damage?
To be honest, I have always been very good at compartmentalizing in that regard. I suppose it may come from a good understanding of both human nature as well as human psychology. i do have a 30% disability rating from the VA, but I think a lot of that has to do with just getting old and beat up after 20 years.

andyx1205 wrote:This thread is not to discuss the politics behind war, or the morality of fighting in a war. This thread is not for criticizing the views of those who have served or are serving in the military.

This thread will be centralized on understanding/knowing the views of ex-military / current military rather than criticizing/defending the military.

I was wondering if any Ex-Military / Current-Military would be willing to answer the following questions. Feel free to discuss anything you want as long as we try to refrain from criticism (there's enough political threads).

1) What were/are the details of your service? Location? Specifics?
2) Why did you serve/are you serving?
3) In retrospect, would you do it again? Or, for how much longer are you planning to serve?
4) Have you had any memorable experiences, and if yes, would you mind sharing them?
5) Has your service resulted in any sort of trauma or permanent damage?

Thanks! Lets refrain from keeping the discussions political (feel free to explain your personal political views of the conflicts you had served in/are serving in, but try to refrain from attacking other's views, this isn't a thread on the politics of certain conflicts). Feel free to discuss the technical details of certain conflicts, however try to refrain from political debates please.

We haven't had a thread like this, so I thought it would be interesting to hear from some ex-military/current military.

Keep it civil!

I for one would never if I got a second chance join the British army. Let the rich and powerful fight for there wealth if they want to keep it. Just leave us poor folk alone. I joined because I believed in the bullshit that was fed to me as a youngster. My country right and wrong and all that crap. Sometimes during my army time I was on the wrong side.

andyx1205 wrote:This thread is not... criticizing/defending the military.... [b]Keep it civil!... Lets refrain from... try to refrain from...

I was wondering if any Ex-Military / Current-Military would be willing to answer the following questions...

1) What were/are the details of your service? Location? Specifics?
Eight years beginning 1964, RCN / CF (Frigate, Destroyer Escort, Aircraft Carrier, Submarines; Combat Information Operations / Radar / Glide Path Control System / Diver / Submariner Cross-training for all on-board systems/functions). Halifax, NS + NF, Europe, Caribbean (several trips), St. Lawrence to Toronto, U.S. Eastern Seaboard, Bermuda, Bermuda, Bermuda and Bermuda. Specifics likely TMTM - looking for anything in particular?

2) Why did you serve/are you serving?
Disliked and incredibly bored with skuul / classic underachiever ("Brett can do much better if he would only apply himself" n) / wanted change; Join Navy, See World; sense of adventure; familiarity due to Sea Cadets; wasn't sure what else to do / thought this'd be fun (and it was, mostly); yada, yada, yada.

3) In retrospect, would you do it again? Or, for how much longer are you planning to serve?
In the same situation, yep.

4) Have you had any memorable experiences, and if yes, would you mind sharing them?
Yes (I'm inclined to say, of course!). Not now, but thanks for asking.

5) Has your service resulted in any sort of trauma or permanent damage?
Nope.

Now a question back at'cha... Why all the - to me, extraordinarily over-the-top - warnings, cautions, etc. throughout your post, please? What prompted all that? Why not simply ask the questions?

BrettA wrote:
Now a question back at'cha... Why all the - to me, extraordinarily over-the-top - warnings, cautions, etc. throughout your post, please? What prompted all that? Why not simply ask the questions?

My guess would be because of one well known individual that posts some incredibly misinfomrmed/misguided opinions here that tend to get us all wrapped around the axel.

LarianLeQuella wrote:

BrettA wrote:
Now a question back at'cha... Why all the - to me, extraordinarily over-the-top - warnings, cautions, etc. throughout your post, please? What prompted all that? Why not simply ask the questions?

My guess would be because of one well known individual that posts some incredibly misinfomrmed/misguided opinions here that tend to get us all wrapped around the axel.

Ahhh... So you - and possibly the OP - figure that said induhvidual will look at said warning and think sumptin' like: "Whoa!!! I better not say anything in this thread - there's warnings here!"... Well, who knows - mebbe right, but I'z haz doubts about the efficacy of that type of action with such people.

And it still seems way over-the-top to me even if that is the rationale.

andyx1205 wrote:
1) What were/are the details of your service? Location? Specifics?

My first assignment was with special forces in the UK. Now I'm in a much slower ops-tempo job in Florida. Currently have 3 years in service with the USAF.

2) Why did you serve/are you serving?

I joined for one reason - to help destroy Al Qaeda. 9/11 impacted me in a profound way and I want to contribute in any way possible to their demise. Unfortunately, I've come to find that the military is ironically enough, the wrong place to be if you want to dismantle Al Qaeda. Hence why I am looking to go into the CIA instead.

3) In retrospect, would you do it again? Or, for how much longer are you planning to serve?

I wouldn't trade my time in the military for any other experience.

I'm planning on serving at least another few years. After that I'd like to go CIA or State Dept. I want to make policy rather than carry it out.

4) Have you had any memorable experiences, and if yes, would you mind sharing them?

Too many to mention here. Great times and bad times...but the people are what help you get through the day. I'll never forget the people I've met and continue to meet thanks to the military.

5) Has your service resulted in any sort of trauma or permanent damage?

No, but I haven't been to the sandbox yet. I should go later this year.

I just found this forum.

1) What were/are the details of your service? Location? Specifics?
I went through school at MIT on a Navy ROTC scholarship, which included two months under water on a ballistic missile submarine. On graduation in 1981, I was assigned to ADM Rickover's headquarters, Naval Reactors, for a five year tour. I spent most of my time there in the reactor engineering operating plants group, where I had responsibility for the reactors on the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier and Trident nuclear submarines.

2) Why did you serve/are you serving?
Partly because I felt it was a good thing to do my duty to help keep our nation safe, and partly because of the scholarship, as there's no way my family could have afforded tuition at MIT. That said, I could have left ROTC after the second year and gotten loans for the remaining two years, so I didn't stay just for the money.

3) In retrospect, would you do it again? Or, for how much longer are you planning to serve?
I would probably do it again. The only reason I'm not sure is because it meant I ended up missing the first decade of the microcomputer software boom, and it would have been interesting to see how I could have ended up if I'd started that a decade earlier.

4) Have you had any memorable experiences, and if yes, would you mind sharing them?
Yes, but they are classified.

5) Has your service resulted in any sort of trauma or permanent damage?
Not really. I have a few minor medical issues that probably resulted from the low quality of medical care in VA facilities, but as I said, they are minor.

1) What were/are the details of your service? Location? Specifics?
I was in the united states navy, submarine force, ballistic missile submarine. I was a missile technician
2) Why did you serve/are you serving?
I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life
3) In retrospect, would you do it again? Or, for how much longer are you planning to serve?
Yes I would, it gave me a unique outlook on life.
4) Have you had any memorable experiences, and if yes, would you mind sharing them?
Yes, but I'm too pressed on time right now to elaborate.
5) Has your service resulted in any sort of trauma or permanent damage?
No.

I think this thread deserves a little "bump" so we can hear more from other ex-military.

1) What were/are the details of your service? Location? Specifics.
Various, Joined the NZ Army Infantry Regiment when I was 18, rifleman/section gunner (machine gun) did basic there were no wars to fight hung around got out rejoined still not much going on, did Territorial (Reserve stuff) drifted away. Actually volunteered again for Desert Storm and Timor as a specialist but not needed.
Nowadays I actually serve in a warzone but am now a civilian.

2) Why did you serve/are you serving?
Something I'd always wanted to do, adventure blah blah, glory blah blah, serve my country blah blah..
My parents said I couldn't and in fact my father said I wasn't tough enough which was my motivation to go infantry to prove him wrong, in fact I wasn't to start with almost quit immediately but hardened up quickly.
Shooting and blowing stuff up was an attraction too as I see others mentioning, but for me it was more to do with doing stuff you can't do in other settings.

3) In retrospect, would you do it again? Or, for how much longer are you planning to serve?
Yes, but would have stuck with it longer and kept my mouth shut more and not gone out of my way to annoy young officers so much

4) Have you had any memorable experiences, and if yes, would you mind sharing them?
Yes, umm not so easy.

5) Has your service resulted in any sort of trauma or permanent damage?
Not as far as I'm aware.

1) What were/are the details of your service? Location? Specifics?
USN, 1969-1989. Too many places to list here. At sea, I was an engineer, on shore I did certain things as directed.
2) Why did you serve/are you serving?
Because I wanted to travel, to have some fun, to pay back some to the country
3) In retrospect, would you do it again? Or, for how much longer are you planning to serve?
I wouldn't miss it. No other job gives you so much opportunity for an interesting life.
4) Have you had any memorable experiences, and if yes, would you mind sharing them?
Killing people is certainly memorable, but so is the sight of a mountain broken in half with my ship about to sail between the two pieces. (Straits of Magellan.) "Boogie boarding" on Mt. Etna during an eruption was fun, as was climbing Mt. Fuji.
5) Has your service resulted in any sort of trauma or permanent damage?
I am rated at 100% disabled by the Veterans Adminstration.

1) What were/are the details of your service? Location? Specifics?
Royal Air Force. 1989-1995.
I served at:-
RAF Brize Norton (UK)
RAF Gutersloh (Germany)
RAF Laarbruch (Germany)
US Air Base Incerlik (Turkey)

2) Why did you serve/are you serving?
My Grandad was Army (REME). My mum was a Wren (WRNS). My older brother was RAF. So it runs in the family. Plus it was a good way of learning a trade, seeing other parts of the world and getting away from the arsehole my mum was married to.

3) In retrospect, would you do it again? Or, for how much longer are you planning to serve?
Yes

4) Have you had any memorable experiences, and if yes, would you mind sharing them?
Too many to write down.
I worked in MT. (Motor pool for the Americans) I can sympathise with Ciarin. I spent long periods of time playing cards, painting, sweeping, cleaning etc.

5) Has your service resulted in any sort of trauma or permanent damage?



Here's me with my battlebus US Air base Incerlik in Turkey.