pafret Loc: Northeast

Okie Don, you have hit the sore spot. I am not too sure that with a huge manpower pool under arms our politicians won't become more bellicose and embroil us in more wars. Military service without the deaths and dismemberments seems fine but the reality is that no one comes back from combat unscathed. Murdering your fellow man is not a natural thing.

While I view my service in a positive light I also realize that I was incredibly fortunate in the timing. My tour figuratively was a stroll in the park; I had interesting work, adventure and a support infrastructure that I have never equaled when I had to work for a living.

popparod Loc: Somewhere else.

Dad came home from WWII with 3 Purple Hearts. One for each of his three sons. One spent 20 years in the Air Force, one never served and I am a 100% service connected disabled veteran. Even with a lifetime of pain I would do it again in a heartbeat. Enlisted in 65 when for most our senior trip was an all expense paid trip to Vietnam nam. Makes me laugh when someone complains about getting their feelings hurt. MOST panty waists today wouldn't last 10 minutes in the military of that era but America was a lot stronger then and people weren't confused about which bathroom to use.

Alber

In my time the draft were for two years and the enlisted for three.

Super Dave Loc: Realville, USA

I also served peace time. The smartest move of my life as well.

I agree with the benefits of service, to country and serviceman. But I'm still leaning against compulsory service

pafret Loc: Northeast

I am ambivalent, while the discipline and rigorous training would be beneficial, the possibilities for political abuse are endless. Perhaps a two tier military, one year in a military organization, which is not permitted to go into combat, followed by a six or seven year tour in the National Guard at home. The government would not be permitted to draft these people except in time of a declaration of war by the Congress, not police actions or UN interventions.

The regular military would continue to be staffed as usual and if any of the one year trainees wanted to transition they could do so with no loss of time or grade.

jer48 Loc: perris ca

same here

Floyd Brown Loc: Milwaukee WI

I served 59-62. Drafted, Ended up in Personnel of an Engineer Battalion. 2 years active reserves, 2 years inactive.
Did what was asked of me & was promoted in a timely fashion.

Didn't know if I could ever kill some one & was glad to have never faced the real issue.
In training did come to realized that in a combat situation would fire back in the hope of turning back any opposition.

Blood pressure was high during induction for a couple of days (I drank a bit too much) Decided to just cut back & serve my time.

Was on alert to ship out with in 24 hours. After getting ready loading up to go never left the Battalion staging area

This was during the Berlin Crisis. That qualified for action during war. I don't really know what that meant.
I as the driver of the sections 21/2 ton truck hauled empty wood crates. I had the task of driving that hydraulic transmission truck up hills with the tedious down shifting & up shifting. I guess that was the existent of my war experience.

Docadhoc Loc: Elsewhere

Big dog

pafret Loc: Northeast

Floyd, I had a hell of a good time in the military. I went to Signal School for Radar and Missile Guidance Repair for 9 months. Got posted to White Sands proving ground. Numerous trips to Juarez Mexico, mountain climbing, boon docking in the New Mexican National forests, trips to Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National park. I bummed around in El Paso and Las Cruces and followed the Trail of Billy the Kid through his old stamping grounds in Old Mesilla park.

I was a Science Fiction buff and I worked on radars primarily, and missile firings, Wac Corporals, Honest Johns, Nike's Able to Zeus, Hawks, Talos, and Falcon missiles. I watched at least a thousand Missile firings some guided at drone planes (B17) and others just Ballistic rockets. Met Werner Von Braun, became an early member of the American Rocket Society (Now Defunct).

Spent a lot of weekends exploring old mines and remote interior areas in northern New Mexico. Most of the trails we followed were labeled primitive which meant you brought shovels, guns and dynamite because you might have to build part of the road yourself.

"Volunteered" (the usual military volunteer) for the International Geophysical Year (IGY) Expedition at Ft Churchill Canada. We built our buildings, installed the radars, generators, optical trackers, plotting boards and site wiring. We installed most of the equipment in the Missile firing Silo. Then we provided tech support for various Universities Field teams, doing High Altitude research via Aerobee-Hi rockets fired into the Van Allen Belts with various payloads. We tracked the rockets with our Radars and provided positional data for their use in analysis of findings.

Did some skiing, hid from Polar bears, and learned first hand why you don't build fires on the tundra to burn off trash. Three weeks of constant monitoring to get it out. A lot of eating and working and even a little drinking, there was always something interesting to do. I jumped two grades in 6 months and ended up a Staff Sgt. (E6).

All in all, The good stuff outweighed the bad. I would have stayed in except I took stock of my proclivities and I realized that I was a Class A F---Up and sooner or later I was going to end up in the stockade or Federal prison. There are just too many draconian punishments for every infraction and no mercy whatever. The military was no place for anyone who rebels against authority and that was me to a T.

padremike Loc: Phenix City, Al

The question begs yo be asked..........once you returned to civilian status did you ever spend time in the lockup?

badbobby Loc: texas

sounding like your father??
so he finally got through to you
good for him

cesspool jones Loc: atlanta

re-institute the draft

padremike Loc: Phenix City, Al

My only concern is that what's graduating from our schools today for the most part need to be kept segregated from the professional soldier for at least a year.

Big dog

Hear Here !