Question for anyone who is on a delayed enlistment in the military....

[clonebot]

I am just curious if at democratic underground there are or were any DEP (delayed military enlistment) or ROTC guys getting ready for military service before the administration's decision to goto war in iraq - and then had to watch as it happened and are now forced to go into the military regardless?

i myself take advantage of HSCP (for navy medicine) so I am obliged to serve as an officer with the navy's enviornmental and public health divisions after i finish my master's thesis. basically they pay me active duty pay now while in graduate school and then they give me a job and a commision while they pay for me to get my doctorate.. my personal philosophy is very pascifist so promoting health and tracking and prevented communicable disease is the only job in the military that intrests me (and besides its what i go to school for).. that said, the likelyhood that i would ever be in a combat zone is very small. i don't approve of the iraq conflict but as far as my future navy career goes, it probaly won't kill me.

so i guess what i'm asking is, any one who delayed their enlistment and had to watch iraq go downhill and THEN had to go to duty in infantry or naval warships as per your contract, what were you feeling between the annoucement of the iraq war and the actual day you went to be processed?

i personally am not quite as jazzed as I was when I first signed up. now I have one more year before I get my commision and things could only get worse but I already made my choice.

i will be proud to serve my country in a way that promotes the health and safety of others and hopefully limits casualties from infection for both americans and anyone else who suffers from disease (HIV, malaria, etc.) but i still can't feel wierd about the possibilty of having to consider george bush my commander-in-chief, and that prospect fills me with alot of frustration.

well the bottom line is, at least i'll hopefully be saving lives, not ending them.

[Spinzonner]

1. With that kind of a specialization

what makes you think you wont be involved in things such as WMD's and biowarfare ?

And in a world where terrorism is the way of war, everywhere is a potential combat zone.

[clonebot]

3. Biowarfare

well i figured that would be a possibility, and i wouldn't have a problem with it. although i studied epidemiology and biostats - not chemestry and hardcore microbiology so there are actually areas of the navy that wayyyy better suited for my skills. i didnt really want to get into the whole me hunting for wmds or bio weapons here since i've recently been accused as being a freeper spy or something like that by a couple different because my posts are moderate left instead of EXTREME left ;) so i didnt want to come off as all gungho for finding bush's wmds

[Nlighten1]

2. Until you raise your right hand.

You are not a member of Unka Sam's military...ie you don't have to go. The DEP only means you have the intentions of going and there is no further obligation.
If you change your mind and don't want to go. Don't.

And don't let them tell you that you HAVE to go because you don't.