The "All Volunteer Military" is a myth

[SoCalDem]

A large number of the ones serving now were not volunteer WARRIORS.. they were volunteer mechanics, nurses, doctors, drivers, pilots,etc. Most of these people joined up during a time when they felt that the military life had something of offer them in exchange for some of their time. College, medical care for young families, a future low cost VA home loan, a sign up bonus, and the opportunity to travel. They were not entirely hedonistic, but after the dot com bubble burst, and the stock market crash-let happened, the jobs that were so abundant kind of dried up, and military life seemed like a wise choice.

Some of the reservists and guard people were just trying to pad their family income a bit more before they retired. Lots of these folks were veterans of "wars" but wars like Grenada, Panama and GW1, which were really little more than swoops on unarmed countries ..a quick in and out.

There are some reservists and guard people who were in Vietnam, but their age probably led them to believe that "they" were safe because of it.. They were wrong.

To be fair, there are probably a lot of the "misfits" of society too.. the wannabee cops, and the tough guys who are action-junkies. Military life does afford them the luxury to whup ass and crack heads with impunity, so they are in their element now, but I fear that most of the soldiers are just wishing they were anywhere else.

Our generals and politicians like to bandy about the phrase "all-volunteer-military" as an excuse for their inept planning.. They seem to feel that THEY can screw up as much as they like, and yet claim no responsibility because "it's a volunteer military, and "they should have known what they were signing up for".. I beg to differ.. I doubt seriously that anyone who signed up prior to 2001 had ANY idea that they were applying for Crusade Duty, or that they would be called upon to lay their life on the line to avenge the ineptitude of a past president.

9-11-01 probably did encourage some idealistic young people to take up arms and fight "the guys who knocked those buildings down", but the Afghanistan campaign was poorly planned and executed, and was Little more than a prelude to Iraq. It was always about Iraq. It may have been the oil, or the first gulf war that did not really end as well as we were all told, or some master plan for world domination, or an Armageddon plan.. We still don't really know the why.. We do know that thousands and thousands of people military and otherwise have died, or been permanently maimed and no one "volunteered" for that.


Volunteering for military duty will never be seen in the same way again.

[cynatnite]

1. draft by circumstance

You're right about that. I went in to support my daughter and for a better future than what I had. This was back in '86. I had no qualms about defending my country and dying for it.

Most people who joined did it for many of the same reasons you stated. There are a few who did it to play macho and to carry a gun, but during my time, those were few and far between.

In today's world, I would discourage any young person from joining the military if possible, but when I think about this it seems to me with all that shrub is doing to this country, some might feel more encouraged to join. Duty to country, but also the economic climate and if he gets his way with the budget proposal, more young people will not have the options they once had.

It's a sickening cycle.

[SoCalDem]

3. No qualms because deep down we all felt as if we could trust

our leaders.. Sure, some of their "little wars" were ill-conceived and silly, but there was not great loss of life, and they did not last a long time.. they were small in size and effect..Even GW1 was not that bad because we had so many allies.. The risk was spread out, and the actual war time was short.

Now that we are in a Pre-emptive war stance, there is no doubt that WE will be the aggressors from here on out, and it should worry the active military people a great deal.

The "fight them there, so we don't fight them here" doctrine is a dangerous one, because we have a paranoid loony in charge .. one who sees bogymen everywhere. The definition of "them" is just fuzzy enough to make almost anyone, anywhere..our "enemy"..

[TomClash]

2. It was always about Oil

and to a much lesser extent Israel.

[SoCalDem]

4. Oil is important, but I doubt that oil producing countries refuse to sell

It was about STEALING the oil, and controlling the country ..And to a lesser degree, using Iraq as a "launch pad" to the entire middle east..

*² not only wanted to finish his daddy's war.. he wanted to re-do the Crusades:(

[TomClash]

5. No it's aobut Oil

Period.

The rest is peripheral bullshit.

Look at supply and demand for oil 1993-2005.