My parent's keep insisting that if the U.S. didn't help anyone we wouldn't be liked. (Or something along the lines of our connections).
I keep telling them that we don't HAVE to help anybody. We should focus on the issues in the U.S. instead of being nosy.

Getting into everyone's business is exactly why most other countries don't like the US.

-- Griffinhart

QFT

Addendum: In fact, many Americans don't like how much the US gov't is getting into their business. (Big Brother, etc.)

-- Griffinhart

Im sorry but I have to chime in on this topic. Having serverd in both afgan and iraq for for 2 terms i'd have to say the US is doing plenty in afgan, and op teams ARE allowed in pakistan. Whichever you hear on the news is absoulte.

The US should be doing something in Dafur, but what are we even allowed to do? We can not engage the militia there because we arent at war with them. We tried this before, only having to pull out 8 mos later. Peace keeping missions will only work if the US has finished a War their and is trying to rebuild.

And when whoever gets elected, and they pull out of Iraq as quickly as some of you suggested, there will be chaos beyond what it is now, and what it was when sadam was in reign. Decrease of supportive troops, increase on op teams. Then it will fade away in America's eyes that we are even over there, because no news team will be able to cover it.

coDe.Zry, you served in the military? What branch? I ask only because I am very seriously considering Marine ROTC, though I have been told there is resentment for officers that go through the ROTC program or at least a lack of respect compared to officers from West Point or people that worked their way up from grunts, please enlighten me.

Gwanky: What do you want to do in the military? Cadets/ and officers are looked at as the ceo of any company. You will be respected, but while your men are in the shit they will not think highly of you. But that is with any job. The only differnces in West Point of an OCS is you start one really early, and you come out higher rank(usally)...OCS can be appiled for at any military required age, and you can apply when your NCO, so you can always become an officer(as long as you dont go Reserver/Or National Guard) after you enlistment has come to term.

I was 504th paratroppers out of Ft. Bragg, Army. I was a NCO(Non commisioned Officer, Grunt) And I swore i would never go for OCS, only because i would never want to make the descions they make, I would rather carry them out.

So to really help you along, if you want to retire with the military, and make money, goto west point, or an OCS for which ever branch, the Navy is the Corp's sister, same with the Airforce is to the Army. But if you want to learn a skill, or go Infantry then enlist in as NCO.

PS: Dont listen to the recruiters, please. Take your asvab, goto MEPS and ask the military liason( job placement) and ask what jobs you qualify for, then research all of them the best you can. Then choose where you want to go.

I hope that helped you bro. If you need any more advice or help with this be sure to ask me.

[edit]Gwanky, I saw in another post where you had to have ACL surgrey. If that did happen, I wouldn't tell anyone about it accept the recruiters if you really want to join, but by entrance standards, no enlistee may have had pre-existing surgerys to limbs or limb mobilty issues.[/edit]

Its an arthroscopic surgery so I doubt it will be difficult to conceal. I want to join the marines, I want to be out there mixing it up, solely because I wish to be a politician and I feel that if you want to have the authority to send people off to war you damn well better have put your ass on the line at one point in time.

Which would be avoided by not sending people off to war in the first place.

I actually agree, for the most part war should be avoided, I feel there should always be a draft, and all senators and congressman's sons and daughters should be enlisted if we go to war.

The Senators and Congressmen should really be living in their home state instead of Washington DC. Then, they could have better communication with the citizens of the state they represent. This would surely get it through their heads that Congress should pass a bill that stops funding for the Iraq war and brings the trops home to their vulnerable country.

What kinda of draw out operation would you use to pull the troops out and stop funding for the war in Iraq? Would you use a sudden withdrawl of all the primary troops, and leave some key players, just completely pull everyone out, or a process that may take a few more years to pull them out?

I for one would pull out most supportive troops, increase the Ranger and Delta forces for a few years, gather intel while USA and the World's Citzen's doesn't see death here, kidnapp there all over the news. We really shouldnt have any other troops but infantry and medical based troops and setup a correct perimeter around the country.

I agree with your opinion cOde.ZRY. It would work if most govt. people thought that way.