Anybody served in the military before ???????

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

For the record – Two years in the US Army. Was a Combat Engineer (sapper to the rest of the world) which was not really a very good thing for a little guy. Spent a year in Vietnam – which is how I got that neat photo of the V-100.
I was not a happy camper at the time, but in retrospect I consider it all a valuable experience.
After I got home I served another year in the US Army National Guard, or the “weakend warriors” (note: that was not a typo for “weekend warriors”), which was a totally disillusioning experience. But that’s another non-story.

Georgii

If you want information send a spy. If youwant good information send a modeler.

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

Kev 35, Cheers mate!! You just be ready for my inverted arrival at Waddo ’08!!

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

Nope. But nearly joined the air force twice though.

Regards, Glenn.

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

Well guys,it is interesting to see there is a whole bunch of patriotic men.Nice history from JJ/Skythe.I believed that the military is not just for the RAMBO type of person.The military- build and mould you into a organised fighting machine.The only different between terrorist and the military-only that the military gets the nation blessing.

I served proudly in the ROYAL MALAY REGIMENT(REJIMEN ASKAR MELAYU DIRAJA)for 7 years as their platoon leader and then got transfered to the battalion intellingence unit(intellingence unit are not the same as the military intellingence spooks).I mainly counduct tactical field job as a FIO.My regiment were formed back in 1933 by the British-after the Malay rulers insisted on having a Malay military outfit.My regiment have a very colourfull service history-WW2,COIN,UN,SOMALIA etc.Elements from the 19th RMR Mechanised battalion -saved 76 US RANGERS/DELTA from BAKARA MARKET.Today RMR is the main fighting elements of the MAF-with standard infantry batt,mechanised and airborne battalions.I will post more on my regiment success later on -if there is a demand for it anyway.

RE: Nope…

A pragmatic pacifist….does that mean you are quite calm, rational and peace-loving right until someone sorely p1sses you off Arthur??? 🙂

If so you start the movement and I’ll sign up!

Its no secret I served in the Dark Blue suit of the Royal Navy. I was an Artificer (engineering technician) and after HMS Raleigh joined HMS Collingwood in the weapons specialisation. I left, as soon as practically possible, pretty despondent with the whole thing after repeated cuts and government apathy started the rot in the UK MoD.

If we’re talking about family military histories both my grandfathers served, and were killed, aboard ship. One with the Merchant Navy on the Murmansk convoy routes after his ship was torpedoed by a U-Boat and the other was an engineering Petty Officer in the RN aboard an escort that was torpedoed, again by a U-boat, just off Gibraltar.
No wonder my father chose the Army for his National Service, I suppose!.

Nope…

When i was checked by the recruiting office, the medic complimented me with an outstanding right eye. Unfortunately, my other eye is lazy which means my brain basically ignores the information it gets from my left eye. Which is one of the reasons i’ve done most of my planespotting with a monoculair…

At the time i didn’t want to serve anyway. I am not the kind of character you want to pump discipline in – actually, in the half hour or so i was at the recruting office i managed to piss of one of the Sgt’s really bad. All the poor guy wanted to do was keep some order…

In the end, i regret not having served. This is because i wasted almost two years in between two studies being a garbageman. I wish i had wasted at least some of this time in far more interesting place wearing the Dutch uniform (i have a few friends who had a great time serving in Yugoslavia. They make it sound like the kind of anarchy i thrive in), but this is not because i am so military-minded. Although i am highly interested in war in a historical, technical (preferably aviation of course), political, sociological, geological, economical and whateverical sense, i consider myself something of a pragmatical pacifist (whatever that means).

And while i do respect servicemen all over the world, i cannot say the same for a whole bunch of military services as organisations. No, i don’t have a very high esteem of the Dutch military.

Regards,

Arthur

ps Ha! My granddad was at the Grebbeberg as well!

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

I wonder if there is a difference between HAVING to serve and WANTING to serve?

If my country was in a war (a big one, I mean) and needed all the men she could get, I would be happy to join. Hopefully I’d give it my best shot.

But in peacetime, I find it hard to justify to myself.

It isn’t that I don’t think we need an Army in peactime; far from it. But somehow I don’t have the motivation.

As I recall, this was one of the arguments considered when the British army abolished the draft and professionalised itself.

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 24-06-02 AT 07:30 PM (GMT)]You’re absolutely right Kev. I wasn’t offended though, I can see how one could misunderstand what I had written down.

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

JJ,

please accept my apologies, I did not for one moment mean to imply you were being disrespectful. I was just making the point that it behoves us all to ensure we all know, respect and try to understand what our families have done in the past, so that we can pass it on to the future generations, so that they live on in our personal and collective memories.

Skythe,
That’s some family history!!

Regards,

kev35

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

Well, I (or my family actually) can’t beat that. Anyways, my Dutch grandfather fought the Germans at the Grebbeberg, and later also at Dunquerque. Later he joined the resistance. After WWII he stayed in the military, and went to Indonesia, or Dutch Indie as it was known then. My Israeli grandfather (Israeli side), well, I don’t know what he did actually, I believe he was with the infantry during the War of Independance.

My dad had just been drafted before the Yom Kippur War begun. He was on leave, and thus at home, in the Kibbutz. His unit had been sent to the Golan Heights days before the war broke out, and was decimated by the Syrians. My dad, upon reaching his base, joined another unit with Centurions. He was under Bren’s command, crossing the Suez Canal, and encircling the 3rd Army. He participated in fierce battles in or near Suez city. Later, during his reserve years (untill somewhere in the late ’70s or early ’80s) he was stationed on the Lebanon front. About my uncle (my dad’s brother) I don’t know much, except that he was with the Sharion during the Lebanon War. And then there is of course the husband of one of my cousins, but that doesn’t count, does it? Not that it matters, as I can’t talk too much about his unit.

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 24-06-02 AT 05:54 PM (GMT)]Family history, ehh? Well, my late grandfather on my mother’s side fought with the Red Army against the Nazis. My late grandfather on my mother’s side faught with the Haganah for the liberation of Tiberias, the first city in not-yet-born Israel to fall to Jewish hands in 1948. My dad was in the Golani infantry and as such participated in the famous raid on Nukeib in 1962. In 1967 he was with the first brigade to enter the Golan Heights, the same one which took over Tel-Faher and Tel-Azizat, although he did not participate in these two infamous battles. In 1973 he was with the forces containing Egypt’s 3rd Army, and later spent some time on the western bank of the canal as well. I don’t remember what my uncle did, but at one time or another he had the gruesome job of visiting the families of fallen soldiers to inform them of their loss.

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U.N. Representative: So, Mr. Evil –
Dr. Evil: It’s Dr. Evil, I didn’t spend six years in Evil Medical School to be called “mister,” thank you very much.

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

Kev, I do have respect for service members, particularly those that defend(ed) both Israel and The Netherlands. Many of my family members have served in the military, be it Dutch or Israeli, and some also in the resistance. I was not being disrepectfull, not at all.

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

JJ,

Might I suggest that it is important that people should have respect for and pride in the achievements of family members engaged in the service of their country. Irrespective of which conflict or which nation I believe it to be imperative that we record the service that people have given to their country and not only the sacrifice. In 100 years time people should be able to see what your family has contributed to your nation as it stands at that time. For instance, my family was heavily involved in the Great War and I am immensely proud of the service they gave. They were lucky and all came home. Millions of people have died in conflicts all around the world and we pause to remember the dead on various occasions throughout the year. We should also remember the service of those who fought and survived.

Regards,

kev35

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

My dad was a tabk driver in the Yom Kippur War, and later became a tank commander. My dad’s brother was a tanker too, in the Lebanon War. Then we have my other uncle, who was with the paratroopers. I got two nieces who were MPs, and another who served on the Golan, I believe with the artillery or something. As you can see, my family is more diverse ;). Don’t know all their ranks though, I don’t keep track of such stuff.

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

I could escape to the French military service when I was 20 .
It was one of the best satisfaction of my life.
I have nothing against the army , but this kind of period (12 month) was just a waste of tiime; In addition to that , a place were cigarettes and drinks are almost for free doesn’t sound good to me.

This duty has been aborted since 2 years

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

Same here. I wanted to join the Luftwaffe but my eyes stopped me from that. I then avoided normal army service (the draft) as it would have meant that I would loose one year before I could start university. Simply because the refused to draft me so that I would be out before October the next year.

So I went to do my 1,5 years of service in the civil sector / disaster relief (they took me in 4 months earlier then the Bundeswehr wanted). In the end this prooved quite usefull as I´m working in the same field today as civil engineer.

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

The Dutch armed forces didn’t want me unfortunately. I went to the recruitement office and after 5 minutes I was out again. Failed the eyesight test miserably.

I wanted to go to the Air Force as a fast jet driver at first, but then changed my mind to Orions. When I couldn’t become a pilot I tried for system operator aboard Orions (ASW stuff), but they didn’t want me because of my bad eyesight. So in the end I wasn’t even drafted for Army service.

Best regards,

Ference.

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

Yep, that’s me, reserve Lieutenant Skythe. Runs in the family, you know. My dad was an infantry officer, my sister an intelligence officer and my brother hopes to become a naval officer when he’s drafted in about a year.

—————————————-
U.N. Representative: So, Mr. Evil –
Dr. Evil: It’s Dr. Evil, I didn’t spend six years in Evil Medical School to be called “mister,” thank you very much.

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

i have great admiration for those of you who ahve served. fo rme im put off by several things, like im really a weakling, im flat footed, need glasses for long sight, and the pay is really low, plus bad hours.

well done to you lot for serving.

rabie :9

RE: Anybody served in the military before ???????

I toyed with the idea for about a day!

I signed up to go to a one-day officer selection course when I was in my first year at University. The deal was that I would spend my holidays on training camps, get properly trained after graduation and receive a small stipend in the meantime.

But when I went along, all I got was insult after insult. It wasn’t even witty, just “you weak maggot” type of thing. Totally unjustified and it made me think the Army was full of intellectually deficient idiots. I thought that sort of thing happened to infantry, not officers. If all I wanted out of life was to be insulted, I would have been a stand up comedian.

It was probablty just an off day of course, but it turned me right off anyway. I went off and now I’m training to be an accountant.