Do soldiers really know 100% of what they are getting into when they sign on the dotted line?

Question

As prior military, I'm sick of hearing people say,"Soldiers know exactly what they are getting into when they signed on the dotted line." How the H.E.L.L. would you know? Have you served in the military? I served honorably for 4 years in United Stated Marine Corps and I had no idea what I was getting into when I signed on the dotted line. Military life was a huge shock for me, but I don't regret having served. I dare you to talk to a recruiter, listen to what he/she has to say, enlist, then compare it to what military life is really like. You'll have a rude awakening. Then when some idiot says that you knew exactly what you were getting into, you'll be in my place. Those soldiers are defending your right to tell these lies so the least you can do is shut your mouth, not give your opinion on something you know nothing about, and show respect where it's due.

okay, oldmoose2, you really think the military is portrayed exactly like it really is? Where do you think the movie industry gets all their uniforms, machines, and what not ? From the mitiltary, and if the military is not protrayed in a favorable light, they will not help out and no movie is made. Sit down and watch A Few Good Men (an awesome military movie) with a Marine and they will be able to point out all kinds of errors. Lesson for the day, Hollywood is a land of fantasy and fiction; military is the land of hard truth.

Answer 1

I'm on the military currently and have been for 14 years now. I certainly didn't know what I was in for except in the most abstract way. Nineteen year olds like I was tend to be pretty idealistic. Serve your country, kill and/or die for your country. That pretty much summed it up. After so much time in I (hope I) have a pretty good idea what it means.

It's an honorable calling, and if you are reading this and thinking of joining I would strongly recommend seeking out an active duty member of the service that you are thinking of joining that is not a recruiter or would have any agenda in getting you to join and speak with them before making this life changing decision.

There will always be people out there that decide to hate me for my decision to serve......and I'll defend their right to do that with my last dying breath.....even if they do happen to be an idiot.....

Answer 2

I think you're looking too much into the statement. I've said it for the past 6 years of my career in the Army and I knew what I was getting into. You're a fool if you don't.

Does that mean that you know everything about military life? No. It does not mean that I knew on Christmas Eve I'd be picking up a blown over tent after a windstorm came through central Texas. It does not mean that I'd know I'd be up all hours of the night on 9/11 listening to a radio and doing comms checks.

It does mean that you understand that you're going to be controlled to a large extent by other people and you're life is at stake. This is doubly true for recruits coming into the various basic trianing posts through out the military. They know there's a war going on and they know that they have a good chance of seeing either Iraq or Afghanistan in their career. If they don't then they're fools.

Do some folks still sign up for the college money and the trip out of town and never think about the consequences that could happen if they end up in Iraq and the day just goes wrong? Yes. But they're igonorant for only a little while until someone educates them that you're going to be asked to do things that you didn't think you would.

Answer 3

Definitely not. Especially since the recruiters lie.
I grew up on Air Force bases and thought I should join to further my education ( i already had a bachelor's deg when I enlisted in the AF.). And, of course, the recruiter and others I spoke to either embellished the benefits of joining or just lied altogether.
As soon as I realized that, I made sure I was kicked out of bootcamp by the 3rd week.

Some do know they'll go and participate in war. I just don't think they can fathom how horrible it could be....

Answer 4

Few people know exactly what they're getting into when they sign on the dotted line. It's true of any job, contract, or other endeavor. What a soldier, or potential soldier, knows is that there is a training period which is difficult, an assignment that may be opposite of what they wanted, the potential of danger and death for low pay in the service of their country. No one knows what the future holds, but most people who sign up have several and various motives. If someone is about to sign up, they should be aware that there are many unpleasant and even dangerous duties they will be expected to perform, and that many of us are counting on their dedication and love of country to help them perform to the best of their abilities.

Answer 5

How could you not? One viewing of any number of movies would give you some clues. Being cautious enough to ask a few questions of someone other than the recruiter would always be a good idea. No doubt, there will be some surprises. If you go into this blind, there will be lots of surprises.

Simply taking the old phrase "War is hell" to heart and knowing that being in the military might mean you get sent to war should pretty much be enough to clue someone in.

Answer 6

I do not think it is possible today. Nothing in civilian life is comparable anymore.
I have answered many questions on this site from individuals contemplating joining the service. I tell them to research, talk to veterans, and balance their findings against the recruiter. I also tell them to look inside themselves and to be sure WHY they want to join. It can be a shock to some one who thinks (or wants to think) it's all about travel, adventure and an education plan.
I had no illusions when I hit the "Yellow Footprints" at Parris Island in 1979. I signed on as a grunt; thinking we were going into Iran.

Answer 7

Does anyone who ever signs a contract know 100% what they are signing? No, and to think so is foolish.

However, what they do know is the "gist" of what they are getting involved in. Anyone who volunteers to join any branch of the armed forces knows that there is the possibility of being put in harm's way.

The reason deserters are punished so harshly is that in order to maintain a standing army of solid integrity, the soldiers that compose it must know that their disobedience will warrant strict consequences. In this age of enlightened thinking, the idea of a shooting squad to punish insubordination is unthinkable, but truth be told, it is what prevented such action in the World Wars.

To anyone who has or intends to serve, I have the utmost respect and gratitude for your service in the past, present, and future. To put your life in God's hands for the sake of your country is one of the most honorable things a person can do.

Answer 8

Nice. I was a soldier. I had no clue what I was getting into, but I understood what my obligations were. Kind of hard to explain. I was sick of hearing "nobody dragged you by the arm". Yeah. OK. How about that recruiter that hounded me for six months, calling weekly and finally convinced to take the college money instead of going into college. I'm glad I served, and now I'm about to graduate school, paid for by the government. But I had no clue what I was doing 17-years-old.

Answer 9

Of course they don't. Most recruits are young men who know little about the law of contracts that applies to recruiting. Most recruiters lie and even if they don't they know that the President can change the rules in the middle of the game. That's why I never joined up. Let Bush and Cheney lead me into battle and I might feel differently.

Answer 10

I don't think they know 100% how hard it will be and what they will be in store for which is wrong. i do think people are smarter now then what they where 20 years ago though. Who would believe the govt would out and out lie to you. LOL. But in this day and time you would have to be pretty stupid not to know exactly what you were getting into with the war going on.