What do civilians think of the military?(not the war the military itself)?

Question

i am in the air force and a few of us just want to know what people think from back home. of course you hear oh we are proud of you because most people wont just come out and say that they dont.

Answer 1

I'm one of those left-wing war haters Nunabiz talks about...

We've got no problem with the RANKS. You're just like the guy at the next factory assembly station or desk at our jobs -- you are US.

It's the politicians and the brass that we hate.

And we know that for every crazed "I wanna kill"-type enlistee, there are THOUSANDS of you who signed up because you want to do the right thing. We HONOR that and we don't like the fact that you AND we have been lied to about WHAT the right thing IS.

We don't like that over the years the politicians have devalued you and your wish to be of service. The WW2 vets got cheap home loans and sometimes the homes themselves, FULLY paid college, decent medical, business loans to start their own businesses, pensions for YEARS - lots of goodies.

But ever since then those benefits have been getting less and less. By now, all you get is a few discounts, a little advantage on exams for government jobs, a little student aid, one-shot bonuses, and a lot of stupid speeches about yellow ribbons.

We think you've been lied to, scammed, and used for Bush (AND the Democrats too!) to play big shot and for their corporation buddies to make money.

We think about what the memories of what they had some of you doing must have done to your psychology, and we are angry because YOU ARE OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS.

In my personal case, PARENTS, too.

And that makes us MORE left-wing.

Just talking about myself and some of my my anti-war friends. I can't speak for the minority of Americans who are "pro-war" (who SAY they worship the military, love to have stickers on their cars, but won't give anything up to give soldiers more benefits).

I CAN talk about the majority of Americans, who are sensible, decent people and are anti-war.

Don't buy the MYTH about antiwars spitting in the face of returning soldiers. There MAY be a few crazies, but _I've_ never met one, and I used to live in San Francisco, "crazytown." But "your mileage may vary."

I can say that most of us will be saying, "Welcome home. Buy you a drink?"

Answer 2

I believe the military is the most outstanding of all institutions in this country. I do hate the civilians who believe it's just for people who have no other job prospects & think they are uneducated. I have just finished a semester off college & I'm in the midst of joining the army & I feel that I am not uneducated. But some people believe otherwise because they themselves are the uneducated ones that think they know when they know nothing. But I say to hell with them, they don't matter. They go about their lives doing little or nothing with their life under the conceived notion that they are doing something. While people who serve just have to look in the mirror in uniform to know that they already have don't something that will make a bigger impact on the nation & the world. The way some people are today believe that the military doesn't do or mean much to the US, when if only they knew that its are armed forces that are the wall that protects this nation & its people & their freedoms on a daily basis. As much as I hate seeing bad things happen to the people of this nation (civilians), I kind of feel that they need bad things to happen to them to realize that their not what protects them from the bad things in this world, its the military. Also, I know this is kind of a bad thing to say but its true none the less, many of the people of this country are just oblivious to the world & when the real world does something to them, they get scared & critical because the US government & military provide a life here were you can go through out your life never worrying about what's happening or what's out there. Yet at the same time they complain when they probably never will understand just how good they have it. And it is all thanks to the people who serve.

Answer 3

"People" think everything from "The military is full of heroes" to "The military is full of people that aren't smart enough to do anything else". As a whole, even left-wing war-haters KNOW deep down that if the military didn't exist for their protection, they wouldn't have the freedom of speech that they enjoy today to badmouth whatever seems fitting at the time. The military is necessary, and it's necessary to have very intelligent members to carry out missions effectively, along with it being necessary to have people who are better suited to follow and support those leaders. That doesn't make those people dumb...it makes them part of the team. God gave us all different aptitudes so that the job gets done effectively. I like to look at it like this..."We can't all be astronauts.". Besides, it may not take a degree in rocket science to hand out basketballs and towels to people at the gym...but guess what...take those people away and see how fast morale tanks! EVERYONE is needed...and everything the military does to protect the US and it's freedoms is appreciated by the majority...even when they don't know how to express it!

Answer 4

Well my dad is in the military and he is a pilot. I think the military ITSELF is a little corrupt. For exapmple they are laying off hundreds of pilots because of money issues BUT yet they are still hiring pilots and putting them through training???? Why lay off the people with more experience that could better protect our country instead of not letting any new 23 year olds young and stupid keep joining??? Its a realy shame that they do this. NOT ONLY THAT but the people who are being layed off have already had their pilot training PAYED FOR. So if there so worried about saving money lets not hire new people and pay over 20,000 $ PER person on training and just simply quit hiring them. that is just one example. I dont really have time to go in other matters.

Answer 5

IMO they didn't think anything of the military prior to September 11, 2001. All of the members of the "Petey Patriot Platoon" who emerged with their flag waving and their "troop support" wouldn't have given any member of the armed forces the time of day on September 10, 2001.
Even after the attack on America produced all of those fund-raising telethons and the like there was no mention of the Air Force Aid Society, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society or Army Emergency Relief. All of the media coverage and concern was on the loss of those buildings in lower Manhattan, even though there were military casualties at the Pentagon and retirees died on the plane which struck that building.
I retired from the Navy over 25 years ago. I attended just about every Veterans' Day Parade held in Las Vegas since my retirement. That city is in Nevada, whose state motto is "Battle Born". Yet, it wasn't until the parade of November of 2001 that anyone came up to me (with my "Navy Retired" ball cap on) and said: "Thank you for your service".
The other group which I view with disdain are the members of the "Bleeding Heart Brigade". Those who moan constantly over another member of the armed forces dying. There were 7,500 members who died on active duty during the eight years of the previous administration. Not one tear shed in public over them.
So, you tell your brothers and sisters in arms that there is enough hypocrisy about to fill the cargo space on a fleet of C-17 aircraft. But, that's just my opinion.

Answer 6

Good for you that you are in Uniform and serving, let me ask you an Air Force related question, before you went in did you get to choose the trade you ended up in? did you have a rough idea of how "hard" training, or how "hard" the job would be afterwards, reason I am asking is, I am curious about how much say you have in where you serve, are you able to ask for a transfer or a posting to a different type of post, station etc, or are you totally ignorant of where you are going to end up and, for example if you choose a real cushy pen pushing type of job, never leaving the US, to get a real challenge and test yourself, could you if stuck in the US for several years try and get a transfer to something more challenging abroad ? I know in other countries you are allowed to request transfers if you want a change.

Answer 7

The general public holds the military in high esteem. There are some who do not but I have a lot of lefty friends who are artists and not all together in the mind.
I am very proud of the men and women serving and would give a right testicle to be serving in Iraq with you. I am retired from the Army and, they apparently don't need me back.
Good Luck

Answer 8

I'm a military wife--and I've noticed that alot of civilians think that military members are uneducated people living off of meager salaries. They believe that people join the military cuz there isn't anything else out there. Wrong again, my husband CHOSE to be a soldier. It was his dream since he was a little kid.

It's sickening.. My husband has a degree and we live comfortably..

Answer 9

My father was screwed by the military so I don't like how its handled. Example, I threw away a letter addressed to me from West Point when I was, I think, 17 years old. I do respect most of the people that serve in the military, because intent is what matters.

Answer 10

most civilians do not like air force vets, maybe its because I like to email everyone and tell them I did four years in nebraska and have a DD214 I am so proud of it, I am framing it, to me it is better than the Medal of Honor because I did not really do anything to earn it. I am actually a disgrace to real air force vets and give them a bad name, now I pretend to be a cop.