Ok, let's try this for fun.

Just out of curiosity, let's see how many of us have served in any given country's military. What country, branch, dates, rank obtained, what one liked the best, hated the most, why joined, etc. If this has already been done, my apologies as being a newer member, I might have missed this.

I served in the United States Air Force
My dates of service were from 12-20-1974 to 12-20-1980.
My highest rank achieved was sergeant ( three stripes ).
I liked the ability to fly on Heuy helicopters the best, hated kp duty the most.
I joined for the adventure, but also to get the educational benifits available afterwards to attend school provided I didn't want to make the military a career, which I did not do.

Anyone else wish to chime in?

Bill

Does Cadets count? I plan on joining up so I will bump this thread in a year or so. Don't worry Bill, I do not think it has been done before in this way though many members have already told us something of their military career, Kai, Urqh, Bish (obviously) and Andreas to name a few.

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There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

I have never served, but my Father, Grandfather and Great Granfather all served.

My Dad was in The R.E.M.E. (Sorry, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers, Britsh Forces) and made Sargeant. (Germany, Libya, Aden, & Cyprus. 1952-1965)

My Grandfather was in The Royal Artillary and made Regimental Sargeant Major. (served in India pre 1939. He never talks about the war so I don't know what he did then.)

My Great Grandfather was in the Royal Sussex Regiment 1892-1918. (Most P***ed off they wouldn't have him back for the second war,but he was 59 when it started.) Made sargeant three times . Got MM in 1916. Trying to find out what action this was for.

[ 07. June 2003, 12:19 PM: Message edited by: KmPok ]

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"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." --Voltaire

"Let justice be done though heaven should fall." - - Lucius Calpurnius

I never served but my father and great uncle have served.

My dad in the army on a B-52 base during the Cuban Missle Crisis.

My uncle was killed in Korea a few days before his 24th birthday. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions.

Greg

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"There are times when a Corps Commander's life does not count"
-General Winfield Scott Hancock at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863

Im planning to sign up for the Navy in a year or so. But my Uncle (who is American) served during the first Gulf War, my Grandfather was in National Service, my Aunt was in service (don't know which branch), Ive got a few friends who are in their phase 2 training and i have a mate who served in Northern Ireland. My Great Uncle and two of my great grandfathers served in WW2.

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And when he gets to heaven
To Saint Peter he will tell
One more soldier reporting sir
I have served my time in hell

I tried to go Army but--I was not let in because of having one lung that I breath with--the other lung is almost collapsed. Anyway--they did not let me in because of my Asthema and Emphizema.

I tried to go Air Force too but--had the same results.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Well, I had the idea of joining the German Army last year (and I still take it as a posibility) and getting into the military academy (of course I don't want to be an enlisted men or NCO) [img]tongue.gif[/img] But it turned out that I live in another country are already practically 'married' and my opera career is going very good...

My grandfather from my mother's side was a captain in the British Army and served there since 1908 until 1918 I think, then his son, my uncle, served in the US Navy during the Korean war in a destroyer.

And my grandparents from my father's side, one was a lieutenant colonel in the German Army and a sniper 1936-1945 and his wife served in the Luftwaffenhelferinnenschaft.

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

Cadets so far. Didn't pass Officer test on Friday unfortunately, so i have to wait 6 months until I can re-sit it.
My Grandfather served in WW2, and was captured by the Japanese and was held in dreadful conditions in Changi for 3 years.
Another family friend served in the British Merchant Marine in WW2-all over the high seas.

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"GARRY OWEN"-Traditional war-cry of the US 7th Cavalry.
"CURRAHEE"-War-cry of the US 506th PIR.
"Everybody thinks that they are going to get the chance to punch some Nazi in the face at Normandy-and those days are over, they are long gone"-Lt Chris Burnett

My Mother and Father was in the RAF, my brother is currently serving within the REME, both my grandparents served in World War II and I'm also told I have a Redcoat anceator - who died in some battle in American. (The end one in The Patriot) But this is not confirmed and frankly i don't believe it, but would be cool if it was ey ? :-D

I'm to join the Royal Anglian Infantry aswell

A few years ago you had to join the army for 1 year, but they canceled this. So I have never done military service and I'm glad that I didn't had to do this.

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They SHOULD institute this in the U.S.! Thus making a person either a Citizen or a civilian.

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Yeah, then the next step is to find a planet inhabited by insects to attack for no apparent reason and torture. Hmm, this seems somehow familliar.

I do sort of agree though, national service is a good idea in some places but over here I doubt it would work. The British Army is excellent because it is a professional army, as someone in 'Yes Minister' said, 'we don't want to fill the ranks up with a load of amateurs.'

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There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

Hear, Hear, Stefan.

My sentiments, exactly. Let those that want to fight volunteer. You get a far better army that way.

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"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." --Voltaire

"Let justice be done though heaven should fall." - - Lucius Calpurnius

Did my duty for my country between January 9th 1996 and November 29th 1996.

I served at first with infantry (branch: guerilla warfare(?!)) and later on as medical officer student and cadet, finally getting the rank of second lieutenant.

Joined the NATO-SFOR on 4th January 1997 In Bosnia Doboj, rank for the mission at the time captain. On 16th December 1997 I left NATO forces and joined UN troops in Macedonia near Skopje. A month later received promotion to Major for one year´s service in the Balkans.

I enjoyed most the "war games" and getting to shoot with all kinds of weapons. As well I learned what horrible things weapons are. And in Bosnia I learned what cruel weapons mines are.

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I salute you, Kai. You are a far braver man than I.

Although the editor in me points out that, by the dates you give in your post you served less that a year. I suspect you came out of the forces in november 1998 ? [img]redface.gif[/img]

[ 09. June 2003, 05:55 PM: Message edited by: KmPok ]

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"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." --Voltaire

"Let justice be done though heaven should fall." - - Lucius Calpurnius

KmPok,

actually in Finland the service time for officers-to-be was 11 months in 1996.

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Country: Germany (West)

Branch: Air Force, Staff Service FlaRak Btn. (HAWK) Never saw one flying.

Dates: way back in the 80s where the Commie was still lurking and military service was over a year

Rank: Stabsgefreiter

liked the best: the 1,000 opportunities a day to have "dolce vita" and getting a healty coloring and the many stupid things 20-year-old boys are doing if bored...

hated the most: the complete moron superiors who happen to think they are more "intelligent" or should have my respect just because they didn't find a job and joined the Army as a last resort

why joined: drafted

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"Gentlemen! You can't fight in here, this is the War Room!"
(President Merkin Muffley in "Dr. Strangelove")

Stefan- I believe the Citizen vs. Civilian role dates back further than some B rate h-wood flop. Historically, the Spartans instituted the obligatory necessity of its male populace being inducted into military ranks as the start of a young mans citizenship.

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To be honest it started long before the Spartans, but the only place I have seen military service as a requirement for citizenship (other than for slaves/ruled peoples) is the movie. With the Spartans military service for males was not a requirement for citizenship really as it was compulsory and everyone was a citizen. Actually the Spartan system was fantastic, force everyone to become a soldier, live in barracks and so on. Make your society like one huge army (though obviously not everyone would be a 'soldier', there would be artisans, tradesmen and so on). Then you try to control reproduction, once you can control the basic instinct, the urge to mate, you can control the rest according to Orwell and I think the Spartans were working on it. Anyhow, back to the topic...

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There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

was in the process of joining the Canadian Military, until I wrecked my shoulder. Now it's put off until after my surgery

DUCE

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"Tolerance has never brought civil war; intolerance has covered the earth with carnage" Voltaire
"War is the fruit of man's depravity; it is a convulsive and violent sickness of the body politic.." Diderot

I'll start on July 3 in Fort Sill (basic training) in the U.S. Army. Can't wait!!

Currently a PFC in the U.S. Army. Nothing spectacular..should make Staff Sergeant by the time my 6 years in the Massachusetts Army National Guard are up.

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"May God have mercy upon my enemies because I won't."
~ General Patton

"O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.."

"Born to fight, Trained to kill
Ready to die but never will..."

Ahhhh, yes, I remember it well.....

There I was once, a young boy growing up on "Combat", the t.v. show, "Rat Patrol", "Twelve O'Clock High", and "McHale's Navy". Plastic green Allied soldiers and gray Axis ones from the Sears Christmas catalog. G.I. Joe dolls dotted about.

A few years later, model World War II airplanes hung from the ceiling with care, suspended by my mother's sewing thread. German tank models on my window sill.

Even later, age 17 and a half, enough credits to graduate high school, and after signing up for the U.S. Air Force, I too couldn't wait to get in. That is, until the D.I.'s began their scream and shout, in your face, 0500, get 'em up cheerleading routine!

Yeah, I couldn't wait either. But you know what? I wish you nothing more than hot chow, dry socks, toothpaste, a cleanly shaved head, and the opportunity to have the memories of a lifetime.

Bill