Military Personnel

[Marlon23]

Do you guys and girls ever get tired of all the "Support the Troops" messages? Does it ever get old? As a non Military person, I find it to be a bit much when we are always saying Support the Troops!! Give Money, Be all you can be.. etc... I am not saying anything negative about the people in Military, but Corporations and people who are receiving money from this I wonder where this money is truly going... I sometimes feel that Walmart other business are taking advantage of Patriotic emotions and making money?

[fredtoast]

Our military personnel deserve our respect.  But it is not like in the days of the draft when some of them were being forced to do it.  Everyone in the military today volunteered and agreed to take on all the responsibilities.  So we shouldn't feel compelled to give them more benefits above what they agreed to take to do the job.

I would never be able to do what they do.  That is why I never volunteered to do it.  But if I volunteered to do it I would not feel like I had the right to demand extra benefits above what I agreed to take for the job.  

But, that being said I have no problem with people doing extra or giving to support our troops.  Most of the actual foot soldiers are from the lowest socioeconomic status. People with money or who can get into college don't volunteer at very high rates.

[Marlon23]

(10-22-2015, 12:57 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Our military personnel deserve our respect.  But it is not like in the days of the draft when some of them were being forced to do it.  Everyone in the military today volunteered and agreed to take on all the responsibilities.  So we shouldn't feel compelled to give them more benefits above what they agreed to take to do the job.

I would never be able to do what they do.  That is why I never volunteered to do it.  But if I volunteered to do it I would not feel like I had the right to demand extra benefits above what I agreed to take for the job.  

But, that being said I have no problem with people doing extra or giving to support our troops.  Most of the actual foot soldiers are from the lowest socioeconomic status. People with money or who can get into college don't volunteer at very high rates.

I wish I had the skills to articulate what I am thinking, you just did it so nicely!!  

[Bengalzona]

Personally, I find it a bit annoying sometimes. Particularly when I sense that the person sending the message has some political agenda in saying it (which happens a lot). I find it less annoying if I feel the person saying it would say the same thing to an EMT or a fireman or even a teacher.

People thanked me with their tax dollars for 14 years. On some level, I should be thanking them.

[StLucieBengal]

Without those volunteers there would be a draft.

So yes I will thank and support the troops for making the sacrifice so the rest of us can go about our lives.

Besides its not lke they have great benefits, they get the worst medical care, have to risk major injury or potential mental disorders. I don't mind thanking a military member when I see them .

[Tiger Teeth]

(10-22-2015, 10:10 AM)Marlon23 Wrote: Do you guys and girls ever get tired of all the "Support the Troops" messages?

No.

[Johnny Cupcakes]

I'm not a big fan of the military as a whole, but the individual troops deserve the support of the people of this country, regardless if you approve of the job that they're tasked with or not.

Unfortunately, the military is only half about heroism. The other half is all about some terrorism.

[crispy]

(10-23-2015, 11:41 AM)Bengalzona Wrote: Personally, I find it a bit annoying sometimes. Particularly when I sense that the person sending the message has some political agenda in saying it (which happens a lot). I find it less annoying if I feel the person saying it would say the same thing to an EMT or a fireman or even a teacher.

People thanked me with their tax dollars for 14 years. On some level,  I should be thanking them.

As a veteran, I agree with most of this.  What I find more annoying is veterans who think they are owed something or should be treated different just because they served.  If you want to acknowledge and thank me for serving or get a discount somewhere, fine but I don't expect nor think I'm owed it.

[*bfine32*]

(10-23-2015, 01:45 PM)Tiger Teeth Wrote: No.

Pretty much this. Why would folks get tired on a Nation supporting its Troops? While you read this in the comfort of your home, there is someone on the other side of the world not. 

Do folks get tired of supporting their favorite sports team? 

[basballguy]

never enlisted, but spent first 18 years of my life on base. I have mixed feelings about it. I feel like being enlisted (which is mostly the people that get the recognition) doesn't mean the same thing it did 20 years ago. I don't know anyone that joined up because they wanted to...they joined because they had no other options. There's nothing honorable with that...they're lucky the military was there to bail them out of failing at life. Sure that's not all of them...so with that said...

What bugs me the most is (now that i live in a larger metropolitan area and military personnel aren't common), it totally annoys the shit out of me when i see some random dickwad see someone in uniform and say "hey soldier! Thank you!"....like really wtf are they thanking him for? People do that shit because they think they're supposed to. You want to thank them? Send care packages while they're deployed....don't do shit on the spur of the moment to impress your lady friend

[Cure4CF]

(10-23-2015, 01:45 PM)Tiger Teeth Wrote: No.

Agreed 100%

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

"Support the Troops" is to corporations what the lapel pin is to politicians and cable news talking heads.

[*jason*]

I wish we didn't have to support them... I wish they were home. 

[fredtoast]

(10-23-2015, 07:41 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Pretty much this. Why would folks get tired on a Nation supporting its Troops? While you read this in the comfort of your home, there is someone on the other side of the world not. 

Do folks get tired of supporting their favorite sports team? 

Just to clear up my comments.

I have no problem with people supporting the troops.  I only have a problem with individuals and/or corporations that preach about supporting the troops just to make themselves look better.

To me the best "support" we can give to the troops is go keep them at home where they won't get killed.  I know we have to have a powerful military to defend our interests, but we are currently using our military for many wrong reasons.

[*bfine32*]

(10-25-2015, 12:40 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Just to clear up my comments.

I have no problem with people supporting the troops.  I only have a problem with individuals and/or corporations that preach about supporting the troops just to make themselves look better.

To me the best "support" we can give to the troops is go keep them at home where they won't get killed.  I know we have to have a powerful military to defend our interests, but we are currently using our military for many wrong reasons.

I thought your earlier post was spot on. If anyone is looking to profit off the sacrifices made by our fighting men and women then they are the lowest form of scum. This includes many who claim to be active or veteran just to obtain certain support extended to our Troops. 

Nobody wants the Soldiers home more than the Soldier; however, most understand and gladly accept their obligation. 

[Bengalzona]

(10-23-2015, 09:48 PM)basballguy Wrote: There's nothing honorable with that...they're lucky the military was there to bail them out of failing at life.  

I could generally agree with most of your post. But I do not agree with this statement. The soldiers we have today are smarter and more professional than they have ever been. That may have had some truth following the Vietnam War, but it is not so true today.

[basballguy]

(10-25-2015, 02:17 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: I could generally agree with most of your post. But I do not agree with this statement. The soldiers we have today are smarter and more professional than they have ever been. That may have had some truth following the Vietnam War, but it is not so true today.

Being smarter and more professional is an era thing more than anything.  It doesn't change the fact that more people are enlisting because they have to and not because they want to.   There are genuinely good people that enlist because they have no choice....doesn't change the fact that they only enlisted because it was the last option available to them.  

I feel like people stopped making military a career move after the early 2000s....not saying i blame them....but it's a different type of person enlisting now than it was before.  

If you enlist because you have no other options, i respect the fact that you recognize you need to do something with your life....but it's not going to make me respect what you're perceived to represent.

And yes i know my comments here have nothing to do with the actual topic....forgive me...sore spot. 

[Harmening]

(10-23-2015, 06:26 PM)crispy Wrote: As a veteran, I agree with most of this.  What I find more annoying is veterans who think they are owed something or should be treated different just because they served.  If you want to acknowledge and thank me for serving or get a discount somewhere, fine but I don't expect nor think I'm owed it.

Bingo

[Marlon23]

(10-23-2015, 06:26 PM)crispy Wrote: As a veteran, I agree with most of this.  What I find more annoying is veterans who think they are owed something or should be treated different just because they served.  If you want to acknowledge and thank me for serving or get a discount somewhere, fine but I don't expect nor think I'm owed it.

Never thought to even consider what other Veterans felt towards other Veterans...  I see people holding signs all the time homeless veteran..  I honestly think to myself sometimes, wonder if they are a veteran.  This may be the dumbest question EVER but are there Veterans more qualified to be Veterans than others?  Is there a period of time you must be enrolled to be considered a Veteran?



***NOTE to posters....  this thread was not started to take away anything from Veterans it is more to do with the Corporate/Patriotic Money Making type of SUPPORT THE TROOPS!..  etc..  If we truly were supporting them why the VA such a mess and why isnt there more focus on mental illness etc..  I would like to know what percentage of Money actually goes toward those who are in need or those who govern over the organization that is promoting Support the TROOPS ETC..  Fred Nailed it.. in previous post..    And to Crispy Thanks!!

[*michaelsean*]

(10-25-2015, 08:50 PM)Marlon23 Wrote: Never thought to even consider what other Veterans felt towards other Veterans...  I see people holding signs all the time homeless veteran..  I honestly think to myself sometimes, wonder if they are a veteran.{/b]  This may be the dumbest question EVER but [b]are there Veterans more qualified to be Veterans than others?  Is there a period of time you must be enrolled to be considered a Veteran?  



***NOTE to posters....  this thread was not started to take away anything from Veterans it is more to do with the Corporate/Patriotic Money Making type of SUPPORT THE TROOPS!..  etc..  If we truly were supporting them why the VA such a mess and why isnt there more focus on mental illness etc..  I would like to know what percentage of Money actually goes toward those who are in need or those who govern over the organization that is promoting Support the TROOPS ETC..  Fred Nailed it.. in previous post..    And to Crispy Thanks!!

I'm not proud of myself, but sometimes during Reds games they will take a moment to honor a particular veteran.  One time it was a guy and he served from like '82 to '84, and I was like wtf?  I mean i admire anyone who served any time, but there had to be a "better" guy.