Soldier of Fortune

[manuva]

A mate that I served with was kicked out of the FFL after bashing one of his section members senseless. He was a good guy. He said the FFL isn't as violent as it used to be, but you'll still get knocked around a little. It's all good tho.

sifer you sound like you haven't a clue what you're talking about. Getting paid? Buying your own weapons? These are not the questions of someone looking seriously at signing up.

As crowes says, your fitness level now will count for nearly nothing. It's one thing being able to run a couple of miles in runners and shorts. It's another thing entirely to live in the wilderness for 3 weeks, without showering, sleeping 4 hours on a good night, being wet constantly and patrolling 30 or 40 km a day with 40kg on your back and rifle or gun in your arms.

Those are some of the physical stresses. And that is the easy part. It's the psychological stress that will challenge you.

Anybody joining a respected infantry unit and expecting a cake-walk is in for a nasty surprise.

 

[crowes22]

Originally posted by manuva
As crowes says, your fitness level now will count for nearly nothing. It's one thing being able to run a couple of miles in runners and shorts. It's another thing entirely to live in the wilderness for 3 weeks, without showering, sleeping 4 hours on a good night, being wet constantly and patrolling 30 or 40 km a day with 40kg on your back and rifle or gun in your arms.

Those are some of the physical stresses. And that is the easy part. It's the psychological stress that will challenge you.

Anybody joining a respected infantry unit and expecting a cake-walk is in for a nasty surprise.

So true, what this guy wrote. It's great to be in shape, but a cakewalk, ...........I'm afraid not. You have a ton of drill and marching and weaponry and a million other things to master on top of being starving and sleep deprived. Before, I thought I knew what it meant to be tired and hungry. I couldn't have been more wrong. I remember falling asleep at parade rest I was so wiped out.

I knew I was walking into hell, and I still wasn't ready, but I still reccomend it. You are going to need to learn to swim BTW for any of these elite groups and score well on the aptitude battery too.

 

[sifer]

I have a question, instead of starting a new one, thought I might post here.

I've been thinking..

Lately, I've asked questions to those who has been in the Marines and those who are just knowledgeable.

Many have told me, "go ask the recruiter", "go talk to the recruiter", my question is, why?

If for example, you have served the Marines, the rules you follow must be the same rules that I must follow, right? So why would you telling me what would happen would be any different from what the recruiter would tell me?

For example, if I said, "can I skip a week of swimming for medical reasons", I've been told, "go ask your recruiter". Does this means that if the recruiter says that I can skip it, I can skip it?

Some Marines have told me, yes, some no, most "ask your recruiter". Why is that? Do they have the authority to add or remove anything to the contract?

Can the recruiter bend or change the laws or regulations of the Marines to tailor it to a particular individual?

If I said, "for this reason, I must skip the week of swimming" or "because of my religion, I must fast..." or whatever else, they say, "ask your recruiter". Why?

Even their direct website says so; from marines.com

My religion requires me to follow fasting guidelines at certain times. Is this a problem?
[...] Talk with your recruiter [...]

 

[iqqi]

Originally posted by sifer
The army training is going to be easy, the Marines training will definitely be a walk in the park for me.

I heard that all marines are nuts. If they weren't that way before, they get that way quick. Hope that helps!!!

 

[Dust 2 Dust]

Recruiters will tell you whatever you want to hear. They have something called a quota that they must meet every month or else they lose their job. Their promises are about as thin as the piece of paper you enlist on.

Recently the army had a "stand down" to review it's recruiting policies after a high school boy recorded recruiters flat out lying to him and then he exposed their BS to the media.

Mark my words, YOU WILL GO STRAIGHT TO IRAQ and used as cannon fodder after you enlist. Bush is also trumping up wars in Iran and Syria and the only way we can stop this militant behavior is by people like you and me refusing to serve.

Didn't any of see the film clip of the boy that Marine Drill Sergeants let drown to death during a training exercise?? This alone is enough to make me never want to join.

 

[TesuqueRed]

Dude - let's basic facts straight. For fun, we'll call them "reality".

Reality is that innate disability is just that: innate disability. Hearing is crucial in any and all combat situations and will probably keep you out of most combat arms before you even begin thinking of specialty arms.

Props to you for trudging on regardless of innate disability. I mean that -- I didn't get a hint of whining reading your stuff.

Reality is that specialty service arms isn't something (regardless of desire) you simply opt into -- the military gets the pick of the litter from the regular forces. I doubt they will even consider candidates prior to proving yourself in the regular forces (like making it through basic.)

Reality is that the officer corps in all the services will take superior candidates who will not go through basic training. They go through something else. These superior candidates will graduate from high school and qualify for admittance to the top schools across the country. Their choice will be for West Point, Annapolis or the Air Force Academy. Graduating high school with very good grades is imperative.

Due to the current recruiting situation, the regular forces may figure some way around the lack of a high school degree. They need bodies. It may be getting bad enough that they may make exceptions for innate disability, but -- my personal opinion -- probably not. You won't know till you apply.

Soldier of Fortune stuff -- you can get a job anywhere anytime with any two-bit bush colonel who will pay you didly squat and give you a rusty hunk of metal he calls a gun. If you're looking for a professional sub-contractor somewhere you will likely require some years of successful professional military experience elsewhere first. I doubt they take rookies except as mess help. The professional sub-contractors will spot posers and inexperienced wet-behind-the-ears rooks before you even finish walking up to them.

I perceive (rightly or wrongly) a slight disdain for in your post for most things regular service. Imho - go back and finish high school and deal with your issues for leaving it. Before this badly-chosen decision to go to Iraq, the US military got to be pretty selective who they would take. That's changed. After the HS degree you can make a decision to try for military experience or continue with college.

I have yet to meet someone who went through army basic or paris island that found it easy, routine or fun. Your judgement of your ability here is :crackup:

 

[sifer]

Originally posted by TesuqueRed
It may be getting bad enough that they may make exceptions for innate disability, but -- my personal opinion -- probably not. You won't know till you apply.

Interesting, this is something I didn't know. So basically, you're answering my last question by telling me they can change the "laws".

Imho - go back and finish high school and deal with your issues for leaving it.

I left because I wanted to, literally.

And I have no desire to finish it because I don't need it.

After the HS degree you can make a decision to try for military experience or continue with college.

Nope, what I was planning to do was to work in the military to get certain experience that is needed for professional bodyguarding, or something around those levels and I doubt being "Regular" will get you there.

I have yet to meet someone who went through army basic or paris island that found it easy, routine or fun.

I don't know about you but everyday I see Marines since there's a recruiting center right near my house; some have told me they hated it and that it was too hard, some loved for it and said it was fun and easy.

Your judgement of your ability here is :crackup:

What do you mean?

 

[DrBeard]

Yo cross me and I'll go to war on yo azz but I aint giving up my life to be bummed and shot by a load of men cos my govenment has a argument with some arab dudes. And I aint gonna go shooting and blowing up some ppl I got nothing against!

 

[TesuqueRed]

Imho - go back and finish high school and deal with your issues for leaving it.

I left because I wanted to, literally.

And I have no desire to finish it because I don't need it.

After the HS degree you can make a decision to try for military experience or continue with college.

Nope, what I was planning to do was to work in the military to get certain experience that is needed for professional bodyguarding, or something around those levels and I doubt being "Regular" will get you there.
________________________
My last post on this - I get the sense you won't get this.

Things have changed in the country over the last 50 years. In 1950 a HS degree counted and a college degree was an advanced degree.

Somewhere between now and then a HS didn't count for what it used to count for -- it was devalued, if you will, which doesn't mean you can ditch it. It means that if you can't or don't get it -doesn't matter, anyone you meet will see the 2 as the same - you are considered rightly (usually) or wrongly (rarely) as of limited value, limited capability, and, frankly, as an uneducated idiot.

No shyt that last - I've met a fair number of immigrants and border jumpers with more education than you've got. Who's more valuable to the country and the economy: you or them? Them.

A college degree is what a HS degree once was.
A post-grad degee is what a college degree once was.

Failure to get a HS degree is like failure to move beyond junior high (or middle school as they now call it.)

As of 2 years ago, failure to get a HS degree probably meant you weren't worth it to a regular service, any service, for taking on. And it you weren't worth it to a regular service, you damn sure ain't worth it to one of the advanced units.

Because of the current situation, you may just make it into a regular unit as they might make allowances now. But you won't get into an advanced unit - not until you can at least handle yourself in a regular outfit as a barely-qualified candidate who can't even get a HS degree.

Keep in mind they'll probably put you into a special education class and get your sorry @ss up to spec to a low-grade HS degree -- :crackup:

As for professional body-guarding -- what I'm saying is that if you can't even qualify for basic stuff, like finish HS, get in regular army, etc., no one will likely take a chance on you by any other route.

Frankly, you likely barely qualify for the local police force. I don't think you do w/o a HS degree, and they often require more study in local cc colleges if not more.

You probably can get into bodyguarding via studying martial arts etc and hire onto various security companies. Maybe.

You'll probably have to work as a construction grunt for a long time before that. That's all anyone will see you as good for.

anyway dude, good luck
check back in 10 and let us know how it goes

 

[DJDamage]

Interesting FFL documentary:

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?do...192&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

 

[Play the Game]

Why not just join Blackwater and be a real mercenary?

 

[Fred Da Head]

TesuqueRed,

I hate to say it, because your post was pretty good, but you're probably wasting your time. The kid obviously has no idea whatsoever what he's talking about and is living in some kind of dream world. I hate to say it, but people like him are the reason the military has a bad rep. Anyways, good on you for trying to educate him a little bit, I'm just doubtful as to the effectiveness of that.

 

[mpimpin]

wow someone dug this one out of a grave

 

[iqqi]

TesuqueRed,

I hate to say it, because your post was pretty good, but you're probably wasting your time. The kid obviously has no idea whatsoever what he's talking about and is living in some kind of dream world. I hate to say it, but people like him are the reason the military has a bad rep. Anyways, good on you for trying to educate him a little bit, I'm just doubtful as to the effectiveness of that.

This post is years old, lol!

Everying thing Tesuque says is gold. Where is he these days!?!?!?

 

[Fred Da Head]

Holy ****, I didn't even look at the date. And to think I'm usually the one hitting people over the head when they do that. See, that's what procrastination and over-caffeination does to people!

I will now bow down and retire quietly to a life of writing and eating madeleines dipped in tea.