thereisnoloveitsjustahoax:

Ok so today I just decided after my 8 years in the navy ill be getting out. I have decided to try my lucky in school so over this next year until I get out in may of 2014 ill be studying for my SATs and doing school. I have too much stuff for airsoft and I am gonna start selling it off to prepare for my life outside the navy. I’ll post a list if things and pictures of stuff I’m going to sell. Figured I’d let the tumblr airsoft community see if they want anything before I list them on eBay.

You are smart to plan ahead. If you don’t mind, there are a few tips I would like to pass on. Hit up the education center before you leave. If you can CLEP some knucklehead classes ahead of time that will be a good thing. If you know what you want to study you can check to see how many credits your military training and give you. I know a guy that got 35 credits towards his degree because of his job in the Navy. But he is an exception, not the rule.

Also, check GI Jobs for their list of military friendly schools. The University of Washington give 50% off in state tuition to vets for grad or undergrad but not both. If you use the FTA for guard or reserves, that could cover tuition which is a good thing.

Depending on where you are going to settle, consider the guard or reserves. More for having contact with fellow military people. I know some vets feel isolated after they get out and begin around other vets helps. There are some smart tips to joining the guard and reserves that i would be happy to pass on.

Take all the transition training you can to get your resume up to speed before getting out. The military has gotten a lot out of you, now is really your chance to get what it is offering to help you as you get out. This is not working the system, it is taking advantage of the opportunities that they provide.

Good luck to you and anyone else that is thinking of getting out. I hope you have success in your future endeavors. Feel free to hit me up to pick my brain if you have any questions.

There was a Star Trek the Next Generation episode about a planet that was in the middle of a war. They took volunteers and made them stronger, faster, smarter and the skills to survive. With these men, they won the war.

Right after the war was over, they didn’t like having those men around. Men that only wanted to live a normal life in the world they defended. Instead, the society wanted to put them in an isolated area far from everyone else and considered anyone that resisted a criminal.They also didn’t want to undo the damage they caused making those men into what they became.

A society that needed warriors to do the things most didn’t want to do and then wanted to do away with the warriors when they were no longer needed.

Not sure why I thought of that.

vetbookproject:

Is it like the movies? Like Blackhawk Down? Platoon? Saving Private Ryan? Mission Impossible? The Hurt Locker? Well, maybe not Mission Impossible, but veterans have heard this question over and over again. These examples come from a YouTube video produced last year during the “shit they say” fad. “Shit Civilians Say to Veterans” perfectly captures what it is like for many veterans talking about the military with civilians.

The relating military experience to what they have seen in movies is especially common, however, completely understandable. Most civilians, who do not have a family member or friend in the military, typically develop their understanding of the service through popular culture. The interesting thing about this is that some movies have perfectly captured individual elements of military life or culture, but no movie has perfectly captured it as a whole. However, generally speaking, it’s not like what you’ve seen in the movies.

Another topic the video touches on is the idea that everyone in the military is brainwashed or don’t think for themselves. “I could never been in the military, I can’t stand when people try to tell me what to do.” Because your boss at work doesn’t ever do that? Receiving an order from an NCO or Officer is similar to receiving an assignment from your supervisor; the consequences might be different but the general idea is the same. Also, the idea that everyone in the military is conformist is far divorced from reality. Members of the military have diverse opinions and interests.

No, convoys do not get blown up by IUD’s.

“You’re a Republican, right?” There is not a lot of data on how members of the military vote – but they’re not all Republican. In fact, the diversity of political views among military members reflects the diversity of the civilian population. One good measure of this is campaign contributions. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, in 2012 members of the military gave $947,338 to President Obama’s campaign, $753,691 to Mitt Romney’s campaign, and $401,333 to Ron Paul’s campaign. If anything, the contributions to the Paul campaign might show that military members might be more independent thinking that the average civilian voter.

Yes, it’s hot “over there.” But, it also snows over there. Kind of like, over here.

The worst question you could ask a veteran is if they “killed anybody.” More than likely they don’t want to tell you and you probably would rather not know. But, more importantly, this is something that if they want to talk about, it likely will not be with you. If they do talk about it with you, then feel grateful that they trust you that much and don’t try to act like you understand. Just be someone that listens. Try that – and there’s no telling what you might learn from a veteran.

“Convoys do not get blown up by IUDs” lol

This is pretty cool. When I got home from Afghanistan the first time, there was a gift certificate waiting for me at my favorite restaurant because my friend was a bartender there and she mentioned she sent me stuff and a veteran overheard. These gestures mean a lot.

vetbookproject:

On Combat Veterans

 

One of the most common questions I have been asked so far by veterans who are interested in sharing their stories is whether or not I am strictly looking for combat veterans. I find this to be an interesting question because implicit within the question is the idea that veterans that served in combat, meaning those veterans that received hostile enemy fire in some form or another and fired their weapon in anger, somehow have a more worthy story to tell or that their experiences are more valuable.

 

As a veteran who never served in combat, with the exception of my ship firing missiles at distance targets, I have a deep respect for my brothers and sisters who voluntarily put themselves in harm’s way. However, in modern warfare definition of who is a combat veteran has also changed, because in places like Iraq and Afghanistan the idea of a frontline is an antiquated notion. Now soldiers that would not be described as combat troops are exposed to the battlefield as well.

 

I do not distinguish one veterans service as more valuable or worthy of sharing from another. We all played our role. We all had our jobs. From the grunt to the supply office; from the medic to the intel analyst; from the maintenance crew to the cooks. Everyone had a job to do. Each job was important to the success of the unit.

 

To answer the question, I am not only looking for combat veterans. I am not looking to examine just the lives of a select group of veterans, but of all veterans. 

I always ask, Did you serve? Were you willing to go if called? Were you honorably discharged? You are a vet. Those that didn’t get deployed are lucky, but just as much a veteran as everyone else. I wrote about it here.

Every day I wake up knowing I will never deploy again, knowing that I don’t have to get up and do PT, knowing that I don’t have to spend all day at the range or ruck 20 miles with full ruck and gear. I will never sit around a black stove in a GP medium trying to stay warm and playing endless games of spades to pass the time. I’ll never fill another sandbag or hear the same dirty jokes over and over. Never again will I hear guys talk about their first hot meal at home while eating a cold MRE. I wake up every morning knowing I will never get to do any of those things again and think it is a crappy way to start the day. Some people wake up happy that they never had to do any of those things. They have no idea what they are missing.

Congrats, you hired a veteran. You have done more than just give a person a job, you have given back to a person that has given so much for their nation. While it can be difficult to join the military, it can be just as daunting to get out and face the…

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That an improperly displayed flag or a picture of a guy in airsoft gear can get more likesreblogs than a soldier that served in Afghanistan that is standing up to someone protesting against soldiers on a day set aside to remember those that served.

This is how you know you are full of bullshit. Look at who you follow and what you reblog. You won’t even support a soldier that is standing up against those that have their facts wrong and saying that the Taliban fighters are innocent civilians and protest on the day of remembrance.

For those that don’t know, a couple women protested against Canadian soldiers on Remembrance Day. Here is the perfect response. I know the guy, you should click the link.

Many companies have a policy to try to hire veterans. Some do it for the good PR, some because they want to support the soldiers coming home and other just want to hire someone that is disciplined, hardworking and reliable. However, despite the corporate…

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peachsss:

political-linguaphile:

This November 6th Tammy Duckworth became not just the first Asian American woman elected to Congress in Illinois, but this Iraq veteran will also be the first disabled woman elected to Congress.

One complete badass lady.

That’s what I call a hero.

Respect

militarymom:

Most Decorated Soldier of WWII, Audie Murphy

A proud day for me.

Please stop reblogging incorrectly displayed flags.