Just been watching a couple of episodes of PBS's "Carrier" a program about life in the navy. Glad I didn't join.

[steppinthrax]

http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/

So anyway, I'm 25 right now. I have a house, wife, 3yo daughter, my B.S. in computer science (almost M.S. as well) and a good job in IT.

When I was 17, I got brainwashed in the whole "Be all you can be" deal and thought it was a good idea to enlist into the US Navy. I went to a recruiter office and sat down with them. My dad is a Doctor, I was attracted to the whole 50K for college and GI bill and things like that. I later had an appointment to visit so I could sign the paper work. My dad intervened and paid a visit down there with them. I thought he was acting against my best interest.

Later one I heard things here and there about the military and the structure there. After watching Carrier on PBS I'm glad I never joined.

 

[heinz256]

So what kind of discouraging things does the show talk about?

 

[rocadelpunk]

any specific reasons...

 

[waggy]

well to be fair it is PBS. Often the articles/shows have anti-military anti-US slant.

 

[Corbett]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax
http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/

So anyway, I'm 25 right now. I have a house, wife, 3yo daughter, my B.S. in computer science (almost M.S. as well) and a good job in IT.

When I was 17, I got brainwashed in the whole "Be all you can be" deal and thought it was a good idea to enlist into the US Navy. I went to a recruiter office and sat down with them. My dad is a Doctor, I was attracted to the whole 50K for college and GI bill and things like that. I later had an appointment to visit so I could sign the paper work. My dad intervened and paid a visit down there with them. I thought he was acting against my best interest.

Later one I heard things here and there about the military and the structure there. After watching Carrier on PBS I'm glad I never joined.

 

[steppinthrax]

Originally posted by: heinz256
So what kind of discouraging things does the show talk about?

1. A lot of racism exist. A large majority of people in the military happen to be "good old boys" they speak racial slurs etc... Carrier indicates they are handled very seriouslly (i.e. 3 strikes your out). But this is on TV.

2. Very very different social structure that puts you on the lowest form of life for a long time. I guess it's understandable that you have ranking systems. But If you have a medical problem and an officer has a medical problem. The Officer is always in front of you in every way. They showed an example of a girl who had a tooth ache and pain and an officer who was going for a regular checkup. Both appeared the same time at the medical recepcinist. However, the E-2 happened to pop at the table first to talk to the medical staff about her problem. The officer came around her and simply said excuse me. Cut off the conversation about a potential medical problem and immediatley said "I'm comming in for my checkup uhhh with dr. xx". The medical staff immeditalty started helping him instead. Then when they were finished with the officer they went on with her. Afterwards they both sat down in waiting. The officer was picked first to go for his cleaning. While she waited for them to finish on him.

3. When I hear a lot of the E-1 to E-3 people talk. Their logic and intellegence is just lacking. I mean they make a lot of poor decisions that gets them in trouble. Constant fights, rude, etc.... These are the people you will live around under a ship for a long time.

4. You spend most of your time idle doing notthing. Or really doing notthing meaningfull. You spend time cleaning, cleaning and cleaning.

 

[Ramma2]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax

Originally posted by: heinz256
So what kind of discouraging things does the show talk about?

4. You spend most of your time idle doing notthing. Or really doing notthing meaningfull. You spend time cleaning, cleaning and cleaning.

A clean ship is a ship in fighting shape!

I wouldn't trade my time in the military for anything. It shaped me into a better person and put me on the path to success.

I am 29, have a house, a wife, 2 kids, a degree in IT and a great IT job.

Thank you Army!
(Not in the Army any more)

 

[Farang]

I think my cousin is your same age.. he was in a similar situation, except he joined. Then he got stop lossed. He considers it the worst decision of his life.

That said, I also was very close to joining the air force. I know it was a bad decision looking back, but the job I wanted was so damn cool (boommaster--the guy who aims the boom into a jet refueling mid-air) and I got to wear a flight suit.. maybe it would've turned out good.

 

[Svnla]

I saw this show on Sunday and last night, interesting group of people, lol @ the racist guy.... "just the way that I was raised"...how sad and narrowmind.

I did think about join the AF when I was just out of highschool.

A friend of a friend just got out of the AF told me to go to college and get a degree because college = officer >>>>>>> enlist.

Glad that I listened to him.

 

[Old Hippie]

It's the military. What do you expect? A bunch of budding Einsteins studying social etiquett?

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: Farang
I think my cousin is your same age.. he was in a similar situation, except he joined. Then he got stop lossed. He considers it the worst decision of his life.

That said, I also was very close to joining the air force. I know it was a bad decision looking back, but the job I wanted was so damn cool (boommaster--the guy who aims the boom into a jet refueling mid-air) and I got to wear a flight suit.. maybe it would've turned out good.

Actually, the best jobs to get in the military are the jobs that most people don't picture outright. Flying cargo planes instead of fighters means that when you get out of the military, you got a wealth of opportunities as a commercial pilot. After four years of driving a tank all you're qualified for is driving a bulldozer. That's why a friend of mine switched from being a tanker to flying an OH-58. When he gets out, helicopter pilots are higher paying

 

[Gibsons]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax
3. When I hear a lot of the E-1 to E-3 people talk. Their logic and intellegence is just lacking. I mean they make a lot of poor decisions that gets them in trouble. Constant fights, rude, etc.... These are the people you will live around under a ship for a long time.

Um... Okay.

 

[steppinthrax]

Originally posted by: Ramma2

Originally posted by: steppinthrax

Originally posted by: heinz256
So what kind of discouraging things does the show talk about?

4. You spend most of your time idle doing notthing. Or really doing notthing meaningfull. You spend time cleaning, cleaning and cleaning.

A clean ship is a ship in fighting shape!

I wouldn't trade my time in the military for anything. It shaped me into a better person and put me on the path to success.

I am 29, have a house, a wife, 2 kids, a degree in IT and a great IT job.

Thank you Army!
(Not in the Army any more)

Well that's why I would guess it depends on the person. I think depending on where you are in life. If you are performing pretty poorly and have no other options. I guess the military should be last resort.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax
Well that's why I would guess it depends on the person. I think depending on where you are in life. If you are performing pretty poorly and have no other options. I guess the military should be last resort.

I do know someone that got booted from the Army. Which takes effort. Suffice to say, he knows what the inside of a prison cell looks like.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax

Originally posted by: heinz256
So what kind of discouraging things does the show talk about?

1. A lot of racism exist. A large majority of people in the military happen to be "good old boys" they speak racial slurs etc... Carrier indicates they are handled very seriouslly (i.e. 3 strikes your out). But this is on TV.

I spent 4 years in the Navy, 1.5 of them aboard the USS Independence. There was no more or less racism in the Navy than there was in general society at the time and I find it doubtful that that has changed for the worse given that overall race relations in society are much better today than they were 25 years ago.

2. Very very different social structure that puts you on the lowest form of life for a long time. I guess it's understandable that you have ranking systems. But If you have a medical problem and an officer has a medical problem. The Officer is always in front of you in every way. They showed an example of a girl who had a tooth ache and pain and an officer who was going for a regular checkup. Both appeared the same time at the medical recepcinist. However, the E-2 happened to pop at the table first to talk to the medical staff about her problem. The officer came around her and simply said excuse me. Cut off the conversation about a potential medical problem and immediatley said "I'm comming in for my checkup uhhh with dr. xx". The medical staff immeditalty started helping him instead. Then when they were finished with the officer they went on with her. Afterwards they both sat down in waiting. The officer was picked first to go for his cleaning. While she waited for them to finish on him.

Welcome to the military. RHIP

3. When I hear a lot of the E-1 to E-3 people talk. Their logic and intellegence is just lacking. I mean they make a lot of poor decisions that gets them in trouble. Constant fights, rude, etc.... These are the people you will live around under a ship for a long time.

Yet somehow they manage to run and maintain a vessel the size of an aircraft carrier, launch and recover aircraft and keep them in the best working order possible despite "all those poor decisions". Perhaps looking in from the outside you are not exactly qualified to judge their decisions.

4. You spend most of your time idle doing notthing. Or really doing notthing meaningfull. You spend time cleaning, cleaning and cleaning.

The key to that is there isn't a lot of idle time. We worked 12 on 12 off shifts when we were at sea. Anytime flight ops were going on we had 20 minute windows to repair and turn around aircraft and have them ready for launch. That 20 minutes includes a large number of tasks to be performed by a group of people all at once and cooperation is essential otherwise we would be stepping all over one another. As for the cleaning someone needs to do it and once again RHIP applies. Don't want to swab and wax decks? Pass your rating exams and advance.

It sounds like for you personally you made the right decision but I can honestly say looking back that one of the only good decisions I made in high school was to join the Navy. I would not be where I am today without the things they taught me and the maturing that took place for me when I was in.

 

[Modelworks]

Having served in the Navy I can tell you that its something you have to experience to really understand.
A documentary is going to slant things the way the producer wants them to appear.

Racial slurs happen, but I can say that in the places I served we had every race there is.
There was never any race related problems.
We might make racial jokes at each other, but we all understood it was just jokes.
I don't remember anyone being upset by it.
You don't piss off people that might be covering your ass in a fight.

Social structure is of course different.
If someone higher rank does come into see a doc then I have seen them give them preference.
But is it really any different outside the military ?
If your in the ER with a toothache and the cities mayor walks in, who do you think they will put first ?

Logic and intelligence ?

I mean they make a lot of poor decisions that gets them in trouble. Constant fights, rude, etc.

As compared to any college campus ?



Spend your time doing nothing ?
Depends on what your job is.
Mine was school + daily duties
Way more than an 8 hour work day.


Personally I think everyone should do some short time in the military out of high school.
Maybe it would grow up some of these adult children.

 

[miniMUNCH]

Guys that work satcom in the Army or AF for 2-4 years make 100k+ in industry. I used to do some electrical work on a part time basis for a friend of mine who has service contracts with a couple of TV satcom stations in southern CA.

All the dudes working there were ex Army or AF satcom guys (no college degree... just 2-6 years in AF or Army) and all of them made 50-60+ USD per hour... that majority of the time they sat there in the control room and watched the sat TV channels. This was 10 years ago...

 

[DainBramaged]

I joined the Mens Department of the Navy.

 

[dainthomas]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax
http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/

So anyway, I'm 25 right now. I have a house, wife, 3yo daughter, my B.S. in computer science (almost M.S. as well) and a good job in IT.

When I was 17, I got brainwashed in the whole "Be all you can be" deal and thought it was a good idea to enlist into the US Navy. I went to a recruiter office and sat down with them. My dad is a Doctor, I was attracted to the whole 50K for college and GI bill and things like that. I later had an appointment to visit so I could sign the paper work. My dad intervened and paid a visit down there with them. I thought he was acting against my best interest.

Later one I heard things here and there about the military and the structure there. After watching Carrier on PBS I'm glad I never joined.

Seriously? They probably shot thousands of hours of footage and edited to show the most ignorant hillbillies (which you can find anywhere). I bet I could take the same original footage and edit it to show the exact opposite.

Originally posted by: steppinthrax
2. Very very different social structure that puts you on the lowest form of life for a long time. I guess it's understandable that you have ranking systems. But If you have a medical problem and an officer has a medical problem. The Officer is always in front of you in every way. They showed an example of a girl who had a tooth ache and pain and an officer who was going for a regular checkup. Both appeared the same time at the medical recepcinist. However, the E-2 happened to pop at the table first to talk to the medical staff about her problem. The officer came around her and simply said excuse me. Cut off the conversation about a potential medical problem and immediatley said "I'm comming in for my checkup uhhh with dr. xx". The medical staff immeditalty started helping him instead. Then when they were finished with the officer they went on with her. Afterwards they both sat down in waiting. The officer was picked first to go for his cleaning. While she waited for them to finish on him.

I'm trying to find the big problem with this example, I'm guessing it's something to do with having to wait an extra 20 minutes with a toothache. So? You've never had to wait at a dentist office? It's not like blood was jetting from her mouth or something. I never had issues with the medical care I received in the Navy, and in general found naval hospitals and on board medical staff to be very competent and professional.

I found my time in the Navy to be very rewarding, I met some great people and got to see places I never would have otherwise.

Perhaps you made the right decision for you, but don't try using some documentary as evidence.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: DainBramaged
I joined the Mens Department of the Navy.

Semper Fi!


While my career choice didn't offer many civilian job options, (not too many calls for a rifleman in the civilian world) I don't think I'd have traded it for anything.
It taught me a lot about myself and IMO, made me the asshole I am today. ;D;

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax

Originally posted by: heinz256
So what kind of discouraging things does the show talk about?

1. A lot of racism exist. A large majority of people in the military happen to be "good old boys" they speak racial slurs etc... Carrier indicates they are handled very seriouslly (i.e. 3 strikes your out). But this is on TV.

2. Very very different social structure that puts you on the lowest form of life for a long time. I guess it's understandable that you have ranking systems. But If you have a medical problem and an officer has a medical problem. The Officer is always in front of you in every way. They showed an example of a girl who had a tooth ache and pain and an officer who was going for a regular checkup. Both appeared the same time at the medical recepcinist. However, the E-2 happened to pop at the table first to talk to the medical staff about her problem. The officer came around her and simply said excuse me. Cut off the conversation about a potential medical problem and immediatley said "I'm comming in for my checkup uhhh with dr. xx". The medical staff immeditalty started helping him instead. Then when they were finished with the officer they went on with her. Afterwards they both sat down in waiting. The officer was picked first to go for his cleaning. While she waited for them to finish on him.

3. When I hear a lot of the E-1 to E-3 people talk. Their logic and intellegence is just lacking. I mean they make a lot of poor decisions that gets them in trouble. Constant fights, rude, etc.... These are the people you will live around under a ship for a long time.

4. You spend most of your time idle doing notthing. Or really doing notthing meaningfull. You spend time cleaning, cleaning and cleaning.

This is all bullshit. I was in the Navy and served on a nuclear aircraft carrier during Desert Storm. We did alot of meaningful things all day, every day. My work days were at least 18 hours long. When I wasn't operating the nuclear reactor I was doing maintenance on the instrumentation and controls involved in operating the nuclear reactor. And when I wasn't doing maintenance I was training or being trained.

Try to avoid overgeneralizing in the future. mmkay?

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: waggy
well to be fair it is PBS. Often the articles/shows have anti-military anti-US slant.

I've never seen a anti-military or anti-US slant on PBS. It's run by the government!

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Megatomic

Originally posted by: steppinthrax

Originally posted by: heinz256
So what kind of discouraging things does the show talk about?

1. A lot of racism exist. A large majority of people in the military happen to be "good old boys" they speak racial slurs etc... Carrier indicates they are handled very seriouslly (i.e. 3 strikes your out). But this is on TV.

2. Very very different social structure that puts you on the lowest form of life for a long time. I guess it's understandable that you have ranking systems. But If you have a medical problem and an officer has a medical problem. The Officer is always in front of you in every way. They showed an example of a girl who had a tooth ache and pain and an officer who was going for a regular checkup. Both appeared the same time at the medical recepcinist. However, the E-2 happened to pop at the table first to talk to the medical staff about her problem. The officer came around her and simply said excuse me. Cut off the conversation about a potential medical problem and immediatley said "I'm comming in for my checkup uhhh with dr. xx". The medical staff immeditalty started helping him instead. Then when they were finished with the officer they went on with her. Afterwards they both sat down in waiting. The officer was picked first to go for his cleaning. While she waited for them to finish on him.

3. When I hear a lot of the E-1 to E-3 people talk. Their logic and intellegence is just lacking. I mean they make a lot of poor decisions that gets them in trouble. Constant fights, rude, etc.... These are the people you will live around under a ship for a long time.

4. You spend most of your time idle doing notthing. Or really doing notthing meaningfull. You spend time cleaning, cleaning and cleaning.

This is all bullshit. I was in the Navy and served on a nuclear aircraft carrier during Desert Storm. We did alot of meaningful things all day, every day. My work days were at least 18 hours long. When I wasn't operating the nuclear reactor I was doing maintenance on the instrumentation and controls involved in operating the nuclear reactor. And when I wasn't doing maintenance I was training or being trained.

Try to avoid overgeneralizing in the future. mmkay?

Pot kettle, kettle pot...

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: Megatomic

Originally posted by: steppinthrax

Originally posted by: heinz256
So what kind of discouraging things does the show talk about?

1. A lot of racism exist. A large majority of people in the military happen to be "good old boys" they speak racial slurs etc... Carrier indicates they are handled very seriouslly (i.e. 3 strikes your out). But this is on TV.

2. Very very different social structure that puts you on the lowest form of life for a long time. I guess it's understandable that you have ranking systems. But If you have a medical problem and an officer has a medical problem. The Officer is always in front of you in every way. They showed an example of a girl who had a tooth ache and pain and an officer who was going for a regular checkup. Both appeared the same time at the medical recepcinist. However, the E-2 happened to pop at the table first to talk to the medical staff about her problem. The officer came around her and simply said excuse me. Cut off the conversation about a potential medical problem and immediatley said "I'm comming in for my checkup uhhh with dr. xx". The medical staff immeditalty started helping him instead. Then when they were finished with the officer they went on with her. Afterwards they both sat down in waiting. The officer was picked first to go for his cleaning. While she waited for them to finish on him.

3. When I hear a lot of the E-1 to E-3 people talk. Their logic and intellegence is just lacking. I mean they make a lot of poor decisions that gets them in trouble. Constant fights, rude, etc.... These are the people you will live around under a ship for a long time.

4. You spend most of your time idle doing notthing. Or really doing notthing meaningfull. You spend time cleaning, cleaning and cleaning.

This is all bullshit. I was in the Navy and served on a nuclear aircraft carrier during Desert Storm. We did alot of meaningful things all day, every day. My work days were at least 18 hours long. When I wasn't operating the nuclear reactor I was doing maintenance on the instrumentation and controls involved in operating the nuclear reactor. And when I wasn't doing maintenance I was training or being trained.

Try to avoid overgeneralizing in the future. mmkay?

Pot kettle, kettle pot...

 

[jpeyton]

Be glad you didn't join the Army either.