I'll peel back the curtain quick: anything above an O3 and an E7 and I generally don't trust it.

From me experience, that is painfully accurate

Post grad degrees and dinner parties with Congressmembers and Presidents

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Has anyone seen a GO/FO push back against proposed Compressional mandates flipping the military on its head?  I sure haven’t, but I don’t watch as much news as I used to.  

I just assume all senior officers drink the Kool Aid after being vetted by Congress prior to promotion to O-7, and conservative white Christian males need not apply (or express opinions that contradict progressive values).

Im saying that appears to be *YOUR* definition of "Patriot".
In the early 2000s, what today is called the "MAGA" movement... was called the "Patriot movement".

Thats where the name comes from. Is it cringe. Yeah. You're accusing me of being a quitter, but then saying I should change my username because its stupid. How is that not the same thing? How is that not just "running away from my past" if I do that?

"Patriot" is a reference to a set of ideals, and political ideology... to call oneself that was to mean you aligned with those principles and believe in them.
My definition of a "Patriot" at the time, was anyone who was against open borders, for national sovereignty, for the RKBA and the Constitution as a whole.
That was a definition that was commonly used.... and honestly *STILL USED* by many people today.

There are Servicemen who are literal Communists. Servicemen who oppose the RKBA. Are they "Patriots" according to you?
Is Lon Horiuchi a "patriot"?

Seems many have forgotten the DUTY to remain apolitical.

I agree wholeheartedly with this.

I never said to change your name. In fact, I mentioned that you are so irrelevant that even after 18 years on this site nobody would notice if you did anyway.  But, kudos to you for letting everybody know you are a patriot, because nobody would ever be able to infer that through your deeds.



I didn't realize I was committed to characterizing groups of a million plus people as either one or the other.  Probably because I am not.

However, character is defined by many things. Service to one's country is a pretty strong indicator of patriotism, and statistically a decent waterline. It may take a deeper dive to identify that character.  We still have no reference point as to your character outside of your self-identified username combined with the fact that you are a lifelong quitter on both your personal goals and your country as a whole.

With the known information it's not looking good for you bud, as I'm sure you can figure out from the tone of the thread.

To be fair, our merchant fleets were being raided by Muslim Pirates/Terrorists. Americans were being captured, and sold into slavery. IIRC, didn't these pirates/terrorists also castrate a lot of them too?

I say Terrorists, because their motivations were not *PURELY* economic... they had religious/political reasoning behind their piracy... which IMHO makes them terrorists as well.
We did not go to war in North Africa to defend allies, or to intervene in a conflict that did not involve us. It was a direct attack on American trade.

A reminder that the "Founding Fathers" were not homogeneous in thoughts and ideals. Broad strokes are very limited when discussing them in any depth. It's further complicated if you analyze writing pre revolution, from the revolution and post revolution. Many changed their thinking as the struggles and realities of governing came to be.

Thats basically what I'm saying. Though really I wasn't so much referring to the senior levels of the military, but rather the civilian government that pushes it.
Seeing as you've served... how true is it that at higher ranks, you pretty much can't get any more promotions unless you play ball ideologically with those progressives you refer to? At what rank does that typically become an issue?

I know people have said the same thing about Law Enforcement... that at a certain rank... it stops being merit based and more politics based.

You see, in General Washington's day  you had to stand to reload your musket, making a standing army indispensably necessary. Today it's never necessary for the Army to stand.

The Founding Fathers were against Globo Homogenous.

They were a strictly locally-sourced, raw milk, crew.

Previously, you even said that even if I *DIDN'T QUIT*.... and kept fighting to join, and kept harassing anyone I could to get a waiver. Working my ass off... and *STILL FAILED*... you'd still call me a piece of shit.
Heck if I *DIED* trying to join the military... you'd call me a piece of shit for dying.

I made a PRACTICAL and REALISTIC assessment of my injury, based on what VASCULAR SURGEONS TOLD ME. Not just one, mind you. You didn't even leave the door open for the possibility that I could ever be anything other than a quitter other than actually getting into the military. That even if I spent decades trying to get in, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for additional surgeries to try and fix the problem... applied for waiver after waiver. Even if I did all that. You readily admit, that you *STILL* would consider me a quitter and a failure.

I have ZERO idea what complications arose from your GSW to the stomach. For all I know, its 24/7 torture. Hell on earth just to exist. OR, it could literally be no lasting effects. OR Anything in between.. I have no idea. I'd be a *MASSIVE ASSHOLE* to tell *YOU* what you're limitations are or arent. But you know more than my doctors. You know more than me.

And all this, just because I criticized the US Government.
I'm sorry. Its a good thing the borders are open. Its a good thing that the government is pushing the idea that little kids should go through gender transition.
Its a GOOD thing that our leaders want to ban our guns, and have European style speech restrictions. No criticism should ever come out of my mouth, because *I FUCKED UP WHEN I WAS 19 YEARS OLD*

You've said already that I'm irredeemable, and worthless and never amount to anything, all because I didn't exhaust every avenue to try and get in the military. FFS, you even said that even if I exhausted every possibility... and *STILL* failed... I'd still just be an irredeemable loser just for failing.

ALL THIS BECAUSE I CRITICIZED THE GOVERNMENT.
FUCK OFF

Schmoozing with politicians who hold the power of the purse among other things is a challenge.

I myself was never swayed by professors including one who openly admitted to lowering my grade due to my politics {she openly pushed what we describe as woke today back in the 1990s including hating on white males in the classroom at the California university system rather than teach her subject matter} but apparently some people are more open to that influence.

Which seems odd to me given most of the people I saw attending undergrad courses were just going thru the motions to obtain a piece of paper for employment.

I’ll admit here I don’t have much exposure to todays college coursework after 9/11

“It’s my passion. I’m following my passion.”

During the course of executing that war, US forces aligned with the Swedish Navy.

At the time some including Jefferson advocated to establish joint forces with other nations opposed to the North African Muslim forces. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/barbary-wars

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Then there was the French and British impressment of US sailors. As listed in the articles posted Madison considered war against France. The French and British ignored US neutrality and demanded the USA pick a side or be considered their enemy and a valid target of their navies.

Originally all we wanted to do was trade and not be involved in the affairs of Europe or North Africa but that was not acceptable to those regions.

Believe it or not, whatever you imagine goes on in the day-to-day of military units, just isn't reality.  Politics are hardly ever discussed, at least not to the extent anybody is pushing any agenda.  LGBTQBBQWTF isn't a thing anybody cares about - I think in my 300+ member squadron we have 1 gay guy and one chick who thinks she is a they/them.  They do their job and nobody cares.  People are just focused on doing their job.  And senior military leaders are hardly any different than corporate leaders.  If you care about promotion you check your professional boxes, you do what your boss says, and you don't flip over the apple cart.

How many foreigners have you imported to the US?

Heck. I had a med waiver to enlist, and another to get a commision, and another to go to USNA, and another to graduate, and another med wavier to go to flight school but, when I applied to medical school through the navy, I got rejected for commision due to a medical condition.  I got said letter delivered to me, named by my rank (O-3 at the time), at my squadron APO address where I was on deployment as an active duty NFO.  Think about that for a second.

I took that letter straight to the CO's office and said did that mean I could just go home right now and he laughed and told me to go back to work.  It got sorted. The most ironic portion of the story is that the office of the guy who denied me was literally down the hall from the office of guy who granted the waiver in the first place.

https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/quasi-war/#:~:text=The%20Quasi%2DWar%2C%20which%20at,moment%20for%20the%20United%20States

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This is why we need more good people in government.

When people here scoff at getting a government job and thump their chest and say they're some icon of private industry that's all good and fine..but who do we want making rules at the local level?

Ron Swanson or an "ivy league" idiot who moved to small town America for the low cost of living?

I'll take Ron Swanson, everyday.

We have been fighting a school bond here in my city for the last 3 years. It was defeated 2 years in a row and they finally passed it this month.

I'll repeat the highlights: We need more good people in government

https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/quasi-war.html

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No, it's because you are trying to lecture us on things you don't understand, like our own jobs.  

Then you trash talk us and our jobs, a job which you readily admit you would have taken had you been good enough to...but weren't.

Then you have the additional balls to lecture everyone about patriotism when that is definitely not an attribute you have ever exhibited in your life, outside of self designating it in your username.

You have definitely earned every bad thing that has happened to you both inside this thread and out.  You are an actual caricature of the zero information, no motivation, and easily manipulated lowest common denominator.

The most viable accomplishment you have ever made is calling someone a libtard on the internet, but please....continue your ted talk for all of us.

A few “peers” of mine over the years would jump at the opportunity to schmooze with politicians and flag officers. I never could bring myself to do the same and only attended such events when directly instructed to. Fortunately that was a rare event as my disdain was readily apparent and others always wanted the opportunity. I’m happy to report none of them got a star either (but not for lack of trying)

That's not why he's telling you that.

I have to agree.  The only reason why Stalin's long march through American institutions has succeeded is because we "conservative/constitutionalist/whatever we call us" acquiesce time over time. We give up the battle space, they move in and take over, and then we bitch about them controlling the battlespace.  We need, and should encourage, good people into government, academia, military, LEO, etc.

Wait a minute, you people lied to your recruiter about drug use and asthma?

I was criticizing the US Government and specifically... its leaders.

Seriously... are you General Milley? Is that why you're taking this so personal?
You readily admitted, that even if I had done *EVERYTHING POSSIBLE* and still failed,... then it still shows what a worthless piece of shit I am.

Please. Tell me what I should do to redeem myself? OR do you think I'm beyond redemption? Go ahead. Say what you want.

Do you take issue with me saying that a soldier or government agent, who supports trampling the US constitution and stripping people of the 2A Rights ... wouldn't count as being a "patriot"?
Its not a controversial thing to say, that if you support taking away people's 2A rights, for example... then you disqualify yourself as a Patriot. How can someone being in favor of violating the 2nd amendment... be a "Patriot"?

Yeah, you're right.
Another big problem, is that leaders on our own side... even when they get into a position of power... they refuse to use it regain any fucking ground. In fact, "Extremism"... according to some "Conservatives" and Lefties... is any Conservative who actually refuses to compromise.

Totally agree. I just wish the type that would generally seek those jobs were good people.

And with bleeding stretch marks too.

It's true.  Normal red blooded Americans are busy doing jobs that accomplish things - being a farmer, engineer, welder, cop, teacher, doctor, mom, etc. and just want to be left alone.  Shitheads more often want to be bureaucrats, administrators, and politicians because they're lazy and power hungry to impose their beliefs on others.

Lol.  My medical records still say I smoked pot "about 5 times around 1990".  The Dr. at MEPS looked at me like I was a space alien when I told him and I'm like "what, you asked, it was over 5 years ago so XYZ regulation says it's OK".  He shrugged, signed my shit, and off I went!  30+ years later and the notes in my retirement physical say "MJ: 5x circa 1990".  


Seriously... you're how old and still don't know when to just shut the fuck up?

Why don't you ? People in this thread are engaging in personal attacks against me, and I have a right to push back on it.
I knew what my limitations were after my injury. I made the pragmatic decision to pursue joining the military.

YOU had a more reasonable criticism by focusing on those intervening years. I *ACKNOWLEGE* I should have done more during that time.
Had I done that, I probably wouldn't have sustained that injury in the first place.

The part in blue. Valid Criticism. I agree. I should have kept my mouth shut... or more accurately, skipped those questions on the piece of paper they had us fill out. I shouldn't have check-marked anything. I regretted that for many years.
If I had gotten in, I wouldn't have received the injury I got.

That's not all you had to say, you're just dialing it back into a nice tidy package to try and defend yourself.

Don't worry about redeeming yourself to me, try looking in the mirror and doing it.  However, that would require shame and self-awareness, neither of which you have.

How am I *NOT* self-aware? The only reason I said that I tried to join, is for full disclosure. YOU interpreted it as me trying to give myself virtue. I said I *STUPIDLY* admitted to having taken Ritalin. It was me admitting to a fuck up.
I was young, and stupid. I didn't understand the concept of plausible deniability. That no matter what the MEPS officer threatened, I could have just kept my mouth shut. And if they caught me... I could have just said "I had no idea that was Ritalin". Same for Bronchitis. They have to prove "knowingly". It was dumb and stupid.

But the injury I, to this day... have to deal with... would prevent me from getting close to a 7 minute mile. How does a leg muscle continue to function when deprived of oxygen due to diminished blood flow? I dont know more than you when it comes to the military. But I doubt you know more than my vascular surgeons when they explained to me what my limitations would be, AND my own life experience that unfortunately lines up with that. It fucking SUCKS. It prevents me from enjoying hiking. It makes it so I can't keep up with some more athletic and non-injured people.

I can ride a bicycle. I can lift weights. I can swim. I can do a lot of things. But hiking up hill at a brisk pace (especially with a pack), or running for more than a couple hundred meters... is going to cause the muscle to cramp... and then go limp and face plant. How the hell do you overcome that? Both the vascular surgeon that worked on me, and other follow up vascular specialists said that there as nothing that could be done about that. That for the rest of my life, if my leg is over-exerted... I have to stop for a few seconds, give my leg some rest for a few seconds... and continue walking. So far, that has been my experience. Even when I was in the best shape I ever was, there was *ZERO FUCKING PROGRESS MADE* on that leg. I made progress elsewhere, but that leg still cramps and then fails on me if I push past it.
The limitations remained the same no matter how hard I worked at it.

Had I been able to make real progress, I would have reconsidered my chances at joining the military. That never happened.

I'm glad you never got in. I'm not lamenting that fact nor asking you to join now, because I do not want you to. You quit several times, I am glad you did, but accept it and move on.

It is amusing how much self-awareness you lack even when describing how self-aware you are.

Please continue with your TED talk based on all your collected wisdom.

Are you demonstrating good character?

Do you feel like you have your finger on the pulse of the majority of the people in your squadron?

I have to imagine, this thread is like watching Canadians club baby seals

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Damn reading this thread has made my MSHA class go way faster. Thanks yall.

quick!

what are the top three causes of accidental deaths on mine property?

Diabetes if you’re a haul truck driver?

@eagarminuteman

https://www.minesafetyassoc.com/products/pocketeditions/list/

TFW MSHA inspector is mouthing off and you produce the CFR with tabs and read from federal regulations verbatim.

We were told the average haul truck driver gains 40 pounds their first year. Fuckin wild.

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