A topic in the SF forum got me to thinking on this in a broader terms a bit.

A bad scenario happened that affected the entire United States it could be any type of disaster you can think of, but it impacts us all.  Now you have a job that would be considered essential to the survival of the USA but do that job could put your family at risk.  Not necessarily imminent danger.  

Now you can run for the hills and leave the rest of the country in dire need of your skill set that could stave off a post disaster, disaster or you could stay and fight (lack of a better term) and help bring society back to what it ounce was and possibly saving more than what could be lost in your own circle.

So what say you?  Take one for the team and report to work to stem the flow of doom or run for the hills and watch the infrastructure of our society fall to pieces and bring certain death to the nation and the world do to the lack of people willing to keep the machine of civilization running.

So are you willing to help?

The President: Damn it, Tomislav, we need your loose-cannon not-by-the-books style of Exchange administration, OR WE ARE ALL DOOMED!

Tomislav: Fine. One more ISINTEG, but then I'm out of here!


I dunno. Hard to see my skill-set as being vital.

God.
Family.
My own butt.
Country.

In that order.

Quoted: God. Family. My own butt. Country. In that order.

So you would take care of God first? Geez, that's nice of you. I'm sure he thanks you, and will need your help if there's ever a natural disaster.

I guess on a small scale, I have...(EMS/Fire)

But my family has a plan, and my wife is my #2 in command, she can handle it...I trust her to handle it.

#1 is Family

What skill set would that be?  EMS personnel?  Police/fire? ER docs? I think they do this already.

So leaving your post to save you and your's is fine.

Even though staying put means that you can save many more?

Your family is in danger every day but yet you do not live in a bubble.  I guess it's ok for other families to take the risk to save you and other families.   But it's not ok for you to take that risk same risk.

If every one just looked after them selves and said fuck it to the world.  Where would we be as a Nation or as humans.

Quoted: The President: Damn it, Tomislav, we need your loose-cannon not-by-the-books style of Exchange administration, OR WE ARE ALL DOOMED! Tomislav: Fine. One more ISINTEG, but then I'm out of here! I dunno. Hard to see my skill-set as being vital.

It could be.  Just wright the story so you come out the hero.

Quoted: What skill set would that be?  EMS personnel?  Police/fire? ER docs? I think they do this already.

So if you where one of these would you leave? even if leaveing means you do more harm than good for the rest of the community?

What about line men to get the electricity to the hospitals for the docs to do their thing.  Or any thing in the chain to keep us going.

Hell we need the trashmen to take away the refuse so we do not get sick.  Same as the plumbers or any number of services "we" provide.  Even if it's filling sand bags or keeping the kids inline wile mommy and daddy save the universe from the Empire of Tod (That last part was form a movie).

Quoted: Quoted: God. Family. My own butt. Country. In that order. So you would take care of God first? Geez, that's nice of you. I'm sure he thanks you, and will need your help if there's ever a natural disaster.

Well, He knows that if he ever needs me to save His butt, I have the spare time on my hands.

Quoted: So leaving your post to save you and your's is fine. Even though staying put means that you can save many more? Your family is in danger every day but yet you do not live in a bubble.  I guess it's ok for other families to take the risk to save you and other families.   But it's not ok for you to take that risk same risk. If every one just looked after them selves and said fuck it to the world.  Where would we be as a Nation or as humans.

I served 23 years in the Big Green Machine and said goodbye to my family one too many times, how often have you?

Easy to be an arm chair jury when setting in the comfort of your home and not doing more than cutting others to shreds on thinking of the family first.

Nothing comes before my family. NOTHING. Not God, not country, not myself.

Quoted: I served 23 years in the Big Green Machine and said goodbye to my family one too many times, how often have you?

I sat on the other side knowing that my father would live all be it a little longer than I and my brothers and mother.  He did 20 years in the Air Force.  I was interesting to know that while he was relativly safe in a bunker his family would be vaporized if we kicked it off with the Soviets in the 70's and 80's.  I'm not belittling your duty, you know more than others what it means to put your self and possibly your family too in harms way.  And I'm sure if nessecary you'd do it again.

As for me I have no family really.  My parents are up in years and retired blowing there money in Vegas.  My brothers are also out of state with their own families.  So that just leaves me, no kids and no wife.  So just maybe I'm more willing to jump on the perverbial grenade than others.

Easy to be an arm chair jury when setting in the comfort of your home and not doing more than cutting others to shreds on thinking of the family first.

Am I cutting them to shreds?  I think it's a pretty good question I raised.  How close are you willing to put your family to the danger when you are needed to for your work / skills?  For many years my father took postings that put his family at ground zero we where part of NATO's great speed bump in Europe.

So what would you do? I'm all for making sure your family is safe but would you stay with them knowing that you could make a bigger difference doing your job?

You're describing the War of 1776.

Do some research and see what happened to the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

You'll find they give new meaning to "Taking one for the team."

FAMILY FIRST (close). Close Friends next.

i'll go from there

God is in the mix, but knowing Him, He can take care of Himself pretty dang good

Quoted: Quoted: God. Family. My own butt. Country. In that order. So you would take care of God first? Geez, that's nice of you. I'm sure he thanks you, and will need your help if there's ever a natural disaster.

By putting God 1st, everything else falls into place.

HH

Quoted: Quoted: I served 23 years in the Big Green Machine and said goodbye to my family one too many times, how often have you? I sat on the other side knowing that my father would live all be it a little longer than I and my brothers and mother.  He did 20 years in the Air Force.  I was interesting to know that while he was relativly safe in a bunker his family would be vaporized if we kicked it off with the Soviets in the 70's and 80's.  I'm not belittling your duty, you know more than others what it means to put your self and possibly your family too in harms way.  And I'm sure if nessecary you'd do it again. As for me I have no family really.  My parents are up in years and retired blowing there money in Vegas.  My brothers are also out of state with their own families.  So that just leaves me, no kids and no wife.  So just maybe I'm more willing to jump on the perverbial grenade than others. Easy to be an arm chair jury when setting in the comfort of your home and not doing more than cutting others to shreds on thinking of the family first. Am I cutting them to shreds?  I think it's a pretty good question I raised.  How close are you willing to put your family to the danger when you are needed to for your work / skills?  For many years my father took postings that put his family at ground zero we where part of NATO's great speed bump in Europe. So what would you do? I'm all for making sure your family is safe but would you stay with them knowing that you could make a bigger difference doing your job?

My family is #1 now, COPY! <edit to place the #>

Quoted: You're describing the War of 1776. Do some research and see what happened to the signers of the Declaration of Independence. You'll find they give new meaning to "Taking one for the team."

History buff.  This thread is along thoughs lines.  

Well to keep this on a mature level I'm going to say on the hole most of us can't see past our nose.

But I fear this will be turned into a name calling mach of some sort.

I have exactly that job, and if I abandon my post, my family, and possibly several hundred thousand other people can kiss their asses goodbye. By staying, and performing the job I am tasked with, I will in effect be saving my family....and yours.

I am a security contractor for a nuclear power station with two active reactors, and one decommisioned reactor.

If your family has the means to get to safety without you, be a man and do the job you accepted to do.

God hates a coward!!