Does the army really prepare you just to be a "soldier"?

[Sour-rose]

Sooo just watched a little video of a game that wasn't a horror story but one where a soldier gets mentally fked up as he forgets that he was there to save folks, not kill them... but he accidentally killed them. :c Just following the orders of another "important soldier" that turned out to have been long dead. (guy was talking to a ghost and seemed to wanted to blame it on this ghost of why all these folks were dead).

But this also sparks the memory of how I witnessed a few privates collecting water from a rainpool in the grass... and putting it down the drain with a bucket. As well as a man who drilled a nice fine whole in metal... then sealed with fresh metal. So for those who are in the army (AND I MEAN JUST THE ARMY, THAT'S THE ONE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT) is that why folks come home... just not there in the head? Because they're taught to follow orders and when they can't, they're discharged or worse?

Yeah, i probably ain't making much sense of this but... i feel like i dodged a bullet.

Yes. Just another... soldier.

No, being a solider is more than just following orders!

... I'm a Foot massa- (other)

[Drewtate]

The military provides you with opportunities that if you are smart can take full advantage of. There's a lot more required of a soldier these days that requires a high degree of training and technical knowledge, very few roles jn the military involve frontline service.

[Sour-rose]

sooooo... are the ladies soldiers or somethin'?

[Drewtate]

Remind you what you are fighting for

[NamerOfStars]

Those are neither governmental nor corporate financial overlords, dude.

[Drewtate]

@NamerOfStars we should thank them for their service

[NamerOfStars]

When SS headquarters is a smoking hole in the ground, and every last employee down the janitors is on trial for treason, I'll agree with you. But a group whose sole purpose is the enslavement of American citizens taints every other group within the organization. If they don't police themselves, they bear a share of the responsibility.

[Drewtate]

@NamerOfStars they just sexy ladies bro

[RebelinSteel]

In most modern armies, there is a breakdown between basic infantry, Engineers, then say paras, special forces (sticking with Army). For your front line infantry a lot is follow those orders, but for some units there is also small unit tactics, where everyone is expected to follow orders but also be able to do their own thing based on their briefing. Even within a regiment, and companies, there will be specifc roles. What mainly fucks everyone up is seeing friends die or lose body parts etc. As you gain experience and rank, you get trained in how to manage a team and a task, then it just gets more complex as you gain more rank, as you have bigger teams and bigger tasks. Needs of the team versus needs of the task etc.

[Pudsmucker]

I was in a lot of humanitarian aid missions. One that I remember the most was we were down in Panama after president Noriega was removed. We went into the jungle there and built 14 miles of road, 14 schools and community centers. Lastly we drilled 14 water wells. This all was done and approximately 6 months. I also made some great Panamanian friends.

[dudeinohio]

They try to. prepare you as best they can... but they can only go so far. Training and real combat are worlds apart.

[Avicenna]

That's not true at all. You also learn teamwork, how to organize your time and other things, and how to react to unexpected situations.

[Sour-rose]

O yeah? Does it help in life when you don't have your squad? You know... like maybe in a job?

[Avicenna]

Well, military people are used to working with people from different backgrounds and ones that they don't know well, even ones they don't like. So, yeah, it can be beneficial in corporate life.

[Wwwyzzerdd]

Navy taught me zero life skills that transferred

[NamerOfStars]

Ever seen (or better yet, read) Rambo?

[Sour-rose]

I've seen some chunks of rambo