So I put in for a deployment to Afghanistan! Yay!

[Atla]

I meant to announce this last week... but put it off.

So basically I went to my Unit to run the Combat Fitness Test, and informed them that I wished to snag a deployment to Afghanistan. I don't know if I'll get a spot or anything yet - but here's hoping.

And now you are probably thinking, "Atla's nuts" or "Wtf?" or "Idiot!" or etc.

So basically, I'm doing it because first off - I'm a man.

And second off, I'm an American.

I've always been of firm belief that as both a man, and an American - there are certain traditions and qualities one ought to adhere to. Obviously, I don't fall under all those traits cause I use hair gel... but just the same.

My personal beliefs regarding my Government and my Country's current course, ain't real warm and fuzzy. I damn near despise my Government and I'm not real pleased with the direction this country is headed in.

And yet here I am, risking my precious life and future for you buttheads who are so twisted in principles and morals, as well as government dependent and indoctrinated that you'd probably be wiped out the moment society collapses. The majority of you don't even own guns.. I mean - what kinda retards are you people?

It's ironic.

Anywho.

As a man and an American, I guess I feel obligated to Get Some. I don't like hearing talk about how we're gonna loose - that is a bunch of horseshit. Losing is un-freaking-American. And fighting, especially for what is right - is worthy of self risk and sacrifice.

A lot of you don't believe in that sadly.

And honestly? A part of me wants to test myself. I live and breathe shooting, it's my passion. And as unpolitically correct as it may be, I want to know how good I really am at it. I want to know how I'd behave under a combat environment when everything just goes to hell.

Will I cower and hide or will I be able to return fire confidently and precise?

A feller needs to know.

And this is the opportunity of a lifetime. Wars don't happen often that you get to willingly participate in, unless you happen to be in at the right time.

Obviously I shoulda been storming Normady with an M1Garand.

I was born in the wrong generation.

But dammit, a man should be willing to fight for what is right. And he should be willingly to lay everything down on the line for whatever it is he believes in. Courage is a muscle, fail to exercise it and it atrophies. Some times you just got to stand up, get punched in the nose, and break a bar stool over some suckers skull. Just for the sake of doing what is right, testing yourself, and bragging rights.

So here we go.

Hopefully I'll know soon if I get a spot with a deploying unit.

[owly]

God bless and may God keep you safe....

My sister done two tours there and going to do another she leaves next month....

[Venus]

i believe in that atla
:>

just be careful over there if u get to go.

[Thomas]

Watch your six, things are heating back up... Or so I've heard.

[MoP]

Does your application have anything to do with babies and filthy diseases?

[TEVA]

I pray you will be safe and able to fire your gun when needed.

[Atla]

Does your application have anything to do with babies and filthy diseases?

It's the Marine Corps, they're pretty understanding of that.

Just go to The Cave or La Mirage strip joints down near Camp Lejuene and you'll get my drift. ;>

[Mickal Redwater]

Actually i think it says a lot that even though you don't agree with this new government (we know that by now) you are still going to go do what you think is best for your country and you!

I know people who did it with the last government too, they didn't believe in the war or the decisions made, but they stuck with their country and did what they would.

Personally, i've considered joining the military, of course at this point the odds are i would never see an actual battlefield (trust me... government won't take someone whose close to a PhD in astrophysics with a degree in physics and give him a gun and say fight. I'd end up in a lab somewhere). I've still thought about after graduating doing something similar. I would love to help my country out how i could, and sadly how i could means using my brain.

And just because i don't have a gun doesn't mean i can't defend myself (or my country). I'm sure i could come up with some things to do much more damage and then i can give it to you cause you love to use them.


Good luck if you go and stay alive!

[Teanos]

Losing is un-freaking-American. And fighting, especially for what is right - is worthy of self risk and sacrifice.

Agree on the second part about fighting.
Disagree with the first part.

As far as wars are concerned, we lost Vietnam no matter which way you cut it or try and spin it. One would of thought we would of learned from it, but apparently not.

We also loose to other countries in several other categories as well. Its not un-american to loose, hell our constitution is built around SOMEONE loosing (presidency, house, senate, governship, etc.). Its just part of life unfortunately.

[Atla]

Yes, we've lost wars before.

But because of our government and the support of the people - not because of our fighting men and abilities.

Here's a really good article about the 109 G.I.s that died during Woodstock that no one cared about.

http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.ma ... 1&mid=5144

Time gushed with admiration for the tribal gathering, declaring: “It may well rank as one of the significant political and sociological events of the age.” It deplored the three deaths there—“one from an overdose of drugs [heroin], and hundreds of youths freaked out on bad trips caused by low-grade LSD.” Yet attendees exhibited a “mystical feeling for themselves as a special group,” according to the magazine’s glowing essay.

That same tribute mentioned the “meaningless war in the jungles of Southeast Asia” and quoted a commentator who said the young need “more opportunities for authentic service.”

Meanwhile, 8,429 miles around the other side of the world, 514,000 mostly young Americans were authentically serving the country that had raised them to place society over self. The casualties they sustained over those four days were genuine, yet none of the elite media outlets were praising their selflessness.

I got a little off-topic there.

Iraq was declared a losing fight for years - when in reality it was a huge success. (I just read today in the Marine Corps Times that there are only 8,000 Marines left in Iraq) It's the same story now, Afghanistan isn't winnable.

Horseshit.

Listen to the Generals you sniveling Congressional cowards. What the hell could you people possibly know about wars?

They need 40,000 troops? GIVE THEM IT.
They need more funding to find a better weapon system that isn't a malfunctioning piece of Colt shit that jams every time a particle of sand enters the chamber? GIVE THEM IT.

Don't second guess and think that in your comfortable arm-chair with your thousand dollar bottles of wine that you know more about what is needed than the men involved in the fight.

You fucktards get us killed.

Yes, we lost in Vietnam - big time.

Things are different now than then, we don't have a conscript military of pot smoking disgruntled teenagers who have no business being in the military in the first place.

Instead, we have the finest trained and equipped(well - the Army atleast ;>) military in the world.

Speaking from the USMC perspective, we not only swelled our ranks by roughly 25 thousand TWO YEARS ahead of the projected table, we've surpassed every recruiting goal established, and re-enlistment is at an all time high(you actually need to re-enlist during the MIDDLE of your contract now to get a spot).

We've done so well that they've taken all recruiting and re-enlistment Bonus's off the table because they aren't needed. And we still beat quotas.

That is Patriotism.

We have an outstanding military that WANTS to fight.

We got Marines who have spent three out of their four year contracts in Iraq/Afghanistan...Re-Enlisting! I'm having a hard time getting my own spot to deploy because they're giving the spots to damn NCO's who are better qualified and outrank me.

So all this crap about how we are gonna loose in Afghanistan - yes, it's possible. But by all means - we should win it if we have the gov/peoples backing.

And Americans, unless they keep acting like the gutless turds I think most of them are, should be utterly disgusted with the thought that we might loose. America's lost sons and daughters over there - and that alone should stir up any Americans lust for blood and victory.

We've lost thousands of our own, and for this country to simply shrug and declare it a loss as if their sacrifices meant nothing...

Well, such a thought is embarrassing and shameful.

[Faile]

As someone whom has walked the path you wish to tread (twice deployed to Iraq) , I say this...
check your ego at the door...
our various military branches train us for possibilities, but until you have experienced the reality of combat, listen to those who have been in the trenches and are still standing, not those REMF's who glorify an ugly reality.

those of us who willingly don our nation's uniforms do not concern ourselves with politics, we just go in, do the job, and hopefully return in one piece...

I say this as an American medic who happens to be a woman...

if it is just a testosterone thing, I ask you to consider this: despite the lip service, the reality of war has no rules...
just as you wish to test yourself, they have people who believe that it is their destiny to cleanse the world of us infidels...
I hope you find yourself up to the task, just come back whole and safe.

until then, Semper Fi!

[Nagash]

Good luck...

[Teanos]

Atla,

Don't get me wrong I never said Iraq or Afghan were loosing wars. In my personal opinion I've felt from day one that we should of went in to both places, put as many troops on the ground as needed at the time, clensed the whole damn place as 'peacefully' as we could, and then got out once our objective was obtained.

When the objective was to remove the Taliban, that was done. When the objective was to remove Saddam, that was done. When the objective changed to 'protecting the people', we did a shitty job of it and we still are. We are too afraid of international backlash to fight the war the way our enemies fight it. Behind kids, suicide bombers, in mosques and other holy places. If our troops could go through Iraq, square foot by square foot, remove any weapon they find, shoot anyone who fires at them, and not be tied to rules of combat that are so jacked up and assbackwards..its my opinion we would of lost less troops and lives, and been out of there by now.

Unfortunately you are right, the people who make the decisions don't understand the concept of war, and are to afraid of what the international community will say. Unfortunately we cannot be the worlds police, and the worlds peacekeepers at the same time in countries that are out right hostile towards us.

But thats getting a bit off topic.

I'm actually glad you have found your calling in life, and I wish you nothing but success as you fight for something you believe in, I have no doubt you well excel at it and having you in uniform does make me feel we are a little bit safer then we were before you enlisted.

But on the flip side I do hope you at least pay a little bit of mind to posts like Faile, and possibly take the time to talk to people who have served in hostile and combat areas. I don't think its as big of a rush as you post, and while I have never been forced to take the life of another human being regardless of what the reasoning is behind it, I have seen what it does to people who have been shot at, blown up, or fired that fatal shot. I don't think that is something that ever truely goes away.

[Atla]

I finally got around to finishing Generation Kill - I don't watch much tv/movies anymore.

And honestly, I don't know how well I'll do in the Marine Corps.

Right now? I'm rocking the hell out of it. I just ran my Combat Fitness Test(Half mile sprint, ammo can press, maneuver under fire course), and I beat EVERYONE in my unit. Instead of running it with 'my guys', I ran it with the NCO's and Officers of my unit - and I beat the units record time for Maneuver Under Fire by doing it in 2:14. Which is fucking unheard of. The previous high score was 2:28.

Granted, I fainted after I passed the finish line and literally face planted in front of my Lt. Colonel and First Sergeant. But it still impressed the hell outta them.

I pick up Lance Corporal in Nov/Dec. And I've been hearing rumors that they plan on putting me up for meritorious promotion to Corporal next year already.

BUT.

Watching Generation Kill, there was a lot of situations that I didn't agree with. And I feel like not only would I be questioning orders, often, but I'd probably be court martialed for striking superior officers.

If you haven't seen this HBO mini-series about a USMC Recon team going into Iraq during the first weeks of the war - you should. It's supposed to be a very accurate portrayal of what took place, written by a Rolling Stones reporter that road along in the lead Humvee.

That scene where Captain America is terrifiying the bound iraqi insurgent by jabbing at his face with his bayonet would make me want to put a bullet through his grape.

I dunno, we'll just see how I do I guess.

[owly]

i knew you would break a record but i thought it would be a shooting record.....

[Immigrant]

Congratulations on the promotion, best wishes on more to come and godspeed if you're deployed where you want (breaking records can only help get you there, but then again it is the service - hope you end up somewhere that doesn't suck)

As for doing questionable things, one can only hope all servicemen & women do the right thing when challenged, as hard as it is to do - don't follow illegal orders. That's the only thing that separates "us" from "them"..

[Nato]

I know there are a bunch of NPR haters up in here, but they did a pretty cool story on Marines in Afghanistan last night.

On The Hunt For Roadside Bombs In Afghanistan