Over 10 years ago......

[Snoopy47]

I got my Hourglass Device last year, but way back when I was in basic training in those first few days where the Cadre are slowly integrating us into the crap that is soon to be basic we sat around sharing out stories why we joined.

Everyone had the expected motivations:
Education benefits
Dream since a kid
Family members served
Hopes of a long term career
Job skills training
etc.....

Then it got to me, having joined the Reserves I more or less said something to the effect that we never know when there is going to be something big, and when the coach calls you onto the filed to play he doesn't call the spectators from the bleachers. He calls folks off of the bench.

At the very minimum we need to be on the bench. Eventually folks might be called from the bleachers (in desperation), and then the bench folks become the first string players on the field.

............well..........f**k................me.. ..........

Yea, yea, I'm getting ahead of myself, but if we thought being on perpetual rotations from a result of the War on Terror was too high of OPTEMPO we've not seen nothing yet.

[rero360]

I hear you brother, I joined pre 9/11, was in basic when it happened. I had joined for the college benefits. I ended up reenlisting for the money (tax-free in Iraq) and then again in Afghanistan, but that time around it wasn't just for the money, I truly enjoyed my job and being with most of the people I served with. I started the Sergeant's Major Academy and was pumped to get that star and be able to positively affect a greater number of people.

But then the potato took over, Afghanistan was handled in the worst possible way, we all knew that it was going to be bad when it finally ended, but never could have imagined it going down the way it did. I think I mentioned before that my CSM offered me a spot on a deployment to Poland to try and get me to stay in (I have friends on that deployment and they're there right now) but I simply didn't trust the potato to not F it up, and I really really really wanted one more deployment as a SGM.

My mind weighs heavily on my friends, guys I deployed with before or just trained with, and who I trust completely, hoping that they don't get F'ed up because of the clown show in Washington.

At least most of what we make at my new job is DoD and hopefully will help keep American men and women overseas safe from our enemies.

Stay safe brother.

[Snoopy47]

My mind weighs heavily on my friends, guys I deployed with before or just trained with, and who I trust completely, hoping that they don't get F'ed up because of the clown show in Washington.

It's surreal isn't it?

Remember growing up as a kid and all these comparatives of us verses them were basically comparing JANES (military encyclopedia) stats of one against the other.

Well......... now lets see if all those stat comparisons hold true.

I strongly feel there is no possible way this is finishing without the entirety of the Reserves getting called up. At worst we all get called up at the same time, and at best it turns into a cold war situation of perpetual rotations of deployments.

I think I will be one of those sooner than later call ups.

I'm done listening to media pundits. They are all repeating themselves now. No one knows what this lunatic is going to do.

Best case: One of his generals puts a bullet in his head, had the might of his military units backing him to keep power and then and backs away from the Ukrainian nonsense. Then creates another cold war because the rest of the world will never trust Russia again to be cordial world business partner.

Worst case: Putin goes all in, lobs a few nukes and Europe decides OK, lets finish this WW2 style. Long run, world is better off this way.

I've got 10 years left. This is going to go well beyond that regardless of direction. I was all set to finish out as MAJ, and it didn't look like I had the years left to make LTC (barely at best). I don't think that's a worry anymore.

***********

This is world changing. Putin f#ck'd the world. Nothing is going back to normal. We have to reset what normal is in a manner of post WW2.

Millennials might be called the "greatest generation" in 75 years time. Are they ever in for a big wake up call.

[Oxnard_Montalvo]

"Putin f#ck'd the world"

Um, sure he's the one who made the phone call and said 'let's do it' but he's hardly the only one to blame here, 'the potato' [Brandon I assume] as you put it also has a huge amount of 'splainin to do as to why his administration failed so miserably to deter him.

How can I say this? Because had 'the potato' just come out and said something real simple like 'NATO doesn't need any new members, not in the foreseeable future anyway' it might have been enough to stop all of this madness, that is assuming that stopping this conflict was even the preferred outcome.

Consider how we would have reacted had the former Soviet Union [hypothetically] had made significant noises regarding Mexico joining the Warsaw Pact and you get some idea how Ukraine [possibly] joining NATO was something Putin's Russia just wouldn't tolerate.

All of this is WAY over my pay grade of course but given my last deployment was in SE Europe [1 country separated from Ukraine] I had personal contact with many who still had a 'Soviet style' mindset which still controls the area.

I like y'all and many others hope it doesn't go so badly that 'the bench' [recently separated/retired service members] aren't dragged back for one more hitch but I won't be surprised in the least if/when the letters start going out ['Greetings from the President of the United States...'].