Need a good reason not to join the Army?

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Wenya	My friend told me that he can choose not to report to the boot camp, and there won’t be any legal consequences. I have read so many books, some of which were written by soldiers returning from the war. I understand the ugly side of the war, and believe that no one can return from the war unchanged. My numbers were not made up. I got them by doing lots of research. I want to protect him, not to debate against him or others. He is hesitant, and I want to give him a good reason to change his decision. He might be killed and die in his twenties .He might be wounded and become disabled for the rest of his life. If this person was your significant other/son/best friend, don’t you want to help him and protect him? I need a good reason/solution that can make it easier for him to change his decision. I really appreciate your comments and suggestions. Thanks a lot. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

panthrchic	Also, the far-left liberals will condemn you! You will just be an "instigator" to them. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

katydint	Are you looking for something to please people, or to really help your friend have a clear conscience? The voice in his heart ought to be enough. Can't he simply have an attack of conscience? Suddenly come to his senses? What's so complicated about realizing that it feels wrong and he doesn't want to go through with it? There'll always be somebody around to ridicule... Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

rwl_is_taken	if your friend has already signed up it is too late.....however having strong true friendships can help reduce the stress of rejoining society when he gets out. By signing up he has relinquished is right to decide IF he will fight, he has agreed to follow orders-whether he likes those orders or not is irrelevant. The advantages of being in the military when we are not at war (i.e. room and board, job training, health care,paychecks) are great but the risk is always there... the disadvantage of course is death or injury. If he does not report to boot camp he will be in violation of the contract and could face consequences....if he has changed his mind he needs to talk to the recruiter to get his options IMMEDIATELY peace and good luck Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

A soldier's wife	Once he signed that contract, he has to go or he is considered AWOL and that will have very bad consequences legally as well as finding another job in the future. Once he has signed that contract and taken the oath he is bound legally (and morally in my opinion) to show up to ship for boot camp and AIT. Statistics are just that: Statistics. They don't account for the entire population. They take a group. Do a survey of sorts and figure out a percentage and figure that represents the entire population. It doesn't. You need to stand behind your friend and tell him to fulfill his contract and then, when his contract is up, he can get out if he wants. Also, depending on the MOS he chose, we may be out of Iraq. He still has at least three months of basic training and AIT. It could be a year before he's even up for deployment. If he decided to have the Army help with college and he gets into classes right out of AIT, they won't deploy for a year (if I remember right). I know you're a worried friend. I would be too. I worry about my husband every day and he's not deployed yet. Your friend signed a contract and he needs to abide by that contract. He needs your support, even if you don't agree with his decision. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Steve N	BULLETS Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

kavekarst	Both of you need to contact the Embassy of France located in the Nation Capital City. Snail mail address and telephone information is available at public library reference desk. You both need to request information on how to join The French Foreign Legion. Rewards include learning to speak, read, and write a foreign language. Travel extensively. Earn Dual Citizenship Status in both France and USA. He won't go to Iraq and yet returns with an exotic foreign service history. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

RoxanneZG	Ask him or her if they like their legs? Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

endlessknowledge	You said that he already signed up. Therefore, it's a moot point. He's going. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

T-Bone	Wow, sounds like you really love this dude. I am sorry to say though that while your intentions are good; you cannot make choices for another person. I know the risks are great. I know that if he makes the ultimate sacrifce you will loose him forever. But that choice is for him to make and only him. If you talk him out of it; he may always think of himself a lesser man. He will often think "what if" even if he doesn't admit it. We need people like him to defend our country. But I do mean Defend our Country; not to be sent over like lambs to slaughter. We must maintain our military for the sake of our country, and while my heart goes out to you and cries for your friend, it is something he must do. All we can do for him and you is pray he comes home safe. And when he does; you will feel proud of him and will think better of him. I am no great lover of war; (especially this war) but I am a great supporter of the troops and god help them for what they do; they are heroes in my book. I read a bit sometimes and I read something in Shakespere once; let me paraphrase a bit and fogive me for doing so. It goes like this: (read the last part of it) "If you have no stomach for the fight, leave now. Give this man his money to speed his departure. For we do not wish to die in this mans company. Whoever lives past today and comes home safely will rouse himself every year on this day, show his neighbors his scars, and tell them embellished stories of his great feats of battle. These stories he will teach his sons and from today until the end of the world we shall be remembered. We few; We happy few, We band of brothers; For whoever has shed his blood with me in battle shall always be my brother. And those men afraid to go will think themselves lesser men as they hear of how we fought and died together." Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

arnold h	this Iraq war is so puzzle to me [ i"m a mom daughter6 years in the army ] 1 and half year ago , we plan to buy a house my intention just in case something happen to my daughter . i will take care of her , las vegas job insecure .realtor , lender . did not let my baby have a house in her own home town , because his single . and i don"t know 1-2 -3 ,so as her dad its really scare me, theirs nothing that the goverment , will take care the soldier in the future . maybe if she really fighting for her country probably i can"T say anything [ god help her ] Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

impalersca	There is not a good reason not to go, first your math is wrong in your first paragraph, second, he may not come back, but if he does come back, he will have accomplished something in his life to tell his grand kids, not a story of cowardice, but a story of honor, duty, and bravery. Now not everyone will agree with me but not everyone is interested in the respect and honor paid us by future generations of family lineage. As to his friends, the will think he is a coward, and perhaps he is, but none the less, adventure is not for every man, only a select few. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

bj	Maybe he can make up a medical reason for being turned down. Like his hearing in one ear is bad etc. You make some good points here. I served and also have a Marine friend who served. He told me he spent his whole four years here in the U.S., and seemed to regret not going to vietnam to fight. Well I told him just think about it how would you have come back? You could have been made sick by being exposed to agent orange, etc. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

FroggyFeline79	He should be ashamed if he doesn't go. Soldiers go and do their jobs no matter what that cause so people like you and me can sit here at home in a free country. Granted, the Army is abused and has become the "policemen of the world." However, it is more shameful to be a chickensht and back out then to go overseas and serve your country when they call upon you. If he is that much of a titty baby that he is scared to get "hurt" then he should stay at home with his momma. The soldiers don't need people like that beside them in war. They need people there they can rely on, trust with their lives, and be there for them when no one else is. Death and injury is a product of war. Death and injury is also a product of living. You could just as easily be injured crossing the street or getting out of your own bathtub...You could just as easily die in a car wreck on your way to work. You could just as easily be shot for no apparent reason right here in the United States while stopping at the 7-11 to get a Pepsi. You could witnes your wife being killed and have post tramatic stress. If you want your buddy to get out of going to the Army...try coming up with a real reason other than "statistics". Or admit the real reason..he's a pusy! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

quackpotwatcher	your bud may be concerned primarily with the welfare & need of his country,rather than the logical self interest that you think he ought to consider,. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

?	If this is something that your friend wants to do then why are you trying to get him not to do it? I understand being worried about him, but as his friend you should support him. That is truly what he needs from you right now. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

mikehunt29	I only got throught the first paragraph until I saw a flaw. It leads me to believe that the rest of it is flawed as well. 3% of 135,000 is 4,050 and not one list of troop casualties put the number of KIA that high. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

lori_love_emmalee	My son just go back from Iraq and it scared the -------out of him and the end he said it was getting really bad over there. He also could have to go back this is real he does not want to go he lost 40 percent of his hearing cause of bullets and bombs he is 22 and cannot get it back! This is for real! But you know someone has to do it we come from generations of military men in our family and it is a man thing to take up where Dad and Papa and Great Grandpa left off it is who we are! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

I_love_my_dogs	tell him to stop being so prideful..if he doesn't feel good about it then he shouldn't go. The soldiers in the army already don't need someone around who doesn't have there whole mind in it. He would be doing a disservice to them, if he went into something he didnt really believe in just to save face. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Stimpy 167	While your concern for your friend's well-being is admirable, the decision to serve is his to make, not yours. He has chosen to not only serve you, but also everyone else, and that's an honorable thing to do. A soldier's primary duty is to follow orders. As he follows those orders, he is being trained to become a leader. As a soldier, it would not be his place to question the legitimacy of those orders. If you're basing the legitimacy of this war on the number of causalties/ fatalities, then no war would be worth fighting. The United States wouldn't exist. The revolutionary war would have never happened. How would you feel about being a British, or French, or Spanish citizen over being an American? Or how would you feel about being an American Indian? If you are a true friend, honor and respect his decision. Support him in everything he does. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

sgreger1	Tell him he should only go fight if he believes in the cause of fighting for his countries freedom. We dont need recruits out here who are unsure as to whether they want to help us on the front lines. If he is joining for the college money or enlistment bonus than tell him he has it all wrong. If he decides it is what he wants to do, support him because he is doing something genuinely good. This was has had so few casualties (only 3450 in 5 years!!!) compared to conflicts like vietnam where hundreds of thousands died. We are making progress and this month alone because of Bush's troop surge US fatalities have dropped 60%!!! The chances of him dying is slim, and PTSD is treatable and you can get it in many ways in the civilian world. Also, Baghdad is currently safer than living in Washington, don't stress your buddy out to much. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

kveryeffective	You friend has made up his mind. Support him anything you say to him to tell him not to join is going to be met with resistance. You may disagree with him about going and frankly don't know where you get your numbers but that is another story. You don't know what is going to happen. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

open4one	You need to convince him that prison life is better than Army life. You said he already signed a contract. I spent seven years in the Army. I protected the freedom of people like you. That was an unintended consequence of my desire to protect the freedom of people who are actually worthy of protection. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

mmmkay_us	well I don't think that you should worry about his decision about the Army just because you believe differently if you are a TRUE FRIEND then you will support your friend in Everything They Choose Just be there for them when they return BTW 97% don't die 80% don't get wounded 83% don't have PTSD 90% don't have TBI This is based on your facts that you presented Is the glass half empty? Based on your research he has a better chance at having a positive experience! Serving your country and it's citizen is the Most rewarding life you can have putting others first Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

shrty0525	Good reason not to join is people that are so against the military. I personally think that he's a great guy - for doing something for his country. Why don't you look up the same stats for Vietnam? Korea? Civil War? Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

SheDevilBelle	He shouldn't be so worried about what others think and say about him- he's his own man- and he can make decisions for himself- why should what others say matter so much? Tell him to tell them he's decided against signing up. He shouldn't need to elaborate. Just tell them he decided against it. If anyone questions him, perhaps he could say that he really cannot see himself taking someone else's life. Good luck. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

wildraft1	Why do you feel that he needs to share your opinion on this? You choose not to serve, and that is your decision. He chooses to serve, and that is his decision. Don't try to interject yourself into others people's lives too much...it never turns out good. Congratulate him on making a brave, heartfelt decision and wish him the best, but don't try to make him "be" you. By the way....I'm curious where you found that 20% of the Troops in Iraq end up wounded. Was this during some certain time frame or statistics from one particular combat unit or what? Other than being a play on numbers, this stat is quite ridiculous (not that I am downplaying the danger by any means!). Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

slabsidebass	take the leash off of him, honey-he is a big boy and can make his own decisions. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Voice of Reason	1) If you are not willing to sacrifice yourself, like thousands before you, for your country then do not join! 2) Your stats are extremely exaggerated. Maybe, those stats are for troops in combat, but they are not for all active-duty soldiers. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Leogirl0804	Those numbers seem just a little too high to be believed. What did he expect the military to be, hanging around in a jeep all day drinking a coke? If he doesn't believe in what he is doing, tell his loser *** to stay home. We need people who are committed to the job. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

jimmideon49	he made the choice, so he needs to be a man about it. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No