Military and law enforcement?

[Mike_Yates]

Is it true that careers in the military and in law enforcement tend to attract people who have an extremely aggressive and bully-ish personality?

I can't recall how many instances where unarmed people have been violently slammed to the ground, and beaten to an inch of their lives for no legitimate reason by sadistic cops. Often times the officers involved in these unjustified acts of violence are prosecuted for aggravated assault/assault with a deadly weapon, but they are usually acquitted by the corrupt courts prosecuting them.

There are also accounts of completely innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan being viciously beaten, raped, and tortured to death by those in our military.

I'm not even going to start about the horrendous abuse of prison inmates in the US penitentiary system at the hands of crooked and sadistic prison guards.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

No.

In my experience it attracts the targets of bullies who are not bright enough to become employers.

 

[Mike_Yates]

Many of the wrongdoings of the military/law enforcement/prison system go unreported, unprosecuted, or are covered-up entirely.

 

[mercury14]

No.

In my experience it attracts the targets of bullies who are not bright enough to become employers.

I don't run into many bullies in the military because bullying doesn't work when there are a whole bunch of folks who outrank you and whose job it is to watch you. The military attracts people who have troubled childhoods. They seek out the structure the military provides because it's sort of like having that parent they never had.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

STFU LT


Go find someone who actually wants to talk to you.

 

[kbate]

No, the military attracts those who want to go to college but cannot qualify for a scholarship or afford the tuition on their own and whose parents either earn too much for financial aid or are too selfish to share.

It also attracts those who want the camaraderie of living in the close knit environment of a barracks filled with other strong, young men with tight buttocks and hard muscles.

 

[mercury14]

No, the military attracts those who want to go to college but cannot qualify for a scholarship or afford the tuition on their own and whose parents either earn too much for financial aid or are too selfish to share.

It also attracts those who want the camaraderie of living in the close knit environment of a barracks filled with other strong, young men with tight buttocks and hard muscles.

After a decade in the USAF I've yet to meet a single person who told me they joined the military because they couldn't afford college.

 

[VegasBornWolf]

Cross-section of society

First, let me say that unless you have served, it's rather speculative to make such broad statements.

Having spent 23 years as a member of the U.S. Air Force, I can say that some of the things mentioned already are partially true. Yes, the military does attract some who have had a troubled childhood and seek stability and discipline. Yes, there are some who join because of the opportunity to go to college that might not be available to them otherwise. And yes...there are even some who join for the chance to be around a bunch of hard-bodied studs! But there are those who also join out of Patriotism and a true sense of duty and service before self. I have had the pleasure to serve with many who simply care about protecting the Freedom of their friends and family enough to be willing to make a commitment and to be willing, should it ever be necessary, to lay down their life in defense of those Freedoms.

But, the military is very much a cross-section of American society. There are nerds and geeks, jocks and prissy girls. Everything that makes America diverse is reflected within the military ranks. As for bullies, I will say that the screening process for entry is actually pretty effective at weeding out true sociopaths who have no empathy for others. Working in close quarters and having to depend on your teammates in stressful times is not where you want to have an individual who cannot empathize.

And, just like America, there are those who are mean, inconsiderate, rude, violent, etc. Having lived my entire adult life in uniform, I can honestly say those traits are not more prevalent in the military than in the civilian world. There is no greater percentage of those negative traits, in my experience. So, I would say emphatically, no...the military does not draw a greater number of those types of people, they exist in the military because they exist in society.

 

[kbate]

After a decade in the USAF I've yet to meet a single person who told me they joined the military because they couldn't afford college.

So you do not deny the desire for close-knit companionship in a community of other young lithe men.

 

[mercury14]

First, let me say that unless you have served, it's rather speculative to make such broad statements. Having spent 23 years as a member of the U.S. Air Force...

As for bullies, I will say that the screening process for entry is actually pretty effective at weeding out true sociopaths who have no empathy for others. Working in close quarters and having to depend on your teammates in stressful times is not where you want to have an individual who cannot empathize.

I'm current USAF reserves and was active duty in mental health/ADAPT/Drug Demand Reduction/Family Advocacy for 9 years. I was also the flight commander for a time and had eyes on every mental health/substance abuse/domestic violence incident on base. While I certainly respect your experience, I can say that the military does not have a very effective program to screen out sociopathy. I'd say it's better than nothing but the antisocials get in all the time. And part of the reason for that is that an antisocial personality is likely to figure out what the screening process is looking for and present as someone they're not.

 

[mercury14]

So you do not deny the desire for close-knit companionship in a community of other young lithe men.

Personally, no that's not why I volunteered. I volunteered for... damn. The educational benefits.

 

[kbate]

Personally, no that's not why I volunteered. I volunteered for... damn. The educational benefits.

If I was younger I'd go into the air national guard in order to grab some GI bill. Nothing is quite as nice as having someone else pay for another year or two at university.

 

[mercury14]

If I was younger I'd go into the air national guard in order to grab some GI bill. Nothing is quite as nice as having someone else pay for another year or two at university.

The USAF gave me around a quarter million dollars for med school so I have no loans to pay off. Except after I was in I did the math, calculating lost earnings from being in the military for those years and realized I would have been financially better off loaded with debt but making twice my income. So then I decided to get out after my four-year commitment; a plan which changed when I met Lady Merc who had a longer commitment... So I was more or less stuck in the USAF and extended.

The point is, it depends on what your career field is as to whether or not it's worth it. Not sure what National Guard educational benefits are though, I assume less than active duty ones?

 

[kbate]

The point is, it depends on what your career field is as to whether or not it's worth it. Not sure what National Guard educational benefits are though, I assume less than active duty ones?

I am not looking for a career, I already have that.

I am looking for free education to continue going to school forever - career students also are career fund seekers.

 

[VegasBornWolf]

It's not "Free"

I have to say that joining the military for a "Free" education is a bit misleading. When you sign a contract that could ultimately mean giving your life, I'd hardly call that "Free". Military members earn their benefits through sacrifice and work. Long hours, often times dangerous assignments, and the possibility of death make the pittance that is offered sometimes seem a little less than worth it. Just ask a wounded warrior if the GI Bill was worth the traumatic brain injury or the loss of a limb (or 2).

 

[VegasBornWolf]

So you do not deny the desire for close-knit companionship in a community of other young lithe men.

Well, I served during "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"...so any interest I had in "other young lithe men" had to be repressed anyway.

 

[kbate]

Well, I served during "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"...so any interest I had in "other young lithe men" had to be repressed anyway.

'repressed' as in 'wink wink - nudge, nudge' repressed? re-pressed some flesh?

 

[VegasBornWolf]

Know what I mean, Know what I mean???

 

[fuckwaffle]

In both instances I joined to serve. I don't consider myself a bully, nor a poor lost child in need of structure. Although there were a number of youths who did join to be part of something greater than themselves.

The military is not a place for bullies...a bully in the military doesn't last long and would be weeded out before he finishes basic training.

As for law enforcement, while a few bad apples do get in basket and have a bad habit of tarnishing the reputation of rest of the hard working, honest, police officers, they too are few and far between.

So, Mike, when was the last time you put your life on the line for someone else? How did the adrenaline rush feel? Did you have the shakes when it was all over?

 

[BotanyBoy]

Is it true that careers in the military and in law enforcement tend to attract people who have an extremely aggressive and bully-ish personality?

It's true...most of the bullies go home though, a bully can't deal with drill.

After a decade in the USAF I've yet to meet a single person who told me they joined the military because they couldn't afford college.

Well yea in the AF, land of "we will pay you extra for every min spent in subhuman living conditions on an Army base."

I met a few joe's who joined for 3 to get their GI and roll.

So you do not deny the desire for close-knit companionship in a community of other young lithe men.

Nope...that is exactly what the Air Force is about, it shows too...they always have the cleanest uniforms.

 

[JohnnySavage]

Why are Air Force guys talking about what the military is like

 

[BotanyBoy]

Why are Air Force guys talking about what the military is like

They like pretend time too.....

I'll give PJ's, Pilots and Flight crews cred.....they are squared away...the rest of them though have about as much military bearing as a girl scout troop.

 

[Squibbs]

No, the military attracts those who want to go to college but cannot qualify for a scholarship or afford the tuition on their own and whose parents either earn too much for financial aid or are too selfish to share.

It also attracts those who want the camaraderie of living in the close knit environment of a barracks filled with other strong, young men with tight buttocks and hard muscles.

Vetteman could afford college...

 

[kbate]

Vetteman could afford college...

So you're saying he threw those queers out of the marines to protect himself. . .

weird.

 

[VegasBornWolf]

They like pretend time too.....

I'll give PJ's, Pilots and Flight crews cred.....they are squared away...the rest of them though have about as much military bearing as a girl scout troop.

After 23 years, I'm used to the other branches poking their fun at the AF. I get the inter-service rivalry...especially having served in multiple Joint commands and operations. Don't forget, though...that it was the Air Force who stepped in and took up hundreds of convoy taskings. Everything from cooks, personnelists, admin, and a bunch of other "non-combat" career fields right in the middle of the shit. Again, I appreciate the humor, but keeping it real for a minute....the enlistment contract for all branches is exactly the same..and the commitment is no less, either.