I heard Marines and the Army werent getting as good training lately. Because of funding or something like that. Is this true? Also, how much lying does the military do to you when you join? A friend of mine just joined the Marine reserves and was promised 4 years of college before he was active, all in all serving 8 years for the Corps. But they just told him that he will be shipping out to iraq in september of this year. BTW this isnt a anti war liberal post.

Rule number 1: shit happens
Rule number 2: shit happens frequently
Rule number 3: refer to rule number 1

As for your first question, if anything Marines and Soldiers are getting far superior training compared to what we used to get. They are training them how to survive in the middle east.

Don't know what you are referring to in regards to how much lying do to you before you join. I can state for a fact they didn't lie to me when I signed up, I got exactly what I wanted when I joined the Marine Corps.

As for your buddy....the way I look at it, he needs to serve some time before he gets the free ride, or in other words earn the right to have us pay for his college education.

I think you're referring to recent news stories about training shortcoming statements made by some high level brass (can't remember exactly, but I believe the Commandant of the Marine Corps was quoted in one article). Anyway, the articles claim that deployment rates and funding have cut training opportunities for the troops. It happens during a war, training is curtailed... because there's a war. I know the rest of the USA has completely forgotten this (or have blown it down to a 30 second argument about how "illegal that horrible war is" around the water cooler), but we are at war. Maybe we ought to start rationing some crap to remind people.

Where the hell was I? I'm off on some ranting tangent, yeah?

Oh yeah....training. Can't see it from where I'm at (one of the largest training centers for the US Army), but I do seem to remember that the articles I read came from some good sources and the quoted officers seemed to have some authority....

quote:

Originally posted by thegunny:

As for your buddy....the way I look at it, he needs to serve some time before he gets the free ride, or in other words earn the right to have us pay for his college education.

But the thing is the Marine recruiter told him they will pay for his college if he promises 4 years active duty after college. But, soon as he was in, they said your shipping out to iraq in september. Im not against the military OR this war in any way, but I dont understand why they would promise him in writing four years of college and then just ship him off without college.

He probably needs to actually read his contract line by line. When one signs up for military service during a time of war, one can expect to actually have to participate in the war.

Yeah that does make good sense. But what if someone joins and knows, say two different languages and is a math major, would they send him off to war? Or would they try him out for intel or SF etc.

Why not? As for two languages and math major? geez my grandaughter speaks 4 languages and is taking college level math and she's only 13. Your friend ain't nothing special in my book, so he joined, he needs to serve. One doesn't get anything for free in this day and age. Besides, a trip over there will add some seasoning to his life.

eh-uhm...SF and intel are also "sent off to war".

Why dident he just apply for grants and take out loans. BTW speaking 2 languages and HAVING a math major is pretty good and I doubt gunnys daughter is taking calculus (or at least when he says "college level" that is what he would have us believe and then when he is called on it he can claim he never said calculus, whatever, Gunny has a tendency to minimize academic and intelectual accomplishments). I made a similar mistake as your friend but I caught it before I had to go to iraq, now your friend will have to go through a dog and pony show to get out because once the military can get some cannon fauder (and in this war thats what he will be because there is so much paranoia with colladeral damage) without implementing a draft (which would end political carrers and rightfully so) they are not going to let them go easily. The military can only get away with what the people let them get away with and people will only seriously take note if there is a draft.

It must be a huge pile of troll dung because the smell is strong!

quote:

Originally posted by intguypol:
I heard Marines and the Army werent getting as good training lately. Because of funding or something like that. Is this true? Also, how much lying does the military do to you when you join? A friend of mine just joined the Marine reserves and was promised 4 years of college before he was active, all in all serving 8 years for the Corps. But they just told him that he will be shipping out to iraq in september of this year. BTW this isnt a anti war liberal post.

hmm...i think your statements has nothing to do with each other. your friend joined the corp for 8 years this usually serving the corp for 8 years. I doubt he would spend 4 years of that time going to college and training and then 4 years on active.
You should ask him if he read the fine print. Although i have never seen a contract regarding the service i do believe that there might be a paragraph explaining that some contracts are subjuct to change in times of war or when ever the the corp was involved in some sort of big operation.

Think about it: What if a major war broke out(Iraq)do you think the corp would wait for 4 years after your friend finished school before they call him up. If they need bodies and they have them in reserve. They will most likely make them active.

well i don't know a whole lot on there traning but my brother is a us marine and he just came back from iraq and then broke his foot in a warhouse in south carolina where he is based out of. he can come back from a war zone with out a scrach and then brakes his foot in the the states