do u deicide where u want to be deployed? because i know theres marines in Africa and in alot of other places. Do most go to iraq? or is it how u sign up or something

You are deployed in accordance with your unit's mission, its capabilities, and its need. You don't choose, you go where you're told. You can volunteer for transfer to a unit heading that way sometimes...but don't get too excited to deploy. The time will come, when you are trained and ready, you'll get your chance. Ask any one of us, its the best suck you'll ever do, and the worst joy you'll ever have.

good. im hoping to some senic stuff before i see real combat

If you are looking for scenic stuff, I would just travel as a tourist. My friend was in the navy and they were in the red sea during the first gulf war but they dident let him off to visit the pyramids. You can go to south east asia pretty cheap and russia.

I got a nice vacation in South East Asia while in the military. The land was beautiful and I was given opportunity to see some of it.

If I had been in the infantry, it would have been more of a tour full of sight seeing events.

The problem with the military is scenic stuff is secondary to the war machine mission. If you do your own thing, you do it when you want and where you want.

geez, the military ain't no friggin travel agency.


I just wish that we would invade Tahiti for a damn change!

I know, but if your goal is to see things its better to get a travel agent rather than a recruiter.

*sigh*

I've been to a lot of places, that I would never be able to see as a civilian. I've been around the world, visiting twenty-two countries as a military brat, and 15 as a service member. Unless you are independently wealthy, you will never get a chance to see that many places in your lifetime. I've seen the Pyramids at Giza, Ruins at Antioch, The Great Wall, The Eiffel Tower, have been to the Sydney Opera House, all on Uncle Sam. For some reason, people automatically assume deployment means combat. Deployment means leaving your home base/post. Whether it be training, war, or temporary duty(TDY). So, get your passport, apply for your visas, and go travel on your own dime. Tell me how far you get. Remember, some of the most beautiful places are also the most dangerous in the terms of war. Indonesia, Brazil, Sri Lanka, The Phillipines, et cetera, et cetera et cetera. Uncle Sam is the best travel agent, its all about perspective. Was Iraq crappy? No, its an amazing country. Are the people crappy, yes some are. The history is tens of thousands of years old, spanning some of the greatest minds, and greatest empires in the world. But you'll never go there in your lifetime unless you work in the military.

That is true, all im saying is if the only reason you are joining is to travel its probably not the best idea. I probably wont be able to go to that many places, but I plan on seeing a few of thoes places in my life time, on my dime and at my own pace and distance. Being able to go somewhere at your own pace and distance makes all the difference between just having been there and seen that to actually experencing that location and its history. If I visit isreal as a civilian I can see where Jesus taught, the town on the hill that it took the romans 7 years to take etc etc, I wont be burdened with pulling security (fill in what ever military duty that takes you away from your tour) etc. Some in the military may have the luxtury of what I described but not many and it is definatly not guarenteed. I would rather see half as many places on my terms than 30 places on the militarys terms. Its just something to keep in mind if you are planning on using the military as a travel medium.

If you are deployed to a country you will have more contact with average people than you ever would by simple travel. It takes time to understand different cultures and the more you spend in it – the greater the ability to gain that understanding if you so choose.

I have been through Ohio sever times in my life but that does not insure that I understand people from Ohio.

trust me, its much more fun to be able to travel with automatic weapons to hand.....

You go...where you go. Marines tend to see all the "garden spots" of the world. CavScout went to some pretty cool places...I..uh, not so much. Been on every continent EXCEPT Europe, unless you count the layovers in Spain on my way to Africa. Well, and not Antartica. But the travel and the experience are what you make it. I still enjoyed hot, dusty crap holes and mountainous jungle no-man's-lands. Like Gunny said, always more fun with an automatic weapon. Get to go to some gang infested, warlord controlled crap hole, only your the biggest gang with the most guns. Can be fun.

I guess it just depends on your perspective and what your priorities are, so to each there own. If you go to antarctica you get a medal and you dont have to be in the military, as long as its on a US government project of any type. So maybe instead of going to iraq see if you can volunteer to go on some obscure project/deployment in antarctica, since once they get you down there you are almost stuck there for 6 or 8 months by the time you have 2 or so hitchs the military will have forgoten about you, its probably like the arctic circle of alaska -80 to -100 in the winter and like 40 or 50 (sometimes as high as 70 but thats rare) in the dead of summer. The north slope of alaska is kinda nice in its own way, you can watch shit hit the fan in the rest of the world from a TV in a station blown over with snow and dark 24 hours a day.

I think there are some military stations in greenland too that wouldent be bad, a little radar station blow over with snow with the stars and the northern lights out its pretty nice.

Of course you wouldent have a gun because there is no one to shoot at.

rppearso i would rather be paid to go to countries than to use my own money lol. And im definitly not joining just for travel

quote:

Originally posted by rppearso:
I guess it just depends on your perspective and what your priorities are, so to each there own. If you go to antarctica you get a medal and you dont have to be in the military, as long as its on a US government project of any type. So maybe instead of going to iraq see if you can volunteer to go on some obscure project/deployment in antarctica, since once they get you down there you are almost stuck there for 6 or 8 months by the time you have 2 or so hitchs the military will have forgoten about you, its probably like the arctic circle of alaska -80 to -100 in the winter and like 40 or 50 (sometimes as high as 70 but thats rare) in the dead of summer. The north slope of alaska is kinda nice in its own way, you can watch shit hit the fan in the rest of the world from a TV in a station blown over with snow and dark 24 hours a day.

You carry a shotgun, doncha?

On the north slope they have people in towers called polar bear watch and they have high power rifles and tranquilizers, but you better have a very good reason for shooting one, if you dont it can be almost as bad as killing a human, unless you are a polar bear watch you can not carry a weapon. And of course antarctica has penguines, so you might have a shot gun but probably wont use it except to mess around and waste ammo.

Keep plugging, you'll hit something!