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As I understand it, enlisting gives up many rights, because "you become government property" or so I've heard people claim. I have always assumed enlisting woul

As I understand it, enlisting gives up many rights, because "you become government property" or so I've heard people claim. I have always assumed enlisting would be like what you described, just based on what we see in movies. I think anyone who enlists expecting to be able do whatever they please is pretty blind to the overwhelming amounts of data everywhere growing up saying otherwise. It's also in the contract you sign. Who would sign a contract with the military and expect civilian freedom and autonomy? That's just ignorant imo. With that said, I also know many people who served and they had plenty of freedom and downtime, it's just the bounds of the "freedom box" are much tighter while serving, naturally. There's still plenty of time for folks to screw around, live it up, and get into trouble, during peacetime at least.

psunavy03 3y ago
Being subject to the UCMJ does limit some of your rights, mainly free speech in that you can't use contemptuous language against your superiors or against certain people in the government. And, of course, you have to be where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there, or else you're in varying degrees of trouble from "oops, I'm getting yelled at for being late" to "I'm being court-martialed for desertion." But the "your body becomes official government property" canard doesn't belong anywhere off a middle school schoolyard. It's nonsense.
- jstarfish 3y ago
  > But the "your body becomes official government property" canard doesn't belong anywhere off a middle school schoolyard. It's nonsense. Stop-loss programs can bite you in the ass, just when you thought you were free. At 18, most don't read the contract as well as they should.
  - psunavy03 3y ago
    Stop-loss has not been a thing in years. What's more, not reading the contract is no excuse. The contract is what it is. Enlisted members sign up for an 8-year enlistment with the balance of their time in the inactive reserve, where they are still eligible for callup. Officers serve at the pleasure of the President, which in practice means until you resign after fulfilling any Academy/ROTC/flight school obligation. My point wasn't the government being able to fulfill the contract, it was the childish "government property" meme that goes around with things like "yeah, brah, if you self-harm they can prosecute you for damaging government property!" Which, no, they can't. Servicemembers aren't chattel slaves.

psunavy03 3y ago

Being subject to the UCMJ does limit some of your rights, mainly free speech in that you can't use contemptuous language against your superiors or against certain people in the government. And, of course, you have to be where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there, or else you're in varying degrees of trouble from "oops, I'm getting yelled at for being late" to "I'm being court-martialed for desertion." But the "your body becomes official government property" canard doesn't belong anywhere off a middle school schoolyard. It's nonsense.

jstarfish 3y ago
> But the "your body becomes official government property" canard doesn't belong anywhere off a middle school schoolyard. It's nonsense. Stop-loss programs can bite you in the ass, just when you thought you were free. At 18, most don't read the contract as well as they should.
- psunavy03 3y ago
  Stop-loss has not been a thing in years. What's more, not reading the contract is no excuse. The contract is what it is. Enlisted members sign up for an 8-year enlistment with the balance of their time in the inactive reserve, where they are still eligible for callup. Officers serve at the pleasure of the President, which in practice means until you resign after fulfilling any Academy/ROTC/flight school obligation. My point wasn't the government being able to fulfill the contract, it was the childish "government property" meme that goes around with things like "yeah, brah, if you self-harm they can prosecute you for damaging government property!" Which, no, they can't. Servicemembers aren't chattel slaves.