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When I joined the military in 2004, it was because I was near suicidal and felt that I needed to change something or I might die. ...I was young and stupid. I

When I joined the military in 2004, it was because I was near suicidal and felt that I needed to change something or I might die. ...I was young and stupid. I'm probably still stupid. :) See, I was poor. I had done very well on standardized tests and received a full-ride scholarship with a stipend, but then I failed out of college, probably due to depression... So there I was without a lot of prospects in front of me, and I chose that moment to start drinking, for the first time. 2003 went by in a blur. I woke up one day and realized that here I was in a small town in Arkansas, working in some approximation of a box factory which paid just enough for rent and nothing more, never anything more. I knew that I must alter my path dramatically. So, I walked in to the only place in the world where I knew I'd get hired on the spot. To their credit, they did make a man of me. That was what I wanted. To be changed. You know, discipline and all that. (It wore off after a little while, and I can't say honestly that I don't miss it.) Back to my point: young white American men that enlist in the military aren't a random selection of young white American men. A strong majority of the members of that demographic in my Flight who I spoke with about why they joined had similar stories: the military is widely known as an option, and for many, it's the second to last option.

thearn4 12y ago
Your story very much mirrors my own, at the time it was the best option for someone with no money and a GED. The experience was something that I needed. But I did become jaded very quickly by what I saw around me. My time in uniform was a net positive, yet I really don't find myself identifying very closely with other vets or the post-military "remember those good old crazy times?" culture at large. Some things about it all just depress me.
- angrybits 12y ago
  Maybe I've just been out for long enough now, but just this morning I found myself missing that life. I would have retired with 20 years in 2016 had I stayed in. Now for sure I don't miss power-drinking in the dorms or on TDY, but the work was fun and the people were awesome. I still keep in touch with alot of them. In contrast, I haven't spoken with anyone I went to high school in years.
angrybits 12y ago
I'm pretty sure I'd be dead or locked in a jail cell if not for my four years in the USAF--second to last option indeed. Your point about the selection not being random could not be more spot on. I feel like we were largely just misfits who somehow managed to find our way to a place where misfits can have one last shot at getting somewhere. Not all of us made it, but we who did were grateful that the opportunity was there.
abandonliberty 12y ago
Thanks for sharing. It inspired me to read more into the article. All we really get from it is that there has been a drop in combat deaths. I'm not a fan of the military but this article is just white noise. There's no denominator or basis for understanding what the numbers mean. If we're looking to investigate suicides in the military then we need to compare it against appropriate baselines, accounting for the types of issues daveloyall raises, and even the economy. Here's wikipedia's suicide rates for comparison: US Men: 19.2 US Women: 5.5 Military: 17.1 What surprises me is that the military suicide rate in combat zones (17.3) is lower than military in the US (19.2)
- qbrass 12y ago
  >What surprises me is that the military suicide rate in combat zones (17.3) is lower than military in the US (19.2) Doing something suicidal that gets yourself killed in combat doesn't count as suicide.

thearn4 12y ago

Your story very much mirrors my own, at the time it was the best option for someone with no money and a GED. The experience was something that I needed. But I did become jaded very quickly by what I saw around me. My time in uniform was a net positive, yet I really don't find myself identifying very closely with other vets or the post-military "remember those good old crazy times?" culture at large. Some things about it all just depress me.

angrybits 12y ago
Maybe I've just been out for long enough now, but just this morning I found myself missing that life. I would have retired with 20 years in 2016 had I stayed in. Now for sure I don't miss power-drinking in the dorms or on TDY, but the work was fun and the people were awesome. I still keep in touch with alot of them. In contrast, I haven't spoken with anyone I went to high school in years.

angrybits 12y ago

I'm pretty sure I'd be dead or locked in a jail cell if not for my four years in the USAF--second to last option indeed. Your point about the selection not being random could not be more spot on. I feel like we were largely just misfits who somehow managed to find our way to a place where misfits can have one last shot at getting somewhere. Not all of us made it, but we who did were grateful that the opportunity was there.

abandonliberty 12y ago

Thanks for sharing. It inspired me to read more into the article. All we really get from it is that there has been a drop in combat deaths. I'm not a fan of the military but this article is just white noise. There's no denominator or basis for understanding what the numbers mean. If we're looking to investigate suicides in the military then we need to compare it against appropriate baselines, accounting for the types of issues daveloyall raises, and even the economy. Here's wikipedia's suicide rates for comparison: US Men: 19.2 US Women: 5.5 Military: 17.1 What surprises me is that the military suicide rate in combat zones (17.3) is lower than military in the US (19.2)

qbrass 12y ago
>What surprises me is that the military suicide rate in combat zones (17.3) is lower than military in the US (19.2) Doing something suicidal that gets yourself killed in combat doesn't count as suicide.