Not a fighter

[Guest]

Well i am going to come right out and say it: i am a pacifist. But i am also very interested in the National Guard and its tuitional benefits. Is there a way that i can get involved with the NG without having to go to war if the time ever comes?

[CPT Menck]

Our primary duty in the Army is to defend the United States. A chaplain {deleted see below} doesn't **** people, or even carry a weapon. Regardless, no one in the military service can be sure of not having to go to war. I understand the benefits our great, but there is not certainty of not having to go. The Army pulls you depending on what they need in the effort to protect the country. It becomes a part of who you are upon Basic Training Graduation.

[dmarchuleta]

You might also look into positions in the medical field. If you or anyone else out there has never heard the story of Desmond Doss, do yourself a favor and read his story here:

http://www.medalofhonor.com/DesmondDoss1.htm

As LT said though. The number one priority of the Guard is the defense of our nation.


SGT Archuleta
San Diego, CA

[JerFinch]

A chaplain or a chaplain's assistant doesn't **** people, or even carry a weapon.

Not to get too technical on this one, but as a chaplain assistant I cringed when I read this one. You are correct about chaplains... they are forbidden to carry or use a weapon. However, as a chaplain assistant, this is not the case. I happen to be a very good shot and it's a good thing too because the chaplain assistant is required to act as a body guard for the chaplain in a combat situation. My life and his depend upon my shooting abilities. Chaplain assistants **** people and do carry a weapon, just to set the records straight and to keep you from choosing this MOS because you don't think you'll fight. Any other questions on this one, let me know.
SPC Finch
Virginia Army National Guard

[groundup]

All enlisted Soldiers are required to do combat training. I have no better way to put it than you are trained to ****. If you can't come to grips with the fact that, that is what the Army does, perhaps the Army National Guard isn't for you.

[CPT Menck]

Reading up on the issue, the Chaplain's Assistant does carry a weapon and acts as the body guard for the Chaplain. Sorry for the mistake.

[Hellfantry]

Well i am going to come right out and say it: i am a pacifist. But i am also very interested in the National Guard and its tuitional benefits. Is there a way that i can get involved with the NG without having to go to war if the time ever comes?

Army = Shoots people... now i know a lot of ppl r gonna giv u a lot of different MOS which are so called "non-violent" but the whole point of the the military is to **** ones advesary in armed conflict. A non-violent person or a person unwilling to ****, if necessary, for his/her country has no place in the military. I hate to put it so bluntly, but im just saying the truth, joining any branch of the military is not a decision to taken lightly, u have to go in with the mentality that you may have to **** people and people out there are going to try their best to **** you. Directly or Indirectly any person in the army has the duty to **** the country's enemies. This could range from supplying ammo to the combat guys or to fixing the tread on the tank so it can go do battle. The whole idea of joining the military if u r non-violent is ludacris and absurd. I would suggest do job corps or peace corps or if worst comes to worst, student loans.

[two2fly]

Joining in any capacity leaves you open to deploying to a combat zone if that's your unit's mission. I'm not aware of any enlisted MOSs that will preclude you from training with and carrying a weapon, if you are a true pacifist. If that's not it, and you just don't want to deploy to a combat zone, then I'd submit that the military service in any capacity is not for you. Be honest with yourself.

[zhukov]

go to ocs, become a Butterbar for Quartermaster or something.

If the only thing your avoiding is shooting at people and you dont mind shooting at targets and pretending to **** people than thare are a lot of MOS you could choose. I Dont see alot of aircraft machanics on the front lines and the last time the bad guys was close enough that a an aircraft machanic had to shoot at them on a regular basis I think Sen. John Mc Cain was a prisoner of war.

However, the first job of any Soldier is Riflman!!!

[doubtfuldarhma]

A true pacifist would never think of joining the military unless it was as a Chaplain. There are prices to be paid for the benefits you recieve. I don't want to hurt anyone but to defend my country I would. I don't want to hurt anyone but if my family was threatened and I could see no other option- I would. I don't want to hurt anyone but if they were an obvious threat to an innocent stranger- I would.
Could you really let someone break a childs arm without physically intervening?
A person beaten down and begging for help and you wouldn't help? You would try to talk to the assailant while they continued to rain down blow after blow onto someone helpless?
Sometimes it is easy to say that if I am attacked I wouldn't fight back (and mean it) but pacifism has repercusions. If I don't fight then the next person behind me will have to and I will be reponsible if I could have kept them safe.

I am not dogging you. And even for someone who would not fight to defend me I am willing to fight, die or even **** for you.

Please remember, it is easy to die, everyone does it. It is harder to take a stand and fight with words and if necessary guns.

[VTguard]

I don't think a pacifist has any business being in the military at all. Chaplain or not. If you don't feel that there are times when a Nation must stand up and defend itself against people that wish to do us harm, do youself and your comrades a favor and don't put on the uniform. Leave the fighting to those of us who are willing to fight back.

[Dasco00]

I feel the same way, do not join the military if you are not willing to defend our nation.

[opportunist]

I want to thank Guest for the guts to present that question, its one I had and also good discussion. I looked up on the search program to see if anyone had asked a similar question and thats how I found his thread. So that goes to show you other people are asking this.