Barack Obama 'wanted to join US military'

UK Telegraph ^ | Today | Brainhose

[Brainhose]

Barack Obama has said he considered joining the United States military when he left school but decided not to
because the Vietnam war was over and "we weren't engaged in an active military conflict at that point".
The statement is thought to be the first time during the 19-month-long presidential campaign that the Democratic
nominee for the White House has indicated he once wanted to serve in uniform. The aspiration was not mentioned in either of his two volumes of memoirs.

[george76]

Did they have selective service requirement that year?

1979...no.

[KarlInOhio]

That’s right... Carter did away with the registration requirement but Reagan reversed that when he got in there.

Nope. Ford eliminated it and Carter reinstated it. It restarted in 1980 which was before Reagan was president.

[KarlInOhio]

now the question is: did he register?

In a thread yesterday some FReeper claimed to have contacted Selective Service earlier and verified that Obama did sign up. Sorry, I don't know which thread, but I think it was one of the Obama military threads like this one from yesterday.

[VeniVidiVici]

Obama gets in some prep time before he considers joining the military.

[ichabod1]

now the question is: did he register?

That's a very good question indeed.

[MEGoody]

Obama considered joining the military? Oh puhleeze! :::rolls eyes:::

[NavyCanDo]

Graduated H.S. 1979 - - Hmmmmmmm I was in the Navy from 1977 to 1982 and it was in those “Jimmy Carter” years that the military budget was slashed and the moral and sense of purpose was at its worse. I remember F.T.N. was common graffiti printed on the patricians of the toilet stalls. The respect from the civilians was also the lowest at any point since before WWII, ad was the reenlistment rate.

If he truly thought about joining, I would guess his decision not to was not because he would not go into battle, but that he did not like the military.

Thankfully when Ronald Reagan took over in 1980 moral turned around Big Time and pride in the Military returned.

[Grampa Dave]

Barack Obama 'wanted to join US military'!

[massgopguy]

In 1973 my cousin came back from Vietnam. He was a captain in the Green Berets and commanded A Camp 120. When I said I’d like to follow in his footsteps he gave me a demonstration of Okito, one of the five Martial Arts he Belted in. WHEN I regained conciousness he sat me down and asked if I wanted a career in the military. I said no. So he said if you get Drafted (still had one)you go. If you don’t. Go on with life and don’t worry about it.

[tatsinfla]

found this on democratic underground:

After contacting the Selective Service System for an answer several times since late June, Pajamas Media obtained official confirmation from the Selective Service System via email that Barack Obama did indeed register for the Selective Service as required by law, and is eligible to run for the presidency.

Mr. Owens,

Barack Hussein Obama registered at a post office in Hawaii. The effective registration date was September 4, 1980.

His registration number is 61-1125539-1.

Daniel Amon
Public Affairs Specialist

[tatsinfla]

reminds me of mike dukakis....lol...

[kevinm13]

Barack Obama wanted to join the military about as much as Bill Clinton didn’t inhale. Pure BS. Good thing the military are smart enough to see through this lie and vote against Obama.

[Gamecock]

He's getting desperate. The POW story is playing well for McCain. The world is full of men who say "I thought about joining..." I meet at least one every time I wear my uniform in downtown America. I had to sign up for Selective Service [a means of conscription in case of war] when I graduated from high school.

So big whoop. So did every other 18 year old.

We had a of honorable young men staring down the communist hordes at Fulda and Korea. He could have joined them.

Of course he could have joined the reserves, just in case the balloon ever went up, much like it did during Desert Storm.

[P-Marlowe]

The aspiration was not mentioned in either of his two volumes of memoirs.

Such a bald faced lie. He wanted to join, but didn't because there was no more Vietnam War to fight?????

This fraud was about 14 when Nixon pulled out of Vietnam. He's trying to paint himself as some kind of patriot who would only be willing to join the service if there were a major conflict going on. Vomit.

This guy is beyond desperate. He is in full panic mode. And his inability to take a stand (witnessed by his voting "present" 130 times in the Illinois Senate) is simply something that we, as Americans, cannot afford in a Commander in Chief. Even if Obama were right on all the issues, he is not fit to be the President, since he would only be right for all the wrong reasons. His sole purpose in life is to feed his own ego. He will say anything to get elected.

[kassie]

I just used your link to view My Muslim Faith and the screen says it is no longer available for viewing. Hmmmmmmmm...

[jude24]

There was a conflict in 1979 - that’s when the Iran hostage crisis started, and if I remember correctly (not being alive when it happened), we thought military confrontation was a possibility.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Do, or do not. There is no ‘try.’” - Jedi Master Yoda

Even a freakin’ PUPPET knows that. ;)

[Smedley]

Barack Obama has said he considered joining the United States military when he left school but decided not to because the Vietnam war was over and "we weren't engaged in an active military conflict at that point".

We all know just how popular the Vietnam war was with the Left