Posted on 08/18/2026 7:04:51 AM PDT by rlmorel
From the article:
Having spent over 55 years inside academe — earning Bachelor of Science (BS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees, then serving as a post-doctoral cancer researcher, faculty member, and research administrator, not retiring until almost 79 years of age — how the one-year title of Staff Sergeant (SSG) decades ago could mean more to me than my PhD might seem bizarre. Nonetheless, it’s true.
Why?
The 19-months in the U.S. Army, as a 24-year-old draftee, transformed my life. Essentially every significant civilian success thereafter can be attributed to that brief stint serving America, and two main factors were responsible.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
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“individuate”? Intimidate?
My dad was military and he said it was from there that he learned self-discipline and organizational skills - which he utilized until the end of his life. He said these skills were more important than anything he learned in college or graduate school (which provided his income).
Husband had four degrees (hard sciences) - said his most important one, and the one that served him best was the one from Bible College - he also said it was his most difficult degree.
This is a well written, well thought out article. Thank you for posting it. I concur with the premise and conclusion.
My short story version is distantly similar. I lied about my health history to obtain enlistment into a USNR Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate (AVROC) program in 1971. (The Navy and Air Force had rejected me for other ROTC programs in 1968, and I learned from that experience.) Spent the summer of 1971 in training in Pensacola, Florida. Corrected my health history lies while there. Had a Navy doctor who wanted to court martial me. I told him I would complete the course, he disagreed...but let me proceed. I did what I said I would do.
Upon graduation from college in 1972 I was eventually ordered back to Pensacola to complete my next 8 weeks of training, commissioning and six years of active duty service. Again, the Navy doctors took a hard run at me, and convinced me to DOR (Drop On Request), accepting an Honorable Discharge in return.
Here’s what made the difference in my thinking: the previous summer (1971) morning PT (physical training) by the seawall was an all hands on deck event, six days a week. AVROCs, Marine and Navy officers, and Marine Drill Instructors. Lots of physical exercises, and a 3 mile run...and since I lied about my health history, I knew I needed this as a base.
In the late summer of 1972, the Vietnam War had changed. We were drawing down instead of building up. And there was a distinct change in the discipline of our physical conditioning. My platoon Marine Drill Instructor was fresh from Vietnam, and was 100% drunk all of the time. Neither he nor any other Drill Instructor nor any officers were present for morning PT. When it came time to exercise, the officer candidates went through the verbal cadences, but the only portion of our bodies moving were our vocal chords, mouths and lips. Plus we did the run. A run is hard to fake, even in the dark early morning hours.
This lack of leadership discipline shook me to my core. I checked in a day early, to get my six year commitment going. I was in great physical shape, running a minimum of 4 miles a run twice a day, with accompanying push ups, etc. I worked an outside construction job while waiting for my orders.
And the Navy, in the 18 or so months of my contract with them, taught me I could do things I did not know I could do. I became a long distance runner for the next 20 years. I earned a Master’s Degree, had a successful federal law enforcement career, and ditto with the Boy Scouts of America and the American Red Cross. I succeeded and failed at owning my own business. And at almost 51 years of age I accepted Jesus as my Savior, and, as a member of The Gideons International, have helped hundreds, if not thousands of others do the same, thanks to the work and power of the Holy Spirit.
Much of this is the result of my brief time as an AVROC in the USNR in Pensacola.
I am not a veteran. All of my brief active duty time was for training. But I wear my Navy hat humbly, as it opens the doors to hundreds of personal witnessing conversations.
Thank you, America. Thank you, Jesus.
My experience was similar. I got "hints" to slow down I was making the others look bad.
I also had union weenies dusting me with grievences because I would do something simple rather than wait for three of them to turn off one circuit breaker or move a board, stupid stuff like that.
Yes. Case in point my thumbs are too big for my phone.
On the bright side, I accidentally learned a new word today.
Getting away from the care and coddling of the home is the big deal. Either Uni or 1st out of state job or military — you are now on your own. Grow up real damned fast or die. Your choice.
And, I am not talking about the liberal crappola of touringthe EU to find oneself. That is navel gazing at its most expensive. You do nothing but come home with an STD.
“ One thing I hated about my 22 years of service was having to leave behind good friends every couple of years. I had 11 separate postings in those 22 years.”
I liked artillery because we tended to move in groups or move less. It’s also kind of a small world so even if you were moved you at least knew someone who knew someone.
I think about my 5-1/2-year Air Force service often.
People sometimes say to me, “Thank you for your sacrifice”. It really wasn’t much of a sacrifice for me; it was very formative. I received excellent training in basic electronics and aircraft instrumentation.
One thing I remember is the responsibility I was entrusted with. I was authorized to oversee repairs and sign on the dotted line to clear aircraft for flight (for instrument repairs). I was 24 years old. We were good; we were damn good. I certainly wouldn’t trust the average 24-year-old to clear an airplane for flight that I’m going to be riding on.
“”””I have always felt a two year military sting for all young men at 18 years of age would be an excellent idea for the USA.””””
Bujt what would it do to the military, you can’t have a first class military of warrior types made up of inadequate males.
The draft did a workable version of your idea by taking all the males available, giving them mental tests, intelligence tests, physical examinations, education requirements, background checking for drug use and police records, psychiatric filtering and then a board evaluating whether they should be called up and sent to the military for the final filtering processes, it all filtered out the majority of males.
I would suspect most of those didn't do well in civilian life either, but I have no data.
bfl
The term “insufferable” was coined to describe the denizens of academe.
The correct answer is, "I didn't do it for you, I did it for me."
I didn't know they had a max height, but I had a good friend in the Air Force who was 6'6". He had a hard time folding himself into the cockpit of an F-4 and the tight workspaces where our equipment was located.
“Bujt what would it do to the military, you can’t have a first class military of warrior types made up of inadequate males.”
Actually you can. The bases would be spotless.
Do you think 18 y.o. draftees are going to be put into skilled, highly-trained jobs? NFW. They’re going to be doing Police Calls, digging ditches and various other minimal-training, supervised tasks and details. Latrines need cleaning every day. Why pay contractors to do it?
The draft is used to get the male into the military, the same as any other male, including as officers and many specialties from tech to medicine and high skilled jobs like FDC.
Remember that the entire pool of enlisted males, whether volunteer or draftee, are given the same intelligence and aptitude tests and assigned based on the same criteria.
The company that I worked for built some electronics housed in racks with wheels on them. Once we were testing some equipment that we had built out at Lockheed in California, and the Lockheed engineers asked if we minded if they moved our equipment to another part of the hanger.
Well, it's their hanger so we didn't care and so we started disconnecting the cables in preparation to the move. The Lockheed guys said, "What are you doing"? Uh, we thought you wanted to move this equipment. They said, "We do, but you can't do it. The union would file a grievance in a New York Second if you did. Take the day off and come tomorrow". So we did. So instead of taking 1/2 hour, it told a full day.
In any event, the man has a truly impressive Curriculum Vitae
25+ years active duty here. Now in 19th year as DOD civilian.
The core of the military hasn’t changed much. 18 year olds doing 18 year olds things.
The nostalgia of being better ‘back in my day’ is just old farts blowing smoke.
My two favorite sayings:
“I knew I couldn’t hack it in the military, that is why I joined the Air Force.”
“The military is perfect for someone with no ambitions or skills, that is why I stayed in.”
My mom was raising 3 kids after dad took off. Only thing I did right prior to joining the USAF was getting my GED. After a 2 year stint in the AF, don’t ask, a year later I went to Data Processing school in the basement of the empire state building using my GI Bill benes. Married 47 years this december, raised two beautiful kids and had a 42 year carreer in IT. As a 1st generation US citizen I say GOD Bless America and the opportunities it affords US!
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