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muslimmetalhead
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12 Jun 2012, 6:29 pm

I'm considering joining the National Guard or Navy to contribute to society and whatnot.
seriously
I want to avoid killing as much as possible, but it IS the military.

Why I want to do this?

-Honorable
-straightens you up/disciplines you big time
-builds character
-something worth something
-I want to be worth something
-I am a loser
-I will make lifelong friends
-Ill get craploads of college and life-in-general funds.
-The ladies love a man in uniform (lol jk though it's so true)
-Aspies have an easier time with PTSD and following direct directions


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Jayo
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12 Jun 2012, 7:18 pm

Well, yeah, it does provide all those benefits - but the military has its downsides as well. Hazing rituals (these have diminished in the last decade, but still there), motor skills challenges, and not having the opportunity to demonstrate higher IQ...those are the cons against the pros.

But everyone's different. All Aspies are different. This is just my opinion, I wouldn't do it, but all the power to you should you choose to pursue.



bnky
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12 Jun 2012, 8:29 pm

muslimmetalhead wrote:
-I will make lifelong friends

I did that.
I made one good friend while I was there. I haven't seen or heard from him (nor anyone else I met while in for 2 years) since leaving it.
:?
But that's probably just because I've never been much good at making friends :oops:



bnky
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12 Jun 2012, 8:46 pm

muslimmetalhead wrote:
-Aspies have an easier time with PTSD and following direct directions

I'm sure I actually had a BIGGER problem with PTSD than NTs. While many NTs don't seem to notice or remember much detail in traumatic situations, I believe a lot of aspies take in more and replay it more often. I'm sure this was what made my PTSD worse. Not sure why you think it would be easier for an aspie?!
I'm also not sure that "following direct directions" is easier when those directions are not always well considered... and subsequent questioning can very easily lead to charges against you.
Then again we're all different and you might be okay with these.



Ria1989
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12 Jun 2012, 9:40 pm

bnky wrote:
muslimmetalhead wrote:
-Aspies have an easier time with PTSD and following direct directions

I'm sure I actually had a BIGGER problem with PTSD than NTs. While many NTs don't seem to notice or remember much detail in traumatic situations, I believe a lot of aspies take in more and replay it more often. I'm sure this was what made my PTSD worse. Not sure why you think it would be easier for an aspie?!
I'm also not sure that "following direct directions" is easier when those directions are not always well considered... and subsequent questioning can very easily lead to charges against you.
Then again we're all different and you might be okay with these.


Does it have anything to do with aspies using the logical side of brain rather than using emotions to deal with the situation? curious...


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Sweetleaf
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12 Jun 2012, 9:43 pm

Well since I have no official diagnoses of any mental disorders I could join the military, but I am sure I would get kicked out before the first day is over. :lol: Oh wait I would not even pass the drug test to get in :twisted:


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Sweetleaf
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12 Jun 2012, 9:46 pm

Aspies have an easier time with PTSD?.... :lol: I already have that and it is actually very, very hard to deal with so hard you don't even want to deal with it. And considering there seems to be evidence pointing to people with AS not handling stress so well I imagine it would be the opposite.


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Sweetleaf
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12 Jun 2012, 9:51 pm

Anyways what do you really think you are going to get from the military?....I mean I have a friend who was in the military and he's had to go through paper work hell just to get his rightfully deserved disability payments from damage he got while in the military. I mean its like they send you over and then when you come back no one gives a crap even the government who sent you there. So I don't know...maybe it is different if you don't actually end up fighting in a war but the way things are going I think that may be hard to avoid if you're in the military.


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Delphiki
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12 Jun 2012, 11:05 pm

If you score high enough on the asvab (which is not hard at all, especially if you study) you can easily get a job that does not involve killing. The top job in the military is navy nuke. I thought about joining that, test wise I qualified. Did not work out for other reasons.

Aspergers is an immediate disqualification from the military. So you should check out if it is a possibility first before getting your hopes up.

People with aspergers have a higher risk of of depression, which is bad if you are in basic training or during service. If you are trying to get one of the more selective jobs than your grades matter, more so if you have a diagnoses. You can not be on medication for at least a year (do not know if you are). If you have a 2.0 compared to a 4.0 could show them if depression/add/autism/etc. is not letting you work at your full potential and influence if you are eligible to join.

Following direct directions- If they make sense. Otherwise you might question it which is a not a good idea. And lots of times people with autism have issues with people that do not respect them, or authority in general (at least in my experience and what I have read).


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Sweetleaf
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12 Jun 2012, 11:22 pm

Delphiki wrote:
If you score high enough on the asvab (which is not hard at all, especially if you study) you can easily get a job that does not involve killing. The top job in the military is navy nuke. I thought about joining that, test wise I qualified. Did not work out for other reasons.

Aspergers is an immediate disqualification from the military. So you should check out if it is a possibility first before getting your hopes up.

People with aspergers have a higher risk of of depression, which is bad if you are in basic training or during service. If you are trying to get one of the more selective jobs than your grades matter, more so if you have a diagnoses. You can not be on medication for at least a year (do not know if you are). If you have a 2.0 compared to a 4.0 could show them if depression/add/autism/etc. is not letting you work at your full potential and influence if you are eligible to join.

Following direct directions- If they make sense. Otherwise you might question it which is a not a good idea. And lots of times people with autism have issues with people that do not respect them, or authority in general (at least in my experience and what I have read).


I have an issue with authority, if they tell me to do something I find screwed up I probably won't do it unless they want to hold a gun to my head then I might reconsider my stubborness. But yeah I thought of joining the military in the past, maybe it is a good thing I didn't. maybe it is not considering so far I fail at life but it's hard to tell.


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1000Knives
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17 Jun 2012, 7:18 pm

I'd not do it. The risk to reward ratio for it sucks. The biggest thing is, the recruiters more or less lie to you. They're like "YEAH BRO AND YOU CAN BE SPECIAL FORCES, AND GET A SCHOLARSHIP FOR HARVARD" and then meanwhile, you for whatever reason don't get the signup bonus, or educational things, and you're in the Gaurd going to community college. Just the experiences of some friends I used to airsoft with. Another friend got put in 82nd Airborne and got demoted to being a guy who attends a gym for not doing something that was suicidal (don't remember the exact details) in Afghanistan. And he saw his friends die. Another guy I know from airsoft was in the Gaurd and got shot by friendly fire in training, he's got a sweet gig, he's on disability now and just chills around his house all day. I mean, things are what you make them, and I think the Army wouldn't necessarily be bad to join in peacetime, but now we got more Middle East conflicts brewing, and we got our current war in Afghanistan, not fun. Probably the safest branch to join would be the Air National Gaurd, boring, but safe. Or Coast Gaurd, if you're into that thing. Both the two least glamorous.

The other thing too, they're not telling you, regarding training you get in the Army and it's applicability in the civilian world, it's not what it's cracked up to be, either. For example, let's say you're a mechanic, you only learn how to work on, for the most part, Army vehicles, so it won't help much working on civilian cars. Probably the only position with some carryover is Military Police, and you'd only want that if you wanna be a cop after the Army.

I'd say don't do it, BUT, if you're serious about it, do the Future Soldier program but don't sign up, and just see basically how boot camp will be before signing up. My friend when he was considering joining, he did Future Soldier for like a year or 18 months or so, he also when he did it, got to see people recruited, and what jobs/positions they were offered in the Army, and what they actually got.

As far as Aspergers affecting it, well, PTSD, you won't have less per se, you just might internalize it more, or it'll take longer to really bother you. But having Aspergers doesn't make you immune to it. The only thing it would possibly do is, whether or not it's a positive or a negative, you'll be able to have your emotions off during a life threatening situation better than most people, at least that's the way it works for me. But, later, the PTSD comes pretty hard.

As far as being a loser, self worth, and discipline, you're in control of those. You'd be a p**** if you let someone else be in control of them.



thewhitrbbit
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17 Jun 2012, 7:36 pm

I wouldn't expect the uniform to cure women drama sadly.

The military is good and bad.

There are lots of jobs in the military that don't involve killing. Especially if you happen to have a special skill.

The military does have a lot of perks, but the pay is not the greatest at times.

Boot camp will break you down. It's hard to predict how AS would impact it. For me, I am fairly immune to verbal criticism.

I assume your not a college graduate?



Apple_in_my_Eye
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17 Jun 2012, 7:55 pm

Regarding the lying by recruiters, there is "stop-loss," which they're probably not going to make you aware of.

Quote:
Can the military force me to serve more than I want to? and IRR?
I Don't know what IRR is, but if i do 4yrs active duty is there a CHANCE that they can force me to serve again? I DONT want to serve more than four years.

Quote:
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

all contracts are for EIGHT YEARS. and yes they can stop loss you for the entire eight years..

it doesn't happen s much any more but ten years ago.. LOTS of fellow Squids( including our officer friends) were caught up in SL.

additionally your rating/AFSC may have a minimum 5 or 6 year AD commitment.

the non AD time must either be IRR or Drilling Reserves. Individual Ready Reserve is basically a holding pattern.. you do not get paid a dime, have no benefits or privileges but at any point if they need your skills they WILL call you up and say get your butt back in here. again, happened to several ratings not too long ago. HMs with Greenside training and few old weapons platforms.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index ... 512AAhsK6y



hanyo
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18 Jun 2012, 4:44 am

I personally would rather go to prison or commit suicide than join the military. From what I know about boot camp I'd likely have a complete mental breakdown from what I would see as extreme bullying and abuse. Just being forced from my home and locked up there would be enough to traumatize me.



muslimmetalhead
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18 Jun 2012, 11:22 am

[quote="thewhitrbbit"]I wouldn't expect the uniform to cure women drama sadly.

The military is good and bad.

There are lots of jobs in the military that don't involve killing. Especially if you happen to have a special skill.

The military does have a lot of perks, but the pay is not the greatest at times.

Boot camp will break you down. It's hard to predict how AS would impact it. For me, I am fairly immune to verbal criticism.

I assume your not a college graduate?[/quote]


No, I'll only be 16 in a couple months.


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thewhitrbbit
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18 Jun 2012, 11:43 am

Oh ok.

Does your school have an ROTC program? They can give you a taste of the military life in High School. Being an officer in the military is a huge thing. The lowest officer rank is still higher than every single enlisted solider.