<p>I think what BCEagle meant was that the military is willing to go out of their way to recruit a high school grad, rather than the easy-to-sign dropout.</p>
<p>My son is applying to a Navy program because they have the best Nuclear Engineering program . He graduates in May in Mechanical Engineering . Any information about someone like him ? He is 21 with a near 4.0 .</p>
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<p>As the proud parent of a soon to be Naval Officer I can’t begin to tell you how offensive I find this comment. What makes your DS or DD’s life more valuable than my child’s?</p>
<p>My DS’s goal since he was 13 was to serve and protect his country. 9/11 had a profound impact on him. He considers it an honor and privilege to serve and defend the rights that so many take for granted and are unwilling to sacrifice for.</p>
<p>DS has made many sacrifices to become a Naval Officer and will make many, many more. I could not be more proud of him. I don’t want my child in harm’s way but he has to be who he is. He is no less or more valuable than your child though.</p>
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Yes, that was insensitive to say the least.</p>
<p>I read that comment as something that is purely honest. Vicariousparent is not being insensitive or trying to offend. Just telling the truth. Who doesn’t think those kind of thoughts? You hear about an automobile accident with teens, worry about your kid, contact him and think, “Thank God it isn’t my kid.” I hear about someone crashing an airplane, locate my husband, and breathe a sigh of relief it isn’t him. I had the sad duty of flying coffins sometimes out of a war zone, and I’d always go check the nametag on the coffin, being sad for the soldier but so relieved it wasn’t my husband or any of my friends. Nobody wants anyone’s kids to die, but it would devaste your entire being for your own child to die. Does that mean other people’s lives aren’t as valuable? Maybe not in the overall scheme of things, but I guarantee you that YOUR child’s life is more valuable to YOU than anyone else’s child. And if it’s not, there’s something really wrong there.</p>
<p>Iron Maiden-</p>
<p>Thank you and especially thank your son for his committment and sacrifices.</p>
<p>I wear a Memorial bracelet everyday for a fallen soldier from Iraqi Freedom. The fallen soldier has the same first and last name as my son. It is to remind me at all times that someone else’s boy is gone. And because of his and others ultimate sacrifice my son has the freedom to to follow his dreams and goals.</p>
<p>Son is now a med school student and I remind him often just how fortunate he is and to whom much is given much is expected. Much.</p>
<p>Again, thank your son for his service.</p>
<p>Kat</p>
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<p>While I didn’t go to college until after my four-year enlistment, when I did go to college I graduated with a perfect 4.0 from both undergrad and graduate school. I was at least as intellectually challenged by my military coursework and subsequent job (linguist and cryptographer) than by any course I took in college. I was by no means any more intelligent than my peers in this career field, despite being an enlisted position. I believe your S will be plenty challenged, if that is your concern.</p>
<p>“let me add that my DS’s hope is to save millions of lives by developing an early detection system to detect earthquakes before they strike, and thus potentially save Americans as well as others worldwide who live in earthquake prone areas.” </p>
<p>I’m guessing there are already a few pretty smart people working on such systems…</p>
<p>Some of the comments on this thread reminded me of something my darling hubby said when we were dating. I made a rather snotty comment about him being in the military and he very calmly said to me:“I serve so that you can enjoy your freedoms.” it made a big impression on me and never again did I comment on his service. He went to West Point while Vietnam was still going on. I think as Americans we are content to let other people’s kids, husbands, brothers, fathers, sisters, you get the idea do our fighting for us. None of us want our kids to die or come back less than whole, yet we all enjoy our freedoms.</p>
<p>“I think what BCEagle meant was that the military is willing to go out of their way to recruit a high school grad, rather than the easy-to-sign dropout.”</p>
<p>Exactly…the military has some pretty smart people making decisions…some of them even prefer to eat soup without a fly in it, and some of them even prefer to drive on tires that are inflated.</p>
<p>“None of us want our kids to die or come back less than whole, yet we all enjoy our freedoms.”</p>
<p>Right, nobody ENJOYS paying a restaurant for a meal, but only some people understand that you need to pay to eat, while the other people are content to stick somebody else with the check.</p>
<p>the comment WAS rude and insensitive. Sadly, there are too many Americans who actually do not appreciate the sacrifices others have made and are making. They don’t give it a seconds thought.</p>
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<p>The program is on par with some respectable/elite university engineering programs…even if you’re going on the enlisted side. </p>
<p>Very selective and many wash out. A younger neighborhood friend joined it as an enlisted sailor and was able to transfer many credits/validate herself out of many intro/intermediate engineering courses at her university because of her experience in the Navy’s Nuke program. </p>
<p>A cousin who served as an NFO was highly impressed with sailors in the nuke program…whether officer or enlisted…and he was an engineering graduate himself.</p>
<p>"Any information about someone like him ? He is 21 with a near 4.0 "</p>
<p>A lot of the Navy’s nuclear-trained personnel end up on submarines if they volunteer for them. Otherwise, there are nuclear-powered “surface” ships they might work on. There are also jobs which are involved with nuclear weapons rather than nuclear engines. In all cases, the Navy tries very hard to ensure that the people who get near anything nuclear are emotionally stable and trustworthy, as well as very intelligent. A clean slate re drug use and criminal activity will help a lot.</p>
<p>The guys who are trained on nuclear engines sometimes get cash bonuses at various points in their careers, to keep them from jumping to lucrative private-sector jobs.</p>
<p>* let me add that my DS’s hope is to save millions of lives by developing an early detection system to detect earthquakes before they strike, and thus potentially save Americans as well as others worldwide who live in earthquake prone areas.He can better serve mankind using his brains rather than becoming target practice for enemy snipers in a war*</p>
<p>I actually found that comment to be more offensive than the parent who hoped it wouldn’t be their kid who was killed.</p>
<p>Military service isn’t just about brawn, it is about brains too & to imply that those who enlist are too dumb to do anything else is ignorant.</p>
<p>This young man ( who was probably in the top 3% of his class) made a very deliberate decision to join the Marines. ( his initial assignment was as a recruiter, but that didn’t suit him, he opted to go to Iraq instead.
And after he recovered from his injury he reenlisted.
[A</a> mom’s internal struggle when her son decides to enlist - seattlepi.com](<a href=“http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/A-mom-s-internal-struggle-when-her-son-decides-to-1154452.php]A”>http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/A-mom-s-internal-struggle-when-her-son-decides-to-1154452.php)</p>
<p>I’m sorry, I would be upset too. My daughter convinced me for a whole day about a year ago she wanted to join the marines. Even my husband was in on the joke. I didn’t think it was funny. I was so scared my mouth was like cotton. </p>
<p>At least he isn’t joining straight out of high school. Hopefully it will pass. If not, my nephew is in the navy and stationed in Hawaii. So far, he hasn’t been in any dangerous positions because of what he does for them. And, he is in Hawaii.</p>
<p>So many pro/con comments. Midwest has anti military people, not just either coast. There are many ways to serve our country without joining the military. Bravo to vicariousparent and others for their comments, tough luck to those offended. Do not glorify the military. It is a paid job that appeals to some in our society. Some for the finances and a FEW for whom our society should be grateful they have an outlet for their violent tendencies. It is just as patriotic to be against a war and be antimilitary as to be flag waving. I don’t consider every soldier who dies to be a war hero- being a hero is not being caught in the wrong moment but doing something above and beyond your job. It is the job of soldiers to be at risk of death. I have no sympathy for couples when both are in the reserves and get called up at the same time- they both made the choice. Needing to register for a potential draft is very different than choosing to get a paycheck from the military. I am more than happy to let someone else’s child die instead of mine, especially with the recent military actions that perhaps shouldn’t have been conducted as they were.</p>
<p>Being in the military, at whatever rank, is not the epitome of a free society. It is a necessary job, just as being a nurse or physician who deals in other unpleasant aspects of life so others don’t have to. Many sacrifices made by medical students in their time while most people their age are spending more time enjoying themselves. No more respect for those in the service than for any other professional who does their job well. IF there was a great need to serve to protect our society many of us would change our minds about the military. At this point we are fortunately cutting back on the military after unfortunate consequences of former administrations’ actions. </p>
<p>I don’t see a good risk/benefit ratio in joining the military in the current times- even with military cutbacks. Would our country/society be better off if my gifted son had joined the military instead of doing college et al without it? No. Let those who want to do it, but don’t expect praise from the rest of us. </p>
<p>Society is made up of those who keep on living- perhaps cowardness or refusal to join some military force on the part of an ancestor is the only reason many of us exist today. I know some of my Polish ancestors came to this country instead of serving the German Kaiser.</p>
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<p>True. Why was it necessary to build up her own kid by suggesting that there are other kids who can best serve mankind by being target practice for enemy snipers? And don’t most of those other kids have worthy hopes and dreams as well?</p>
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Perhaps courage on the part of an ancestor is the reason you are able to type this tripe.</p>
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<p>I doubt it</p>