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I guess I should have mentioned, but I've already gone through MEPS (twice), and I've been in 4 years. This is more or less a recollection of memories that flowed back to me randomly one day. I guess it's actually interesting to you guys, so I'll be going over what my experiences were up to ... well about now I guess over some more blog posts in the future.
Concerning the idea of whether they'll break you or not, when they say they'll break you, they really will try. And by break, I mean they will get you to do what they say. There's no if ands or buts. In the Air Force these days, the motto is "Work smarter, not harder", but it sometimes certainly doesn't feel that way. Bottom line, if someone has more rank than you, you do what they say. Asking why isn't as much of a taboo as it was in the past, but I still wouldn't recommend it unless you have a damn good reason.
Nowadays, the military is much more, how would I say, strict with strictness? I've heard rumors about Marine Boot Camp, and how much more difficult it is than the Air Force's (and I wouldn't doubt it for a minute), but these days, I've been told you're given a stress card that you can just throw out and the TI will leave you be for the day. I presume that would be to assist in the prevention of any Columbine shit (as you WILL live fire weapons in basic), but that's a drastic change from the classic "Wall to wall counselling" idea that people have of the military.
Contrary to popular belief, people are much more relaxed, and more or less normal (At least in my eyes, or maybe I've been broken and don't even notice) in the real Air Force (and by real, I mean outside of Basic or Technical training. Where you do the real job for the Air Force).
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They don't break you as an individual. They break you as a group and then build you back up again. You have to have a really weak spine in order to "break" in something like basic. All it is is an indocrination into the military. You do what you're told and that's it. It's not like a selection school for Special Operations Forces or something. Of course that doesn't mean you go and mouth off to a TI, but doing a few push ups and all the other mundane bullshit is hardly going to break you.
Like piroko said, military life is not like anything you will experience in Basic. It'll likely be strict through tech school, but beyond that not as much. Each job will obviously vary accordingly.
Tech, just wondering... have you served or are you serving?
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On September 23 2010 04:29 TechDeft wrote:Show nested quote +On September 23 2010 04:24 Skyze wrote: To also put it into perspective; two people from my HS class joined the military after we graduated.. They were the boys who always got picked on, were chubby/fat and just plain stupid (like you laugh at them how stupid they are, not able to even point out Canada on a map?? lol) and somehow they made it thru Basic Training, and are now making like 3 times the amount of money I am. Anyways, my point being, you have to be REALLY messed up/lazy to not make it thru basic training at least. If you are even close to right(any Canadian military around here?) than the Canadian military training is to the US military training what an elevator ride is to a mountain climb.
I didnt say that was the standard.. I said that the BARE MINIMUM to pass basic training is not much. Obviously the two guys I mentioned are not high ranking officers, infact they are frontline infantry because they are not smart enough for anything else, but the point is they made it past basic training.
Canadian Military is set up that people with desire can survive, but they will need intelligence and physical superiority to get in good ranking. Its the way military should be set up. Someone who can only do 19 pushups after 3 months of daily training, CAN make it through, but they will be shit on everyday and will never go high in rank. But they made it because they wanted to and took orders, even if they couldnt do them well.
And you are trying to make it sound like you have to be some fucking crazy cold-killer to join the military.. You realize how much of the population is employed by the military, especially in the US? A LARGE number, If it was so hard to get into like you are implying, how would half of those guys made it? The US military will basically take anyone who signs up, and I would bet over 95% of them make it past basic training without any issues. Its not that hard at all.
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On September 23 2010 07:49 GreyCone wrote: They don't break you as an individual. They break you as a group and then build you back up again. You have to have a really weak spine in order to "break" in something like basic. All it is is an indocrination into the military. You do what you're told and that's it. It's not like a selection school for Special Operations Forces or something. Of course that doesn't mean you go and mouth off to a TI, but doing a few push ups and all the other mundane bullshit is hardly going to break you.
Like piroko said, military life is not like anything you will experience in Basic. It'll likely be strict through tech school, but beyond that not as much. Each job will obviously vary accordingly.
exactly the point I was trying to get across, and why Travis shouldnt have an issue getting thru basic. Almost anyone can get thru basic no problem.
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On September 22 2010 13:48 travis wrote: I go to MEPS for the air force TOMMORROW, lol
couple questions
1.) what was the blood test for
2.) how long u been in air force?
3.) how many other pee tests have u taken and what for?
it's funny how badly anyone who tries to intimidate or "break me" will fail lol
You enlisted in the Air Force?
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On September 22 2010 15:46 Skyze wrote:Show nested quote +On September 22 2010 14:30 ShaperofDreams wrote: I'm planning to join the Canadian air force in 4 years. They require a bachelors and the ability to speak French for some reason.
If I can't get in (my vision is like (-8.5, but i plan to get lasik to fix it) for whatever reason, i might apply to be an intelligence officer (although Canada's agency is pretty defensive and id like to be in the action.
How hard is it to get to be a pilot? You wouldnt get in to be a pilot, thats for sure. Eyesight is VERY important for pilots, they need almost perfect vision. Theres a chart somewhere that says what you need, im gonna apply as a Musician in the CF next year and obviously my ear/hearing needs to be greater than most other occupations. Anyways, thanks for the write-up, like I said im looking to get in soon also. Doesnt sound too bad, hopefully I pass the physical stuff. Unlike you, im overweight (well not too bad, but 5'10 and 220, not great at all)
They accept corrected vision for pilots now.
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On September 23 2010 04:27 TechDeft wrote:Show nested quote +On September 23 2010 04:21 Skyze wrote: Honestly for anyone to fail in basic training, is hard. Least in Canada, the BARE MINIMUM to pass basic training is like, 19 pushups and stuff.. Thats quite bad, even tho ive been eating pure junk and sitting on my ass for the past year I can still do that.
Basic training is more of a mental challenge, they push you to see who the weak ones mentally are, to try and weed out people who cant take pressure situations. But for anyone who doesnt have some kind of disease (like OCD/bipolar/etc) it shouldnt be hard.
Travis should be able to make it no prob if he really wants to do it. Not in the American military. Anyone who bucks the trend is out. Seriously. Independent thought is not only discouraged, but basically forbidden. You are to take orders and execute them. Your job is not to think or ask, it is to do. Physically they are far different too. American boot camp is arduous, for the same reasons you mentioned...to check for mental weakness. In the American military, not blindly following orders is a mental weakness. He already stated that he WILL NOT be broken. If a recruitment officer heard that, they'd just laugh in his face. There is a reason that the US's military is a worldwide powerhouse, and Canada's....isn't
And is that reason that the United States has roughly 10-to-1 population ratio to Canada, and thus the American military should, even if equal in every qualitative way, be approximately 10x as "a powerhouse" as Canada's? And add to the fact the funding that the United States gives to the military, using it as both a sword and as a government welfare system for low education people.
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On September 23 2010 14:01 cz wrote:Show nested quote +On September 23 2010 04:27 TechDeft wrote:On September 23 2010 04:21 Skyze wrote: Honestly for anyone to fail in basic training, is hard. Least in Canada, the BARE MINIMUM to pass basic training is like, 19 pushups and stuff.. Thats quite bad, even tho ive been eating pure junk and sitting on my ass for the past year I can still do that.
Basic training is more of a mental challenge, they push you to see who the weak ones mentally are, to try and weed out people who cant take pressure situations. But for anyone who doesnt have some kind of disease (like OCD/bipolar/etc) it shouldnt be hard.
Travis should be able to make it no prob if he really wants to do it. Not in the American military. Anyone who bucks the trend is out. Seriously. Independent thought is not only discouraged, but basically forbidden. You are to take orders and execute them. Your job is not to think or ask, it is to do. Physically they are far different too. American boot camp is arduous, for the same reasons you mentioned...to check for mental weakness. In the American military, not blindly following orders is a mental weakness. He already stated that he WILL NOT be broken. If a recruitment officer heard that, they'd just laugh in his face. There is a reason that the US's military is a worldwide powerhouse, and Canada's....isn't And is that reason that the United States has roughly 10-to-1 population ratio to Canada, and thus the American military should, even if equal in every qualitative way, be approximately 10x as "a powerhouse" as Canada's? And add to the fact the funding that the United States gives to the military, using it as both a sword and as a government welfare system for low education people. I was talking about why it is the way it is. I was just pointing out the differences.
And to the other person that responded to this, no, I wasn't saying that you need to be a cold-bolded killer. I was saying that you have to be able to follow orders, and anyone that is like your two friends wouldn't make it through the first few weeks.
I'm not saying our way is better or your way is stupid. Only noting the differences.
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