Is the NAvy right for me?

kashi1019 · Mar 3, 2008

Hey DS930

I kind of feel the same was as you....I'm not for the war, I'm pro choice, liberal, etc and I was wondering if most people in the military are more the conservative, republican sort of personality. I am interested in joining for the experience, I think I would have so many amazing opportunities that I would never have as a civilian nurse. I am also intersted in the camraderie.

I'm glad to know someone else feels the same way.

crazylilkelly · Mar 3, 2008

Hey DS930
I kind of feel the same was as you....I'm not for the war, I'm pro choice, liberal, etc and I was wondering if most people in the military are more the conservative, republican sort of personality. I am interested in joining for the experience, I think I would have so many amazing opportunities that I would never have as a civilian nurse. I am also intersted in the camraderie.
I'm glad to know someone else feels the same way.

I have already served active for 2 yrs (& reserves for 2 yrs). After a few yrs I confronted personal inner conflict of serving & not supporting the war. I was a seabee at the time and could easily be put in situations where my life would be on the line. In all honesty, this was a HUGE struggle for me---aligning my patriotism w/ my disagreement of the war. I enlisted, @ 17 yrs mind you, w/ complete pride in my country. I didn't realize that there could be times that I would not agree w/ what my government was asking me to do. I was just so excited to serve just like my dad did! I was excited about the adventures that were awaiting me.

What I can tell you, is that I realized that I was not alone in this situation. Sooooooo many servicemembers have I talked to who do not agree w/ the war one bit. They are disilluisioned about what our politicians are sending us to do & realize that they may give up their life for something they don't believe in. Still, everyone who takes the oath understands that they give up their freedom to defend the freedom of those we love. And, sometimes politicians will make stupid deicisions. We must do what we're called upon b/c we decided to make the sacrafice---& that's what makes every single military member a hero in my eyes.

Another thing I can tell you is that what keeps those troops going out there is each other. When my reserve battalion got activated for Iraq NOBODY wanted to go!!! They all disagreed w/ the war & didn't want to leave their loved ones behind. However, they all left w/ pride b/c they were going to the desert so as not to let their brothers & sisters in arms down. I knew a guy who didn't have to go but lied to go (he had a med prob) b/c he couldn't bare the thought of not being out there w/ the rest of the battalion.The comradiere in the military is something you will never find in the civilian life. In my mind, it is enough to make me want to go back in!

For me, being a nurse in the navy (which I am in the process of trying to accomplish) eases this inner-conflict of not agreeing w/ the war a bit. I actually would volunteer to go to the desert b/c I full-heartedly support our troops. I want to serve them! As nurses, we're not on the front-lines barging into iraqi-civilian homes....we're helping to save the lives of our troops so they can go home to see their loved ones once again. I find great honor in the thought of serving those who put aside their personal beliefs in the war & still go out there to do what is called upon them. I love nursing & I love my country, warts & all, & find no greater joy than in thought of combining both.

I consider myself more liberal than not (although not pro-choice). Obviously, you are free to believe in whatever you want to believe. However, it has been my experience that many military members are conservative. So, if you can suck up listening to things you don't agree w/ then you'll be fine. Just be tactful and kind in the way you discuss these topics w/ other servicemembers, just as I hope you would w/ other civilians. And being liberal does NOT make you unpatriotic!!!! There are many democrats & liberals serving. Don't let anybody define who you are & the love you have for your country.

Sorry if I just babbled for a bit!!! I guess that's bound to happen when you're stuck home all w/e fighting a fever! Hopefully, some of the military nurses will tell you how they feel about the issues of not agreeing w/ military decisions and nursing. My experiences are only limited to non-nursing service yrs. God bless.

Animal3 · Mar 3, 2008

talk to a navy officer recruiter. because you have finished some classes already you may be eligible for rotc scholarship. basically you go to school become a nurse and they pay for it, in return you do like 4 years of active duty service. what kind of er experience are you looking for???

mamma3munchkins · Mar 3, 2008

Well lets see not to get myself into trouble. I am a liberal democrat who is pro-choice not for the war but this is the deal...... I love taking care of military familes. I love to be the one who wheels an isolete with a baby inside so his/her dad can see them for the first time on a video teleconference. I am honored to hold their wifes hand while they bring their new baby into the world because they can't be there.

I can say I had my hardest day in navy nursing the other day though. I had a really sick mom who had Pre-eclampsia and the baby was a 24 week old fetus who ended up having Trisomy 13. We were able to get the dad back from IRAQ and he stood next to the isolete to watch his baby die and cried because he thought God was punishing him for actions of war. I sat in the parking lot and cried before I could drive home.

I do this job for the people who I take care of and I'm ever so proud to do so and I'll continue because I dont ever think that I will find a job where the care given would ever matter so much.

ENS Allison

DanznRN, RN · Mar 5, 2008

Political and sexual orientation bantering aside, you have to ask yourself if you can deal with someone forcing you to do something that you don't want to "for the greater good" even though you may not believe in it. I personally have no established political preference, nor am I concerned with the sexual orientation of the person working next to me. However, I do have to deal with situations in which I am not completely for certain things in the military. Over the years I have adopted a mind set that allows me to justify my existance in the military as well as drive me to get up and go do the job every morning. Do I agree with the war, not how it's been presented to us. Are there aspects of the war that I have seen that justify still being there, for me yes. Now that doesn't mean I'm ready to drop everything and leave th Mrs. and 3 kids behind to go to, but if I'm called to that's what I will have to do, that's the nature of the beast. To be successful in the military you have to be willing to put your personal agenda aside in favor of being part of something bigger than you and that means doing things you don't necessarily agree with. I do it because in my eyes, I'm ensuring the future for my kids, twisted as it may be, me being in the military indirectly ensures that my kids get to grow up the way I did. Keep in mind, my response comes after finding out the Mrs. is getting deployed for 6 months last Friday, gotta take it in stride...

LCDR Dan

deftonez188 · Mar 12, 2008

The military in general isn't right for you if you're unable to take an assignment d/t it conflicting with your opinions on the war. No one likes war, but that's what we do. You will do what you are told, bottom line.

mcbismark · Mar 13, 2008

A Navy Corpsman here who floated off the coast of Vietnam on 2 different aircraft carriers and starts an ASBN June 9th.

When Kennedy got us into that war no one liked it either. When LBJ escalated it no one liked it. When Nixon continued it no one liked it either. And we who were in uniform were spit on when we returned to the U.S.

If you can't follow orders or you react unfavorably when you are given orders that you *may not* protest; I'd say you should not take a job in the military.

If you can't follow *all* military rules do *not* think you will be satisfied or happy in *any* position in the U.S. armed forces.

JMHO,

Mark

ag01medic · Mar 16, 2008

Well said LCDR Dan!!!!

captncourageous98 · Aug 31, 2008

I could not agree more with LCDR Dan. You will be serving your country and upholding the freedoms that so many of us take for granite every day! I think there is a bigger issue at hand though, other than sexual orientation and rather your a Democrat or Republican. In the Navy you will be asked to serve in many different areas and you may not always like the duty. I believe you have to ask yourself who you truly are inside? To be a nurse you have to be strong and willing to take on what most people can't. To be a Navy nurse it is much more difficult as LCDR Dan said. You have to be willing to set asside your personal life and opinions. But hey where else can you recieve payment for school, a bonus, and a free tour around the world with great bennifits? Not to mention the early retirement! I mean how old do you want to be when you retire? Navy looks good to me!

D-