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Military Truth About Recruitment

The Military Truth website is dedicated to bringing you the facts about military recruitment. If you are considering joining the armed forces, please review the information on our site about military recruitment. Your local recruiting office will not tell you these things. Get the truth about all military branches (we don’t use the word ‘service’). Use militarytruth.org to formulate your questions and see what your recruiting office will confirm or deny. With the military truth you can make a better-informed decision as you decide for yourself what you want to do.

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“While this VA report may call the jump in young veteran suicides an ‘urgent crisis,’ it unfortunately seems to be a crisis with no end in sight until the country is finally forced to reckon with its dark legacy of regime-change wars and military occupations around the world.”

“Corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad.” ― Henry Kissinger

In another antiquated, conservative decision, the split Supreme Court AGAIN misapplies the 70-year-old Feres doctrine. (Due to Military.com’s specific copyright notice, this article does not appear here. Please follow the red linked text to see what happened.)

Military Truth Information for Students, Parents and Potential Recruits

“Military men are just dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy.”

Henry Kissinger, Richard Nixon’s Secretary of State and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient

Military Truth Of Immediate Interest

Military Truth About Excessive Spending, WMD, Dishonesty, and More…

$21 trillion of Pentagon financial transactions between 1998 and 2015 could not be traced, documented, or explained.

The long-awaited, Congressionally mandated Department of Defense audit has been concluded. The results of this first of its kind audit (though mandated to be done annually by law) are an outrage.

Read more and find more posts on this topic in our America’s Defense Spending and DoD Cost Control categories.

The Pentagon’s Bottomless Money Pit, Military Truth’s newest repost (this one from the April 2019 issue of Rolling Stone), has an even more in-depth look at some of the reasons for the “lost” $21M.” We frequently add new articles to the Department of Defense Cost Control category in which it appears, so come back to read more military truth on this important topic.

Confidential documents reveal U.S. officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan

“In news conferences and other public appearances, those in charge of the war have followed the same talking points for 18 years. No matter how the war is going — and especially when it is going badly — they emphasize how they are making progress.”

From https://www.legitgov.org: “Confidential documents reveal U.S. officials lied about the war in Afghanistan, hid evidence that $1T conflict was ‘unwinnable’ | 09 Dec 2019 | A confidential trove of government documents obtained by The Washington Post reveals that senior U.S. officials failed to tell the truth lied about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign, making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable…The U.S. government tried to shield the identities of the vast majority of those interviewed for the project and conceal nearly all of their remarks. The Post won release of the documents under the Freedom of Information Act after a three-year legal battle…Since 2001, the Defense Department, State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development have spent or appropriated between $934 billion and $978 billion, according to an inflation-adjusted estimate calculated by Neta Crawford, a political science professor and co-director of the Costs of War Project at Brown University. Those figures do not include money spent by other agencies such as the CIA and the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is responsible for medical care for wounded veterans.”

Read the entire article, researched at great length — including a 3 year court battle for documentation — by the Washington Post here.

DoD Inflated-Budget Support

DoD Inflated-Budget Support This is a winwithoutwar.org email (another worthy philosophy and organization) of February 20, 2022: Weeks ago, a military coup ousted Burkina Faso’s democratically elected president, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. The new leader? Lt. Col....

Greed of Military-Industrial Complex Leaders is in full swing.

The greed of leaders of the Military-Industrial Complex that Eisenhower warned us about is in full swing. In a WinWithoutWar.org email this morning, Feb. 07, 2022, was a note that the Pentagon, like the rest of the federal government, is currently funded by a...

U.S. Job Availability – Quora

U.S. Job Availability Quora Question Mike Rowe, of Dirty Jobs fame, claims that thousands of jobs are available in the US but nobody will take them. In our capitalistic country, doesn't this demonstrate that the rate of pay needs to be increased for these same jobs?...

Military Contaminating All of Us and STILL Receives Out-of-sight Annual Increases!!!

The Military is Contaminating ALL of us and STILL Receives Out-Of-Sight Annual Increases!!! DOD releases new data on PFAS contamination of bases By Pat Elder, October 9, 2021 (Pat is a nationally-recognized investigative journalist with Civilian Exposure, an...

US Spent $21 Trillion on Militarism at home and abroad since 9/11

Since 9/11, US Has Spent $21 Trillion on Militarism at Home and Abroad U.S. tanks appear during a military training exercise in May of 2016 in Vaziani, Georgia. (Photo: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images) (Interjection by Don Chapin: And tanks are an anachronism in...

17 Retired B-1s Sent to Boneyard

Last of 17 Retired B-1s Sent to Boneyard as Air Force Preps for B-21s Military.com | By Stephen Losey 24 Sep 2021https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/09/24/last-of-17-retired-b-1s-sent-boneyard-air-force-preps-b-21s.html (Interjection by Don Chapin: GOOD...

Ballooning F-35 Sustainment Costs

GAO Warns of Ballooning F-35 Sustainment Costs, Need Plan to Cut Billions Two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs, assigned to the 4th Fighter Squadron from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, conduct flight training operations over the Utah Test and Training Range on Feb 14,...

US Army has Downplayed Loss of Firearms for Years

US Army has hidden or downplayed loss of firearms for years By KRISTIN M. HALL, JAMES LAPORTA and JUSTIN PRITCHARD June 16, 2021, 1150 hrs https://apnews.com/article/al-state-wire-business-gun-politics- army-government-and-politics-9b85eb5aa443564f5a2bbedd1530dbfe The...

People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part IV: The New BOSS

A People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part IV: The New BOSS May 31, 2021 Corporations have taken over many military tasks or “base operations support services,” writes Christian Sorensen. Fourth in a five-part series on the military-industrial-congressional complex....

People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part III

A People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part 3: Bribery & Propaganda May 28, 2021 When war is your business, peace is your enemy, writes Christian Sorensen. Third in a five-part series on the military-industrial-congressional complex....

A People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part II

A People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part II: Profits & Deception May 26, 2021 Christian Sorensen maps out the global system of weapons mongering. Second in a series of five articles on the U.S. military-industrial-congressional complex. Memorial Day ceremony at...

Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction by the U.S.

As U.S. citizens, we often think of ourselves as belonging to a high-road nation, one dedicated to “doing the right thing,” whatever that might be. Additionally, while one might think that global superpower status should also denote a degree of “high road” morality—particularly because we are “citizens of the United States of America” and that we are looking out for and guarding against the Saddam Husseins of the world—this is simply not true.

Reality, however, is not quite as simple. When looking at weapon systems that can be easily classified as weapons of mass destruction and at our country’s position on the manufacture and use of these weapons, it becomes quite apparent that, no matter which political party is “in charge” in Washington, the manufacture, sale and even the use of these weapons is heavily protected by the powers that be in our government.

Eisenhower’s famous lines about the military-industrial complex in his farewell address have proven to be very true. And General Smedley D. Butler’s 20-20 hindsight from 1935 (War is a Racket) —observations about U.S. wars in which he had participated as being for economic reasons, not ideologies—have apparently not changed since his time.

Please read the posts in the Weapons of Mass Destruction category of the Military Truth blog. There we have shared posts that describe various types of WMD. We also repost newer particles about current usage from which you can learn a LOT about what you’re getting yourself into. Additionally, this link relates one of my own personal experiences with a SUPER WMD.

Military Truth – Environmental Damage

Today, in Dec. 2018, I’m aware of four ex-USAF Air Police (APs) , ex-waste pit guards, who were stationed with me at Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico. Two of them have died from bladder cancer and the two remaining have been diagnosed with the same malady. While the base has not been designated as an environmental clean-up zone, toxic waste was being indiscriminately discarded, but requiring AP guards before the base was decommissioned. Without superfund identification, the VA doesn’t recognize the commonality of the situations, an Agent Orange situation all over again, one in which neither these victims nor survivors have the resources or victim life expectancy to take the situation to court.

Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico: Hazardous waste that I personally know of includes hundreds of used trichlorethelene and toluene wipes. Many of these would also have had particles of plutonium from cleaning plutonium spheres used in the nuclear weapons of the day.

In Kansas (McConnell Air Force Base) I cleaned a spalling sphere from a “training” Mk 6 Mod 6 weapon. This means there were a LOT of plutonium particles in the waste. I know the people in charge had no idea how poisonous it was because of the casual attitude they expressed when I had said it was spalling badly and the facility had no protective gear.

The bottom line is that ANY military base leaves a contaminated waste area behind.

~ Don Chapin, Capt. USAF, Ret’d, ex-nuclear weapons electronics technician/team chief

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Update 8/31/19: The situation with Navy sonar and cetaceans being killed, deafened (a death sentence for whales, dolphins and other marine mammals) and dying from compression sickness (the bends) when trying frantically to escape the horrific sounds continues. We’re posted several articles, some with video that contains audio of the hideous sonar sounds, to fill you in on what’s been going on. If you enlist in the US Navy, you may very well be ordered to particpate in this illegal and immoral activity. Are you sure you want to do this?

Read more in our Military Environmental Damage category.

To Take Climate Change Seriously, the U.S. Military Needs to Shrink

To Take Climate Change Seriously, the U.S. Military Needs to Shrink

Military vehicles, along with the forces that use them and the industries that supply them, account for 5% of the world’s carbon emissions every year.

Lake Superior’s Forever Chemicals

Lake Superior’s Forever Chemicals Indigenous tribes around the lake depend on fishing to survive — but the fish are contaminated (Interjection by Don Chapin: The military is notorious for using chemicals before they are thoroughly evaluated and this story is just one...

Burn Pits and Sick Veterans

In interview with Jon Stewart, Veterans Affairs chief says he’s ‘frustrated’ over slow pace of burn pit benefits By...

Military Contaminating All of Us and STILL Receives Out-of-sight Annual Increases!!!

The Military is Contaminating ALL of us and STILL Receives Out-Of-Sight Annual Increases!!! DOD releases new data on PFAS contamination of bases By Pat Elder, October 9, 2021 (Pat is a nationally-recognized investigative journalist with Civilian Exposure, an...

Military Toxic Exposure – A Personal Example

An Example Of Military Toxic Exposure Generally, the military is slow to recognize other-than-weapon hazards and slower yet to acknowledge them, for example agent orange, Iraqi burn pits, and Gulf War Syndrome, yet military toxic exposure has ruined environments and...

Massive PFAS Contamination in Chesapeake Beach, MD

‘Massive Contamination’ of PFAS in Chesapeake Beach, MD (However, ALL military branches with fire-fighting training use PFAS chemicals and “Developments in Maryland mirror the way this issue is being played out in states across the country where increasing public...

Making America Feared Again…

Making America Feared Again... The Trump Administration Considers Resuming (UNNECESSARY) Nuclear Weapons Testing By Lawrence Wittner, Global Research, July 20, 2020, Common Dreams 18 July 2020...

EPA’s Superfund Program In Shambles

EPA’s Superfund Program In Shambles

The number of unfunded toxic cleanup sites has ballooned, from 12 in 2016 ― Obama’s last year in office ― to 34 in 2019, according to EPA figures released late last month. It’s the biggest backlog in at least 15 years, according to The Associated Press.

What’s in your water?

I am an investigative journalist with www.civilianexposure.org, a group based in Contaminated Camp Lejeune, NC. The Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force are all poisoning us and it’s getting worse under the Trump administration. In January, Californians will start...

Save the Planet – Defund the Pentagon

We Can Save the Planet by Defunding the Pentagon By Medea Benjamin, Published September 28, 2019 https://truthout.org/articles/we-can-save-the-planet-by-defunding-the-pentagon/ Other articles on our website also support eight of the ten facts stated in this article,...

NNOMY Climate Action for Peace

NNOMY Climate Action for Peace

NNOMY Climate Action for Peace on Peace Day 2019: Video from our friends at the The National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth (NNOMY) posted for International Day of Peace 2019

Video: Orca and Navy Sonar

Video: Orca and Navy Sonar

These videos show how navy sonar affects marine mammals like killer whales and dolphins…even at distances of 12-15 miles away from the ship. You can hear the hideous sounds and see the animals swimming, some erratically, to shore in an attempt to escape the painful sound. If you are thinking of enlisting in the US Navy, you may be ordered to participate in this illegal & immoral activity

Military Truth About American Imperialism…

US Regime Change in Venezuela – Posted 3/3/20

Hands Off Venezuela: Historic Stance at the United Nations against US Imperialism: One ‘advantage’ to Trump’s extremely weak international standing seems to be a global resistance to American Imperialism & Aggression.

Putting American global dominance in perspective, American imperialism, as depicted in these non-MSM articles, has brought out the best in globally-inspiring ideals, the worst in behavior (but typical of imperialism, with a dominant military), with a typical ‘decay from within’ scenario, driven by the tRump administration.

Unlike the sensation seeking so-called “reporters” that got tRump elected, the articles in this section were written independent of Main Stream Media (MSM) controls but also independent of each other. However, they all point to the same hidden-from-public-view problem of the Grand-Canyon-wide gap between America’s highly commendable, spiritually-oriented ideals and actual practices around the globe in the name of “defense.” These authors all point, individually and independently, to the old adage that “power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely,” and the U.S. has been THE absolute global power since WWII.

…and American Aggression

“Does it really matter any longer what leader is in charge of the United States? Has there even been a president dedicated to living in peace with the world since that country was founded? Not one. It is long past time to ask why this or that American regime wants war here, there and everywhere. The problem lies much deeper in the American psychology; for we can say that nations have a psychology, a manner of general behaviour and thinking, arising from their history and culture. I will leave that for political philosophers, sociologists and psychologists to examine but the existential fact is the world is faced with a threat to its survival and that threat is the United States of America.” ~ Christopher Black, an international criminal lawyer based in Toronto. This quote appeared in his article, “American Aggression: A Threat To The World.”

Read the posts below, from the American Imperialism and Aggression category on the Military Truth blog, to get you started. There is much more in this category to explore!

WWII Anecdotes

Anecdotes of WWII Talk about atrocities, how about baby-on-a-bayonet? Did the pilots/bombers who flew over Hiroshima and Nagasaki have any regret? Editor's Note: These quotes and anecdotes were sourced from various comments in a discussion at quora.com. Paul Tibbets...

What People Don’t Tell You About WWII

Quora Question - What don't people tell you about World War II? Addition by Don Chapin: This list Cagle provides (below, in the Quora-published response) is actually only a small part of atrocities conducted, and only because they were made public in some manner. In...

The Bomb Didn’t Stop Japan, Stalin Did

The Bomb Didn’t Stop Japan, Stalin Did

The Bomb Didn’t Stop Japan, Stalin Did: Have decades of nuclear policy been based on a lie? The orthodox view is that, yes, of course, it worked, but there are three major problems with it, and, taken together, they significantly undermine the traditional interpretation of the Japanese surrender.

Many Jobs Feel Meaningless Because They Are

Too Many Jobs Feel Meaningless Because They Are If work that is of no real value has proliferated, no wonder productivity is stagnant. Bloomberg Mark Buchanan https://getpocket.com/explore/item/too-many-jobs-feel-meaningless-because-they-are   Are we creating...

US Spent $21 Trillion on Militarism at home and abroad since 9/11

Since 9/11, US Has Spent $21 Trillion on Militarism at Home and Abroad U.S. tanks appear during a military training exercise in May of 2016 in Vaziani, Georgia. (Photo: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images) (Interjection by Don Chapin: And tanks are an anachronism in...

Reinventing the US Military for Real National Defense

Reinventing the US Military for Real National Defense By William Astore, TomDispatch, August 2, 2021 https://consortiumnews.com/2021/08/02/reinventing-the- us-military-for-real-national-defense/ Save Collectively, Americans need to imagine a world in which they are no...

People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part IV: The New BOSS

A People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part IV: The New BOSS May 31, 2021 Corporations have taken over many military tasks or “base operations support services,” writes Christian Sorensen. Fourth in a five-part series on the military-industrial-congressional complex....

People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part III

A People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part 3: Bribery & Propaganda May 28, 2021 When war is your business, peace is your enemy, writes Christian Sorensen. Third in a five-part series on the military-industrial-congressional complex....

A People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part II

A People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part II: Profits & Deception May 26, 2021 Christian Sorensen maps out the global system of weapons mongering. Second in a series of five articles on the U.S. military-industrial-congressional complex. Memorial Day ceremony at...

A People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part I

A People’s Guide to the War Industry, Part 1 May 24, 2021 , https://consortiumnews.com/2021/05/24/a-peoples-guide-to-the-war-industry/ Profit alone drives the war industry, leaving behind piles of corpses, writes Christian Sorensen. First in a series of five articles...

Defunding – No; Demilitarizing – YES

Defunding – No; Demilitarizing – YES

This is a situation that has existed throughout human history: ‘controlling’ the dissatisfied public… and it’s time to change the paradigm. Today, as probably throughout history, controlling sociopathic personalities join police forces more to satisfy their own controlling needs than to help others, and supplying such paramilitary organizations with military hardware both awakens and reinforces those individual personal needs, exasperating relationships between the “protect and serve” organizations and the public it’s there to “protect and serve.” I suspect this was Lenin’s idea behind communism, but Trump-like controlling sociopaths corrupted that ideology, also. ~Don Chapin

Civilization in Overdrive: A Conversation at the Edge of the Human Future

Civilization in the Overdrive: A Conversation at the Edge of the Human Future By Richard Falk and Konrad Stachnio Global Research, September 14, 2020 Transcend Media Service 12 September 2020 Region: USA Theme: Intelligence, Militarization and WMD, Police State &...

Truth About Military Atrocities and War Crimes

Imperialism leads to aggression, particularly with the “us and them” mentality taught in basic training, whether enlisted or officer.

Read more here. Visit this topic on our blog for more articles on this subject.

Here’s one posted on 6/21/19 to get you started, and you will find more in the post slider above:

Whitewashing War Crimes Has Become the American Way — It seems that whitewashing, excusing and apologizing for criminal military behavior is as American as apple pie

 

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In the section below are links to more information on pages on this website and topics in our blog. Many of these also have links to excellent resources and more information from other websites and sources. Read BEFORE enlisting so you can make an informed decision:

Could You be a Conscientious Objector (CO)?

Yes, draft registration requirements are still on the books! Men 18 through 25 years of age (despite the fact that medical science has confirmed the brain has yet to reach full growth at this age) are REQUIRED by law (within 30 days of their 18th birthday) to register with the selective service system. In a hawk-driven government, it is easy to re-start that process (PDF File, 36 K), so… (Read More in this post)

And if you think you have what it takes to be a whistleblower, you might want to read the posts in our Conscientious Objectors and Whistleblowers categories:

Another Whistleblower Miscarriage of Justice

Another Whistleblower Miscarriage of Justice Chris Hedges, The Price of Conscience — Hale Sentenced to 45 Months July 27, 2021 Drone warfare whistleblower Daniel Hale was sentenced to 45 months in prison on Tuesday for telling the American people the truth. By Chris...

14 Points Against Draft Registration

14 Points Against Draft Registration By Leah Bolger (another ex-military officer) – President, World BEYOND Warhttps://worldbeyondwar.org/14-points-against-draft-registration/ (Interjection – Quote from RootsAction Team on Apr 20, 2021, 8:01 AM:The U.S. Congress is...

Jeffery Sterling’s Position On The ‘Pardon Season’

Jeffery Sterling’s Position On The ‘Pardon Season’ http://act.rootsaction.org/o/6503/t/0/blastContent.jsp (Interjection - Jeffery Sterling, author of “Unwanted Spy,” a whistle-blower prosecuted similar to Daniel Ellsberg, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden, and...

Not All It Can Be: The US Military Is Failing

Not All It Can Be: The US Military Is Failing

The US military is one of the few institutions that the vast majority of the public praises, but its strategic failures on the battlefield and lack of accountability in its ranks expose an organization that is deeply flawed and out of step with 21st-century needs. This according to Tim Bakken, the first civilian promoted to professor of law in West Point’s history. He eventually blew the whistle on corruption at the military academy and, after the Army retaliated against him, became one of the few federal employees to win a retaliation case against the US military.

Navy installed touch-screen steering. Ten sailors paid with their lives.

Navy installed touch-screen steering. Ten sailors paid with their lives.

A 19-year Navy veteran, Sanchez had watched as technicians replaced the ship’s traditional steering controls a year earlier with the new navigation system. Almost from the start, it caused him headaches. The system constantly indicated problems with steering. They were mostly false alarms, quickly fixed, but by March 2017, Sanchez’s engineers were calling the system “unstable,” with “multiple and cascading failures regularly.”

Whistleblower testifies Boeing ignored pleas to shut down 737 MAX

Whistleblower testifies Boeing ignored pleas to shut down 737 MAX

One of the whistleblowers is a former Boeing employee who worked on the 737 MAX program. His pleas to shut down the production line fell on deaf ears.

As A Veteran I Refuse to Celebrate War

As A Veteran I Refuse to Celebrate War

“Let November 11 be a day we celebrate veterans, not of endless bloody war, but of the struggles for peace and equality.” I’m in the same position as this author, but not as eloquent. I co-founded Veterans for Peace Chapter 156 in Medford, OR and was that chapter’s deputy chairman/webmaster until the VFP hierarchy unleashed the VFP October Bomb… Oct 2010 article referenced beneath Truthout’s article in this post…when I found that the VFP hierarchy was strongly ANTI-WAR, not FOR PEACE. This is a situation that, per spiritual laws and Newton’s laws of physics, provides energy TO the concept of war…Think about it…”for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” ~ Don Chapin

Navy Suicides, A Synopsis

Navy Suicides, A Synopsis

The US Navy confirmed on Tuesday that three sailors assigned to the USS George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier off the coast of Virginia died by suicide in “separate incidents” last week. An Aviation Ordnanceman First Class was found dead at an off-base location on September 14 and died by suicide. A Chief Electronics Technician Nuclear and an Airman were found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds in “separate incidents” at off-base locations on September 19.

USA Pretend Unmasked

USA Pretend Unmasked

With the perception and honesty of another Howard Zinn, in this piece, Willson addresses US actions on an international scale as a result of personal experiences.

The NFL, The Military, Pat Tillman, Jessica Lynch and Colin Kaepernick

The NFL, The Military, Pat Tillman and Colin Kaepernick

Pat Tillman, Jessica Lynch stories: Call it “spin” or flat out LIES by the DoD? This trio of reposted articles show that while the connection between NFL and military is troubling, even more so is the spin on Pat Tillman’s and Jessica Lynch’s stories and how they are used to discourage another’s freedom of speech.

Pat Tillman’s Story

Pat Tillman’s Story

Pat Tillman’s is indeed an all-American story, it’s just not the kind that Trump and his supporters want it to be. Few episodes of the post-9/11 era have called down more disgrace upon the military than its handling of Tillman’s death and its treatment of his family in their search for answers.

After Pat’s Birthday

After Pat’s Birthday

“…family and other critics allege that the Department of Defense delayed the disclosure for weeks after Tillman’s memorial service out of a desire to protect the image of the U.S. military.” And I thoroughly agree with that contention! Many war atrocities are covered up to ‘protect the image.’ This characteristic of warfare became obvious during Vietnam’s Operation Phoenix, a CIA-run effort. My contention is that this was no “accident” but Pat was basically murdered over arguments within the ranks. ~ Don Chapin

Get the Military Truth BEFORE You Enlist

Before you enlist, remember that the President of the United States would be your Commander In Chief and you would be, by the contract you sign, required to “obey all lawful orders” of those above you. Now, if you’re a typical high school graduate without an advanced law degree how do you know what is lawful and what is not? Just think of having to carry out the orders of someone of Trump’s obviously low caliber. If that in itself doesn’t make you think again, then read on.

Oh, the military hierarchy would know and not allow “unlawful” orders to be passed on? Better think again after going through much of what we present to you on this site. America has TREMENDOUSLY positive ideals which are presented to our citizenry and the rest of the world but, throughout our history (a history not taught in our schools), human, non-idealistic practices have made us into a global imperialistic power.

Back to the “military would intervene” concept. Yes, there is that possibility, that enough high-ranking officers within the Department of “Defense” (as it is now officially called, instead of the original and more accurate Department of War) have retained their innate sense of right and wrong after a career of military politics, but how many? Read “Graft in the Military” for a quick personal story.

Further, would they be safe from prosecution if they spoke up? The US Supreme Court, Department of Defense and Congress say No,  military retirees can be court-martialed for crimes committed AFTER their retirement. Even “contemptuous words” uttered by a commissioned officer “against the president, the vice president, Congress” and others is punishable by court-martial. Are you sure you can keep your opinions to yourself for the rest of your life with a clear conscience?

What Does This Mean For You?

Politics in the commissioned officer military is just as important for advancement as it is in the ‘outside/civilian’ world. Ergo, follow the orders, whatever they may be, or play the politics. In the enlisted ranks, technical-level tests (particularly in the Navy and USAF), achievements, and education—as well as some politics—are keys to advancement.

Also, know that the nature of warfare is constantly changing. From the guerilla warfare our farmer-soldiers—used against the British and German forces in our own Revolution and successfully used against us in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan—to the drones and Special Forces assassination squads we use today, the nature, technology and practice of killing others is constantly changing (i.e. becoming increasingly efficient). What hasn’t changed, long before and since then, is what Major General Smedley Butler wrote about back in the 1930s in his book, “War Is A Racket.” (Link to post with downloadable version of Butler’s book)

Understand, as you choose to browse among the categories offered, we cannot include all the references we’ve used through the years simply because there are FAR too many and there simply isn’t enough room. However, here is one brief yet important article you really should read from our sister site, light-path-resources.org, whether you are deciding whether or not to enlist or you already have: A Spiritual Directive, Avoid Giving Away Your Spiritual Power.

First Hand Accounts

To get some first-hand accounts of a soldier’s life in Iraq and Afghanistan, look up milblogging.com. No direct link because it has been taken over by the DoD, just as many references to similar blogs about nuclear accidents/incidents such as I experienced. Here is the most recent snapshot of the site available at the Internet Archive. For a time the author had a Twitter account, which has also been taken over by the military itself, but there is much from it also available through the Internet Archive.

How has serving impacted you?” tweeted the U.S. Army a few days before Memorial Day 2019. It was no doubt meant to elicit a flood of patriotic reminiscences and pride, but what they got was a flood of pain and grief.

Read The Last Days of Tomas Young, whose ordeal inspired the book and movie “Body of War,” including his letter, “A Message to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney From a Dying Veteran.” It is an old story. It is the story of war. Two days after the 9/11 attacks, Young enlisted in the Army, hoping he would be sent to fight in Afghanistan. He was seduced by jingoism and calls for a crusade against evil that he eventually came to realize were a mask for lies and deceit. He became a voice for other young people who bore the physical and emotional scars of war. He became our conscience. He spoke a truth about war, a truth many do not want to hear. And he condemned our war criminals and demanded justice…And he died in agony with no help from the VA.

A Day in the Life of a Soldier (Article removed due to broken link): This sequence of images give us a glimpse into a day in the life of a soldier. The captions reveal how hard it is to deal with people’s petty concerns and the disregard of politicians when they return home from active duty.

Truth About Veteran Suicides

If you have even just taken a glance at everything above, we are sure you will understand why veteran suicides are one of our primary concerns. We simply don’t want you to find yourself contemplating this devastating act. You are a young person with your entire life ahead of you, and with suicide there is no “undo,” yet a shocking number military vets make this choice due to the catastrophic situation they find themselves in after committing to military service. Quotes from our November 18, 2019 reposted article, “Casualites of War: Military Veterans Have Become America’s Walking Wounded,” in the Veterans: Casualties of War category help to explain why we are so gravely concerned that we created this website to help you make an informed decision:

“According to a recent report by the Department of Veterans Affairs, at least 60,000 veterans died by suicide between 2008 and 2017.

On average, 6,000 veterans kill themselves every year, and the numbers are on the rise.

As Brené Brown, research professor at the University of Houston, observed, ‘For soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, coming home is more lethal than being in combat.’”

Burn Pits and Sick Veterans

In interview with Jon Stewart, Veterans Affairs chief says he’s ‘frustrated’ over slow pace of burn pit benefits By...

Why so many US soldiers wind up on the street

Originally Question to Quora - Why do so many US Soldiers end up in the streets? Initial answer by Steven Johnson, Former Facilities Coordinator PEO-AVN, RSA, AL at The United States of America (1989–2018) Out of respect for people I know, I will keep this brief and...

Military Toxic Exposure – A Personal Example

An Example Of Military Toxic Exposure Generally, the military is slow to recognize other-than-weapon hazards and slower yet to acknowledge them, for example agent orange, Iraqi burn pits, and Gulf War Syndrome, yet military toxic exposure has ruined environments and...

Massive PFAS Contamination in Chesapeake Beach, MD

‘Massive Contamination’ of PFAS in Chesapeake Beach, MD (However, ALL military branches with fire-fighting training use PFAS chemicals and “Developments in Maryland mirror the way this issue is being played out in states across the country where increasing public...

Can Navy Corpsman transfer their military medical training and certifications to the civilian sector?

Are Navy Corpsman able to transfer/translate their military medical training and certifications to the civilian sector or do they have to start from scratch?https://www.quora.com/ (Interjection – The answer below is typical. My oldest son enlisted in the Army for six...

VETERANS AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

VETERANS AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE September2017 https://www.ywca.org/wp-content/uploads/WWV-GBV-Fact-Sheet-Veterans-Final.pdf A growing number of women are serving in the US military. Currently, women comprise nearly 15 percentof active duty military forces. And more...

The Cursed Platoon

The Cursed Platoon

A long, but VERY well-researched article… a prime example of an on-the spot definition/interpretation problem of “a legal order,” as stated in every enlistee’s contract. See “Enlistment Contract, DD Form 4” this website, but in a battlefield environment! Blind acceptance by the troops of an officer’s order and the fallout, including an illegal/unjustified intercession/pardon by Cadet Bone Spurs.

Trump-promised veteran support capability

A (modified) Trump-promised veteran support capability comes to fruition over three years after the promise. February 21, 2020 it appears at va.gov: VA » Veterans Experience Office (VEO) » White House VA Hotline https://www.va.gov/ve/whvahotline.asp What is the White...

2019 Air Force suicides highest in 3 decades

2019 Air Force suicides highest in 3 decades

Reasons for the increase are not fully understood, coming after years of effort by all military services to counter a problem that seems to defy solution and that parallels increases in suicide in the U.S. civilian population.

Casualties of War – Military Veterans Have Become America’s Walking Wounded

Casualties of War – Military Veterans Have Become America’s Walking Wounded

Veterans Have Become America’s Walking Wounded & badge of shame – large numbers impoverished, unemployed, struggling with depression, suicide, trauma & marital stress, homeless, subjected to sub-par treatment at clinics and hospitals…

Some of the Deepest Wounds of Veterans Go Undetected

Some of the Deepest Wounds of Veterans Go Undetected

Right now, a veteran is getting ready to commit suicide. At least 16 will kill themselves on Veterans Day, ending the life they risked for their country

Navy Suicides, A Synopsis

Navy Suicides, A Synopsis

The US Navy confirmed on Tuesday that three sailors assigned to the USS George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier off the coast of Virginia died by suicide in “separate incidents” last week. An Aviation Ordnanceman First Class was found dead at an off-base location on September 14 and died by suicide. A Chief Electronics Technician Nuclear and an Airman were found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds in “separate incidents” at off-base locations on September 19.

Military Truth About Recruitment

by Joel Andreas, the author of the cartoon booklet “Addicted to War” https://addictedtowar.com

Military Truth - Military Recruiting - a truth cartoon by Frank Dorrel, http://addictedtowar.com

What do these veterans say about their experience?

Military Truth - Veterans Experience quote

Military Truth - Veterans Experience quote

Military Truth - Veterans Experience quote

Military Truth - Who Benefits From War

What You Don't Know About ROTC

An ex-Army Ranger's new mission to educate students considering joining the ROTC.

Safeguard Young Adults From Military Recruitment

Public schools in the Unites States of America are a prime marketing target for military recruiters. (read more)

So, despite what you've read on this website, you're still interested in joining the military? Click for some helpful information from a veteran.

 

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