Afghanistan

It sounds like you intelligently weighed the pros and cons on weather or not to go and if given the chance you will.

Is your decision to go based on finances or to serve the greater good of the country? God bless our troops but since i've had a family I realized putting myself in that kind of danger just to make more money isn't for me. i'd rather be poor and alive. There is a real life threat over there. Think about how your loss would affect the people who love you.

If you do decide to go, goodluck and i wish you a safe return.
Thank you for the service you are providing for our country

 

i agree with you bro.money isnt everything.dont give your life to the military industrial complex.i served in afghanistan in 2005,13bravo.lockheed martin doesnt care about your families.halliburton(xz),kbr.these guys make millions,and yes they will pay you great,but if something happens,they are not there.only real soldiers who served over there all agree with me,and the ron paul supporters.we werent fighting for freedom.dont try to bash me saying im disrespectful,iv seen firsthand how it goes down.watch IRAQ FOR SALE for a little insight.im sure some post on a forum isnt going to change your mind,but joing the army was one of the biggest mistakes of my life.i should have joined the airforce.a close friend of mine,who i knew my whole life,we signed up together,deployed together,and he didnt come back.and it wasnt at the hands of the insurgents,it was our own unit that left him to die in the desert.i saw a recent show on tv,locked up abroad on nat geo,a contractor was driving in his truck with several other soldiers,they were driving down a hostile road,and when it happened the soldiers came for their own and left the contractors there all by themselves,where the guy was a pow for several weeks.they promise you a brand new life,all the glories,take it from me,it aint worth it.if you honestly think i fought for your freedom,well your welcome.

 

Like I said it is not for everyone.

Also be careful when taking the advice of people(including me I guess) who claim to have served in Afghanistan on these internet forums. A lot of stories are greatly exaggerated and some are fabricated. There are entire websites devoted to outing these people (reportstolenvalor.org) Don't believe everything that you read.


I am a current member of what many on this forum call the "military industrial complex". Which I guess would include DOD, Intel Community, Defense Prime and sub-contractors, and maybe Sate Department( I am not sure on that one and one of the Ron Paul guys might want to help me out on this). We are people just like everyone else. I care about the people I work with getting killed or seriously injured very much. We don't work in the dark and answer to "the smoking man". Most are just as patriotic as LOSTsoul or cepriano and we come from all walks of life and political ideologies. Some even surf.

Do your research, weigh the costs and benefits and trust your gut. When you come back take the whole family and a brand new quiver to Mexico or PR for a month. They will love the memories you make and soon forget about the time apart.

And above all stay safe. Good luck to you.

 

Given the circumstances, no amount of money is worth being away from your wife & kid for 9 months or forever, if you should happen to get killed, unless it's mandatory to do so... Go to school and get a degree if you want to make more money, some colleges offer online courses. Or live on a smaller budget. I respect all of our service men and women out there and thank them for the sacrifices they have made for the citizens of our country, despite the fact that I don't think we should have been in Iraq or Afghanistan.

 

Before you make a decision, what this movie. There might be dangers other than guns and bombs.

http://watchdocumentary.com/watch/gulf-war-syndrome-killing-our-own-video_c9db2fd29.html

 

All things happen for a reason.
Bummer you didn't get selected, but count your blessings also.
I had the chance to work in Iraq after Desert Storm. It was alot of money for 6 months, but there was only a % of cash you could bring out of the country.
Enjoy your family, then go surf.

 

Correction....the offer was in Kuwait, after Desert Sheild....my bad.

 

Pm me... i know some really good reef and point break set ups over there. just got to watch out for taliban, land mines, and rockets in the line up

 

Making money is great and in the end you and your wife have to decide if it's worth it or not. Not sure how strong your marriage is or if there are trust issues but I'd be more worried about the potential fallout of not seeing the fam in person than of getting injured or killed especially since there is an 8 month involved. Personally I'd lose my mind if I thought I couldn't see my kid for 9 months. Also long distance puts a great strain on any relationship (I did it for a year but flew home every other week.) In the end I wouldn't do it since it's only money. That's my long worded 2 cents...