Men, has anyone regretted NOT serving in the Military when they became of age?

31 comments

1. Sometimes I wish that I had. I still could but it’s not really worth it if you can’t score very high on the asvab which u don’t think I could do

2. Me! I wanted to sign up as I left school. 3 weeks later 9/11 happened.

3. Serving in some capacity at that age would’ve been good for me (at least in some ways) in retrospect. I don’t think I’d go so far as to say I regret it.

4. Nope, I’m not putting my nuts on the line for my country’s shitty government and billionaires who profit from the war machine

5. I regret taking a combat job. I scored fairly high on the asvab too. Oh well. At least im set for life.

   Otherwise I’d probably still be in.

6. If you’re a man (not just male) you should regret not serving. Even if it’s just the min 24 months. Stay 4 to 6 years and get better training for a higher paying job than you will get from college those same 24 to 48 months

7. Nope. Was never for the UK government to go into any overseas conflict past 20 years.

8. Given how every war in my life has turned out, not really?

   The fuck was I gonna do? Shoot a bunch of strangers on the other side of the world who may or may not have even been involved, over a patch of land that would have been lost by now anyway?

9. So far I’m about 50/50. I feel like I should, just to actually try and achieve something and prove to myself that I’m actually a man. On the other hand, I probably rewatched the Punisher too many times, and I’m not dying for some senile old fucks on Capitol Hill who don’t know the business end of a rifle from their dicks

10. 31 here. Hell nope. Why give a damn about a country that doesn’t give a damn about you, ya know?

11. I regret that I did not right of high school. Was dead broke and could afford college. Didn’t go to the military as that was for “losers” per my parents. Once I realized I had nothing going for me accept student loan debt once I finally made it to college and then left it. It was at that point I realized my parents where idiots in many ways and their advice on this was just one of them.

12. I got rejected at medical due to eye sight, and I wasn’t even planning on becoming anything too “eye intensive”. I still think about it, but life has gone on.

13. I wish I had. Now im in the rat race in a shit desk job and im unhappy. I may enlist anyway. I’m not too old yet.

14. Lol not a chance

15. Yes I do. I wish I just did the 4 years and got all the benefits. I’m surrounded by current and ex military in my job. So I see what I missed out on a lot.

16. I attempted to and regret that I couldn’t. My right knee wouldn’t have been able to take the strain so I never passed medical.

17. I wish I was able to when I was old enough, but I have Ulcerative Colitis and they wouldn’t take me. Looking back, I’m not sure if I regret it or not.

18. I do regret it. My brother is currently serving and a ton of my uncles and grandpa served as well

    I love my country and can’t think of a better way to show it, but I went the college route instead

19. I have, because I fell victim to a famous fairy tale called college. It put me on a track to failure that’s lasted 8 years. I’d prefer having had my couple years cleaning toilets, patrolling, being left to survive in a jungle and then do something else after being discharged than to spend the time and my parents’ money in a useless degree in a field I’ve grown to hate.

20. Yup. Was on my way to the Air Force and my mom begged me to not. So I went to college. Turned out OK, I consider myself successful and have a great life, but I wonder often what adventures I could have had if I’d gone on to enlist.

21. ALMOST joined right out of HS. Wishing I would have now, tested and everything. Was wanting to go in to be a Seabee or heavy equipment operator for the Army.

22. Yep, but I became a single dad

23. I sort of wish I did but I don’t feel like it would’ve been better or worse than the path I took.

24. If I knew then what I know now I would have went into the Navy as an officer out of college.

25. hah! no.

26. No. I respect everyone who has served.

    If it came to it I’d pony up.

    But you’ve got to remember you are a resource to be expended as they see fit to meet the objective. And even in peace time they will cut corners with your health. Because it’s cheaper. I met one navy vet who was on disability. His king was repainting the fighter jets. They didn’t provide him proper breathing gear. His lungs are messed up. He’s in his 30s.

    An officer messes up they get moved and it gets hushed.

27. Kinda.

    I think I made a mistake going to college at 18. Ended up with a useless degree from a really good school for so many other tracks (so big wasted opportunity …just exercising academic inertia).

    I think I could’ve used more discipline and structure…. Just more mileage at that age. I could’ve used a serious intervention to figure out what I wanted from life. I think the armed forces … or maybe immediately joining the work force full time could’ve helped.

    Then again I turned 18 in August of 2001 … so mostly “no”.

28. 9/11 happened when I was 19.

    I wish I could yell how I was a marine at random times.

    But no. It was for the best that I didn’t join.

    I did wish I could be a sailor. But I can’t swim.

29. I don’t regret it, as I tried to get into the marines. I failed the hearing part. I was ready to serve just wasn’t in the cards for me. I thank all those who have served…you are all heroes.

30. Being yelled at and degraded for a year+ by some dickhead and then being sent to die for politicians and their billionaire friends?

    Nope, no regrets.

31. I served and miss it. So i don’t know who regrets not serving, but I regret getting out.