Posted on Jan 21, 2016
Sgt Joe LaBranche
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Posted in these groups: Bms logo SocietyMilitary leadership skills civilian employment Civilians
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PO3 Electrician's Mate
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... the fact is ... there is always a gap between military and civilian ... always, nothing you can do.
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Sgt Joe LaBranche
Sgt Joe LaBranche
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PO3 Hy Thong, thete is something that can be done. Take it upon yourself or partner with other veterans to gorm Military 101 classes to educate members of your community about military culture and lifestyle.
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PO3 Electrician's Mate
PO3 (Join to see)
10 y
Sgt Joe LaBranche - by my own experience ... if I even present myself before someone at the first meeting as a Reservist ... that ended the education. It is simple, either they support us ... or they don't. Nothing we do can change their minds. I got a friend few years ago that ask me why I join, the military is blood thirsty killing machine. He is still the same old him now, even I debuted his argument every single time in the nicest way possible(that is why we are still friend).

That is not even the true divide between military and civilian ...
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CDR Kenneth Kaiser
CDR Kenneth Kaiser
10 y
lMuch like the poor, they will always be with you
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Cpl Matthew Wall
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Since we were labeled as terrorist by the media and our own politicians, yeah I would say there is a widening gap. I've been out for 9 yrs now and civs still ask stupid questions about my deployments.
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Lt Col Associate
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Maybe. But I think the bigger issue is the widening gap between our military and our scholars. As Thucydides once said “The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools.”
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
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Of course with the All Volunteer Military and fewer Americans having served, it only makes sense.
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MCPO Roger Collins
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It would be interesting to know how many of the RP membership live and work in a predominantly military/government venue. That may explain the disconnect with how my opinion differs from many of you.
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1LT Platoon Leader
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I do, completely..

I invite you to check out the post I created about a very interesting article explaining how, and why we are turning into a chicken hawk nation.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/are-we-turning-into-a-chickenhawk-nation
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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Sgt Joe LaBranche, I wrote this after I re-entered society, after being in Vietnam. This is the way I felt.
Dinosaur"
I am a person out of my element,
My mind goes back to the days of lament.
The world and I are not as one,
Nothing I did should ever be done.

I try to exist, and be like them,
But I am not, and never have been.
I can't cope with the thoughts of today,
They aren't right, for nothing is here to stay.

I am a dinosaur in a modern world,
Looking for something I can't unfurl.
I'm ready to go and enter "That Door",
Then maybe my mind will be at ease once more.

©Keith (Hacksaw) Bodine 1970
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SrA Edward Vong
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It's a different overall lifestyle, which is why we have basic training to have civilians turn into members of the military, and a transitioning program for troops to go back to a different lifestyle. There are of course some skills that can be brought to and from, but the overall mission is different which is the reason for the divide. We can't and shouldn't have civilians live like they are serving and military members need to have a different mindset while serving.
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