Do you believe your time in the military influenced your political leanings? Did those leanings change much when you left the service?

2018-02-02T11:59:30-05:00

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 2 at 2018 12:03 PM

2018-02-02T12:03:19-05:00

I can say no. I've been of the belief that all politicians are corrupt jacktards that need term limits.....and to stop working for themselves and to start working for the people like it was intended.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 2 at 2018 12:07 PM

2018-02-02T12:07:50-05:00

CPT Private RallyPoint Member No change. I was conservative before, and I am conservative now.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Feb 2 at 2018 12:11 PM

2018-02-02T12:11:46-05:00

CPT Private RallyPoint Member Like Everything Else My Politics are Constantly Changing and Evolving. As a Teenager I Had an SLA Poster in My Room (Domestic Terrorist). For 21 Years I worked as a Telecommunications Expert for the Naval Security Group (Navy Dept of the NSA) During Which Time I was a Reagan/Dole "Compassionate Conservative". I Was Pro Reagan (Still Love Him) Until I Realized that, that 13% Pay Raise and Lower Taxes Came at a Price, The Year After the Initial Year the Taxes started coming back up. That Shortfall was paid for by Not giving the Retired Military the same Percentage that year (Now that I'm Retired Military, I Think that was Shitty) and by Stealing from Social Security which has yet to be Paid Back. Also I Realized that by the end Reagan was already starting to suffer from Dementia and was just a Front Man for the Others. Let's See Some Other High Points that Probably Changed My Perspective, I Did a Little Job in London Handling Very Sensitive Messages for what Later Became Known as Iran-Contra. Didn't Think too much about it at the Time but after a bit Realizing that I was Supporting "Contras" Right Wing Death Squads that Had No Problem Killing, Raping, Catholic Priest and Nuns for Daring to Teach a "Social Justice" a Significant Tennant in My Catholic Faith Left a Bad Taste in My Mouth. Then About the time I Retired FOX News Comes On-Line spreading the Most Ignorant Lies about the Stuff I Know About. Yeah I'm a Hardcore Raving Liberal Democrat Now.

Response by SGT Jim Arnold made Feb 2 at 2018 12:20 PM

2018-02-02T12:20:29-05:00

if anything it cemented my political leaning

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Feb 2 at 2018 12:23 PM

2018-02-02T12:23:21-05:00

More than most life experiences, my time in the military influenced my political viewpoint. You realize you have signed up to put your life on the line for your country, but not for one political party or political leader. You agreed to protect and defend the Constitution--a document that embodies the very heart of what it means to be a Citizen.

My college professors were a mix of conservative and liberal. My history professors tended to be more conservative while the PolySci profs were more liberal. A balance you probably won't find on campus today. I worked my way through college, so I had a healthly respect for a pay check and the taxes taken therefrom. This was in the 1960s. I neither demonstrated against the Vietnam war nor against the growing social welfare state. I was working and studying too hard to pay much attention.

During my active duty time, we were encouraged to register and vote in our home state or the state where we were assigned. The voting age has just been lowered to 18. We were also encouraged to not discuss politics in the workplace and briefed regularly on when and where we could or could not wear the uniform or attribute our views in relation to our employment. Mostly, I kept quiet about my political views. I voted for candidates who supported the military with better pay and improved equipment. This lead me to consistently vote Republican in national elections.

As I got older and studied politics more, I became more convinced of my conservative position. After retirement, I came to understand the liberals hated the very country and people they were elected to serve. They created problems so they could institute big government programs to solve them, but really only created more problems. Think war on poverty, The Great Society, or war on drugs. The Obama years were a tragedy in my opinion because the people elected a President and Congress that set out to undermine the basic principles of that Constitution I had sworn to uphold so many years ago. They did it for self-aggrandizement and to teach the white, middle-class Americans how wrong we were about the way we should live our lives and govern our country. Thankfully the government under the Constitution worked and the people kept the social democrats from going too far by electing Republican Congresses and later a Republican President. (It helped that the Democrats ran one of the worst candidates ever for President in 2016.) I believe the US is on the way back to greatness. Out 8-year swerve into socialism will be corrected as quickly as the Republicans can fix it.

Response by SPC David Willis made Feb 2 at 2018 12:51 PM

2018-02-02T12:51:20-05:00

I think so. I used to be much more conservative than I am now and trusted the government, but seeing the difference between the reality on the ground and what our politicians were saying kind of woke me up. It didn't make me super liberal but it moved me closer to the middle with a healthy distrust and a strong sense of pessimism when it comes to the government.

Response by SGT Joseph Gunderson made Feb 2 at 2018 1:12 PM

2018-02-02T13:12:33-05:00

I think that all life experiences are going to have some kind of influence on what you believe and the military is not exempt from this rule. As for changing after the service, the day one chooses to quit learning and adapting should only occur the day that he or she is put into a pine box. I don't mean to say that the change should occur regularly and be to a crazy extent, but I believe that everyone changes over time. That being said, not all beliefs will change; sometimes you find your sweet spot on a certain issue or topic and that is where you are going to sit.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 2 at 2018 1:16 PM

2018-02-02T13:16:19-05:00

I think this is a question best suited for the young or single-termers. For us careerists, it is hard to say if our views were influenced by time in service or just by time. You know the old saying: "If you aren't a liberal at 20, you don't have a heart. If you aren't a conservative at 40, you don't have a brain."

You also have to consider that the overreaching views of the major political parties have evolved over time. JFK-- still lauded as a hero among the Democratic Party-- would be a Republican if he were alive today. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." How many Democrats would say that today?

Today's libertarians are the liberals of a generation ago. Todays liberals are the socialists of a generation ago. Conservatives haven't changed much-- pretty much by definition. Conservatives believe that change should happen incrementally so as to have a marginal impact on society as a whole. To steal a phrase from P. Obama: conservatives do not want to 'fundamentally transform America'. They are still largely mired in the 'good old days' and enslaved by the dogma of the evangelicals, and that is to their detriment.

Where I think conservative/libertarian thinking is superior to liberal thinking of today is in the arena of tolerance. Conservatives for the most part take a live-and-let-live approach to tolerance. Sure, they might be sanctimonious about some lifestyles and life choices, but they generally don't shove it down anyone's throats, and they aren't mean about it. They don't care what others do so long as it doesn't impinge upon their life. The prevailing liberal position (at least among the loudest of advocates) is to shove every 'alternative' lifestyle choice down the throats of everyone else and DEMAND compliance. Think about all the lawsuits for individuals citing Christian beliefs as their reason for not participating in homosexual weddings for example... The business owners do not care if the homosexual couple gets married, they just don't want to be a participant in in the wedding. Instead of simply taking their business-- and dollars-- to another baker, or florist, or photographer, the couple files lawsuits. That-- to me-- is not tolerance.

So that is a really, really long-winded way of saying I don't know. I (like most of us, I would wager) was not particularly politically interested or active when I joined the military at 18yo. While I think I always leaned conservative, I couldn't tell you if it was the service or the wisdom that comes with age that landed me where I am today (predominantly libertarian).

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 2 at 2018 1:18 PM

2018-02-02T13:18:46-05:00

When I first received my commission, I obtained some excellent advice from a general officer...politics are not the concern of a serving military officer. I still believe that is good advice, since we serve a constant idea; the Constitution, and by extension...the People. Regardless of who is in office, or which party has predominance at the time; our duty doesn't change.

However, I think true political involvement is a part of one's civic responsibility, as one should vote...vote informed...and vote honestly.

As a younger officer, I was a still a younger person, meaning that I didn't have the franchise in the system I do now as a homeowner, spouse, parent, and private citizen. This has undoubtedly changed a few of my opinions over the years, but hopefully not my guiding principles.

Response by SP5 Peter Keane made Feb 2 at 2018 1:39 PM

2018-02-02T13:39:27-05:00

As a teenager, I was conservative, working on the campaigns of Barry Goldwater in 64 and Edward Brooke in 66. I didn't vote in my first election until 1972. (21 was the voting age) At that time I had been out of the Army for just over a year and I cast my presidential vote for McGovern. Several years later I was having a cool one in a honkytonk in Texas when a young lady sitting next to me said "If you want to see your paycheck rise steadily, vote republican. While not the end all be all, I started leaning back to the right. Now I am a deplorable.

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Feb 2 at 2018 1:41 PM

2018-02-02T13:41:05-05:00

I always seemed to lean conservative but them grew up in a family that was all Republicans, both sides. After service in the Armed Forces that only reaffirmed the views I already had and added more of a knowledge base after experience in the real world. In the process I saw first hand how corrupt and lacking of any sort of ethics at all on the part of many politicians. Seems the number of self serving, greedy politicians and their associates has grown to even higher levels that it was ever thought possible.

Response by MSgt Neil Greenfield made Feb 2 at 2018 2:04 PM

2018-02-02T14:04:49-05:00

Sorry, but I’m conservative in some respects, moderate in others, and liberal in still other aspects. That is what both my military service and civilian life has done to me. I grew up in a Republican household, but life experiences have shaped who I now am.

Response by PO3 Pat Hagan made Feb 2 at 2018 2:58 PM

2018-02-02T14:58:02-05:00

I think Commander Gail L. hit the nail on the head. "Time" is probably the biggest contributing factor to someone's particular political bent, followed closely by a persons particular socio-economic station in life. I know my views today are quite different than they were when I was 20something. I'm not so sure my military service had as much to do with my current ideology as just the passing of time and the increased personal investment I've made in my own security and future. When I was young and idealistic, it was very easy for me to make certain assertions about how things should be because I had very little if any "skin in the game". If anything, I would have benefited from more "liberal" policies back then. Today, after much hard work and personal sacrifices, those same liberal policies I championed earlier have a tendency to be more of a burden on me.
It's basic human nature to be self-serving, supporting and pursuing that which best serves their own interests. In that respect, in my opinion, that makes liberals and conservatives more alike than different. Both will support or develop policies and programs that will serve their own particular interests, each rationalizing why they are right and the other is wrong. Serving in the military will, for most people, instill a certain amount of patriotism. How they choose to express that patriotism is as varied as the people who have served or are serving presently.

Response by SSgt Gary Andrews made Feb 2 at 2018 7:16 PM

2018-02-02T19:16:08-05:00

I paid no attention whatsoever to politics during my ten years of active duty. I don't recall any of my buddies talking politics either......except we hated Nixon because he always flew into our base, El Toro, when he would come to the West Coast. When he was flying in, it got batshit crazy on the base, with everyone having to walk the roads and look for butts. When I got out, I realized that which party was in power had an effect on my workplace and my job.....so I started paying more attention to it. Being a union member, I tended to support Democratic candidates because they were more "union friendly" in their policies. I have voted for Republican candidates from time to time, when I think they are the better choice for a particular position, but still favor the Democrats most of the time.

Response by LTJG Richard Bruce made Feb 2 at 2018 8:21 PM

2018-02-02T20:21:47-05:00

No. I was conservative before enlisting.

Response by SFC Greg Bruorton made Feb 2 at 2018 10:43 PM

2018-02-02T22:43:08-05:00

I hadn't paid much attention to my political leanings while in the Army until Vietnam headlined throughout the country. Although I had voted for JFK in 1960, the draft-dodgers, the malcontents, and the warped news during my time in Vietnam seemed to bring me closer to the conservative side. My reception at the San Francisco airport at coming home certainly left a bad taste for me and I must suppose became the pivotal point of full conservatism.

Now, I cannot imagine ever voting Democrat again.

Response by COL Rich McKinney made Feb 2 at 2018 11:06 PM

2018-02-02T23:06:29-05:00

You are a product of where you have been and what you have done. If you are not, you were not paying attention.

Response by Maj John Bell made Feb 3 at 2018 4:57 AM

2018-02-03T04:57:37-05:00

I used to be a Democrat leaning libertarian, now I am a Republican leaning libertarian. What's changed...? Not me.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 3 at 2018 6:17 AM

2018-02-03T06:17:16-05:00

Def changed mine. I was active when Reagan gave us the biggest pay raise in forever. Been conservative since.

Response by 1SG Carl E. English Sr. made Feb 3 at 2018 9:39 PM

2018-02-03T21:39:03-05:00

No, I had a brain before I joined the military, which you lose when you become a Senator in the United States and don't need to become President. Gotta love this Sh--h--- of a country.

Response by Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. made Feb 12 at 2018 12:26 AM

2018-02-12T00:26:24-05:00

No. But my political principles are dependent upon principles and not parties.

Response by SP5 Geoffrey Vannerson made Feb 21 at 2018 5:05 PM

2018-02-21T17:05:12-05:00

Although I am a firm ARMY person the code of the corp comes to mind. Keefer Sutherland in a few good men summed it up "GOD, CORP, COUNTRY! In this case GOD, ARMY, COUNTRY. The oath we take isn't contingent upon who or what party is in office. The oath in "NON_DISCRIMINATORY." You have to be able to separate your political views from your job as a soldier. (It's not like you can just quit over who becomes president.") We all took the oath to defend the rights of EVERYONE whether or not we agree with them, their views, morals, or values. I believe (well hope) that most people who become soldiers have a kind of pre-destin set of these values described above. I think they have to just to be crazy enough to defend this country.

Response by SSgt Allen Sorochiello made Feb 25 at 2018 3:53 PM

2018-02-25T15:53:27-05:00

I believe I served in the Marine Corps due to my Conservative leanings and my sense of Patriotism.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 25 at 2018 7:20 PM

2018-02-25T19:20:45-05:00

My politics changed before I enlisted, and is part of what led me to want to enlist.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 26 at 2018 2:47 PM

2018-02-26T14:47:58-05:00

Well yes, Army promotes critical thinking and when you use this construct there is one place you will likely land politically. Unless one falls for confirmation bias and not the use of facts...plus military service members literally have their skin in the game.

Response by SPC Joseph Wojcik made Feb 27 at 2018 10:50 AM

2018-02-27T10:50:15-05:00

Military service only reinforced my dislike of bureaucracy. My political views really changed when I took a media theory and criticism course in college, where you learn how manipulative and destructive the mainstream media can be.

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2018 8:46 AM

2018-03-03T08:46:46-05:00

It definitely did. By the time I retired, I ended up with centrist views. The training I received allowed me to stay neutral and supportive of the policies established by the different administrations. My accountabilities are to support and defend the constitution, not the politicians. Although I disagree with some new policies, I got paid to implement the policies not to give opinions or my personal feelings about political parties, views, etc.
As leader, you must learn to keep your political views to yourself; you are leading men and women to accomplish your assigned mission impartially and efficiently in the interest of the United States. The minute you start offering your two cents about politics to your men and women, you may create distrust amongst your soldiers and from them to you. If they want to engage in healthy political discourse, take it outside of duty hours.
Throughout my career the biggest turn-off was seeing senior leaders (both officer and enlisted) engaging in propaganda speeches during formations. Though not active/hard propaganda, their speeches and rethoric was considered soft or indirect, yet a pea-sized brain person could see that it was a leader with left or right views.
Unfortunately, you will see current service members with extreme views to the left or right. It reflects the make up of America's population. Your challenge is to influence those service members by engaging in critical thinking, not only for their missions, but also on their personal lives. The same goes for religious attitudes, but that is another discussion altogether.

Response by SFC Robert Walton made Mar 3 at 2018 9:17 AM

2018-03-03T09:17:06-05:00

The Military did not effect my Political View either going or Retiring what did effect my views was the politics and the people themselves. The way they treated the Military Members, and Civilians alike. They all need removed and replace with term Limits in place. IMHO

Response by PO2 Stan Roberts made Mar 5 at 2018 7:35 PM

2018-03-05T19:35:15-05:00

I must agree that, in my opinion, most if not all politicians are out for themselves and do not represent their constituents.

Response by CDR Jerry Wells made Mar 9 at 2018 12:13 AM

2018-03-09T00:13:58-05:00

I think and have morals therefore I am conservative. Having a code of honor and serving for 20 years did influence me. It made me a stronger conservative and instilled in me the ability to stand for what I believe.

Response by CW3 Jeff Held made Mar 9 at 2018 12:21 AM

2018-03-09T00:21:01-05:00

No. I think my service helped to more clearly define my political viewpoints.

Response by PO3 Mark Lyman made Mar 9 at 2018 1:18 AM

2018-03-09T01:18:17-05:00

I believe so... I was raised as an "independent" that leaned more to the Demo side.... as I went through my enlistment and seen a lot of other countries I seen what... some types of governments make there people turn into be.... and it made me think of how lucky we are in this Country to have the basic type of Government we have... it also taught me that we need to be for the Country and keep it free....

Response by SPC Tito Castillo made Mar 21 at 2018 1:28 AM

2018-03-21T01:28:11-04:00

nope. and I am a moderate centrist which isn't quite one of the choices. have voted across party lines and they all turn out to be the same... puppets with sticks up their arses. some start out with the best intentions but it doesn't take long before the washington establishment makes them change their tune. We need campaign finance reform; we need to get money out of politics. until we do that, power players will continue being the puppeteers. at the end of the day, like they say, money talks, bullshit walks.

Response by PO2 Gerry Roberson Sr. made Mar 21 at 2018 3:52 AM

2018-03-21T03:52:07-04:00

Yes.

Response by Maj Mike Sciales made Mar 21 at 2018 5:36 PM

2018-03-21T17:36:44-04:00

I was apolitical. One of my jobs was Voting Assistance officer and I encouraged all the troops to sign up. Voting was entirely their choice. I voted for the candidate I thought best qualified and most times that meant picking the lesser of two evils because they always have some quality you don't like.

I started off like as a just to the right of Attilla the hun kind of guy, it was all so clear, black and white. After I came on active duty and met people from everywhere and got assigned to a bunch of overseas locations I changed. I adopted a personal motto which was "there aren't any easy answers, only intelligent solutions" and I vote for issues asking myself "Is this good for America?" I've become a staunch progressive.

Response by CDR Henry Baker made Mar 29 at 2018 3:44 PM

2018-03-29T15:44:19-04:00

Yes, it definitely moved me to be more of a militant centrist. Over time, I developed a strong distaste for people on the ends of the spectrum. I was also raised where local politics are active, i.e, annual town meetings, petitions. etc. I was shocked when I was in the South and on the West Coast at how uninvolved people were at the local level.

Response by SPC Edward Robinson made Mar 30 at 2018 2:52 PM

2018-03-30T14:52:47-04:00

You forgot one group. I did click the Conservative this one is an Independent Voter. I follow no parties since it seems you have liars and thieves in all political parties that tell people what they want to hear.

There are many in Congress who should of been removed years ago they are past their expiration dates.

This one researches each candidate running for office before voting since they talk out of both sides of their mouths since they are two face self center egotistic power hunger fools.

There are too many carpet baggers that move to different states to get elected to office. They move from their home States since they would never be elected where people really know them having two faces on all they say and do. They want to live life off that sow in the pigsty called Congress in Washington D. C. which also lets their sons, daughters and other family members make money off foreign governments and corporations.

Time for term limits and no life time benefits until the day they cross that final bridge of life.

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 30 at 2018 6:48 PM

2018-03-30T18:48:36-04:00

Of course it does. You grow, you have new experiences, you learn more. Most people in the military learn to appreciate self reliance and responsibility. Those services where we have to learn to trust the person next to you.Trust that they will do their job so everyone goes home alive. It forces you to think about how you are going to do your job so that you don’t get anyone killed. That’s how you learn to be self reliant and responsible for your actions. In some services you don’t have that kind of teamwork mentality. You have individuals that are thrown together to deploy. They might have known who they were before the deployment so they stick together for the deployment and then go back to their part of the world. Some jobs fields within a combat team structured service are that way too. They do their 9-5 job and then go back to their world. Don’t go to the field together, don’t live and depends on one another to get the work done. They don’t learn the pressures of responsibility. Those things translate on how the two big political parties view the country. One believes that the government has to provide because people are not responsible for their actions and position in life and the other believes that everyone should be responsible for their actions. So yes- it has changed my political leanings.

Response by CPT Dennis Stevenson made Mar 31 at 2018 11:01 AM

2018-03-31T11:01:37-04:00

My time in war did. After being an advisor in Hue right after Tet 1968 I've done a lot of reading and thinking and meditating. I do not trust the workings of politicians at any level. Therefore I'm an independent.

Response by SSgt Daniel d'Errico made Apr 2 at 2018 2:35 AM

2018-04-02T02:35:45-04:00

No, as soon as Congress approved the 18 year right to vote law, I immediately registered as a Republican.

Response by SGT Tim Tobin made Apr 2 at 2018 8:46 PM

2018-04-02T20:46:12-04:00

I have been a firm believer in the individual taking care of themselves and their families. My whole life when I have been knocked down I got back up and soldiered on! The military helped me that and in That regard influenced me. I am happy and satisfied and don't need anyone or government to help me!

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 8 at 2018 1:32 PM

2018-04-08T13:32:42-04:00

I grew up Christian conservative, and if anything that has only strengthened over time, becoming more hard-line "ultra" conservative than ever. My time in the military didn't influence my political leanings, but it made me acutely aware of how cult-like the military (and especially the Army) has become. Further, the excessively unnecessary bureaucracy that plagued the military annoyed me to no end, along with its incompetent leadership and the even more incompetent civilian leadership.

Yes, perhaps, after being in the military, I realized how flawed democracy and republics can be, and how privileged civilians are, especially those on the Left who often tout and abuse their many supposed "rights", when they are merely privileges that have been handed to them for free. My time in the military made me less sympathetic to civilians in general, far less sympathetic to the Left (but their own actions over time have warranted this as well), and far more jaded about society.

Years later after leaving the Army, I can safely say that my faith in republics and democracy is long gone. The Constitution is a document that, while its principles were based around Christian theology and beliefs, has long since been used and abused to no end by its enemies to give license to all manner of wickedness and criminal actions, best seen from the 1960's onward, and especially apparent in the Obama administration. Regardless, the document needs to be revised, or the amendments to it need serious revision.

Our nation is corrupt from top to bottom, especially in the "judicial" and legislative branches. Suffice to say, if I were running this country, while I would keep Congress and the SC, I do believe I would govern as a dictator and abolish this worthless republic in favor of a hard-line conservative totalitarian theocracy. Yes, as others have said before, I, like other conservatives, long for the "good old days", and I would rather live under a dictatorship that emphasizes conservative and patriotic values of a 1950's America (minus the segregation) and likewise tramples the Left to dust. I would also strongly support the creation of a new "elite" class of citizens, namely veterans, and heap all manner of well-deserved tax breaks and hereditary benefits on them. I'd rather our future veterans come from veteran families, to be sure...

Being in the military has also reinforced my view that the only people who should be allowed to run for office are veterans themselves, and the only people who should be allowed to enter the police forces are likewise veterans. I'd feel much safer and far more comfortable knowing every single politician in D.C. is a fellow veteran, and every single police officer as a veteran. The nation would certainly be in far better hands under a government run almost exclusively by those who have risked their lives to defend it.

Response by PO2 Joseph Fast made Apr 12 at 2018 6:03 PM

2018-04-12T18:03:00-04:00

I'm not sure. I do know more than I used to know, how much I value freedom. So much in fact that the political spectrum I use is Totalitarian vs Freedom with fiscal and social directions. Leftism being economic totalitarianism and rightism being social totalitarianism. It's the best way I can show people that the person they are arguing with, is no different than them on being authoritarians. They are just authoritarians on different points.

Response by LTC Ronald Stephens made Apr 14 at 2018 4:41 PM

2018-04-14T16:41:20-04:00

My parents were Truman Democrats when the Democrats were the conservative party. I was in College in 1964 and back then a book entitled "A Texan Looks at Lyndon." was being passed around. I read it and shortly after finishing it joined Young Republicans for Goldwater. Have been Republican ever since although have occasionally voted a split ticket but that was when the Democaratic Party was a lot more open minded and receptive to differing opinion than it is now. Its all "my way or the highway" on both sides. We are left with voting for the lesser evil after trying to guess which is the lesser evil.

Response by SFC Kenneth Hunnell made Apr 15 at 2018 4:58 PM

2018-04-15T16:58:23-04:00

I can Honestly say NO, not at all
I've been in the service since Jimmy Carter.
Being in the service of our Country is for better or worse

Response by CPL Bob Young made Apr 17 at 2018 3:47 PM

2018-04-17T15:47:56-04:00

No, l was raised in a consrevative family but felt most of my life a moderate Republican. I have never voted strict party lines but for l felt was the best person for the office. Today we have become polarized between left and right.

Response by SPC Brian Stephens made Apr 18 at 2018 5:54 PM

2018-04-18T17:54:28-04:00

My time in the Army handling and training to fire the nation's tactical nukes in Germany gave me more ammo for my conservative leanings and less sympathy for the liberal side. Being stationed overseas, while I met a lot of people who chose to see us as invaders, there is a thing known as the human condition and as George W. Bush said on Maria Bartiromo's show this morning, "the human condition beyond our borders is vital to our nation's security."

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Apr 18 at 2018 8:23 PM

2018-04-18T20:23:38-04:00

No ,but in my short stint in the Army I had other things to worry about ,like in training was my Platoon Sergeant going to kill me,in Vietnam was “ Charlie” or the NVA going to kill me,back in the States was some trainee going to shoot or blow me up on the training ranges,I started to worry about politics and politicians long after the Military.

Response by SP5 Geoffrey Vannerson made Apr 19 at 2018 3:35 PM

2018-04-19T15:35:18-04:00

In reading more of the posts after my original post I have gathered a common sense that this is a very tough question to ask a soldier. As "Government employees" we have a sense of loyalty, duty, and commitment. From the time I was born this country has been at war, in fact of the 241 years we have been a nation 222 years of that or 93% of our existence we have been involved in a war. I don't think a "party affiliation" is the problem anymore. Our nation is separating at the core, and our once valued constitution and bill of rights are being questioned and challenged by a minority of people with a sense of entitlement and self-loving. We don't allow our children to say the Pledge of allegiance in school anymore which takes away from patriotism and diminishes the value of GOD in our country. We have as a nation lost our moral compass. HELL I would vote for SPONGEBOB-SQUARE PANTS if I thought he could get us back on track. Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Liberal, it's all just a fancy way to say "same shit different day" or in this case different liar. I supported the idea of "Drain the swamp" but just like an STD sometimes its hard to get rid of or even find a working cure for. And not unlike the commercials where the cure is sometimes worse than the damn disease.

Response by A1C Shad Harris made Apr 19 at 2018 5:43 PM

2018-04-19T17:43:14-04:00

My time served enhanced my "world view" which is a factor of my "politics", and I've Always been non-partisan, still am.

Response by Lt Col Steven Bross made Apr 21 at 2018 10:56 AM

2018-04-21T10:56:28-04:00

I’d say my political leanings were the reason I joined the military and why I stayed 20 years.

Response by 1SG Clifford Barnes made Apr 22 at 2018 9:32 PM

2018-04-22T21:32:57-04:00

No I have always felt that politicians are not to be trusted

Response by LCDR William Breyfogle made Apr 26 at 2018 12:52 AM

2018-04-26T00:52:25-04:00

My father, a career Army officer, once boasted that neither he nor his brother officers ever voted ... so fearful were they of ever becoming part of a politicized military. In my own Navy career, I have seen more and more service people turn towards the conservative side of politics. Recent studies have shown that military people vote almost monolithically Republican ... a fact well-known to the Democracts who use every Parliamentary trick in the books to render military absentee votes invalid

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 8 at 2018 2:07 PM

2018-05-08T14:07:12-04:00

I was right leaning prior to joining the military. My time in the military has really re-affirmed it but most of all my love for the constitution. I have a renewed devotion to the brilliance of that document.

Response by SSG Robert Perrotto made May 8 at 2018 2:45 PM

2018-05-08T14:45:05-04:00

when I enlisted - I was considered a liberal by my peers for my views about homosexuality - basically who someone sleeps with is of no concern of mine. that is between them and God. who someone sleeps with had no bearing upon my ability to feed my family, pay my bills, put food on the table, and execute my job. If they wanted to check my ass out - so what - it cost me nothing to let them know I was not so inclined. but I also have a strong sense of traditional values - core family units, strong parental influences, being accountable for actions, and taking responsibility for shortcomings without blaming others, limits on how long public assistance should last, drug testing for those that receive public assistance to ensure that the taxpayers money is being utilized for its intended purposes, and voter ID laws - my political views have not changed and today I am considered a Nazi, a fascist, a racist, a homophobe, a transphobe, a misogynist , a white supremacist, a deplorable and now - the new leftist label of the month, an incel without anyone ever bothering to speak to me about why I have these views - I have had people I do not know attempt to alienate me from my family, friends, and hobbies - they cant hassle me financially because - in a nut shell - I am financially independent. Second - this attack on the 1st and 2nd amendment has firmly put me on the side of those that support them - the minute you negate someones right to speak, especially by utilizing violence - you have put yourself as an opponent of the constitution and I will always oppose you for it - the gun control issue - everyone has their britches in a bunch over long guns -but never is there a word said about the homicides committed by people utilizing illegal side arms - which far outstrips homicides by long guns - gun control is a fallacious political rallying point in order to strip the American people of their right to bear arms and I will oppose that as well. so - right now - I am a conservative.

Response by LTC Martin Metz made May 9 at 2018 1:14 PM

2018-05-09T13:14:12-04:00

Other than voting, I stayed away from most politics until I retired. It still partially deals with what we bring into the game from each of our own backgrounds. However, there's something about successful leadership, dealing with life or death issues, managing fiscal resources, and fulfilling mission needs that pushes us down a more thoughtful conservative way of thinking. That doesn't always mean voting that way though as individuals.

Response by SPC Peter the Great made May 13 at 2018 9:28 AM

2018-05-13T09:28:37-04:00

i would say yes. i was a liberal. ignorant of many things. our country's founding. our customs and traditions. being in the army i had enough time to develop a respect for these exceptional and humble beginnings. our nation bursting forth out of her swaddling clothes as a baby and becoming the sole superpower of the western hemisphere. then i studied the other side of the coin, my liberalism. where did it come from? the more you study that alongside communism, socialism, fascism the more you realize what you were --being steeped in public educational system which is showing its true colors and shedding the disguise for all to see--the more you see yourself more clearly. without knowing it--i was a communist or fascist. decieved into accepting that from kindergarten. being in the army made me realize who i was and who i wanted to become--an american. and a constitutional conservative much like our blessed founders. from now on i fight for flag and the honor and respect of our great nation because there's a group of leftists and statists (left-wing corporate fascists) who are trying destroy us from within by allowing the constitution to become a relic of the past. This We'll Defend. so, COME AND TAKE IT III%

Response by SFC Harry (Billy) Tison made May 15 at 2018 1:42 PM

2018-05-15T13:42:13-04:00

Not really, unless you count my grandfather's influence from his time in the Army

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2018 1:56 PM

2018-05-15T13:56:25-04:00

No, NOT at all.

Response by SPC Jesse Davis made May 19 at 2018 1:29 PM

2018-05-19T13:29:04-04:00

Very much so.
Few that I have met would have what I'd consider moderate beliefs. Most trend to swing pretty hard to the right or to the left.

Response by Maj Marty Hogan made May 20 at 2018 11:45 AM

2018-05-20T11:45:34-04:00

I came from a very liberal house growing up. My father was pro-union and from a long line of farmers. Poor farmers. I was not very politically savvy when I first joined. Over time I became more conservative- I am not registered and am independent. I look at agendas and what I feel a candidate has to offer when I vote. I vote for the best of what I feel is for everyone and not just my views. So to go back to the original question- yes the service has molded me- but 34+ years will do that. Great question Micheal....

Response by SPC Steven Depuy made May 24 at 2018 7:45 AM

2018-05-24T07:45:58-04:00

The only thing it might have, is I became more aware of the respect politicians have for the military, not in their words, but their actions. I did not agree with a lot of things GWB did, but the man cared about the people he put in harms way. When he flew in to Iraq that Thanksgiving, I was like wow, that said a lot. Most politicians in the end only act that way in front of a camera, but really don't care. It certainly didn't push me towards a party, and frankly I don't think either party over all gives much of a crap about the military. They use them up and then cast them aside like pawns in a chess game.

Response by SPC Bryan York made May 24 at 2018 3:58 PM

2018-05-24T15:58:03-04:00

Absolutely, my term of enlistment gave me a chance to travel to different localities and meet people from other regions. It made me think about politics and politicians about a more national perspective.

Response by SSgt David Marks made May 26 at 2018 5:37 PM

2018-05-26T17:37:14-04:00

The discipline made me more conservative.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 27 at 2018 12:00 AM

2018-05-27T00:00:42-04:00

I spent 26 years serving my country.Not one time did I ever sway my votes objectively towards a candidate because my affiliation with the military. I have always voted for the person best suited for the job because of their so called beliefs and because they had experience in the job they were applying for. Sure, most lie or misguid you to believe that what they are spewing during election is what they are going to do while they serve. But hey,that's politics. I have never been a real party member,Democrat, Republican or otherwise. Whoever spews the best rhetoric that I think suits my needs is who I vote for.

Response by CW4 Dan Cady made May 29 at 2018 8:11 PM

2018-05-29T20:11:17-04:00

I would say YES! I served under Johnson, Nixon, Ford, jimmie, Reagan, Bush 1, slick willie/hillary, Bush 2, Obama, and now Trump. I am a Constitutional Conservative, I swore an oath to defend it and I am ready to continue to do so.

Response by SGT James King made Jun 4 at 2018 5:03 AM

2018-06-04T05:03:42-04:00

Not at all.

Response by LTC Wynn Butler made Jun 7 at 2018 11:28 PM

2018-06-07T23:28:46-04:00

Not at all. I had conservative views when I entered the service in 1973. Retired 25 years later and still felt the same. After that I spent 20 years teaching at a community college. I have spend 6 years in local office - city commission and was recently elected for 4 more years. No change on my view points.

Response by SFC Garry Kolberg made Jun 10 at 2018 8:45 PM

2018-06-10T20:45:43-04:00

Never thought much about it either way while on AD. Now that I'm retired I have paid more attention and really disappointed in our elected officials and the leadership in many of the various Government Departments. They make a lot of promises but they usually go out the door once elected or re-elected. As of late, faith in the FBI and DOJ leadership is up for grabs. Is there any part of the Federal Government that one can truthfully feel confident in?

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 15 at 2018 9:16 AM

2018-06-15T09:16:54-04:00

I was a Constitutionalist before I got drafted. I was a Constitutionalist when I joined the Navy. I was a Constitutionalist when I got Released from Active Duty and went to college. I have been a Constitutionalist my entire working life...and I am fed up with both the political party's "leadership"... ...until a NON-Politician got elected.

Response by SGT Joseph W. made Jun 16 at 2018 9:01 AM

2018-06-16T09:01:14-04:00

I will say no. My “worldview” changed, but everything else remained essentially the same in terms of politics.

Response by CPT Don Kemp made Jun 17 at 2018 5:09 PM

2018-06-17T17:09:57-04:00

The old saying is “If you aren’t a Democrat in your 20’s, you have no heart. If you are still a Democrat in your 40’s, you have no brain.” Holds true for me. I voted for Carter in ‘76 after the Republican debacle of the early ‘70’s. Voted Reagan in ‘80 after the Carter debacle. I began to lean Conservative when I saw the changes Ronald Reagan made half a world away - I was in Germany at the time. Several years later, I accepted Christ and completed the transition to Conservative. I have no use for either political party but my Conservative Christian beliefs typically lead me to vote Republican.

Response by Maj Robert Thornton made Jun 17 at 2018 6:22 PM

2018-06-17T18:22:09-04:00

I came in under Carter, and was in during Clinton. Some of the leanest years for our military. Didn't so much change my views as solidify them.

Response by Cpl Mark McMiller made Jun 23 at 2018 10:22 AM

2018-06-23T10:22:14-04:00

No. I was a young man and was not political at all when I was in the military. I probably would have been in the liberal camp back then because I really didn't know or care about what was going on and just believed whatever the talking heads in the news were saying on the rare occasions I bothered to pay attention to the news. I was just too busy trying to have fun. Ross Perot opened my eyes with his pie charts and got me to vote for the first time, and it was Bill Clinton, Sarah Brady, Charlie Schumer, and the rest of the gun grabbers and incidents such as Ruby Ridge and Waco that opened my eyes to how corrupt Democrats are.

Response by Sgt Rex Byars made Jun 29 at 2018 3:45 AM

2018-06-29T03:45:49-04:00

I am a independent who believes in compromise from all side. The government should not be only profit or prosupport for citizens. Maybe I was just a little bit of a dreamer, but my time in service was to give the world a view of comprise for everyone in successful action. The government failed thus reminding that it was only the first attempt to give a voice to everyone and there will be others, queue sera sera.
.

Response by SPC Robert Conway made Jul 3 at 2018 11:40 AM

2018-07-03T11:40:26-04:00

My political positions have always been liberal, and with the constant fire I endured in service to this country for those positions you can consider them quite hardened now. I really don't understand how anyone could swear an oath to defend the Constitution, if they have ever read the thing, and not be a liberal.

Military members are the bodily defenders of Freedom, how can you do that and still want to deny those freedoms to people whose choices differ from yours? What true warrior doesn't seek the day that they can lay down arms because the last fight, the one against war, has been won?

As a Veteran, it is quite clear who are the ones who understand what service to our society is and what is costs. You cannot wear a flag pin on Memorial Day and then try to privatize the Veteran Administration for the purpose of your own enrichment the rest of the year.

Response by SGT Patrick Oxford made Jul 15 at 2018 1:57 PM

2018-07-15T13:57:42-04:00

No. I was conservative before and I am still conservative.

Response by SSgt William Blanshan made Jul 22 at 2018 3:59 PM

2018-07-22T15:59:16-04:00

NO. I'd already become conservative at the tender age of 16, when I got my first job and first paycheck.

Response by MAJ David White made Jul 24 at 2018 12:09 PM

2018-07-24T12:09:53-04:00

I entered the service a conservative Democrat-leaning independent, believing that our society had to help the helpless, support widows and orphans, but that able-bodied should work A strong military was necessary to defend the country, even the Western World, against the very real dangers in the world from the Soviet and Chinese communist empires. As I gained experience in the Army and as a doctor I became disillusioned with where I saw the Democratic party headed and became a fiscal conservative while on social issues I was pretty stable. I was part of the great melting pot army of the 80's and 90's and thought that racism was largely solved. I registered republican because an independent could not have a voice in primaries and did not look back after Clinton was elected; he put his wife in charge of putting together a health care plan (nepotism anyone?), a job she was totally unqualified for.

I'm very unhappy with the degree that the advantage to party means more to so many than the good of our nation. I would be libertarian if that position had enough political gravity to have a chance to succeed.

A few thoughts guide me over-all. Individual liberty is the underpinning of our constitution and the protection of that is why our government was designed the way it was; it doesn't often work that way. The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money; the government can give you nothing that it does not take from someone else. A federal Department of Defense is necessary because war is now too complex and too expensive to be left in the hands of individual towns and states; the apparent obsolescence of militia function does not diminish the need and duty for the citizen to bear arms. I don't care who you bed as long as they are of age and willingly give consent; a 12-yr old is NOT able to give consent. You want something? Work for it. Freedom to succeed has to risk freedom to fail.

Response by SSgt Dr. Michael Hanifen made Jul 25 at 2018 1:19 AM

2018-07-25T01:19:00-04:00

I have been a Republican conservative since I was young. Serving in the military reinforced my beliefs. The government was designed to serve and protect our nation, not pander to every whim of society and take on the financial burden of providing for everyone. Be a contributing member of society, its pretty simple. Fall on hard times there are safeguards for that, but to be able to stay on state aid indefinitely is ridiculous.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2018 11:14 AM

2018-07-27T11:14:58-04:00

I grew up in a red state - so I leaned more conservative when I joined the Army. Now I'm much more in the middle. Both sides are ridiculously messed up on the political spectrum.

Response by SrA Arnold Costello made Jul 27 at 2018 9:43 PM

2018-07-27T21:43:04-04:00

Well, I enlisted at age 20 after having only voted in one small, local election. I was very idealistic, I'll admit.

I think that sometimes I still am.

One of the most important things that informed my political leanings actually happened when I was in Basic Training. This was in 1992 and I was at Lackland, still in the middle of Basic when election time came up. Many of us received absentee ballots so that we could vote even though we were far from home in most cases.

The fact that our instructors and the officers who oversaw them very vocally prodded all of us to vote Republican left a very bad taste in my mouth. These were people who had a lot of power over a lot of vulnerable kids who'd never been away from home and had likely never voted for anything before and they were cashing in on these vulnerable kids' desire to make the Instructors happy by pressuring them to vote, likely on issues that they knew nothing about, because "the Republicans will be better for those of us in the military".

As I've said, that really made me mad. I felt we were being used.

So that very seriously drove me into the arms of the other team, so to speak.

As I've gotten older I've come to accept the fact that both parties are full of corrupt jackals and our elected officials care more about making special interest groups and big money donors happy than they are about doing what's right for the country and the people.

All of them suck.

All of them.

But because of the system we have, we are all forced to pick "the lesser of two evils" and I personally would like to have the option of not having to pick any kind of evil.

But that's not the way we do things.

I'm a registered Independent even though sometimes I regret that decision as Independents don't get a say in the big primaries as has been said here already. I like to think that I'm more 'moderate' or 'Constitutionalist' but I do think that a lot of people who know me would still lump me in with the Liberals.

At the end of the day, I care more about the country and the average citizen than I do about any political party.

Response by Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 30 at 2018 1:41 AM

2018-07-30T01:41:29-04:00

I was Never in the Military but served with embedded in AFG for 19 months. I have always been Conservative & always will be !!!

Response by 1LT Kurt Mccarthy made Aug 7 at 2018 3:15 PM

2018-08-07T15:15:56-04:00

Everybody has their own thoughts and beliefs. For me I was a strong Independent. While I served 8 years under the Obama Administration I saw the force thinned to pre-WWII numbers. NCO, Officer and Soldier reduction boards were pink slipping Soldiers left and right. I saw the environment turn toxic due to everybody fearing that if they didn't receive an ACOM or silver bullet (new OER/NCOER), they would be next. I was injured in the line of duty and was told to get out in 2016 when force reduction was big. I had to hire a lawyer because the government wanted to put me out without medical retirement. My Battalion Commander and Brigade Commander wanted to retain me, but I was low hanging fruit with an injury. Our rolling stock percentage was always under mission standards due to budget cuts, we had to put tracer rounds for every 2 ball point during the day because we didn't have enough funding to facilitate ammo. Healthcare was cut, I was told with my wife you're costing the Army too much money in medical care for injury due because of service. However, that was the same year they wanted to let transgenders in while paying for their hormone injections. Then in 2016, the VA almost killed me with a cocktail of medications. Which, they blocked my records after I made a complaint. The VA Whistle-blower Act was denied twice under the last Administration. I couldn't fight back or recruite help. It took the Trump Administration only a few months to get it approved. We've had a VA compensation increased in Dec 2017, another one just passed the House. The failing Veterans Choice Act is being replaced by the Mission Act. The G.I Forever Bill was also denied under the last Administration and passed during Trump's. A big Victory for us veterans and future veterans. An EO was initiated in 2015-2016 that was going to cut military retirement 18%. Which, was undone as soon as the old adminstration left office. MEBs and compensation appeal timelines have been expedited due to a new regulation in 2017. Given all of this, yes, my service definitely changed my political view. Im sure others have their own reasoning behind supporting certain political views, I guess most of it comes from personal experience. Lastly, my father was a Vietnam Combat Veteran, putting Kerry in as Secretary of State, made me want to vomit. To me it was a direct reflection of where Adminstration loyalty resided. Stepping off the soapbox now.

Response by SP5 Billy Mullins made Aug 11 at 2018 9:32 PM

2018-08-11T21:32:49-04:00

I was not too concerned about politics at that age. My father was a republican and my mother was a democrat. they would have some heated discussion during my time at home before my father's death at an early age.

Response by PO2 Jacob Schrier made Aug 13 at 2018 11:44 AM

2018-08-13T11:44:42-04:00

I was conservative before I joined up and I'm libertarian now that I'm out. As a millennial veteran (1986) I believe firmly in individual rights and am sick to death of the rampant corruption and displays of selective enforcement of the law. I'm considering running for office as a Republican in an effort to get into DC and drag the festering corruption into the light of day if I could accomplish it without committing suicide by shooting myself in the back of the head that is.

I'm against:
-Gun control and additional background checks
-The war on drugs
- More taxes
-the current tax code
-government enforcement of morals
-government funding of abortion
-globalism (bring the troops home)
-nato
-nafta and most ftas
-green mandates

I'm for:
-term limits
-increased use of the death penalty
-voter id
-abolishing the irs
-stopping lobbyists from entering dc
-gerrymandering
-must have paid taxes to vote
-public execution of corrupt politicians
-balanced budget
-universal basic income for all
-free education for all
-universal basic healthcare
-legalization of recreational drugs

Universal healthcare and income will be a requirement in my lifetime robots will take 90% of the jobs in 20 years as they should. Humans were meant for more than basic labor functions.

Response by SFC Robert Brooks made Aug 15 at 2018 9:16 AM

2018-08-15T09:16:06-04:00

No and yes. I'm from Kansas, so you probably know which side I was indoctrinated on. I used to listen to Limbaugh and O'Reilly and such. Then in FEB 01 I PCS'd to Germany and returned in MAR 10. When I returned I was like WTF happened to America while I was gone? Everything is either extreme left or extreme right or you are wrong.

Then it dawned on me. While I was in Germany I was no longer under the influence of the political parties and their media arms. I was allowed to think for myself without someone yammering in my ear about how wrong the other "side" is and how important it is to keep their "side" in control to prevent the other "side" from destroying America. Why do you think there are only two parties? The same parties that have written all the rules and passed the laws that all but prohibit a third party candidate from participating in our political process? Both parties are guilty of this and neither party has all the answers, no matter what they have led you to believe.

Response by CMSgt David Allen made Aug 17 at 2018 8:31 PM

2018-08-17T20:31:11-04:00

Although I’m a registered Independent, I have always taken a conservative approach to my life and politics. I was apolitical in my early military career, but my conservative nature kicked into overdrive during the Carter administration and his disastrous fiscal policies, and weak, ineffective response to Iran’s violation of international law, and abuse of American Embassy Personnel. Since then, politics and politicians of all stripes have degenerated into a perpetual pissing contest and eroded my confidence in both parties and their ability to successfully govern for “we the people.”

Response by SSG Shawn Mcfadden made Aug 18 at 2018 8:31 AM

2018-08-18T08:31:27-04:00

It didn't until I went to war in Iraq in 2003. I truly believed in what we were doing over there until Saddam finally revealed in 2006 that he did indeed get rid of his WMD. From that day forward, I swore I would not be misled again.

Response by LCDR William Foran made Aug 20 at 2018 10:23 PM

2018-08-20T22:23:14-04:00

Yes, I was naive during my time in the service (21 years) after leaving it became obvious that
when people have a long time in office they are either entrenched in getting elected again or they
are not interested in what is best for the country.

Response by CPL Robert Echola made Aug 22 at 2018 8:18 AM

2018-08-22T08:18:13-04:00

I have always believed that there needs to be term limits on all politicians. That has never changed, and never will. I also believe that my belief in a strong military force is a good thing. Negotiation from a strong military is a great deterrent.

Response by 1SG James Matthews made Aug 26 at 2018 9:45 AM

2018-08-26T09:45:14-04:00

Political leanings can change but my belief in the Constitution has not--will not and cannot for America to survive.

Response by Chuck Brown made Aug 26 at 2018 9:09 PM

2018-08-26T21:09:23-04:00

I never served. Lost my hearing at 15. But I have always felt a sense of shame that I did not serve. I have nothing but the highest respect for those who have served. That being said, I believe that my views of politics and politicians in general, reflect my respect for our military. I think I lean more towards voting for someone who appears to put country above party.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 30 at 2018 3:20 PM

2018-08-30T15:20:39-04:00

Probably. I was raised by democrats. The photo of JFK was right there next to our Lord. I entered the Army under j. Carter. When he was defeated, it didn't take Reagan long to move the military quickly to professionalism. His eight years transformed the Army. I have to admit, the all volunteer force of the late seventies was a disaster. We couldn't have fought off a cold. Under Clinton, the cuts were drastic after the Berlin wall came down. Same cycle we've been in since WWI. Cut too deep after victory. It showed during Desert Storm and showed big time during Iraq. So, yeah, I favor conservatives although I'm independent. I prefer we keep a strong military. Peace through strength.

Response by LCDR Pamala Mattern made Aug 31 at 2018 10:10 AM

2018-08-31T10:10:17-04:00

Term limits
Remove big money from politics
If you don’t have a heartbeat....you don’t have 1st amendment rights.

Response by SSG Bonnie Paduan made Sep 4 at 2018 10:38 AM

2018-09-04T10:38:29-04:00

My first interest in voting came as a small child hearing my father discussing with his friends about how they got their wives to vote correctly. The lists they each made for their wives so they could insure they voted correctly.
The next time was at least four and possibly eight years later was my father asking my mother if she had her list. The final time I was in junior college sometime between 1966 and 1968. I just couldn’t let it go and I finally asked her flat out about it. She actually laughed about the lists. She said you pick your battles. When she was born women did not get to vote and many men still thought they still needed guidance hence the lists.
Then she dropped the bomb that none of her friends that received the “list” from their husband usually voted that way. That men and women usually have different agendas and you are alone in the booth so you vote for those who hopefully will push for what you think is important. The most important part was voting not arguing about who another person was voting for.
I have kept that thought and thanked her. I have never missed a chance to vote in any election. I am an independent but I register either as a Republican or Democrat as I moved around the country. Always voting for some candidates other times voting against those I don’t like. Same thing with bills. We Vets need to make sure our wants and needs are addressed , always voting is the least we should do.

Response by SPC Gary Welch made Sep 10 at 2018 1:00 AM

2018-09-10T01:00:10-04:00

I never voted when I was in the service because it didn't matter who won they were the CNC

Response by PFC Sara Crusade (Leon) made Sep 10 at 2018 7:37 PM

2018-09-10T19:37:35-04:00

Absolutely! It's not about politicians, it's about my oath. I vote to honor my oath, which means only in support of the U.S. Constitution and freedom. That completely rules out anything or anyone that leans toward socialism and away from inalienable rights.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2018 2:27 AM

2018-09-12T02:27:20-04:00

Most these comments are going to be Conservative so I might as well change up it up a lil bit.
I have been a progressive ever since i became politically aware which was around the age of 15-16 and since ive joined the military the more ive discussed issues with other soldiers the more it surprises me how ignorant people are on politicians,policy and geopolitics etc. There's also alot of stubbornness that most soldiers have and thats a good thing however when it comes to politics they simply become rocks that cant be moved to a reasonable and intelligent position i.e the best policy position.
The military has only re-enforced my beliefs and also help me to understand others on the right and how to communicate ideas to them.

To soldiers and civilians who read this and scoff or even democrats please broaden your horizons and and understand the other sides policies and why they would take that position and ask yourself is it plausible or does it make sense. (has it been done in other countries etc etc.)

Response by MCPO Mark Burns made Sep 18 at 2018 10:21 AM

2018-09-18T10:21:06-04:00

Yes when it comes to defense spending. Military budget is the 1st one to take it in the shorts. You may not all agree on the funding BUT when it does get restored it cost twice or three times that much to try and restore items or get scheduled maintenance on track before the next election of pinheads.

Response by Sgt Daniel J. Daly made Sep 20 at 2018 10:26 PM

2018-09-20T22:26:05-04:00

HNo I think my political thought came from my up bring with my parents. Although they were Democrats and I am a Conservitive Republican. Of course the Democrat party of the 50’s and early 60’s is not the same party to day. Many are proclaiming that they are Liberals and Socalist Democrats. This not what my father was. He would be appalled but what the party is today.

Response by CW3 James Ives made Sep 23 at 2018 12:30 AM

2018-09-23T00:30:46-04:00

Turned me into a Conservative. I'll have to say I'm more of a moderate Republican than Ultra Conservative. Although I now believe the Democratic Party has turned into a Socialist organization,not supporting those who serve and those who have served. While supporting those who have contributed very little to our Country.

Response by CW3 James Ives made Sep 23 at 2018 12:32 AM

2018-09-23T00:32:20-04:00

Response by SSG Paul Lundquist made Sep 27 at 2018 11:38 AM

2018-09-27T11:38:51-04:00

My politics were mine from my parents before I joined the military, so my answer is no.
I have not changed my political leaning since, except that I am not a member of any party at this time.

Response by SSgt Daniel d'Errico made Sep 28 at 2018 3:19 AM

2018-09-28T03:19:14-04:00

When I fknished tech school, I had turned 18. I wasn't thinking about voting just then, but it was an election year. Called into the squadron's first sgt. office, he told me I had to register to vote, right after I picked a party to be associated with. I chose Republican. Nixon was running for a second term, Vietnamisation was in full swing, and I felt he should remain in office to complete his work. After the debacle of Watergate, Nixon leaving office and Ford becoming POTUS, I still felt the republicans were doing the right thing. Then, boom, Carter was elected POTUS and the shit hit the fan. First it was military cut backs. Then the economy hit very low. Then came the failure at Desert One. But things got better when Regaen became POTUS. Two terms for him, things looked great. Then Bush senior became POTUS and things remained good, but congress was controlled by the democrats again. Taxes went up, jobs were fewer and the republicans were blaming the president. Then came Clinton, what a mess for eight years. Good thing the country didn't feel like electing a ding bat like Clinton's VP for POTUS. Sure very administration has its ups and downs. But not like Clinton's. Bush 43 had his faults, but not as bad as Obama's eight years. Now we have President Trump. A non politican who does everything he said he would plus more. I'll stay a republican, until I either die or democrats get off the stupid train. Like that will happen.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2018 7:43 PM

2018-10-08T19:43:00-04:00

When you have skin in the game it changes your whole outlook.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 12 at 2018 10:42 AM

2018-10-12T10:42:48-04:00

If anything, I have become more conservative. Don't know if that's due to the military or just the fact that I'm getting older.

Response by SFC Pat Mattson made Oct 21 at 2018 12:42 PM

2018-10-21T12:42:33-04:00

Coming from a very isolated part of the states, The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I was very conservative and that didn’t change in the 12 years I was active. After getting out, I was exposed to many different views and lifestyles and that experience moved me to the middle of the road. I identify with conservative issues as well as liberal and I vote for the person not the party. If issues affect me, I vote for the side that I believe is the best for me. I wish there was such a thing as a Liberal Republican again, I guess that is too much wishful thinking.

Response by SSG Jess Peters made Oct 22 at 2018 12:34 AM

2018-10-22T00:34:23-04:00

During my time in service 65 to 85, I didn't give a great deal of thought to politics in general. My feeling was no matter who was in charge, I would do what was required to carry out my mission.
My main interest was in international affairs and how it affected our mission.in that regard, my position was strictly conservative. Since retirement, my conservative leanings have become even stronger. The corruption of the Democratic party is absolutely appealing to me.

Response by SFC Brian Gillum made Oct 22 at 2018 4:13 PM

2018-10-22T16:13:35-04:00

Yes and no.

Yes, in that It opened my eyes and mind to the wider world. It schooled me in how group and individual acts have influence upon not just those involved but the reverberations that affect secondary, tertiary, and quartenary relations. It gave me an opportunity to meet interact and become familiar with people of backgrounds, faiths, orientations, religions and whatever other differences that occur within the human world, which I would never have been exposed to and kept me as an ignorant trailer trash white boy.

No, it didn’t influence me into becoming some ultra nationalistic, uber conservative who is unable to see the flaws and lack of integrity to the ideals this nation is supposed to enshrine.

Don’t get me wrong; I still believe in those ideals and hope that between my individual acts and the acts of groups that I am affiliated with those ideals come more to fore than they are now. But in the meantime, I will not turn a blind eye to the issues that confront all of our citizens that marginalize and/or exclude them from the things we should all equally have access to and enjoyment of regardless of any differences that exist between us otherwise.

Response by SrA Daniel Hunter made Oct 24 at 2018 10:30 PM

2018-10-24T22:30:43-04:00

Influenced yes. Not that it changed my political leanings, it helped me define them. As a young teen even into my 20s I viewed myself as liberal yet I only looked at social issues and did not consider the fiscal side. My military service helped me realize my fiscal side and thus define my overall political leaning as Libertarian.

Response by PO2 Jon Pyzel made Oct 25 at 2018 12:27 PM

2018-10-25T12:27:17-04:00

Not at all. Of course, I had 2 years of college under my belt before I joined.

Response by MSgt Larry Randolph made Oct 31 at 2018 7:11 PM

2018-10-31T19:11:55-04:00

As a Christian, I strongly support our true, basic American Heritage history, and the freedoms that made our country great. Our educators are omitting history from all our education systems, with these actions supported by our politicians, passing laws to suppress our freedoms and basic history even more. It's a shame that most college students do not know the basics of our Constitution or Declaration of Independence.

Response by SPC Samantha Stapley made Nov 2 at 2018 1:48 PM

2018-11-02T13:48:18-04:00

Yes. I grew up in a liberal household whose parents were shocked that I had joined the Army. I was the very first member of my family, and still the only member of my family to be in the service. I very quickly went from liberal to conservative during my deployment to Iraq. I believed that the conservatives cared more for the military than liberals, and that liberals wanted handouts. With that being said, I want to point out that I was 20-21 and married to another service member, who grew up in a very conservative household. Once I got out of the military, life started happening, and I realized how wrong I was on many positions, particularly the healthcare debate. I was denied VA benefits because I wasn't "sick enough", and I gave birth to a baby with chronic health issues that will haunt her for the rest of her life. Healthcare should be considered a right. You can't have anything without your health.

I do not feel that government should dictate every part of our lives, regardless of how I feel about healthcare. I am more for freedom to choose rather than legislation. I feel I fall somewhere in the middle, and again, besides the healthcare issue, I tend to be libertarian.

So, to make a long story short, I tend to have both conservative views and liberal views, and I feel the military taught me to use my own brain and critical thinking skills to determine which of the two main candidates are the lesser of the two evils.

Response by SGT Gerald Weston made Nov 5 at 2018 9:39 AM

2018-11-05T09:39:50-05:00

My 8 years of service informed my political leanings. Having seen more of the world than my civilian peers, I grew to appreciate differences in cultures and that, while not enjoying the freedoms of the United States, those cultures were far from oppressed- just different. Notions of American’s as “cowboys” are deserved- and I grew to appreciate that ours isn’t the only way of life worthy of respect. I developed an appreciation of world history and became less myopic. The stigmas that many associate with things different than what they know were lifted - & while I am a proud American I learned that pride in country doesn’t require chest thumping and that more can be accomplished working together than can ever be accomplished in silo’s.

Response by CPT Jeff Robinette made Nov 9 at 2018 9:44 AM

2018-11-09T09:44:11-05:00

My political leanings always were tilted toward the somewhat conservative side of the spectrum. My politics are more conservative now. The time I sent in uniform had a decided impact on my political views for the following reasons.
1) I learned cause and effect-- you screw up...
...you push up!
2) When I got to Germany in. June1980 we went straight to Grafenwohr. I got to know my Rifle Platoon there. When I was back in Bamberg I ran into one of my squad leader and his family in the Commissary. I saw that he had 2 cases of C-Rations in his buggy. What did he know that I didn't?
The next Monday he approached me and thanked me for not making a big deal about the C-Rats in his buggy. He told me that he was new to the command and didn't have on post housing yet and living on the economy. He was feeding his. Family of 6 C-Rats.
3) in 1981 we were fortunate have a new POTUS. The military was given a 11% raise. Carter did nothing to support our troops. He made us a laughing stock on the world stage. Reagan turned that around

Response by SSgt Max Gonzales made Nov 10 at 2018 11:42 AM

2018-11-10T11:42:32-05:00

I never paid attention to this matter until I got out. What I can tell you is that since then I learned ,most are bought out by big corporations. As long as they're lining their own pockets,they could care less about "we the people". Term limits should have been established when we voted for our first president.

Response by PO1 Ron Clark made Nov 11 at 2018 3:52 PM

2018-11-11T15:52:14-05:00

I can't say that it did, because from a very early age, my Dad and I watch, Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley and Meet the Press as well as Face the Nation, my Father and these shows helped me learn how to be politically conscious and how certain actions affected the people around the country. My sense of right and wrong were also taught to me at an early age! I learned that I could disagree with someone but still value their opinion and that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, it just does not have to be my opinion. That does not make my opinion more right or more wrong than anyone elses!

Response by 1LT Erin Berg made Nov 16 at 2018 10:34 AM

2018-11-16T10:34:50-05:00

No. My time in the service didn't change my political views at all. I've always been fairly liberal. The only thing the military showed me was that it's important to find people who follow through on their promises.

Response by CPT Ian Stewart made Nov 24 at 2018 1:29 PM

2018-11-24T13:29:39-05:00

During my initial year in the Army, I wasn't much interested in politics. It wasn't until I was stationed in Thailand in 66' - 67' that my political awareness started to bloom. I remember reading a column in the Pacific Stars and Stripes by Drew Pearson, a popular columnist at the time. In it he claimed there were no Special Forces in Thailand - a week after I issued equipment to American soldiers wearing green berets. Another incident, was an interview with a US Senator broadcasted on AFN Saigon. During the interview the senator said there were no American troops in Thailand and here I was on an Army camp (Camp Friendship) that was next to an air base that had three F-4 fighter squadrons on it. It was then that the realization came to me that we were being lied to. Quite a wake up call for a 19-year old.
During the rest of my career, I tended to vote Republican, mostly because our pay would get better under Republican administrations. I know that sounds mercenary, but when you are an E-5 with a young family to support those extra bucks made a difference between applying for food stamps or not.
After retiring from the Service, I lived and worked on the German economy for 8 years. Because I experienced firsthand, the European social welfare system, I found that when I returned to the States, my political orientation had made a distinct move to the left. I have been back in the States for 20 years and I have to say, that my leftist leanings have only hardened over the years.

Response by PO1 Richard Norton made Jan 16 at 2019 7:48 AM

2019-01-16T07:48:04-05:00

Yes, I believe that my time in the military had an effect on my political leanings. That and both major parties have drifted to the left. The democrats of the 60s is where the current republican party is. JFK would not recognize his party anymore.

Response by SSG Samuel Kermon made Jan 20 at 2019 7:03 PM

2019-01-20T19:03:11-05:00

No. But being a thinking person I do lean towards freedom at all costs.

Response by CH (CPT) Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 15 at 2019 5:49 PM

2019-03-15T17:49:24-04:00

In some ways.

Response by Cpl Zach Wellborn made Mar 27 at 2019 12:53 PM

2019-03-27T12:53:51-04:00

The United States was and has always been a republic. 50 City states that are united to form one country. Not a democracy that is gov run and gov dictated. Ever wonder why federal law and state law differ sometimes? Or why states reject certain federal regulations? That’s what’s supposed to happen. Republics people have the power. Democracy we are told who has the power.

Response by SSG Woodrow McKay made Jul 7 at 2021 9:25 AM

2021-07-07T09:25:28-04:00

No. My personal values never changed (fiscally conservative and socially compassionate (to what makes sense and can be afforded) ), but it did give me a stronger sense of duty, honor and country. Gave me a huge increase in supporting our military and what they have to sacrifice to get the job done.

Response by SPC Lyle Montgomery made Oct 8 at 2021 10:57 AM

2021-10-08T10:57:45-04:00

No the Military did not. My faith does, and plain common sense does. I believe in the constitution. I believe in peoples right to decide about vacinations. We need to be free, not controuled by a dictator like Biden ot the comunist leaning liberal left.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2021 11:07 AM

2021-10-08T11:07:27-04:00

Not at all.