Posted on Jul 18, 2019
PO3 Aaron Hassay
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So what if you were 18 and given the whole play book for a NFL TEAM, and had to read it, and then thrown directly in the game, without even practicing, and having to actually perform. Now I know this is a crazy example. But this is similar to a SAM recruit 1994 being assigned to a Guided Missile Frigate. In this scenario the NFL experience would take that normal healthy 18 year old and for 4.5 years, every month, allow him to only read the play book and then be thrown into the real game, having to perform with the team under dangerous conditions, without even training with the team throughout the week.

As I review my life I see I was a young man in search of a father, family, loyalty, direction, care so I joined the Navy when I was 18 with a clear head great goals a lot of ability and ready to shine!!! With a great loving mom who taught me love and never complained but jeez now I can openly talk about memories of being in a womens shelter and sharing rooms as she had not enough money or benefits to access. But where and who really was dad? Well I wanted to make a mark on the world. i wanted infact to be the best I could be. When this enlistment came to me the SAM Sea Air Mariner Enlistment I jumped at it. I was a varsity athlete. I almost joined the Marines because I knew they promoted exercise more and it was well more manly I thought as well. But I was recruited into the Navy which I do not regret. Regardless I was meritoriously promoted in bootcamp graduation. This SAM enlistment was a 8 year reserve enlistment. I was recruited to go to college and be in the Navy and also have a goal to be an officer by 22. So why was I placed on a actual active duty guided missile frigate from 18-22 I will never really know, with no A school and obviously no previous experience, and I would find out later not enough active duty time for veteran health care without a fight by itself for years. So part time duty on the guided missle frigate from 18-22 was akin to bootcamp or even buds lasting 4 years monthly experiencing just the first few days of shock or awe of bootcamp or even buds for that matter sleepless, unsure, not adapted taking following orders to what was going on fighting to see the day, with the added caveat, bootcamp or buds was actually a guided missle frigate at sea no longer just training but real operational stress requirements individually and as a team, chemicals, weapons, rough seas, qualifications, battle stations, flight ops, with real possiblity of casualty in real conditions on deck, general quarters getting motion sea sickness, then after just a few days of this experience being sent home for a few weeks to to a mom who would question what just happened to you a fiance that would also question why you were acting the way you were acting, with no health care, no medical access, lick your invisible wounds, feel wobbly on your feet due motion sickness, sort of scared because you did not know what just happened out at sea for just a few days even, and now really removed from the ship and no leadership, $200 monthly compensation, go to college that next monday morning, and due shock of just going out to sea and experiencing all that and still super revved up spiritually mentally physically emotionally and sea sick for real have no ability to ever attend college study or concentrate fully in college your freshman year that you just started 18, combating the desire to be on the ship and actually learn something and fit in with the full time crew that was still there, and having all the ships manuals and qualifications that you had to read your way into operational situational occupational success as you had to operate with them underway for ever and the forceeable future, and you were not going to abandon your station, and well the undermanned full time deck crew well bad things would happen as I could not keep up or match them and one thing led to another, and you always felt rushed and you started sweating for no reason and you could not relate to anyone at college because no one in college was on a ship as well like you and no one on the ship because no one on the ship was in college like you, and you could not study any longer and failing classes and you basically dropped out of college and you barely had enough food money and rent problems in between duty, and your relationships were well going to hell, and being a reservist was well taxing and at least the full time guys worked hard but had full time duty to at least acclimate and have friends to share the experience with, and because you felt so alone lonely in your own country confused and always thinking of the ship and your 24/7 requirement to be ready for recall and no benefits to access because of your enlistment, you tried to go into the Army Full time switch branches off the ship, 1998, which actually was coordinated through MEPS and you were medically disqualified but not told why and you definately went dark from there and then you ended up with a honorable discharge in 2002 but when you went to the VA the Vet Center would actually discontinue service after they said you did not have enough "Active Duty Time" they said, veteran found you basically in the streets yourself after cutting yourself 5150d where psych drugs are consumed and diagnosed for a long time and in the hospital on many psych drugs you would remember the dad you surely wish you had that would of possibly supported you when you were assigned to the ship like a captain that cares about his crew, and you find out your missing father in 2005 was actually an ARmy Vet and he was the guy they showed in the MOvies that Vietnam Guy that 1966-68 guy and further information would come out he was 11th LIB and by the time you actually met him the VA said he was incompetent and had a fiduciary and would receive his veteran benefits some 40 years post service because another vietnam vet found him and ushered him into the VA in 2005..and now I just put the story to the world what honor sacrifice courage "We the People" "Civil Rights" and Defending the Constitution against enemies foreign and domestic" finally understanding what the Constitution and Bill or Rights really is...
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SPC Margaret Higgins
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I came from a broken and an abusive home; before I joined the Army. I was actually homeless; before I joined the Army. PO3 Aaron Hassay The Army gave me a sense of direction; and a sense of professionalism. The Army changed my life around; for the good. I highly recommend the military for anyone who wants to travel; and, see the world. I also highly recommend the military for those men and women who need and want to achieve a sense of pride. I cannot say enough great things about the military!
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SSgt Richard Kensinger
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I respond as a clinical psychologist and professor. People who join the military do so for a number of personal and moral reasons. In WW Two, many were not screened for what clinicians refer to "pre-military circumstances. Neither were the 30% who were conscripted during Vietnam due to high demand. I presume that our current voluntary force is screened more closely. And whatever motivations we have for joining may depend on our MOS training. I joined and trained as a medic because I was not convinced I could kill another human. So my MOS ethos was to heal.
Rich
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Capt Daniel Goodman
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That is an interesting notion, certainly...one would certainly expect it'd have an impact, clearly....
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