Was there a moment during your service when you helped someone, in a way you couldn’t have as a civilian?

SSG Shavonde Chase — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 19:12:51 -0500

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 20 at 2016 9:09 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 21:09:48 -0500

I never worked on a Med/Surg ward in the civilian world.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Nov 20 at 2016 9:47 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 21:47:42 -0500

Fiery Vigil comes to Mind, Eruption of Mt Pinatubo. Helped a lot of People mostly Military Naval Security Group Philippines with Emergency Destruction and Air Force Dependents from Clark. Fighting a Forest Fire in West Virginia as a Civilian I would have never heard about it as a Sailor I was Recruited and between the Fighting a Forest Fire and standing my Duty I worked a 24 hour day and Smelled burnt for a week.

Response by TSgt David L. made Nov 21 at 2016 3:38 AM

TSgt David L. — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 03:38:26 -0500

Pretty much every call we went on, every deployment or at home station. There is no way I could have helped the folks that we helped as a civilian. EOD made it possible to help everyone from diplomats to near homeless Bosnians.

That said, I could never help the people I did without the support, the help I received from individuals like all of you, and folks like you. From Finance to Personnel, y'all make it possible for all of us to do our jobs.
Thanks! We appreciate it.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Nov 21 at 2016 6:43 AM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 06:43:03 -0500

Plenty of times... but it's not because I couldn't help as a civilian. It's because civilians don't reach out to others as much as military members. Civilians keep to themselves. But having a chain of command gives me someone to talk to when I need help and those under me as well.

As a civilian I've never gotten the call at 2am because someone missed their taxi. Or the call at 9pm because someone had a little too much to drink. As a civilian, I've never had someone ask my advice in regards to marriage, relationships, parenting.

As a Marine though, I have taken care of all those things and more. As civilians, we tend to keep ourselves in a closed little box. But when your life could depend on the man or woman to your right and left, we become more invested in those around us.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 21 at 2016 7:48 AM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 07:48:17 -0500

Yeah; I stood up for someone. I usually would feel I wanted to stand up but wouldn't. Someone was being ridiculed on their uniform yet it wasn't their fault because of a medical condition. The person yelling at the Sailor was well known for taking out her issues and anger toward junior sailors. Not after that day.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Nov 21 at 2016 9:39 AM

SGM Erik Marquez — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 09:39:27 -0500

A friend, his daughter was in another state needing assistance...she needed to move out of her cohabitation immediately and with both security and physical help moving her stuff.
I made a few calls to a distant military unit I had no direct association with, spoke to a senior NCO and asked a favor...... Im told by the friends daughter that 14 men and 2 female Soldiers showed up at her apartment at 2 AM ready to help her move and ensure her safety..It was done passively, no violence, just the mere presence and military attitude of "Budd, just stand over there, this is going to happen so let it be"
While its possible I could do that today as well....i would still be relying on current and former military folks, or folks I met mostly though my service to assist.

Response by CSM Chuck Stafford made Nov 21 at 2016 9:51 AM

CSM Chuck Stafford — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 09:51:26 -0500

Twelve years ago this week, a soldier of mine received word that her mom was arrested and her child was put in foster care at an unknown location. The case worker would not provide any information to me and since it was Thanksgiving weekend (Thanksgiving when I found out), told me I had to wait until Monday to get the info for an emergency leave. Needless to say, I found, the phone number to the case workers boss' boss -- (home phone) and interrupted dinner. There was also a chain of emails to every official email address even remotely connected to this event using some polite, but from a deployed 1SG language. Being deployed got the sense of urgency that I do not believe this case would have otherwise gotten.

Soldier got home - took care of her daughter's care issues and came back of sound mind and body.

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 21 at 2016 10:17 AM

SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 10:17:49 -0500

Bait my friends into joining ;)

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 22 at 2016 2:05 AM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 02:05:45 -0500

Traditionally, life as a civilian is introspective, and focused cultivating a safe and health environment for oneself, and their family. From an Army perspective, the Warrior Ethos and Seven Army Values are not embodied across the board in the civilian sector, as they are in garrison, on-and-off duty, or forward deployed.

I've received career mentorship advice from my fellow servicemen, and servicewomen, I was challenged in such a way to promote vertical growth in my leadership, and I also had the privilege in mentoring my Soldiers with their undergraduate studies, physical fitness, foreign language acquisition, and with overall leadership.

I don't have as many opportunities to make an immediate positive impact in the civilian sector.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Nov 22 at 2016 4:11 PM

MSG Brad Sand — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 16:11:32 -0500

Thousands...everyday as a Guidance Counselor? Not sure there would not be anyway to do something similar in the civilian World?

Response by Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen made Nov 22 at 2016 4:37 PM

Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 16:37:32 -0500

Promoted a very competent technician into the head of department due to previous department head PCS'ing. Tech was all for the change at first but soon discovered he was in way over his head. After talking with him I moved him back to his original position, with no record of the brief move to department head, and resubmitted paperwork to backfill the position due to PCS. Tech was happy and we were in same position we would have been without the change. Don't think this kind of move would have been possible in the civilian environment where I worked after leaving the military.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 22 at 2016 5:07 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 17:07:57 -0500

military medical vs civilian medical, we have in the military some of the best trained trauma medics around, once they get out it counts for nothing in civi world why law suits, and money, for me to convert millitay emt to civi, 300.00 to take a course I already did in the army, civi world, ie emt-b army vs emt-b civi, army your trained iv's, trachs, intubation, io's, needle decompression, list goes on, as a young corpsman when precordial thump was trained in the military but not civilian I went to my duty station icu and patient was experiencing a disrythmia doc said thump her at it worked he could've done it himself but was tied up with another patient going down the tubes, I was a simple corpsman not an lpn or rn, in civi world that would equate to a nurse's aid being asked to do the same, as an lpn in the military I worked cardiac rehab, recovery rm, icu, med/surg, orthopedics, as a civi now with all the new changes lpn you work mostly in nursing homes, because of the civi politics once I retired I let everything go I've never been happier to work in a factory over the last ten years

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Nov 22 at 2016 5:29 PM

LTC Stephen C. — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 17:29:44 -0500

SSG Shavonde Chase, I served as a detailed IG for four years. During that time I was able to help many soldiers through many varied situations. Obviously, I could not have done the same for civilians!

Response by 1stSgt Scott Osander made Nov 22 at 2016 7:51 PM

1stSgt Scott Osander — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 19:51:15 -0500

Not when I was active duty, but happened a lot in the Air National Guard. Nature of the guard.

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Nov 25 at 2016 10:49 AM

SGT Dave Tracy — Fri, 25 Nov 2016 10:49:27 -0500

Other than--and this may be a bit of a stretch--providing some guidance and advice for a friend's daughter considering the military after high school, I can honestly say I cannot recall being helpful as a service member in a way I could not as a civilian.