Posted on Jan 23, 2014
What are the best excuses you have heard for people not joining the military?
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People always have some pretty colorful excuses for not joining the military. What are your favorite/ most absurd?
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Posted 12 y ago
Responses: 347
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I had 2 different teachers, when they found out that I was signed up to go into the Army tell me that they felt it was a bad decision and that I would ruin my life and that I'm too smart for the military. My point of view about them changed on the days each said it to me.
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LTC (Join to see)
I taught at an inner city public school for 11 years. I tried to encourage as many of those kids as possible to join up in order to get out of the ghetto. I have ran into many of them over the course of the last 10 years while on various deployments and every single one of them thanked me profusely for talking them into joining. Most of them would probably be dead or in prison if they had not joined.
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PO2 Michael Dick
I had the same thing happen to me. I was the only one to go active duty out of my class. Everyone else went weekend warrior.
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Do not believe in a best excuse as there really to me is none. The shocking statistic that I received in a recent G1 brief is that medically and educationally, that only like 30% of the population even qualifies to be a recruit. So when I hear folks in conversation when friends introduce me as "IN" the Army, they often reply that they were medically unfit or "TOLD" they couldn't serve. Where there is a will, there is a way and its called a waiver.
It is my belief that we should nationalize the service and give everyone a sense of duty for our own national defense. Expose them to the profession that none of them even really know.
It is my belief that we should nationalize the service and give everyone a sense of duty for our own national defense. Expose them to the profession that none of them even really know.
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PFC Ryan Vance
exactly, i had knee surgery and got a waiver to join, so like you said Sam Baker where there"s a will there's a way.
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LTC (Join to see)
My daughter wanted to join the ARNG but was concerned she couldn't get in because she lost half her trigger finger in an accident as a kid. I told her she could probably get a waiver. So I took her to the recruiter and when he went to shake my hand, he only had 3 1/2 fingers on his right hand. I just smiled and looked at her and said, I don't think you're going to have any problems getting in. She would up doing 8 years and used her GI bill to pay for her degree.
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What I see as really sad is all these "kids" that give excuses why they don't want to go, where as my 20 year old son would give anything to serve but has a pacemaker for a heart valve issue and isn't allowed to do so.
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SPC Matt Davidson
well if this country would get it'd head out of it's ass they could grow him a new heart using the new tissue replacement technologies and then he'd be free to join or not join.
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SPC Eric Crawford
they just did a heart replacement with two turbines it worked for the guy, but he doesn't have a pulse
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LTC (Join to see)
My oldest son had childhood asthma, automatic disqualifier. Hasn't had an attack since he was 5 but they still wouldn't take him.
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The absolute best "excuse"--- I didn't want to.
I completely respect ANY civilian who will say they didn't want to join, but they respect that I did.
I completely respect ANY civilian who will say they didn't want to join, but they respect that I did.
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CW2 Kimberly Moran
Finally, YES. Why does anyone need an EXCUSE for not joining, it’s an individual choice. We serve so people have that choice not to judge or ridicule people who don’t join.
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So my sister can't figure out anything on her own. As her older sister wanting to look out for her future, I was trying to convince her to join ANY service. At least there would be structure and enough buddies around to help her out at any time if she was 'lost'. She refused on the grounds that the military is a 'gang' and she doesn't want to be part of a gang.
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Their recruiter told them they were too fat, so they just decided to stay fat.
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I am going to flip this one around. The dumbest reason I ever heard for joining the service, Marines specifically, "I am tired of people telling me what to do, I am joining the Marines so I can be myself." Don't remember which one of my dumbass friends said this, but last I heard he was still taking orders and being told what to do by people who screamed in his face if they didn't think he was breathing correctly. I last saw him in 1983. Hope he is still alive.
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PO2 (Join to see)
Wow, that's even worse than mine. I joined to escape from my parents and bang women in foreign ports.
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Maj Francis Wysockiwysockifrank
I have heard that statement many times. The first time was in a college locker room full of wrestlers at a college that was trying to recruit me. I was a senior in HS then. It puzzled me there and every time that I have heard it in my 20 year Marine career. Actually, i believe that most just could not deal with being a civilian any more, but could just say that.
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My favorite was as an AMEDD Recruiter. Had Cardiothoracic Surgeon who didn’t accept a commission because he would only come in as LTC. I was disgusted with him before this but that pushed me over the edge. I was ordered to go back and see if he would consider joining if we could offer him Colonel…that was not good enough either, he thought he should be able to come in at LEAST as Brigadier General.
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MSgt Peter Vatistas
Obviously putting too much emphasis on his pay status. He wants to make something close to what he is making now. I would have told him that he wasn't what the military wants. When he asked for an explanation, I would have said "The military, first and foremost, is full of people that put service before self. That's not you at this juncture in your life, and that's ok. Please come back if you change your way of thinking. Otherwise, please be happy with your career."
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MSG Brad Sand
MSgt Peter Vatistas
It actually did not have anything to do with pay...there was a general surgeon who was a Colonel, was in for more than two decades too, but he did not think he should come in at a lower rank than a general surgeon.
It actually did not have anything to do with pay...there was a general surgeon who was a Colonel, was in for more than two decades too, but he did not think he should come in at a lower rank than a general surgeon.
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My all time favorite excuse while on Recruiting Duty in NW MI,
"I am moving to Canada and going to college there because the Canadian Army wont call me or come to my school every month!
"I am moving to Canada and going to college there because the Canadian Army wont call me or come to my school every month!
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SSG V. Michelle Woods
It's a pretty legit reason if you ask me.
Then again...who wants to be Canadian??!
Nerds...nerds want to be Canadian lol.
Then again...who wants to be Canadian??!
Nerds...nerds want to be Canadian lol.
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"I have so much going on and have done a lot of things I wouldn't have been able to do if I was in the military, so I don't regret not joining with you. Hat's off to you though." 27 years old, still in school, still lives with parents, still receives some money from parents, still hasn't even had a girlfriend, still 150-200 pounds overweight. The best part, he pops in every once in a while to ask about how it is in the military like he's interested, but it's for a friend.
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CPT (Join to see)
Lol. On the flip side, when I go over my military time (training, places lived, deployments, skills, etc.) I get "Wow! You have done a lot for a 30 year old!"
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CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025
A grandson fills that 100 pound overweight category, when he makes a shadow, he has been overworked!
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SGT (Join to see)
I had a friend who wanted to join and go ranger but was overweight. He went on a fitness kick and dropped about 120 pounds in a year. He got his blue cord, but died from a medical issue a few months after getting to his unit. Being overweight is not an excuse if you truly want to serve.
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