What is something that you wish that more people understood about the military?

Not everyone in the Air Force's jobs revolve around planes. It's funny going home and having people ask what plane I fly then seeing the look on their face when I tell them I don't.

The biggest misconception I come across that I discuss w/non-mil folks is getting them to understand the plethora of jobs in the military required to make it run.

Understanding the sense of duty for in some who have served. Another would be that all military members aren't the anal disciplinarians some form stereotypical judgements of them to be. The more rank you get the more you see how to help develop others instead of seeing someone who seems to refuse guidance. Done right, you can accomplish both.

War is never like the movies. Death and injury is real. But the most of all: If it wasn't for people like us doing a job like this - they wouldn't have the right to complain about the UNITED STATES of AMERICA and burn, trample and abuse my flag.

that I'm agood man besides what I was accused of in the Army

That it's voluntary....that we sign up because we love our country and we fight for it....that we are people of HONOR and RESPECT .....and most of all....we see the BIG picture and KNOW that in order to protect our country, our loved ones, friends and family....that we may have to go to war....and we are okay with that if that's what it comes down to.........That the USA needs the Military more than they'll ever know...and that by shutting down bases, pulling out troops too soon and cutting back and cutting back and cutting back is only going to hurt WE THE PEOPLE in the long run.

There are too many preconceived ideas out there about military life and what the military does. These come from people who know nothing about the military other than what they see on TV. Also some military members have wrong ideas about what civilians doing similar jobs deal with.

In 1996 I was doing an insurance survey on an offshore supply vessel. When I finished I had several hours to kill before I could catch a ride back to shore. I struck up a conversation with the Captain of the boat. He told me that his company will no-longer hire out of the Coast Guard. He told me that they had hired a retired Coast Guard Master Chief (with the proper license) to be a captain of one of their vessels. He tried to run the boat much like a Coast Guard Cutter. He had too many people quit on him after the boat docked and it became too costly to keep him on the boat.

The tool pusher on a jack-up rig told me another story he had with the Coast Guard. He said that the Coast Guard performed an unannounced spot inspection on the rig. He said that the Officer in Charge of the inspection team demanded to see the deluge system work. The tool pusher refused, stating that his crew had just painted the deck on the drill platform. He would not run the deluge system until the paint had dried. This sparked an argument between the tool pusher and Junior Coast Guard Officer. When the tool pusher reported back to his company, one of the things that he was told was that nobody from the Coast Guard would work for that company.

After the Coast Guard, I had a superior tell me that I was taking too much time off to go to the VA for medical treatment. As military compensation (retired as well) and VA disability compensation is public information, during an evaluation, he tried to factor my retirement and VA compensation into my salary from the company.

Since my military service, I have filled out thousands of job applications and had over a hundred interviews. In my experience, hiring executives see veterans as damaged goods. They think we all have PTSD as well as difficulty functioning in society. Today there are too many people in senior civilian positions who have never served. I don't know how many times I have been told, "Thank you for your service, but we can't use you."

I don't intend for this to be a be all - end all story. There are many people out there who have had completely different experiences than I did. Unemployment among veterans is excessively high. This could be part of the reason.

We in the military work for both good and bad people. In the Marines I knew that, whether in or out of uniform, another Marine had my back. The Coast Guard still had camaraderie, but not to the extent of the Marine Corps. When I was in small boats or patrol boats, I had no doubt about my other crew members. On shore was a different story. There was more backstabbing going on.

In my years in the Coast Guard, I've worked well over a thousand Search and Rescue as well as law enforcement cases. These were both offshore and onshore in command and planning. I've seen some of the worst that nature has to offer. (Though much of it was at night and you couldn't see much without light.) Other peoples emergencies were a daily business for me. I learned to react as such. Many people can't understand why I'm calm and collected in urgent situations. Many others can tell similar stories, even from other branches of the service.

This has been longer than I intended. It'll probably raise some questions. I could probably write a book. I know that I'm not alone in this.

1. We are all not infantry (even if the Marine Corp likes to think we are)
2. There is literally a job for everyone with over 500 specialties over 5 branches (you could be a "pencil pusher" in air conditioned tent, or walk around M4 in the desert wishing you were that "pencil pusher' somedays, I find it very hard to believe that most people couldn't find a job where they at least marginally like what they are doing for their country)
3. That we are all badass, I wish but lets face it majority of us are not
4. To realize if you truly cared about your job you wouldn't quit your job becasue you disliked your boss, why would do that or decide not to join because of the President our CEO.
5. Were not better, we don't think were better, don't need a free meal or praise, and we don't expect anything more than anyone else; but there is no better feeling in the world than when average joe "civilian" who thinks we are.

That the military isn't an 8-5, M - F job. It's 24/7/365.

The "Thank you for your service" is nice but, I did not stay in the Air Force 20 years for that. I think like everyone, we have our reasons why we join, do a tour or a career. A thank you is not necessary. Tom.