What is the worst question a civilian can ask you after a deployment?

SPC Rory J. Mattheisen — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 17:39:21 -0500

I will be using this information in a speech I am preparing about the dumbest questions to ask a Veteran. Please share any information that could be pertinent, stories, answers, and tactics employed to dodge these questions.

Response by TSgt David L. made Dec 24 at 2015 6:50 PM

TSgt David L. — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 18:50:46 -0500

Dude, like, did you kill anyone?

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Dec 24 at 2015 7:09 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 19:09:03 -0500

Did you kill anybody??

Response by CPT Ahmed Faried made Dec 24 at 2015 10:06 PM

CPT Ahmed Faried — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 22:06:51 -0500

I have to give my civilian friends credit on this one. NONE of them have ever asked me if I haved killed anyone.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Dec 24 at 2015 10:07 PM

PO1 John Miller — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 22:07:17 -0500

"Did you get homesick?"

"No asshole, I LOVED being away from home and missing the birth of my daughter."

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Dec 24 at 2015 10:24 PM

SSG Warren Swan — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 22:24:15 -0500

This one pisses me off to no end...."have you killed anyone". I try hard to hold myself together when it comes out, and I answer with the answer my 1SG told me from C 1/5 FA, "NO, and walk away. It's not COD folks, and there's no respawn when things go wrong.

Response by SSG John Caples made Dec 24 at 2015 10:30 PM

SSG John Caples — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 22:30:37 -0500

Did you kill anybody ??????????

Response by SP5 Mark Kuzinski made Dec 24 at 2015 10:52 PM

SP5 Mark Kuzinski — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 22:52:28 -0500

6 to 7 out of 10 ask that every time!

Response by SPC Stephanie Oanes made Dec 24 at 2015 11:00 PM

SPC Stephanie Oanes — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 23:00:11 -0500

besides how many people did you kill? hate that question. Or when I tell someone I was in Iraq "is it really a desert there?"....well you don't say!

Response by SGM Eric Lobsinger made Dec 24 at 2015 11:11 PM

SGM Eric Lobsinger — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 23:11:44 -0500

I believe you have to take these questions as an opportunity. The truth is, you get many of what we consider to be "dumb" questions for a reason - because they truly don't know what it means to a Soldier, his/her family, and to a community. It is our job to educate them and to build a bond with them. Without their support, there would be no Army. Just a thought but something to consider.

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 24 at 2015 11:21 PM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 23:21:48 -0500

I used to fly MQ-1's the evil "Drones" Whenever "Drone Strike Killl's Terrorist," showed up in the news. I used to be asked by my friends, "hey I heard about that Drone strike in the news." "Was that you?" Me: "No, that wasn't me." Me: "Even if it was I couldn't talk about it anyway, but I assure you that all I did today was watch a house for 6 hours take a couple piss breaks and refill my coffee." They would have a disappointed look on their face. It didn't really annoy me, but I always thought it was comical that people really thought we went to work "gun slinging" everyday.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 25 at 2015 3:46 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 03:46:55 -0500

Question: How does your wife put up with this?
Answer: She didn't. The fifth deployment killed our marriage.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 25 at 2015 9:24 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 09:24:54 -0500

Mine was if I had ever killed anyone

Response by SGT Chris Hill made Dec 25 at 2015 9:47 AM

SGT Chris Hill — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 09:47:18 -0500

Although it can be annoying being asked certain questions, I always keep in mind that they don't have any idea as to what to ask or not to ask, therefore if I'm ever asked a question that seems "dumb", I just change the subject.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 25 at 2015 3:04 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 15:04:37 -0500

I have allergies to idiocy, but thanks to the fact that I have been a line medic, I can really be nasty in my responses, for the shock value.

I hate, loathe, when I get asked have I killed anybody. I keep educating people on that, for friends, i do with tact, with strangers I asked them back, have you ever been rammed up your behind (not in those exact words though, way more profane), some even ask me why do I get so nasty and personal, i respond back, i guess killing anyone is not personal...

I like to go to schools, and help with geography, social studies, etc, while I was in the WTU, I did over 40 presentations, on Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Iraq, etc, places where I have been and have plenty of pictures, as well as on the days leading to veterans day. I think we need to educate our young ones, and not loose our time with the grown up knuckle heads...

Merry Christmas to all!

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Dec 25 at 2015 10:49 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 22:49:00 -0500

No there are no Stupid Questions. They don't know. Even when I tell some Military Folks they have no Idea what I did and where I did it. A lot of what I did was really, really classified at the time. Now it is Ancient History and I have no Trouble Talking about it.

Response by Sgt Joe LaBranche made Dec 25 at 2015 11:49 PM

Sgt Joe LaBranche — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 23:49:12 -0500

How many people did you kill

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 28 at 2015 5:38 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 17:38:04 -0500

"Was it hot over there?"

Response by CPT Quentin von Éfáns-Taráfdar made Dec 31 at 2015 3:40 PM

CPT Quentin von Éfáns-Taráfdar — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 15:40:44 -0500

Because I am ex SF I am asked things like "Is it true that to get into the Green Berets you have to be a convicted murderer?" or "Did you have a lot of suicide missions?" (to this last one I always respond "Yes, too many count that is why I am still here!") There was a film starring George Cloony as a SF LTC and Nicole Kidman as a nuclear physicist called "The Peacemakers". I am constantly asked if that film is realistic. I always say, "Yes, all SF officers look like George Cloony and even the EMs aren't bad looking either."

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2016 6:50 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 May 2016 18:50:17 -0400

1) Have you ever killed anyone? No Answer
2) Why did you go to Vietnam to kill people? I didn't. I was sent there.
3) Were you scared? No.
4) What was it like to kill someone? No Answer
5) If you had it to do all over again, would you go? Fuck Yes.
6) Was " Platoon" really like it was in Vietnam? Not no, but hell no.

Response by SGT Jonathon Caldwell made May 23 at 2016 9:03 PM

SGT Jonathon Caldwell — Mon, 23 May 2016 21:03:36 -0400

A lot of times those questions seem to come roughly in that order sometimes in a barrage one after the other. Best answers are short and sweet IMO.

Answers:
Yep
Lots
Too many
Hell NO

Response by LTC Stephen F. made May 23 at 2016 9:18 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Mon, 23 May 2016 21:18:15 -0400

Why didn't you go to Canada like all the other brave souls SPC Rory J. Mattheisen

Thanks for tagging me LTC Stephen Conway

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 16 at 2016 4:38 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 16 Oct 2016 16:38:04 -0400

I have been asked every one of these plus a few others. Mostly I will answer honestly and to the point with no extra info which sometimes brings up follow on questions. Sometimes I answer those sometimes I don't. Occasionally I will give a dart ass answer; usually after hearing the same question multiple times. By that point I am just trying to amuse myself.

Response by SFC Dennis A. made Dec 30 at 2016 5:58 PM

SFC Dennis A. — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 17:58:39 -0500

Everyone knows someone that has served in the military and they seem to think that we all know each other.

Response by Sgt Dale Briggs made Feb 25 at 2021 1:34 PM

Sgt Dale Briggs — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 13:34:11 -0500

I’m Marine my Uncle Danny was on Iwo Jima, and I had enough sense to not ask any of these questions. I assumed that he had killed Japanese soldiers, he saw many of his friends killed or maimed, he was wounded and evacuate to the US. I knew enough, but those questions didn’t interest me imo there were givens. I always wanted to know what it was like what it was like watching the prep, getting out of that Higgins boat, what did it smell like, the hot black sand the rotten sulfur smells. The sounds on the non-ending artillery and mortars. I never asked out of respect, civilians watch too much tv.

Response by SSG Harry Herres made Feb 25 at 2021 4:41 PM

SSG Harry Herres — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 16:41:37 -0500

I have been giving a 2 hour class to 8th gragers for the past 6 years. 100 plus questions each year. All these are there. After the class most come up to me either shake my hand or say I never knew or thank for our freedom. 6 out of my first class are now walking the walk !