What one quote sums up your personal Military career?

2014-10-06T00:14:37-04:00

We have all been there (or we would not be here). What one quote could you use to sum up your experience? Mine is:

“We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.”

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Oct 6 at 2014 12:17 AM

2014-10-06T00:17:02-04:00

"Luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity."

Response by PO3 Shaun Taylor made Oct 6 at 2014 12:22 AM

2014-10-06T00:22:02-04:00

The Navy not just a job but an adventure.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 6 at 2014 6:33 AM

2014-10-06T06:33:45-04:00

"I'm holding up, Lord willing and the creek don't rise." - Sara Evans

Response by COL Randall C. made Oct 6 at 2014 6:41 AM

2014-10-06T06:41:55-04:00

Well, since they're are from the same person (Admiral Mullins, former CJCS), I'll use two.

The first sums up a lot of why I stayed for so long, "One of the reasons that I'm still in the military - or I stayed in the military - is because I think the military has been a place where certainly people could improve, advance, and were treated fairly."

The second talks to what my main focus has been for the majority of my career, ""The single biggest existential threat that's out there, I think, is cyber"

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Oct 6 at 2014 7:28 AM

2014-10-06T07:28:44-04:00

embrace the suck

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Oct 6 at 2014 7:57 AM

2014-10-06T07:57:40-04:00

Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye. -- Douglas MacArthur

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 6 at 2014 8:07 AM

2014-10-06T08:07:12-04:00

Welcome to the Suck. - Peter Sarsgaard (Jarhead)

Response by BG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 6 at 2014 11:53 AM

2014-10-06T11:53:27-04:00

Better to be lucky than good.

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 6 at 2014 12:19 PM

2014-10-06T12:19:16-04:00

I think this about sums up my time in the Corps:

"The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!" Eleanor Roosevelt

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 6 at 2014 1:52 PM

2014-10-06T13:52:53-04:00

Working in the aircraft maintenance world, the one phrase/quote that you hear daily is. "F**k it, lets make it happen".

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 6 at 2014 8:58 PM

2014-10-06T20:58:31-04:00

This kind of war, you've gotta believe in what you're fighting for. ~ John Wayne

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Oct 6 at 2014 9:26 PM

2014-10-06T21:26:35-04:00

The entire St Crispin's day speech, but the last stanzas, especially:

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=680NlRI3v2I

Henry V - Band of Brothers Speech - HQ 480p - Kenneth Branagh 1989 Film

Best quality version - Kenneth Branagh playing Henry V recites the famous 'Band of Brothers' speech from William Shakespeare's 'Henry V'. If you liked this, ...

Response by SPC David S. made Oct 6 at 2014 9:43 PM

2014-10-06T21:43:02-04:00

Let us conduct ourselves in such a fashion that all nations wish to be our friends and all fear to be our enemies. The Virtues of War - Steven Pressfield

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 6 at 2014 10:11 PM

2014-10-06T22:11:46-04:00

Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.
......."The Bear" General H. Norman Schwarzkopf..."Stormin' Norman"

Response by LTC Hillary Luton made Oct 6 at 2014 10:31 PM

2014-10-06T22:31:09-04:00

SSG Pete Fleming OK, that is a great quote, and I think it sums up a lot of careers.

But considering, for some reason, I always have to figure things out for myself and then teach someone else how its done....I think Dr. Suess sums it up nicely for me: "You have a brain in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go." :-)

Response by SFC Melker Johansson made Oct 6 at 2014 11:55 PM

2014-10-06T23:55:48-04:00

"Now for some reason I fit in the army like one of them round pegs. It's not really hard. You just make your bed real neat and remember to stand up straight and always answer every question with 'Yes, drill sergeant.'" - Forrest Gump

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2014 1:35 AM

2014-10-07T01:35:28-04:00

In pilot training on of my commander's said "Not everyone will be an astronaut" Some will do will do well but there will only be a few that will be in the top of the class and get their dream assignment.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2014 6:43 AM

2014-10-07T06:43:26-04:00

More times than we can count, we've made history, without history even knowing we were there. ~ Keith Alexander

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2014 9:25 AM

2014-10-07T09:25:28-04:00

"And this too shall change"

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2014 9:41 AM

2014-10-07T09:41:10-04:00

Explosive Ordnance Disposal is a science of vague assumptions based on debatable figures taken from inconclusive experiments performed with instruments of problematic accuracy and by persons of questionable mentality.

also

Every cloud has a silver lining (except mushroom shaped clouds, which have a lining of Iridium and Strontium 90)

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2014 11:27 AM

2014-10-07T11:27:45-04:00

"He does only what is his to do, and considers constantly what the world has in store for him-doing his best, and trusting that all is for the best. For we carry our fate with us-and it carries us.

- Marcus Aurelius

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2014 1:42 PM

2014-10-07T13:42:21-04:00

"A science of vague assumptions based on debatable figures derived from inconclusive experiments, performed by persons of doubtful mental capability with instruments of problematic accuracy."

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2014 4:47 PM

2014-10-07T16:47:54-04:00

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2014 10:39 PM

2014-10-08T22:39:53-04:00

SNAFU

Response by SSG Jeremy Siebenaller made Oct 9 at 2014 12:15 PM

2014-10-09T12:15:56-04:00

Questionable people doing questionably immoral things to keep one another safe while in somebody else's country. I never feared so much in my life, never done so many courageous things and never thought I'd ever make it back home. But because of the questionable characters I had by my side and doing questionably immoral things, we all boarded that C130 and kissed all then filthy bastards a hope I'll never see you again with the biggest shit eating grin on my face!

Response by PO1 Ken Johnson made Oct 9 at 2014 1:00 PM

2014-10-09T13:00:49-04:00

"Welcome Aboard the USS (fill in the blank) where the screw never stops turning!"

Response by SCPO Larry Knight Sr. made Oct 9 at 2014 2:28 PM

2014-10-09T14:28:20-04:00

The opportunity to be a part of an organization that affords you a skill set with growth, the opportunity to further your education and travel the world over. Meeting different cultures of people and seeing their plight in this day and age of technology.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 18 at 2014 9:06 PM

2014-12-18T21:06:08-05:00

"Seriously......who makes these decisions?"

"Yea, we literally just did that yesterday.... Do it again?.... Imagine that."

"We have anymore toner?"

"No more digging or cuttin down trees in the training area.... Soooo... Waffle House?

Response by SFC David Zamora made Apr 17 at 2015 8:28 AM

2015-04-17T08:28:27-04:00

800 more meters......

Response by PV2 Marc Cotter made Sep 3 at 2015 12:13 AM

2015-09-03T00:13:01-04:00

Hind sight is 20/20!

Response by SGT Tim. Wilson made Sep 20 at 2015 1:46 AM

2015-09-20T01:46:42-04:00

My personal quote was, "Lead by good and proper example and your troops will follow in kind!) I would never ask one of my troops to do Anything that I wasn't willing to get down and do it with them or at least get it started, so they would see me doing it the right way. But then there was no excuse for doing it the wrong way either.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Mar 30 at 2018 4:34 PM

2018-03-30T16:34:43-04:00

The other day, upon the stair
I met a man who wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I wish, I wish, he'd go away

Response by SFC Christopher Taggart made Mar 30 at 2018 5:55 PM

2018-03-30T17:55:06-04:00

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:23 (NIV)

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 30 at 2018 9:11 PM

2018-03-30T21:11:08-04:00

2 Corinthians 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

Response by Lt Col Mark Avery made Aug 9 at 2021 3:10 PM

2021-08-09T15:10:18-04:00

"Out with it - Bad news never smells any better with age."