Would you look down on someone who hasn't deployed?

Don't think I'd look down - I just wouldn't acknowledge or have any respect for them. I encountered a situation like this in 1994 when my unit deployed 100 PAX to Germany to support Kosovo operations. A 1st LT decided his new day job was more important than deploying and got his employer to write a 'can't live without him' letter. I was a Major (as were most of my colleagues in the ACofS G3 section and he sat at lunch sniveling about having just gotten married, new kid, car, house and job and how horrible it was to deploy to GERMANY! Well, he got out of it and he lost not only my respect, he lost all respect of my fellow officers and pretty much all of his soldiers.... He actually asked a colleague of mine "Why is Major Marlowe mad at me?" I wasn't mad - disgusted is a better word. When we returned from deployment - he was gone. Nuff said about that. EDITED: Dodging deployment is what I'm talking about. Not every soldier gets called upon to go and do where the actions is. Some find a way - e.g. a LTC in Korea got himself sent TDY to Desert Storm (go figure)….that's a bit extreme but I only have concern for those who would 'dodge' their duty.

No, I look down on those who pre-judge those who have not deployed. Whatever the reason not all should deploy. Many, as I did, I looked forward to it and volunteered, some wait for it to come to them, but I would like to know no matter what someone has my 6 and for that I am grateful. I am also grateful for the support that I got form those who did not or do not deploy. We are all part of the same team, lets stop eating ourselves from the inside out. Division comes in many forms as this type of defeat comes as a concer, slow and without hope... Think before you act or answer. Lets lift up our fellow worriers and not shoot the wounded.

To me it depends on how you define “deployment”. If one is saying that deployment is only to a hot zone then that’s a problem. I was stationed overseas but never to a hot zone but to me that was a deployment. I really don’t care if you stayed state side the whole time, if you served we’re family.

In the amount of time I was in the military I had to do 2 wills when in the Marine Corp. Why look down on that person he joined the military just like I did. Different jobs different circumstances.

I went where they told me & I did what I did. It is what is.

I am sure there were many who avoided the draft and the biggest one is Mr Bone Spurs ! What an example from our CIC

Not all are ready for that world, IT'S a calling in the heart of some of us that have more than life IT'S self. Some of us believe that we the fewer ones can make a difference in our lives as well as for others. For the ones that don't go out IT'S not there time, now those that hide from their calling they need to find them self. With all that being said God's be..

It was a mixed bag in the 1980s as well among the Airborne Corps at least. Most of the 82nd deployed to fight in Grenada and the 101st stayed out of combat. Then you also has SF deploying to various theaters around the world some saw combat others did not. Then you had the deployments to Honduras as well which was a peacetime deployment bordering a insurgent area. Have to say that back then nobody cared one way or another. I think the difference this time around is deployments ran up to 12-18 months early in the GWOT, which is a "hardship" deployment. If I had a "hardship" deployment that long in a warzone......yes I would care if others sat comfortably in the states. However, in your case your 8 years is primarily after the high intensity back to back abusive 12-18 month deployments...........I would not worry about it if I were you. The people that it really bothers are few and far between at this point. Also, I have to tell you that even if you asked or attempted to volunteer back in the 1980's for deployment, the lines were so long it was very difficult to get on one and your 1SG usually would not allow you to leave the unit (unless you went around their back....which sometimes worked but also ticked them off). It's really the needs of the Army or Army Reserve now and you don't have a lot to do with what they need.

One other thing I would mention about the 1980's. We did have troops in then that never ever left the CONUS, not sure how they pulled that off but the single soldiers were doing the heavy lifting on overseas assignments to Korea and Germany. Yes there were some married folks that went too but for the life of me I could not understand during the Cold War the folks that stayed in the United States for like 14-18 years without an overseas tour. Was it accidental or by design? Who knows but back then the DoD didn't police the burden sharing as well as they do now.

NO I don't like the ones that try to get out of a deployment who hasen't been deployed

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