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

Only if they claim PTSD

No, I do not look down on a Soldier who has not deployed. There are many fine Soldiers who will deploy if required to do so, but simply have not at this time. Major operations ended in Iraq eight years ago and five years ago in Afganistan. Yes, there are still small operations going on in these regions. The reality is however, that we will soon have a new crop of Majors and SFCs who have never deployed. I believe they will do fine when the call comes. I too went on my first deployment as a 40 year old Major and completed two more after that.

If you have more than 7 years of service, and haven't deployed, you are hiding, and branch continues to send those who have deployed instead of those who haven't.

Yes, we all signed to serve , avoiding any assignment on purpose is wrong and possibly cowardly

That is honestly a blessing nothing to be embarrassed about. Yes it’s an experience of honor in the military but at the same time it’s not always pleasant experiences. Regardless you are essential in the military whether state side, war zone or stationed overseas. Out of the veterans I know typically the only time someone is looked down on is when they are program surfing in the VA trying to find anything they can get 100% service connection while never leaving the states or serving a full contract. Of course there are exceptions.

Depends on how long they'e been in and whether they're talking big shit. Some people just never get the call to deploy. Others talk as if they've done it 100 times. I look down upon and have zero respect for the latter.

Yes. No. Depends. I will say that when I went to a retirement ceremony for a CW5 and the senior enlisted (nominative CSM), officer (MG), and warrant (CW5) of the entire branch were sitting on the stage with less combat stripes COMBINED than me (at the time I was around 18 years TIS, they had a total of around 80 or so), I definitely lost a bit of respect for my branch leadership. I probably should not have, but I did.

If the person dodged a deployment, you can tell, I look down regardless of rank. I did 4 deployments in 6 years.

80 to 87 active, 4 more years IMA reserves. I was in places were our mission was the home station as most of us. Some commands and bases lived for mobility. Some were concerned with the tools of "deterrence", presenting to the world that we would come back at you with greater force, nobody wins. Thus ensuring the rest of the "sane" world would most likely not, start something. During my time there were some dust ups here and there that our dedicated mobility organizations dealt with. Most in the AF were limited to where the platform or airframe they worked on existed. Fighters can be sent to more remote and smaller areas than the " buffs " tankers, transports etc. The folks who I respect are those who "commuted" to "war". Driving from the house on base to the alert facility or out to a hole under a plain looking house out in the "badlands". For they were ready to either go " the distance " on a one way trip or hope to be able to rotate a small piece of metal before they were vaporized. They lived the real "combat" of the cold war. To be the true first response of the big one while sitting in the comfort of the states and still around the stability or normal life. From one day at the kids ballgame to the next day the possibility of global destruction without all of the travel and logistics of deployment into a known war zone. The stress of the magnitude of their responsibility was far greater that the gravel cruncher / trigger puller who is worried about him and buds and their counterparts they will be going up against. They are living in it for months at a time. Not just a 7-day or 24 hr alert tour then back to the house. The stateside life of the cold war; Our real enemy was the " cold " . Uncle Sam positioned his most dangerous assets farthest away from the nicest area's to live. The most fighting we did was the snow each day to get the car out and to work and back. A first assignment at a SAC base was a great motivation for overseas or any deployment away from there.

This is an old thread, but I’ll still offer my two cents. I was a peacetime army guy active 83-87 and reserves through 92. I trained as an infantryman. I probably served for the only ten year period in the last fifty when we weren’t in some type of conflict. I’ve often thought if I had stayed in I would have been deployed - and often wondered how my life would have been different. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to be tested by combat. But perhaps that’s a stupid thing that only guys who have never seen combat say. Imagine if you were trained as a world class chef - but were never allowed to break an egg or prepare a meal?

As to guys who sign on the dotted line and actively hide from deployments? Yeah, that’s not cool. You took the King’s silver and all that.