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There is an inverse relationship between what someone has accomplished while in the military and how much they brag about it after they get out.
Yep. The only time I even mention my service is when it's relevant to the conversation (it rarely is). I've known people for years that don't know I was in.
I have a friend who is a pretty good guy generally, but he mentions that he was in the Marines within 5 minutes of meeting someone. He washed out less than a month after boot camp because someone accidentally made his trick knee jump through a hoop.
What does it mean to make someone's trick knee jump through a hoop?
The other poster answered what it means in this context. But in a broader context a trick knee means that the kneecap can pop out of place causing the knee to buckle because it can't support their weight.
Making it jump through a hoop means making it perform the aforementioned trick. It's just dumb wordplay that comes from one of the tricks pet owners teach their dog, namely jumping through a hoop.
The story I got was that there was some sort of horseplay and someone accidentally clipped his leg causing him to collapse and eventually led to a medical discharge. I choose to believe him even though my good sense tells me he just used an old injury to get out because he couldn't hack it.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm going to assume you're on the left side of the political spectrum given context here in this thread. If so, were you one when you were in the military? If not, what was it like being predominantly surrounded by these gung-ho sorts of people? There has long been part of me who feels I'd thrive in a military environment, but I don't think I could ever have joined here. Would've been in some place like Germany or Canada, maybe.
Part of the reason I ask is I went to my cousin's retirement ceremony from the navy and booooy were some of those fuckers brain-dead MAGA morons EXTREMELY upset that the Biden administration was incorporating ethics on inclusion for trans and the like. People like this are an embarrassment to me and I wouldn't be caught dead in a foxhole beside someone like that, depending on them with my life.
I don't know about now, but when I was in the military I didn't run into these types often. They existed, but less commonly than in my civilian life back in Podunk Hillbilly Land. Most of us were just trying to get our job done and have a good time, not generally in that order. We didn't really discuss politics.
My buddy lived near the nuke school in South Carolina a couple of years ago. He said the folks that came out drinking from the school were not what you'd think. There were activists trying to bring about change and give a voice to the students, at least one enby, some cornfed cowboy dude that was very protective of his gay friends to the point of fighting a civilian over drunk comments, and a douchey looking guy who hung out with them.
Well that's honestly nice to hear. It seems at least under dems the military is really trying to attract a different sort of people; I know they have goals to recruit more highly-educated people from the outset.
Whether you're surrounded by them depends a lot on your rank. My brother is Navy here in Australia. He's not a clever guy, and he's on the right.
However, I've met some of the people he worked with in leadership positions, and they're at worst centrist (or at least know how to keep quiet for the sake of being amicable)
That's not to say being smarter innoculates you against a culture of indoctrination, but it does seem to be strongest at the low end of the spectrum.
That's not to say being smarter innoculates you against a culture of indoctrination
There's a correlation between intelligence / education and political stance for sure. All I'm saying is being smart doesn't guarantee it.
It means he couldn't hack it and used an "old injury" as an excuse to quit.
Mine comes up in conversation a bit more often, but mostly in relation to travel, because I got to see some cool places while floating around on a boat.
Yep, the ones that brag after their service usually haven't done dick while they were in. Also, a good way to spot a bullshitter is simply asking what their MOS number was.
For the uninitiated, what is MOS?
It's codes the military uses to identify your job and job description. Each has their own sets of rules and procedures, and personnel use specific terminology when in a specific job field. That's why it's easy to spot a bullshitter.
You’d have to have been in to know they’re bullshitting though. A layman wouldn’t know some made-up MOS followed by “inflight missile repair technician”.
inflight missile repair technician
Antman?
More like Wasp, and not exactly a "repair"
Can I be that and an assault space shuttle door gunner?
I hate to admit it, but that would be a pretty cool job.
Hardest MOS to get.
Others have explained what it is but the acronym is Military Occupational Specialty
It's also service specific. Air force calls it an AFSC instead of MOS.
Yeah, but the Airman know what people mean when they ask, because no one else knows what an Air Force Specialty Code is outside of us.
I usually just dumb it down if a Marine or Soldier asks my Mos and say that I was in IT because I'm not sure that they can handle any words that aren't acronyms.
Just talk slow and enunciate, and if steam starts coming out of their ears, throw them some crayons to munch on and you'll be fine.
Unless they were in the Navy. I don't remember ever actually using the NEC code for my job. It used to be 3373 (I think, don't quote me on that) but I know they changed it to a new format recently.
I left as ETN2. Maybe it was different for other rates. A lot of the things we did were "special" because we were a bunch of really smart morons.
I was in the Navy and the MOS question always confuses me lol. I was an AM
Also, a good way to spot a bullshitter is simply asking what their MOS number was.
Sounds American.
It’s is. Each military designates their members by the operational (occupational) specialty. Each Service does it different. For example, Navy doesn’t use MOS in conversation, Army does.
Yea, "accomplished," right. Or maybe the more lives you ruin, the less you brag about it.