My son is into 6 weeks now in Marine bootcamp, and do far he is being led back to the Lord, but already some of his fellow recruits are facing court martial proceedings!
Military service as a training center for godliness
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TheBruisedReed
Puritan Board Freshman
I'm encouraged to hear your son is turning to Christ in his time of trial and tribulation! May he stay the course when the waters become calm.
And court martial proceedings in boot camp?? How!? You're not even done with the "hiring process"! Haha
ZackF
Puritan Board Professor
Good grief! For what!
Desertion, going awol!
I wonder if it is really desertion or awol and not just some guys reporting in late or not getting back to base after weekend pass and getting too drunk on the weekends to report in. Many WWII vets were guilty of occasional rowdyness and the solution was often just to throw them in the brig for awhile without anything to damage their records, and they proved to be good combat soldiers later when things went down. We live in an age of hyper-strictness and a rush to punishment for bad behavior where folks are fired for tweets from decades ago or lose their jobs over an off-color joke.
Could be, and he also had a drill instructor forced to step down due to bring too physically abusive.
I still remember a DI beating up a troublesome trainee. We were all quiet and thankful for the improved behavior from the trainee afterwards and the trainee seemed the better for it.
TheBruisedReed
Puritan Board Freshman
If they're being trained at Parris Island, that's an exceptionally bold move. Running from the Drill Instructors only means you're running into South Carolina swamp land! I'm not sure which is worse! Haha
TheBruisedReed
Puritan Board Freshman
As they say, "Beatings will continue until morale improves."
TheBruisedReed
Puritan Board Freshman
That happened in my training cycle as well.
As a Vietnamese, I’m very grateful that American soldiers put their life at risk in our soil to maintain our stability and democracy before 1975. Had they remained longer than that to assist us, we would have been the most developed nation in the South East Asia.
I’m very sympathetic to those U.S veterans who were deeply affected mentally and physically in this lengthy conflict in Vietnam.
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Sorry we let you down.
The soldiers didn't, but our political centers certainly did!
My Marine now into 6th week, last week had headaches and nose bleeds, but still hanging in there. I was really concerned that he would be tagged and labeled as shorty or smallfry, being 5" 4 and barely required weight, but so far so good.
My best friend in initial training was a 90-lb Vietnamese-American whose parents were boat people fleeing the war, who finally got their US citizenship. When asked why he joined, he said he loved America and hated Communism. That was a more noble reason than most of my other compadres who were looking for free college, etc. He said fighting Communists was more important than college. I had to carry his rucksack a few times on long marches because he was so small but he ended up getting the best APFT score since he ran like a gazelle. I think his name was something like Duc, so he got teased, but he said at least his name wasn't the same as his other friend's name Phuc.
My son would say that he was looking forward to bootcamp as Heaven on Earth, but do not think he sees it quite that way now.
The war tragically divided us once it ended. As you noted, there is no sympathy for the communist regime for those who flee for safe havens like the United States, Australia, Canada, etc...Most refugees were either former South Vietnamese government members, veterans, American sympathizers or civilians who sought a better life in elsewhere. I have no doubt these people face an enormous hardship in their exodus. Even when the relationship between U.S and Vietnam were restored, the division remains intact.
A.Joseph
Puritan Board Senior
Naval Academy has got a satanic temple, so there’s that.
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2019/11/01/midshipmen-finally-get-a-satanic-temple-room/
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2019/11/01/midshipmen-finally-get-a-satanic-temple-room/
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B.L.
Puritan Board Sophomore
Do you remember this one at the U.S. Air Force Academy? This was back in 2011. Air Force Academy Adapts to Pagans, Druids, Witches, and Wiccans
The military a training center for godliness? I just had half a cup of coffee go down the wrong pipe and shoot out my nose while coughing. No, I don't think so.
My son has gone back to God and church at their boot camp, so God stills works even in Military.
B.L.
Puritan Board Sophomore
There are no atheists in foxholes. Though an aphorism for war, it applies to other environments of extreme stress as well, to include boot camp. I will be praying for your boy. If your son is among the elect he will persevere in the faith. I hope he finds other godly young men to bond with once he finishes his training and hits the Fleet Marine Forces.
Puritan Sailor
Puritan Board Doctor
I think it's better to look at the military as an intense training ground to provide very useful skills/wisdom; self-discipline, teamwork, problem solving, leadership, perseverance, self-sacrifice, etc. But it is unique. Perhaps the closest training parallel in the civilian world would be team sports. And many young recruits (age 18-21) are late-blooming men who have not had the structure in our lazy society to develop those skills and who need more time to figure out what they are going to do with their lives. So the military provides them more time and training to grow up and develop these "adult" skills while they figure that out.
And these skills are useful for achieving goals no matter what that may be. So when they are harnessed toward serving God they will definitely enable the pursuit of godliness. But they could also enable the pursuit of greed, self- service, or even crime. I knew one man in the Navy who was very intelligent and capable, but used all that skill to sell drugs rather than serve his country.
The opportunity for debauchery is certainly there, and often encouraged unofficially. I saw it all the time in the Navy, both enlisted and officer. But I was also free to not participate without much criticism so long as I performed my job well and cared for my shipmates.
All that to say, yes, the military can give you an edge on developing useful skills for godly living, compared to those who must learn it without that experience, especially if you come from a home with little discipline. But as with any skill set, it's what the regenerate or unregenerate heart does with it that ultimately matters.
And these skills are useful for achieving goals no matter what that may be. So when they are harnessed toward serving God they will definitely enable the pursuit of godliness. But they could also enable the pursuit of greed, self- service, or even crime. I knew one man in the Navy who was very intelligent and capable, but used all that skill to sell drugs rather than serve his country.
The opportunity for debauchery is certainly there, and often encouraged unofficially. I saw it all the time in the Navy, both enlisted and officer. But I was also free to not participate without much criticism so long as I performed my job well and cared for my shipmates.
All that to say, yes, the military can give you an edge on developing useful skills for godly living, compared to those who must learn it without that experience, especially if you come from a home with little discipline. But as with any skill set, it's what the regenerate or unregenerate heart does with it that ultimately matters.
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