Chris Ryan thinks us nerds would make good soldiers...

[Wicky_42]

Hell, if I was going to join, drone or bot operator would be where I want to be. I've no desire to throw myself at enemy guns, and those drones are pretty damn sweet. Even just a recon drone contoller!

 

[TimeLord]

And, there is the fact that no-one would do it by choice. If you ain't in the military, you don't want to be, or you can't.

I am not in the military but if I was offered the opportunity to control Predator Drones or AC130s as a living then I would sign that piece of paper without a moments thought.

 

[blackguard89]

I say this poses a real problem.
is this what our way of thinking has come to?
Combine a form of entertainment with the real life killing of someone?
Well, I would find it enjoyable, most of us would......At age 10 or so.
After your mind matures you start to think, sadly after you killed the dude.
Have I done the right thing?
How about his family?
Or who lived in that whole village I just threw napalm over?Were there kids?

So think about that for a minute.....Would you do it?
Because in the army not following orders is like putting the head under the executioner's axe because you choose to.

I say you want a war? either let wars be fought in Generals Zero Hour or any other strategy game , or just go in your tank, mecha, etc and get killed yourself.

War is war......like Solid Snake said "War....War Never Changes".....Nor should it, it should always serve as a reminder of the atrocities war is capable of(Mass murder, racism and allot of other stuff).Remember World War II.

 

[Darth Sea Bass]

Sounds like something i could do! Sign me up.

 

[josemlopes]

Honestly you really don't want gamers in the pilot seat. Most gamers I've met are independant thinkers, which do NOT make good soldiers. I know this from experience. I had a medical discharge from the Army a few years back (knee injury... *sad face*) and I had to spend time in a Holding Company that was 1/2 medical dischargees awaiting their papers and 1/2 washouts.

Most of the washouts fit into one of three categories:

1. Mental breakdowns: These guys were either too violent to be good soldiers, too emotional to handle combat stress or just plain nutcases that broke under pressure. I stayed away from most of them for health reasons.

2. People lacking integrity/Lazy spoiled brats: These guys are the ones you see whining and complaining how their job is so hard (McDonalds) and they deserve to get paid for doing little to nothing. Or they're the guys who came here for a quick paycheck, found it was hard work and lied about being Gay to get out of their contract.

3. Independant Thinkers: These are the guys that I actually could associate with and not either feel like I was slumming it or about to be killed for my socks (serious... PM me about that last part if you're interested I have a story that involves that topic). These guys were all game enthusiasts, who were actually running a D&D campaign at night in the barracks. They were getting discharged because they kept asking questions instead of jumping to the orders.

The military itself isn't a good place for independant thinkers. They want people who will obey orders without question (reasonable orders mind you) because in a combat situation thinking about your order might just get you and your buddies killed. Most game enthusiasts I know fit this model. Now I won't say every game enthusiast isn't military material. I made it through pretty well (except for the whole knee injury...).
But if you look at it, how many people you play multiplayer games with do you think would be good team players/take orders well? Moreover how many of them do you think wouldn't wreck the UAV's then look for the do-over option?
Just think how many times you've been on a match with FF enabled and been TK'ed from behind by some asshole who laughs at you when he does it.

It may also depend on trust, if I trusted the guy who is giving me the order I wouldnt ask why? I believe that trust in an unit helps a lot, since most gamers are used to military conspiracies in their games lol

 

[Danish rage]

i see marketing... what if xbox live where free if you logged on for an hour or two every week to bomb stuff that needed to be bombed.

 

[Sir_Tor]

Well there was some study recently that said gamers have the hand-eye coordination of fighter pilots. But if thats all we've got going for us then we're pretty much screwed. Still, I volunteer all those high pitched 12 year olds on X-box live. They could use the experience.

They should use 12 year old Live users as psychological warfare. The Taliban are bound to ragequit after being called noob fags a thousand times.

Sir, you made my day! xD

I doubt I'd be any good :O

 

[Iron Criterion]

Games aren't the slighest bit real just so you know Chris Ryan.

 

[ShadowsofHope]

Ok first of all stop the condescending bullshit and we can have a reasonable debate I did that out of a common curtaisy so that you would not take offense at my point which obviously went straight over your head.

Oh, I got it fine. You just were very much on the attack with your post, but I'll stop nonetheless.

Secondly the reason(officially)these western powers are then is due to the terrorist attacks by said countries(even though 9/11 was financed by Saudis)and will I do not agree that is entirely the case saying that you will use none of your skill to assist in the destruction of these forces is at best short sighted and at worst hugely ignorant.

Do tell how. I'm not even sure you realize what the word "ignorant" means, in this case.

Bullets do not kill terrorism, as they cannot kill an ideal. Bullets can kill individual terrorists, but as long as there is a rallying banner and an inspiring reason (Anti-Muslim rhetoric in the Western world does not help this case, especially with Muslims having nothing to do with the Taliban or Al Queda being targeted for it in that world), terrorism isn't going to die anytime soon, regardless of how much drones, Apaches, rifles, and men you throw at it.

And, last I checked, no one was forced to be a soldier regardless of skill base. I have bigger issues to deal with in my life right now than remotely/physically/in any way, shape, or form killing people in a foreign country, thank you. Like education, and a job. You know, vital things.

Also I was actually referring to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan as to me Iraq is a none issue I never had a suitable opinion on I also I assumed you were referring to Afghanistan for the drone piloting considering its the main theater of war at the moment.

Yes, I was as well. I was more or less clearing up Iraq in terms of opposing the premises of the "War". But that is over now, so the attention I do give to any of it is on Afghanistan and Pakistan now.

 

[Jamous]

No, I still don't find killing Muslims with a remote drone in Afghanistan from an armchair to be any bit "entertaining", thank you.

To tell you the truth, neither do I. Killing virtual people is all well and good but I wouldn't want to do the real thing.

And then there's the dust, heat, drills, having to get up early, annoying commanders, shit food... The army isn't for me.

Sounds about right. I wouldn't mind the military -training-, but I wouldn't enjoy actually being in the military (if that makes any sense whatsoever).

 

[Kevlar Eater]

Sure, I'd do it. I'd like to get paid to fly a drone plane and kill when authorized.

 

[deadguynotyetburied]

On the subject of gamer geeks making good soldiers, systems are already in use that are best operated by someone with some degree of abstract visualizing skill, and obviously gamers get a good bit of practice at that. Part of the problem is that they still have to operate in a relatively hostile-free environment, and the guys maintaining that perimeter usually look on the geeks as geeks. Valuable geeks, perhaps, but... not real soldiers.

 

[IronDefender410]

HELL YEAH!

My apologies, but this is freaking awesome!!

 

[x EvilErmine x]

Well...no

Because when I 'kill' someone on, say, TF2, I find it hilarious, as he dies with a funny scream and a hilarious animation. If he has voicechat, the guy curses. I laugh at my 'getting one over' this stranger, and I know he's still alive and compeltley unharmed

With a drone, I'd drop the payload, fly away and then spend every waking moment thereafter torturing myself over the fact that human beings with souls and lives and families and names DIED at my hand. And I didn't even give them any sort of warning or 'honour'. I didn't even look them in the face...give them a chance...give them anything at all except the painful oblivion of hot, sharp shrapnel

No thanks

This oh so this.

I actually find it a little disturbing at the amount of people who have said that they would do it. Do they not realise that they are effectively murdering people in the most cowardly way imaginable?

Fine if you want to go to war and fight for your country then do it and all due respect to you...but to sit in s chair hundreds or thousands of miles away and press a button to end someones life then that's just low and franky evil to the n'th degree.

 

[ShadowsofHope]

Would you prefer that the Coalition pulled out all of its men and resources from Afghanistan/Iraq right now? If not, then you can't act better than the people who would go. If yes then it is you who misunderstands the complexity of the issue.

Yes, infact I would. Though, I highly doubt you know too much more than I do, unless you intend to give me a history lesson, now?

Tell me, what exactly am I missing?

Really. You brought up muslims. I'll kill a muslim if he's a terrorist. Try again with the righteous indignation.

Also, what ethnic group do you think lives in the Middle East predominately? He is likely referring to the War in Afghanistan right now, which entails killing Muslims. I stated a fact.

The Taliban and Al Queda are terrorist cells active within Afghanistan and Pakistan. There is a difference between them, and civilians living to their own - or attempting to, in the area.

 

[ShadowsofHope]

-Snip-

I'll just answer this one with this:

First off: Where do you think there is a notable "war" going on currently they would think gamers piloting drones would be good at for a job?

Second off: What gives anyone outside of the Middle East the right to self-determinate the Afghani or Iraqi future as a sovereign nation?

Edit: But yes, this has gone off-topic, now hasn't it? Feel free to answer me in a PM if you wish, or simply drop this discussion. I will abide by either choice.

 

[ecoho]

ok i have to ask this do you think we hit "soft" targets on perpose? no thats what happens when people get bad intel. the brits have screwed up as have most of the UN.

I am aware this happens, yes. Though no one can deny, sometimes the military has a little less-than-honest motives for their targets.

Now i need to ask this, do you support our troops? (you dont have to apove the war to support our troops)

I support the Canadian troops being a Canadian citizen, and any other troop going there, yes. Not for the cause, but for the courage to run into a battlefield by choice.

to the first: please understand most of the millitary is the exact opisit of your statment unfortunetly polititions give us targets its our job to hit them.

to the second: Its good to know that your not one of these sub-humans we have down here who protest the funerals of solders for political gain. Its also nice to know your canadian, you guys have always been tuff but fair when critisizing the US.

(please excuse the spelling errors my spell check is down)