Would You Make a Good Soldier?

[Housebroken Lunatic]

Norwegian army is conscript based, but you're only obliged to show up at the recruitment office and have them check you out. You can still opt out if you have a good reason (health) or want to do charity for a year instead, or you can go to jail if that suits you better.
I started off with the sight and hearing tests, so I was rejected even before taking any of the other tests. (however, I had excellent hearing(and also found out I have bad colour vision)) But this is also part because the Norwegian army is scaling down on the number of forces and going for a "quality over quantity", therefore they are very picky. I know some older friends that have as bad or even worse vision as I have, and they had no problems getting into the military, that was however 10 years before me, much has changed since then.

Not too different from the Swedish conscription based defense force then.

However, here in Sweden they've abandoned the conscription method simply because it was deemed unecessary. First of all, national defense have a pretty low priority (simply because there isn't much of a threat to talk about), and then there's the fact that conscription often lead to that people who had no motivation at all to join up where forced to go through examinations anyway, and people who had tons of motivation where rejected because of some minor defect (like bad sight or hearing or whatever).

The thing is, motivation is what drives soldiers primarily. So with the scrapped conscription method there's a new and more publicly accessible basic military training that you can apply for. Then depending on if you get good results or not, you can apply for further training and specialization and whatnot.

It's a pretty decent model really. Since it serves to weed out the less motivated during pratical field trials rather than rejecting perfectly motivated and potentially great soldiers due to arbitrary tests. (after all, tests in a clinical enviroment has more to do with theory than practicality)

 

[Canadamus Prime]

That, and I'm not so good at blindly following morally questionable orders.

*Groans*

Obviously I wouldn't act out battle in real life as I would a video game. I'd hope I could make a good soldier though, since that's where I'm turning to to pay for college.

how do you know if you don't give it a chance, you might be passing up an exiting career in some kind of horrific 'sanitation' squad.

It's not TV or Vietnam. The worst order you would ever get in the real Army is one where they don't give you the full picture.

You looking for the ruthless side of Military? Look at Blackwater.

Perhaps I should clarify what I mean by "morally questionable." I mean I'd have difficulty doing things when there wasn't a clear reason why I was doing it other than because some dickhead with a fancier uniform than me told me to.

Besides that I'm Canadian and I don't fancy being "accidentally" killed by Americans.

 

[Nimcha]

Eh well, I usually play something like the engineer or something comparable. Utility. So eh, I guess that means I get a shotgun?

I'm doomed.

 

[Chibz]

I'd make a terrible soldier. My attitude would generally be... "Why should I fight these people for you? That's stupid."

 

[Zipa]

my style of multiplayer? no, i usually go alone because 99% of the people i encounter online are morons and have no idea how to work as a team.

I second this, most of the people playing CoD and BFBC2 ect are morons who run around haplessly.

 

[Something Amyss]

Aside from not liking to be ordered around, loving my free will, being in piss poor shape, being crippled, and opposing violence, yeah. I'd be awesome.

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

I think I could, I'm already working out, I like things that go bang, my only problem would be dealing with any in your face macho idiots I end up working with, not to mention Afghanistan's climate, I'd have to be British Army though, because if I tried to be a Royal Marine Commando I'd run away crying during the training.

Spoiler: Royal Marine advertisement

I don't like enclosed spaces full of water.

 

[Jackhorse]

Emotionally: I would be fine unless we were shooting women or girls (Chivilry applies to bullets too I suppose)

Physically: I tend to roll with a shotgun so while accuracy wouldn't be too much of an issue, considering you point it at them and dead they're general area, range really would be. Its my understanding that most fighting in wars happens across really long distances taking pot shots at each other when one of you is a little less in cover. What I generally do in games is sneak around with a shotgun taking out sniper nests but claymores or wired doors or an alert sniper would make my career very short.

 

[Sarcastic_Applause]

I think I could, I'm already working out, I like things that go bang, my only problem would be dealing with any in your face macho idiots I end up working with, not to mention Afghanistan's climate, I'd have to be British Army though, because if I tried to be a Royal Marine Commando I'd run away crying during the training.

Spoiler: Royal Marine advertisement

I don't like enclosed spaces full of water.

oh god tell me about it man, thats one of the reasons i probably wont go for marines, that "sheep dip" looks horrifying.
Personally if i were asked if i'd do good in the military or in a warzone, i'd honestly say either no or i dont know; its easy to say things like 'hell yeah! i love guns and blowing stuff up' but theres so much more to it: Going back to the Marine Commando's, quite a few people i know are ex-marines who had to leave because of injury, the training i think i wouldnt do to bad, mainly because they gear you up for what they require (in fact, i find military training like assault courses and crossfit exercises sound awesome as its something i use for my sport anyway). Its the psychological side thats the main issue; staying up for days at a time, exercises in all manners of environments (heavy rain, snow, etc). Although the real thing to bear in mind is how your mind will act if your ever put in a warzone scenario; People out there, armed weapon and mental-wise with the soul objective of guerilla warfare: you're a foreign invader and you must die.

Sorry to write so much but its an area i've been considering a lot recently, to go back to the actual subject, there are areas of my personality that make me think that i might be good for the military such as: deductive reasoning, willingness to follow orders (down to sports), also one of the other reasons is one that gets me killed a lot in CoD is that im quite cautious of my surroundings, to the degree that i always find myself checking corners and behind me even when im not in multiplayer. But really im not sure

 

[JoJo]

No, I'm a coward, I'm physically weak and I don't like following orders. Plus I have bad eyesight without either glasses or contacts and I have asthma. Add those to my Asperger's symdrome and I'm pretty sure if conscription ever came around they'd reject me without a second thought on that alone.

 

[Zirat]

Absolutely not.

I'd be the model of how not to be a soldier.
I'm a coward, question orders, and am a strict pacifist.
So, in short no.

Longer version is HELL NO, are you kidding me?

 

[maturin]

I sit in cover, a lot of cover. And squint at the distance while shouting at everyone else, asking where the enemy is.

Or that was my behavior that one time I played paintball, at least. And sort of backed up by my behavior in videogames and capture the flag.

Oh, and teamwork. If I don't have a couple people to rely on, and someone to give orders and keep everyone together, I'll mostly focus on ways of getting to safety at the drop of a hat.

Yeah, I only snipe or no real danger for me.

Of course, the 95% of heavy ordinance that HQ won't let their field commanders use in normal situations has your names all over it.

I'm also really bad at Arma II.

I was much better before I stopped being scared of the sonic snaps. I had to download sound mods that made them louder and louder.

 

[mr. genocide]

...no

 

[LiftYourSkinnyFists]

After playing MW2 I think I have the basic experience to be able use the firearms and technology used to be a soldier in these times, I even know quite alot of the terminology and such... Foxtron Cheerio Unitard Kilt, it's pretty simple stuff.

 

[loc978]

I made a good soldier, to a point. Great in the field and in combat, fish-out-of-water in garrison.
...I haven't played any FPSes multiplayer (at least not regularly) since Unreal Tournament and its million mods.

 

[kommando367]

Hell no. My camping expertise might get me a few kills and I'm rather accurate with a rifle, but that's about it.

 

[Atmos Duality]

I'm pragmatic, used to taking/following orders and (so I've been told at times) a competent leader. I can speak publicly very well, and work best when under immediate pressure, ironically enough. (When under long-term pressure, I procrastinate.)

...On the other hand, I have genuine ADHD (actually diagnosed and treated) and actually would have joined the US Armed forces if not for the medication I was on at the time (my idiot-score was lower than average I guess. ASVAB, was it? My high school had one of our classes take it).

So with some work, I might have been a good candidate for military service. Those days are well-past now. I'm a different person now.

 

[Sir Galahad]

I think I saw someone earlier sat that good soldiers are trained. Well, Yeah, they are, check out the Royal Marines, or the US Marines, for that matter. However, if a good soldier isn't born, why is it the case that only 3 in 100 hundred get the green beret, or 1 in fifty get to join the SAS? The military is an elitist club.

Oh, and yes, if you've never seen the Royal life Guards, Look them up. The horses are obsolete but try looking at a Challenger II and saying that bearskins look ridiculous.

Anyway, there are my thoughts.

 

[open trap]

Im pretty cautios in Search and destroy, i play like i have one life, because i do.....