As a general comment regarding assignment to a skill specialty (MOS) or a Unit or type of unit, the Army will try to accomodate the soldiers wishes but there are some clear and carefully explained guidelines. First and foremost comes "the needs of the service". Then, there are many specialties that require certain skills, aptitudes, and testing results before the Army will assign you to that specific specialty. If you wish to enlist for a certain unit or type of unit there must be vacancies available to be filled. If you want to join the 77th Transportation Battalion but they are at full strength you might have to be assigned to the 93rd Trans Bn. If you want to be a target acquisition radar repairer but don't demonstrate the skill level and aptitude you might have to be trained as a telephone communication technician if that is where your skills lie.
In my experience (Armored Cavalry) we have a number of skill requirements ranging from the less technically demanding to the area of serious wirehead aptitude. As we are a combat arms type of unit you might expect that it might be harder to attract volunteers to this relatively dangerous type of organization. Actually, we have never had trouble filling our ranks with lots of highly motivated people who represent a broad cross section of society. We are proud of being Cavalry Troopers and would rather be in this outfit than anything else.
So, its not all about only you choosing where you want to go, its more like a mutual selection of where you best fit. Gee, that sounds sort of familiar, doesn't it? Could being a soldier assigned to an appropriate skill specialty be like a prospective new member finding where he fits in and the Chapter offering him a bid through mutual selection! What a thought!

Re: Re: Just my opinion.........
 

hmm.. Great Depression?

I hate to disagree with a brother... but Bush and more specifically his administration (except maybe Powell) is very pro-hawk. There has been a consistent drive for hostile action (well even more hostile than bombing Iraq about once a week for ten years), since Bush came to office.... remember pre 9/11 there was arguements made in the administration for action against Saddam. If anything 9/11 derailed these plans slightly.... what most people disagree with is the fact that the US acting without UN support. Even more bothersome was/is the attitude of the President's Administration and the US media... all this crap about France and Germany.... blah, blah, blah.... maybe if Rumsfeld(?) wasn't such a jackass in his comments, and maybe if the US media hadn't jumped on every chance to deride or insult those people who's view disagreed with Bush or the US. The action that the US is pushing through with is not making any support or friends abroad....

For example following the speach, at this pub I was in, some guy got up on his chair and started to sing "America the Beautiful" while waving a little American flag. First the pub (of about 300 people) went dead silent; maybe we couldn't believe someone was actually doing this..... then the bottles and pint glasses went flying along with the insults.... if it wasn't for the fact that me and some of my old buddies from the army (Canadian) grabbed him and dragged him out, he probably would have been severely injured. The worst part was that he thought we did this because we were pro-American... we just didn't want to see him killed.... to tell the truth I think Smitty's bottle was the first to actually hit him.

What I'm worried about is future consequences that I doubt the adminstration have throughly consider. Even if they have gotten a resolution, the credibility of the security council was gone. Reform of the UN is 2 decade is the waiting. Security Council itself is very undemocratic as permenant five, not elected, can decide what is going on, while the other over 100 nations can do nothing about it. Then there is a pre-emptive strike, which is highly illegal and could result in very bad precedence in the future. India and Pakistan, though I highly doubt it, could easily use the same argument the Bush administration used and attacked each other.

Then there is the legality of this conflict. This legality is very well questioned as Bush and his supporter say 1441 authorized the use of force. This is where the argument arise, which is why an international court is needed to settle this. Some might say that is infringing on sovereignty issue, this argument is also used by dictators and despot who argue that no country has the right to criticize their human rights situation due to sovereignty. Read the "Asian Value" argument in the early to mid 90s by Lee Kuan yew and Mahatir Muhammed (sp?).

Aside from the legality, I've only herd Bush and Blair giving propoganda speech about what come after the conflict. Yet, they both have not give us detailed information on the post-saddam Iraq. Right now, I've just been called by a friend at the UN in Indonesia who asked me if I want to go there for a contract at the impending rush of refugee toward Australia through Indonesia. Giving Australia's recent disgrace treatment of refugees, i shutter to think how they will treat the Iraq's refugee now. Also, no doubt there will be intense fluctuation of refugees toward the neighboring countries and European also. I have no doubt that many will also end up in the Eastern seaboard of the States.

The reconstruction of Iraq will be very expensive. The fall out to the economies of the world will depend on the length of the conflict. If this war gets bogged down, then the recession that we are still currently in will get worst. If its quick, who knows. As you can see, I have lots of question that is non-military that bush or blair has not answer. And this what scares me the most, the unknown. But I guess Blair won't be able to find a dissertation to plagerised when it come to post-Saddam iraq.

Anyone see this site they were talking about on cnn.com??

http://www.bretzelforbush.com/

You obviously didn't read my post correctly and yes you should still leave. You aren't working to change anything, you are merely whinning like a child on here. I said change the system (if you could ever get the support), stop whinning, or leave. I stand by those instructions as well. And as far as this war claiming a lot of our soldiers lives.... let's put it this way, just this week soldiers from Iraq have already attempted to surrender. They had to be turned back, with the reason being we haven't even started this "war" and it was to early to except their surrender. Cloud I really tried to respect your right to speak your mind, but instead of stating facts you just ramble off your opinion. Empirical evidence will always defeat you arguments. Don't post someone elses articles post your own statements and base them on fact. And here's my opinion after listening to what you have said, I find you to be a leech on America....:rolleyes:


edited for spelling

Another paraphrase of, "America, Love it or Leave it." In my humble and aged opinion, that is one of the single most Un-American thoughts you can harbor.

That's not the attitude the country was founded on.

HAHA
 

Some comments here are so funny.

Blood for oil. haha.

Why don't we go after N. Korea? haha

Iraqi civilians that are going to die? hahahaha

Bush not voted in. hahaha

The US just providing Iraq's weapons. haha

This being "Bush's war" and someone clearly not understand the War Powers Act and saying Bush is being a tyrant. haha

And posting opinion pieces by writers rather than experts as evidence. hahaha

And just to be fair and correct the pro-war people, war is not good for the economy. That's just 5th grade social studies dribble taught by idiot teachers.

This is just too funny. I thought about correcting some of you. Instead I will just tell you all that I am WAY smart.

-Rudey
--And no, none of you are entitled to your opinions because I am smart and I say so. Praise my ego!

holy crapolla batman, rudey where have you been? did you fell of the earth? been quiet without you here.

Oooooooh, the dreaded EYE ROLL!!! Damn, that is harsh, I'm in trouble NOW! Now someone tell me where I stated that whatever I post is research-worthy matter and must be treated as fact. An event occurs, I have a reaction to it, and I express my reaction, hence my post.

Look people, I don't try to pretend that Iraq is a fabulous place of fun and Saddam is a misunderstood man. I just don't think this is the way to go about dealing with him. If you want to post links or refer me to information that will prove me wrong, that would be great, I have strong opinions but I'm not entirely stubborn about them. But telling people like me to leave just makes us even more eager to stay and pester people like you.

No my statement wasn't "america: love it or leave it", you obviously have failed to read my post so for the third time I will explain it. I will go into more detail this time to perhaps take care of any scraps of confusion still floating around. I said 1) change the system.... if you don't like how our country works then do something to change it. Don't just bitch and moan, if you won't take action you have no right to whine. 2) like I just said stop whinning and bitching, if you refuse to do something to change the way things are you have no right to speak against them "angry apathy"??? 3) If you refuse to change the system, you refuse to stop bitching, then finally you have option 3 leave the damn country. People who leech off this country, who enjoy the privledges of living here and then disrespect this country don't deserve to be here. Note I didn't say anything about Bush. You are disrepspecting your country by being apathetic.... that to me is un-american.....:rolleyes:

refer to my last post....

I wasn't even expressing my opinion about the war, I was telling you to freaking do something to change what you have a problem with or quit bitching. I think my last post was fair. I don't bitch about stuff and then not take action about it.

And for the third time you seem not to understand me, I will be making the choices of what I will or will not do, and there is no way that I should be obligated to leave. And I am involved, person who does not know me outside of posts you read. This is just another way that I am involved, to encourage questioning and discussion. In discussion people hit walls, follow thoughts to dead ends, change opinions, and even make incorrect statements. The point is to continue that questioning, and not to just accept whatever you are given by either side of the issue. Apparently you have nothing interesting to say, so it's time to disregard you from now on.

Maybe if you would have metioned how you were involved I would have been inclined to have respect.....oh wait no. I have yet to see you in a nuetral respectful way start a thought provoking discussion. Present your standpoints, views, and facts, with some non bias and you know what I would look at your side. I have on previous pages typed the reasons I feel the way I do.....

.................................................. .................................................. ....

(disregarding)

Other posters who disagree with me(or agree) - I encourage you to point me to sources that may influence or change my view. I always want to add more to my understanding of any situation.

I will not stoop to such childish means. I invite any including cloud9 who disagree with me to show me some facts that support your standpoint. I would love to see your side of things, but only if they are backed with fact and not just blind opinion.

http://www.billoreilly.com/currentarticle

here's a good article with some things to consider, form your opinion as you will....:D