<p>"Another study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested things might be worse in Iraq than Iraq Body Count’s numbers indicate.</p>
<p>The researchers in the study published in the respected medical journal on July 1, 2004 surveyed U.S. soldiers about their combat experiences, and found that 48 per cent of army soldiers reported killing an enemy combatant, and 14 per cent said they had killed a non-combatant. Among marines, the numbers were 65 per cent and 28 per cent.</p>
<p>“According to my sis, there’s a higher chance of you getting shot in Washington DC alone than getting killed in Iraq as a National Guardsman. My sister is in the National Guard, and she was deployed last month. She is now in Baghdad, and her role there is being military police (that is, patrolling areas, guarding prisons, other guarding posts, etc).”</p>
<p>I’m sure that your sis is downplaying the danger she’s in because she doesn’t want to alarm her family, who can’t do anything to make things safer for her.</p>
<p>the actual stat is that you’re more likely to get shot with a handgun in DC, but in Iraq you have bombs, missiles, machine guns, RPGS, etc. so the overall chance of being killed is much higher in Iraq</p>
<p>Haha. You want to join the military and yet you don’t want to die? Sounds like a problem. That’s like saying you want to be a surgeon even though you are squeamish around blood.<br>
Dude. Don’t join the military. You are not the right person for it. It takes a certain type of personality or mindset to be a military grunt and you quite frankly don’t have it.
Every soldier that joins is fully aware of the risks that person is taking. Your job is to defend the nation with your life if necessary. Don’t join if you cannot overcome that risk.</p>
<p>You are signing up to potentially give your life for your country and to take live(s) in the defense of your country. It is not a “job”. It is a calling.</p>
<p>The Navy or any armed forces is not a video game. There are no “do-overs”. If you don’t have 100% commitment don’t do it. You will be a danger to other in your unit.</p>
<p>It is NOT a way to pay for college. If you know you have a calling and want to serve and are prepared to make the many sacrifices needed then ROTC or DEP may be a good option for your to do both. But don’t enlist just as a way to pay for college!</p>
<p>If you want to learn more from people who have made the choice to join, I recommend the military.com forums. CC has a very limited percentage of veterans, and an even smaller number of Guardsmen.</p>
<p>If you want to join the Guard but don’t want to head into combat, just don’t join the infantry. There are plenty of non-combat jobs in the military.</p>
<p>While that is true, be careful about what you are looking at. Traditional “non-combat” jobs such as logistics and civil engineering go into dangerous areas too. I’m not saying they will hand you a rifle and say, “Find Osama,” but CE members sometimes get shot at.</p>
<p>There are other ways to help your country. Get involved with politics…or some cause that you believe in. There are plenty of service-oriented fields in which you could effect positive change. If your motivation truly is to help your country, then you will find your true calling.</p>
<p>I agree with #25 that it sounds like joining the military might not be a good match for you.</p>
<pre><code> The National Guard has many differant jobs avalible and they depend on the state you are in. I am in the National Guard and I have the job of maintaining computer networks. I have been in the National Guard for almost a year now and my unit has never even thought of deploying. You would need to get in touch with a recruiter in your area. Post a state and I will see if I know anyone there that wont lie to you.
</code></pre>
<p>Deployments are a part of any service however the National Guards main mission to here within the states i.e. Tornados, floods, wild fires. There is still a chance that you may deploy over seas dont get me wrong but the majority of National Guard deaths are due to training related accidents and when done over seas it falls into the “War time” numbers. It is a good branch to be in if you are looking into college… If college is what you then ask about the Guard and ROTC program called the SMP Program. That should get you everything you need.</p>
<p>The ‘non-combat’ jobs can be just as dangerous as the ‘boots on the ground’ ones. I’m active-duty Navy, and I work on an airfield all day. You figure it’s nice and safe, right? Hell, I’m not even overseas! There’s a higher probability of death here than if I were to go as a security IA (individual augmentee). What with turning engines, potentially explosive high pressure tires, live ordnance, toxic fumes, moving aircraft, etc. ; mishaps happen on a daily basis. </p>
<p>The posters above me that said you need to overcome your natural fear instinct were exactly right: you MUST put death & dismemberment behind you & forget about it. I don’t want a coward who’s afraid of helping me shore up a ruptured bulkhead.</p>