My son came over this morning and told me he wants to go into the Navy. Yes, it is honorable. Yes, it is a good opportunity. Yes, he will travel the world. Yes, he will pay off his student loans. Yes, he will serve his country and find a trade. Blahblahblah. My question as his mother to you all:
How dangerous is this with the crazy world of terrorists right now?
navy officer? very cool…
I don’t think the al qaida submarine fleet poses that great a threat…
suicide squid bombers on the other hand…
-Imp
I was more worried about when they go to ports. So many people hate Americans now. 
Very funny, Imp. You are one of my favorite posters. Did I ever tell you that?
[Da…dat…tshhhhh]
[censored]
[censored]
Bessy…
No.
Any military force… just say no.
Let him make his own decision…
-Thirst
I am.
You should ask Mr Predictable. I believe he has some extensive military experience.
In any respect, I look favourably on military careers. The risk is comparable to any other field job, so it shouldn’t put you down. The advantage is its stability and wide scope of activities. There is a place for anyone who’s good at something. I myself plan to further my education in a military technical academy. Should be a solid benchmark for any further endeavours.
I agree with everything you said, it is only because it is my son… so my opinion is cluttered with too much emotion. Thanks. Maybe Mr. P. will come on board with his take.
For some people, the military is the right option. It provides excellent training for any profession, and builds repsonsibility and leadership abilities. Yes, it could be dangerous, but to serve one’s nation is a rather respectable thing to do in my opinion.
Many naval careers are probably safer than being a civilian. A lot of “sailors” aren’t stationed at sea at all. The Navy has a lot of support staff in ports around the world. Even those serving at sea are pretty safe compared to being a Marine or a soldier in the army. The U.S.S. Cole aside, very few American ships have been damaged in action in several decades. I’d rate an aircraft carrier as a pretty damn safe place to be, with a few jobs excepted (working on the flight deck rates hazardous duty pay and is a lot more dangerous). There’s always the risk of something cataclysmic, like a fire hitting a few hundred thousand gallons of aviation fuel, but sinking a carrier would be a daunting task for a terrorist. Likewise serving on a nuclear sub is pretty safe- accidents do happen, particularly fires, but it would nearly unthinkable for one of our subs to be lost to enemy action against any of our likely foes.
If your son becomes a pilot, that’s a bit riskier. Accidents can happen, and anti-aircraft missiles are becoming more commonly encountered in the hands of militias and various terrorist groups. Air superiority type missions are a bit less risky as America has few rivals there.
I can understand why you’d worry, but I suspect if he learned anything from his mother he has a pretty good head on his shoulders. 
I’m sorry that I didn’t notice this stuff sooner. Someone should have PMed me to make a comment.
Firstly, I’d ask your son just why he’s interested, and then I’d ask him if he’s aware that you really can’t quit if you don’t like it.
How do you think that he would like intense physical activity under miserable conditions? A friend of mine in the air force had to sleep in the snow with little gear for a week for survival training. He had to do stuff like that yearly. However, after a certain period that stopped and he became a flight simulator tester. He’s retired and could live off of his pension. He seemed to love it.
I’ve had several good friends in the Navy and they loved it. It’s supposed to be the easiest branch of the military to be in and the carriers are supposed to be as nice as mini cities. During a war they are far from the action.
I’ve never met anyone that hated being in the service.
This war isn’t going to end any time soon.
He will be fighting for the wrong reasons.
Your government is lying to you.
PM his email address, I’ll change his mind. 
What are the right reasons to fight?
Yeah, like a mini city where you sleep 30 men to a room! The carriers do have a lot of amenities, but remember you’re talking 4,500 men on a ship 1000 feet long. It gets cramped. Still, a carrier is the hub of one of the most sophisticated defensive nets in the world. Not infallible, but it’s not easy to penetrate the screen of destroyers, subs, support ships & radar that protect a carrier. And of course, the air wing is a very potent defense in and of itself.
The ones pertaining to issues inside one’s country. Or do you think we should wait a full decade before dealing with what’s left of America? Not only was 9/11 a fucking… shitshow of ‘magic’, but it’s long gone.
When a bunch of criminals mastermind a catch 22 scenario to ensure themselves, and the guys attached to the dicks in their ass, a bunch of money to further facilitate the needs of another set of individuals.
That’s the time to fight.
Or not.
Who knows… maybe the time to fight is when someone puts me on a list for saying what I just said.
No one here gives a damn what you say- you’re a Canuck. 
Seriously though, you’re not a citizen of this country…many of the young people here have different reasons for enlisting that aren’t perhaps understandable to you.
Pounds conspiracy fist
Oh I’ll ‘understand’ him alright
Seriously… 30 minutes in a chat room and I’ll show him the light.