A side not at DLI

[Graillik Tur]

The name of my insitute is DLIFLC Defence Language Institue Foreign Language Center.

Also known as Desperate Love Insitute Freak Like Crazy.

The joke is there are a lot of males here and few females. Also it seems the stress pushes the females to want to get married. I don't like this idea because I think it detracts from the mission we all are supposed to do. Help hunt terrorists and insure another 9/11 never happens...atleast the Arabic and Korean linguists.

So I'll ask you for ideas on this. As a personal choice, do you believe that if you sign a contract stating you will give your full self to a company for a set amount of years, does your personal life come to a complete hold or atleast become comprimised for your company?

I'll also state the 3 core values of the Air Force, that we are supposed to live by and see if you notice a problem.

Integrity First
Service Before Self
Excellence In All We Do

Can't wait to see the responses.

P.S. This is also including that both parties are military members, not a military and a civilian.

P.S.S. I'll also state that the idea of same branch/language is the best idea so far, but does that allow for true love? Also there is no garuntee that both members will be stationed at the same base.

Salute.

[Excel Zero]

Well first of all you can't ask that question and not allow an AD AF member married to a civilian. So I am going to answer for that as well.

Possible strong opinions located within....

No I do not believe that your personal life comes to a hault. So many people outside or just starting in the military think that we should all just stop what we do and give ourselves 100% to the Air Force and not our wives. That's B.S.

If I had to put my married or personal life on hold , there would be no airman here. So no, my personal life has never come to a hault or even close to a hold in my three years. And if they ever asked me to be like that then I would be leaving here in a heart beat...and I know alot of people that would be coming with me.

Though that's only question 1

Question 2...you asked does the military allow for true love? Yeah....I've seen it quite a few times. Thus far I have never seen a military married couple not get the same base. The AF is really good at keeping people together because they know that if you start splitting everyone, you start mentally hurting people.

Actually this whole concept leads to another problem. Alot of Air Force members come into the military think that it's gonna be all gung ho and then are sorely dissapointed when they find out how much softer we are than the other branches. They hate the fact they we are not the front line fighters....with the exception of the PJ's and the Trans guys basically...Simply put...we are here for two reasons;

1. Air Superiority
2. To back-up the other branches.

To be honest with you, I am happy with my post in the AF.

Off my tangent now....

No I don't think you should ever put your personal life on hold

End of line

Excel

[Kiyomi]

As a civilian married to military, you can bet they allow for true love. There is no way that what Excel and I have is anything but true love. They even have family days where the airmen get days off JUST because the air force wants them to have time to spend with their families, hence the name. Yes, there are some hardships. Sometimes airmen have to work 12 hour days. Sometimes airmen are deployed, leaving their family behind. However, if the air force was really up for seperating families, we'd have no national defense except by conscription.

Definite stong opinions ahead...

If you ask any REAL man what he would choose, he will always choose his loved ones, as will any real woman. If a man isn't willing to give up anything for love, he shouldn't even be with a woman, and if a woman isn't willing to give up anything for love, SHE shouldn't be with a man.

It all comes down to that. If a marriage is going to last, there has to be true love. Well, plenty of air force marriages last, so there obviously is true love. I know that many of the airmen, including Excel, would rather move to another country than to give up their entire life at the expense of the one they love. THOSE are real men and women, not the ones that let the air force, or any job, get in the way of their relationship.

[Graillik Tur]

Well, I asked about if both members where in the service. Civilian/serviceman(woman) marriages are a little different.

I also disagree personally with the above two statements. I said personally, I don't believe them to be wrong, just not online. Duty, Honor, Dedication...kind of like the samurai. We are in the 'Profession of Arms'. We are in the business of killing people.

I believe that if you are dedicated to the cause, your going to have to sacrifice for that cause. I also believe that there are women that would give what ever it takes for the man that does constantly leave to go fight. These are the men and women that get the job done.

YOur right Excel, the AF is more laid back in most fields, but not all. My grandfather was a Gun Ship Flight Engineer in WWII. He helped kill many people. He was shot down, and helped save another mans life that couldn't get out of the plane. While the AF has changed, the warrior part of the military, no matter the branch still remains.

I'd like to quote my Superintendent at Basic...
'May no mistake, you are part of the profession of arms. Your job is to kill in order to defend these United States.'

I agree. If your not in this business to ensure the freedoms that we have, not willing to be shipped till the job gets done, I hope you picked a job that allows for that, but still understand that you may be called upon to go to the front and fight till the war is over.

Me personally, I won't rest until every last terrorist is dead. Whatever contribution I can give to that cause I will give.

And that sucks. I know it hurts my family and friends to do this. That in turn hurts me. I don't like hurting the ones I love. But in order to ensure their way of life, I have to do this job. It's that simple to me.

I have a 3 yr old niece. She'll read about 9/11 in history books. She'll see it in film. That is all she'll know of it. The rest of us will forever remember the morning we woke up and saw the planes fly into the towers. I don't want my niece, or my child, or my childrens children to ever know that feeling of vulnerability and anger. That is why I do this.

To protect our children and our way of life.

"I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to giv eup my life in their defense."

Article 1 of the Airman's Code of Conduct. I live by this idea. God's Speed everyone.

[Ultrawolf]

/salute

You've my Respect Graillik. Maybe It's just the way I've been raised or something but I respect anyone and everyone with the committment and determination to fight for what they believe in.

I have respect for anyone working to protect people. Whether military or Law Enforcement or whatever. Especially those who must sacrifice in the service of their country. Sometimes they have to do things they aren't proud of. Sometimes they are seen as monsters and inhumane. But these people sacrifice and put themselves at great risk to protect Americans. For that at Least, you have my respect.

[Excel Zero]

[Kiyomi]

Hmm, seems kind of odd to give up the very thing you fight to protect. Honestly, if most people had to do that, they would not be there at all. You may feel differently, but the majourity of the air force is there to protect the country, yes, but they would not give up their family to do so. After all, the entire reason to fight for freedom is to protect our rights to do things like be with our families. If you are not a family man or woman, I really don't think it possible to know the immense loyalty to family that such people feel. It's like trying to know what a bird feels like when it flies when man was not born with wings. We can fly in all the airplanes we want, and even do things like hang gliding, but I am sure it's not the same as being born with the ability to fly.

[Graillik Tur]

But see it's my sacrifice of loving another to ensure you get that oppurtunity. That is what I'm getting at. There are warriors that must stand on the wall to ensure others get to freedom to live their lives in happiness. I personally don't believe that my love is any different than yours, it's just that I have love for my family, you have love for your husband. It's more important to me to stand on the wall, or fly the plane into the combat zone, than to have a loved one back home. That's just me. Because America is my family, that is who I defend.

[Excel Zero]

I still don't see the distinction between you and I. I fight for all. America, my wife, my family, my brothers in arms. We just do it in our own way. I am just as dedicated as you, just in a different position. Once you pass tech school, you will deal with languages and coding, whereas I sit here at my base and assure my weapons work. The dedication is no different from the PJ's who actually do the wall sitting and fighting. So in reality none of us are different, it's just a different job. I fight for all the same things you do. It's just that you and I don't fight the same way.

End of line

Excel

[Graillik Tur]

No we fight for different reasons. I plan on going to OTS to fly HC-130s. Those are the low vis, and flight refuling chopper missions. They do the more dangerous work. I fully intend to put my life on the line. I see what your getting at, but your dedication is not the same as the PJ. The PJ is willing to give up everything. He does it everytime he steps on the plane. He knows that this could be the time he doesn't come home, that his wife and child will be hurt. He gives all of himself to the mission. You ensure nuclear arsenols (sp?) stay in the right hands. That is not at all the same thing. I'm not saying your any less dedicated to the job you do, I'm saying the dedication is not as focused for you. But that's the great part about this. Because you do your job, that frees up others to do other jobs. Some more hazardous and perminent than others.

Understand I"m not trying to detract from what you do. You hold some of the most destructive items in your hands. If it weren't for you, we could deffinently be in trouble. But again, the PJ is willing to sacrifice everything, in an instant, to get his job done. You said that if you were asked to do that, you wouldn't. That you are more tied to your obligations as a husband than as a soldier. I think that is great. That makes you a great human being and an outstanding husband.

Kudos for you. Just please understand that your kind of dedication is not the same as the PJ, Soldier, Seal, Pilot. They are willing to kill or be killed every time they step out. That is the difference.

Good luck to you.