Which has more chance of being seriously injured / being killed—truck driver or Army?

sorry to here that but you know where the door is so you are more than welcome to leave and take your immunity to our flag waving with you

 

Im Proud to have our family in the Navy for 3 generations. My Dad was a Pearl Harbor survivor, and went on to retire from the USN after the end of WWII, My Brother served in the Army in Germany for the most part during Nam, I served 6 years in the USN, and my oldest daughter is officer in the USN. Our family has a long history in the armed forces fighting for our Freedom. If you are tired of hearing it, gee too bad.

 

I have 4 generation family.

My grandpa served during WWII, my dad during the Korean conflict, I'm a Desert Storm veteran, my son is still an enlisted reservist and is an OIF veteran.

I am #### proud of my family's military heritage.

 

I'm 4th Generation to serve in the military. Unfortunately for me, Jimmy Carter didn't believe in the military actually fighting so I never got my chance to be maimed or dismembered for our country. Agent Orange ate my dad up 15 years after the Vietnam War was over. We fought that war for ages, nothing was decided. So you'll have to forgive me if I don't get all choked up when someone dreams up an excuse to send the next generation of young Americans off to their deaths or dismemberments for similar "patriotic" reasons.
It's all good and fine to wave my dad's burial flag at my kids' graduations and weddings, after all, he died for his country??? Tell me again what he died for, your right to buy stuff Made in Vietnam and Made in China?
I can still love my country and not be a flag waving automaton marching off whenever someone pounds the drums. More sins are committed behind a waving flag than any other single political action.
Before you get too judgemental about me, I welcome you to come down the the VA hospital at American Lake and talk to some of those poor kids and see how they get treated by their "grateful nation"

 

No kidding, my favorite is how there is no emergency services there anymore (no emergency room), so if you have an issue and don't want to wait the three months to see a doctor, we have to drive all the way up to Seattle, just to wait eight hours, are told to take this IBprofin and drink water, and make a scheduled appointment.

For the record, someone can be against the war, can be against using the flag as an excuse for anything and everything as long as it suits their agenda, and still respect this country and its soldiers. People here need to calm down.

But I digress...As I think most of us here are doing. Its a long way from what the OP asked.

 

To the OP:: Yah I might have dropped a "bad joke with the ""Trucking can be hard work all day and stressful more than being in a war zone!"" But when one poster gets out of school he'll know and yeah it isn't AS bad as combat is can be rated up there with it! IT CAN SUCK!

Now, if the OP is asking which is better, then go back and read several of the replies!

But to sum it up:
Yes, there actually ARE some non combatant jobs in the military or at least ones where you won't be in the middle of a fire fight!
You do get home more often than an OTR driving job!
The military is NOT laying people off.
The military is NOT bouncing paychecks.
The military IS hiring from south Florida.
That retirement is great IF you can get enough education to not get RIFFED or prove that you have value to the service.
Holiday pay!
30 days in a row if you want vacation with PAY!
and all the other benefits mentioned!
And the food I've eaten on a submarine, aircraft carrier, Marine Bases, Air Force Bases and yep the Army was always better than some of the slop I've paid for out here on the road!Even the CRats were better at times and thats saying a lot. Whats an MRE??

Trucking, you MIGHT get to spend 50 days a whole year at home.
you MIGHT get paid for ALL the miles you drove and reimbursed for ALL the money you spent on that company.
You MIGHT get home for a wedding anniversary, birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other special event.
You might even get home for a childs birth BUT that can and does happen in the Military also so that's a talking point.

Me, if I could I would have stayed in! Heck, when I got Riffed out there weren't even any slots in the Guard! I even tried enlisting in the 4 other services and was not even considered even as an E-5! But my advice is to go Military. You do not have to be a "Flag Waving Patriot" as it was so _______ put but the job offers are great. The benefits beat what you'll get out here right now, the home ownership as put earlier is easier with that VA Loan and so is the education outlooks!

Trucking is a cess pool now and it looks like for the next few years! Heck, you can do 20 in the military standing on your head and come out at the end with a feeling of actually having accomplished something, an education, a job experience in some field that's needed either out here or in a civil service slot which is still a good thing as the benefits are as good as what you had!

Again Trucking is a cess pool right now! Do 20 with some company that's not union and have no retirement as that 401 can take hit after hit as they have for the past 10 years so they aren't worth the paper they're written on! Being treated like scum is a daily occurence,and getting blamed for someone elses shortcomings (dispatchers and load coordinators and company owners)is a normal occurence also and on and on!

But he's a big boy and we've given him the information he needs to make an educated decision! Good Luck!

 

bravo nice summation.

 

Well I was active duty Army for 13years, Scout, Rangers, & Special Forces(18E-Commo). Drove flats 2years for TMC. Got the so called "cush" Union job at the Telephone Co, drove me insane. Retired from Army Reserves, Recalled to active duty after 9/11 for 5years total(Arabic speaker). 2tour in Iraq(1/3Marines& 5th SFG) 3tours in A-stan(5th SFG, 1st SFG & 1st Polish Brigade). Got wounded twice.
BUT I NEVER....

Was as scared as I was to go to Iraq as a fuel truck driver for ITT. $90K no taxes for one year 7days a week , 7days off at the end of every quarter.250 miles at 35-40mph or less, no weapon and full body armor. So driving and the military are both dangerous. Doing both at the same time was doubly stupid on my part.

 

One of my biggest mistakes in life was getting out of the Army. Should have stuck it out.Could've retired 11 yrs. ago and a pension. The hardest part for me was to keep your mouth shut and do as your told and sometimes being degraded while they're at it. Can't quit there and say screw you I'm outa here. Or you got some Ahab pumping lead at you day and night,that can get nerve racking after awhile. Try the Deadliest Catch them boys make big money except the ones they dont show who are working 36 to 48 hrs straight to make a nickel and that has happened to me in the past. If you like your freedom and dont like somebody breathing down your neck or barking orders at you, keep on trucking. Good luck

 

Im not going to lie the Army can be great or a night mare,its all in what you put in it.Ive been in the Army reserve for 11 years.i am a heavey wheel mechanic and my units recovery guy(wrecker)i have driven many miles as a back up 88m(truck driver) and hauled lots of fuel.I was deployed in 2003 right when the #### hit the fan.We hauled up behind 3rd ID and 101st.I was the wrecker guy so i was on every single mission up and down that country.We had old M818's with standard 5 spd trannys and old NTC400's.the things were awesome.At first i had a crap attitude but decided to see what is out there.Well with that when i got home i applied and got a job working on Army equipment as a DoD civllian for the Army.now after a few promotions i am our Inspector and make about 55k a year.i have a nice little office,the best tools and electronics.
So basically if you realllllly put yourself into it there are plenty of places to go and money to make.