• mosiacmango@lemm.ee
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    5 months ago

    You didn’t live the life.

    Imagine thinking enlisted didn’t have their own politics to deal with, their own rigged games to suffer, but without any of the “has its perks” of being an officer. Having to also decide about making a career out of it or gtfo to try the civilian rat race.

    But no, since you didnt live it, you cant understand that they went through all the same terrible shit you did, but much, much worse.

    You had perks, ways to get away from those 5000 people, to connect with those you care about. Small human dignity’s like private space, a call home, a round plate to eat off.

    They had shit all. All the pressures you felt but more, with none of the kindness that came with it. They had to pull back into their own minds for that. Thats the solitary. If you leave it, it crushes you, because you have no “has its perks” to relieve the anxiety, the pain and the fear of it. You just grit and bear it until you dont grit anymore.

    That’s when the ash starts.

    • LordGimp@lemm.ee
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      5 months ago

      Buddy I never enlisted lmao I’m a civilian welder who has worked with CG/Navy/Army/Air Force on occasion. I even worked directly under homeland security for a while. I’ve seen everything you’re talking about laterally, without any bias from any command or politics threatening my career. I’ve welded in fireman bunks as well as officer cabins. I know what I’m about with US ships.

      Living on the boats for extended times is a pain, but it’s pain for everyone. Yeah an officer gets a cabin and better mess, but a fireman knows all the best corners to disappear in and won’t have 8 pissed off jackasses looking for them if they fuck off for a 15 minute quickie or whatever. The only really carefree son of a bitch I’ve seen on a boat is the captain, and that’s because the boat is the only place they can’t get their ass chewed off for whatever flavor of shit their command is spewing that day. Generally.

      • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
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        5 months ago

        Okay, then you know even less about it than I thought.

        The above is entirely about life aboard a ship underway for 8 months while at war.

        I appreciate the welding mate, but you dont have any view about this experience because you never saw it.

        • LordGimp@lemm.ee
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          5 months ago

          I guess all journalism is bunk then. Lmao all I’ve done is speak with the people from the bottom all the way up to the top. Definitely can’t form an opinion after working along side these people for years, seeing how they change before and after deployments, and hearing their stories. My b

          • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
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            5 months ago

            So youre a journalist welder? Aware of the deep ins and outs of navy culture from exhaustive interviews? Id probably like your article more than the posted one. I still don’t think you really understand what I’m describing.

            A ship in drydock is no ship at all. The sailors on it are not at all the same as when they are underway. It’s an utterly different animal. Even a Before/After isn’t it, because it doesnt contain the During.

            A docked ship is just a job. A ship at sea is a crucible.