Murica wrote:I have some small understanding of military life, National Service was mandatory here in my fathers day. In my family, as I believe, there has been a soldier in every generation since the First Boer War. Regardless of perceived military blood, I know well war isn`t 'glorious'. To sum it, I'd say it feels like I must join an Army, but I also want to join an Army. I wouldn`t mind being Infantry, but I wanted to learn Air-Frames and Engines like my dad did. Unfortunately, as I am white, I cannot join my own countries Armed Forces. The British Common Wealth Regular Army was impressed with my schooling and BRAB scores, but as they have had a massive job cut recently they don`t have the space for me. The French Foreign Legion is only an option really if you have had previous military experience. All of the American branches don`t accept any sort of non-citizen, I checked; them all.
that's pretty messed up as I've known at least a couple dozen US soldiers who are foreign nationals that enlisted to fast-track their citizenship paperwork. most of them canadians, many from various african countries, and one from germany who enlisted in my NG regiment at 17, and after he came home from a deployment found that the Bundswehr was looking for him due to their mandatory service, lol.
Yes I have heard about the massive cuts in the British military I personally am speaking out of my experience as a cadet (which I am still a member) but I respect another patriot even if your from another nation I am also intersted in infantry. But back on topic the TCA might be to much of an honor since they must have such a high flunk out rate they might scare away other recruits and it might breed hazing by an elitist old guard from the less elite new recruits
in my eight years of service, i've found that the ones who go combat arms are usually the ones with something to prove. in that regard, there will always be a steady stream of volunteers willing to go off to the far end of the universe to punch space hitler in his big stupid cloaca. hazing is generally solved by punishing it when it happens and making it clear to new screwheads that it's not tolerated. a good example to look to might be the german army between the armistice and the buildup to WW2: back then they fully intended to expand their army almost overnight, so they required every soldier to be able to assume the responsibilities of two stations above their own. this meant that when they expanded their ranks like three fold they already had a huge corps of leaders for them.
that might be what the TCA is going for; getting the best in first so they have a solid foundation of experienced personnel so that when they do start expanding they can bring in as many wrench turners and boiler room techs as they want without degrading their leadership.
you build a military from the bottom up, and train it from the top down.
Ah, I think I might not be using "honor" in the same sense as you. Regardless, simply serving in the TCA wouldn't be particularly prestigious. Cheifly because, unlike the Loroi, Terrans do have enlisted ranks. The vast majority of service members would be enlisted and in support billets. Routing requestion requests are no more prestigious if you do it beyond the solar system or in some corporate office in Colorado. Only the most visible of billets would have any prestige. I'm thinking Scout Corps, Admirals and special warfare billets. And even then, only a few of those billets.
maybe within the TCA, but the average citizen doesn't know what a soldier's job is. don't know about elsewhere but I don't particularly like going out to eat when i'm in uniform because no matter where I go I've got people thanking me and trying to pay for my meal. I know, first_world_problems.jpg, but i'd imagine just walking through a spaceport in dress uniform would generate a perception of "there he goes, homeboy's gonna fight aelyums" in the onlooking civilians, even if the dressed-up yahoo in question is just a water purification tech who'll never see combat.