You don't seem to fully understand how the real world works. The military doesn't give a darn about what you think until you have proven yourself to have an opinion worthy of consideration, and they will not be politically correct or worry about your feelings when telling you so. That's not the business they are in! Trust me, they can be a lot blunter and to-the-point than that. I know from experience.
If the recruiter offended you that mildly, imagine how terrible you'll feel in infantry school. My husband and brother in law did 10 years each, my brother 7 years. Brother and husband started out as CAV, my husband switched to Machining. Brother in law started as a mechanic and finished Active Duty as MI. The stuff I have heard them talk about, and other soldiers too... and then seeing what offends you... well... you're going to have culture shock.
I've read through this thread a couple of times. My husband's last deployment, he was injured and packed off to Walter Reed for surgery. We met a lot of guys there who saw way worse than he did. I'll tell you about Mike.
Mike was in the Guard. Signed up for college. Wanted to be a soldier, but not full time, too much going on in his life. Sent off to Afghanistan first thing. Some events happened and he woke up in Walter Reed, to doctors telling him how many pieces were missing, how many surgeries he'd need, and someone else telling him what happened to him since he had no memory of it. When we met him, he had been there 2 years recovering, and a lot more to do. He'll likely never walk again, the way his lower torso was injured and where the left leg had to be removed, a prosthetic wasn't going to fit him. It's easier to get a new leg when it's cut off at the knee. Plenty of guys were double amputees but up and walking after years of therapy.
He was bitter, mean, hateful, resentful. All he wanted was the college money. Now look where he's at. He's still successful, started investing and created his own web business. He got his benefits. But at what cost?
My husband is going to Electrical Engineering school for free. But he hasn't slept right in over 5 years, ever since his first deployment. He's been over there a couple of times. He has some new physical limitations after that last deployment. He clenches his jaw so tightly when he sleeps he wakes up with lock jaw. Sometimes it'll unlock and his mouth works normally, other times he has to talk through his teeth and eat very small bites.
He didn't sign up for the benefits, those were just perks of the job. When you deploy, it doesn't matter if you're active duty, reserves, or in the guard. Your job won't always protect you, you're a soldier first. The sights and sounds are offensive, the other guys are offensive. The smell is offensive. The whole situation is offensive, so you better develop some thick skin. Heaven help you if you catch 1st Sgt's attention as needing extra focus, you'll never hear the end of it. He will tell you exactly what you are to him.
Are you good at politics? Talking to people? Are you amiable? If you go into with an ego, they'll knock you down. If you went in passive, they'll pull you up. At Ft Knox in CAV school, at the end there is this hill at the tail end of a long ruck march. My brother, high speed as he is, hard charged his way through it. First to the top of that hill, all proud of himself. Drill Sgt dropped him for push ups, he had to keep pushing until the last man came up that hill. That's what he got for leaving the rest of them in the dust. He had been dreaming about being a soldier since he was 5 years old. They taught him it isn't a one man show.
He deployed with SF one time since he was CAV. Time of his life, soldier through and through. Those guys will rock your world, and you better play by their rules. Nothing will make all your training feel as inadequate as it is until you hang with SF over seas. They'll teach you something, if they think you're worth it. They're not shy in their opinions either.
You won't get any respect at all, from anyone, until you've earned it. And don't forget, make 3 copies of every paper they hand you, it gets lost way too easy. Be patient, hurry up and wait. Things change all the time, where a formation will be held, what's happening that day... be good at change. Adapt and overcome. It's frustrating. It's hard. It's infuriating at times. When nothing is going on, it becomes a political dog and pony show. Cliques form. Hopefully you can navigate through that nonsense.
MY husband, brother, and brother in law wouldn't trade the experience for anything. They each got what they wanted from it. Mike didn't.
