Hi again Bob,
On Tue 2012-Feb-28 09:38, BOB BREED (1:123/140) wrote to RICHARD WEBB:
RW> Yep, my point exactly, no opt out available is the way I
RW> look at it. There is no opt out, the military has first
RW> call on your body and soul when you turn 18 or get that hs
RW> diploma.
BB> I can't buy the plan as long as it has a 'buy out' clause. (But
BB> maybe I'm not thinking what you mean by that - to me it was what
BB> happened in VN, the rich got into all kinds of deferments, college -
BB> and gawd knows what else.) However I can buy the truly disabled
BB> being exempt - a point you don't. :)
YEp, no buyouts, you serve, no matter who you are, no matter the station of
your parents, rich or poor, disabled or not.
YOu will serve. But then there's ...
BB> And we're both ignoring the fact that the military is cutting back -
BB> even to the point of losing key people - people who are very good at
BB> their job but can't advance so it's up or out.
Yep, that's a real consideration. The peacetime military
still has a role though, the boots on the ground for foreign aid projects
where we have to provide training and support,
as well as delivering the goods we provide as part of that
foreign aid. Imho military service teaches some valuable
skills, whether you end up a mechanic, a communications
person, etc. It's just a smarter way to go imho. Every
citizen to get the rights of citizen at age 18 or graduation from hs will show
up and do his/her hitch. I first read
that about a decade ago and I've really liked the idea every since. The
skills you learn help your neighborhood survive
a disaster, make your neighborhood safer, etc.
BB> Got my amateur at 16, next year got 2nd telegraph, then about 2
BB> years later went for 2nd phone. As you said, the 2nd telegraph had
BB> the 20wpm thing but I never really had a problem with the code.
RW> YEp, was thinking it was 1st telegraph needed the 20 wpm. I did the
RW> phone thing with the broadcast endorsement.
BB> Never got the broadcast thing. All we needed was the basic 2nd
BB> class to do mobile radio and the occasional point to point microwave
BB> shot.
YEp, you could do a lot with the 2nd in broadcasting too,
but if you had the 1st with the broadcast endorsement it
looked good to employers.
BB> Amateur still valid though but not using it and haven't for some
BB> years. Keep the code speed up though, but that's mostly via the
BB> MP3 files from the ARRL site. :)
RW> YEah but you might decide some day to throw up a wire and
RW> get on the air. YOu might enjoy groups like fists and the
RW> like. Also traffic handling.
BB>
BB> Not likely, but now and again I fire up my Kenwood and search the
BB> ham bands. Man, what the heck is it with all these new calls? When
BB> did these C6xxx guys come into play? Us old timers still recall
BB> when the newbies had K6, and that was like being branded. :)
Eh? c6 is the Bahamas iirc. Still valid is A k n or w for
U.S. call signs. I bought this call cause I didn't want one of the a series 2
by 2 extra calls, but I wanted to lose my
2 x 3 0 land call sign for something that was more rhythmic
with the code and easier phonetically since I run a lot of
phone nets, so I bought nf5b under the vanity program.
Gotta renew it later this year.
BB> Talk about being out of touch. :)
YEah it's a different world these days. When I heard an
extra class the other day asking how to figure the length of a dipole, and
another saying he didn't know how to tune up
his new tube type linear amplifier I was rolling on the
floor making strange noises.
Regards,
Richard
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* Origin: (1:116/901)
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