Indoctrination

[truthshift]

I'll be going into the Air Force as a CTI specialist (translator) this year.

I've often thought about what my experience is going to be like while I am in the service. In particular, I've thought a lot about Boot Camp. It's my understanding that it is their effort to "break me down and build me back up".

The idea behind that process is to shock people into a blankness and structure a mentality that is more appropriate for military life. An indoctrination of sorts. I know that it will be rough, and I often wonder if I will change as a person in the next 4 years.

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Is it appropriate for an institution to indoctrinate people- children or even consenting adults to better fit their desired statute?

Where do we draw the line?

 

[Polycarp_fan]

I'll be going into the Air Force as a CTI specialist (translator) this year.

I've often thought about what my experience is going to be like while I am in the service. In particular, I've thought a lot about Boot Camp. It's my understanding that it is their effort to "break me down and build me back up".

The idea behind that process is to shock people into a blankness and structure a mentality that is more appropriate for military life. An indoctrination of sorts. I know that it will be rough, and I often wonder if I will change as a person in the next 4 years.

It's an orientation process. You are led to believe things their way.

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Is it appropriate for an institution to indoctrinate people- children or even consenting adults to better fit their desired statute?

Have you been to public school?

Where do we draw the line?

Humanism. The miltary is nothing to worry about. Especially Air Force boot camp.

You'll do fine.

And thanks for your choice to serve in the military.

 

[Chesterton]

I think being a military man requires it. It's a special calling and requires a special mentality (toughness, discipline and whatnot) which the average guy on the street (like me) doesn't naturally have without that indoctrination. It's a good thing.

And ditto the thanks for serving.

 

[Gishin]

I have been in the Air Force for 3 years and four months now. They teach you to think on your feet and under pressure, to buckle down to exacting standards, and to think more about the team rather then about the person. It's not like they mind wipe you, and the most brain washing you get is about how awesome America is, and if you didn't think some of that already I doubt you'd have joined the military.

 

[truthshift]

I have been in the Air Force for 3 years and four months now. They teach you to think on your feet and under pressure, to buckle down to exacting standards, and to think more about the team rather then about the person. It's not like they mind wipe you, and the most brain washing you get is about how awesome America is, and if you didn't think some of that already I doubt you'd have joined the military.

hah, I see.

 

[BobW188]

The military will change you but, when you look back on it, I think you'll find the lasting changes came after basic. For all that it's no fun, basic is really about giving you the orientation you need so that you'll learn to be a soldier, sailor, airman, marine
as the rest of your enlistment goes along.

 

[No Swansong]

I didn't serve in the Air Force, instead I was a medic in the Navy. But from what I understand compared to the Navy, Army and Marine Corps; Air Force basic is pretty easy six week (is it still six weeks?) orientation. The advice given to me when I went in was keep your mouth shut unless directly addressed. It got me through pretty much under the radar and fairly unmolested.

I strongly ditto the great big thank you! My prayers are with you.

 

[Autumnleaf]

I went to US Marine Corps boot camp and they did use some desensitizing tactics to make us more agreeable to killing people. Which was understandable as US Marines are known for being pretty good at killing people and breaking things. Air Force, from what I hear, is not so intense. They'll teach you how to put a uniform on right, get you into decent shape, and teach you when to salute.

The military is a good place for some people and a horrible place for others. It treated me well but I saw how others ended up getting chewed up and spat out. Air Force is generally a good choice. Just make sure you get the best deal you can when you sign up, follow lawful orders with a sense of urgency, and you should do well.

 

[corvus_corax]

It's my understanding that it is their effort to "break me down and build me back up".

In varying degrees, yes, that is what the military does.
And for good reason.

Is it appropriate for an institution to indoctrinate people- children or even consenting adults to better fit their desired statute?

Consenting adults? Absolutely. Legal consent is legal consent.
Now, if you were drafted into duty, that might be another story

Where do we draw the line?

The same line the majority of the populace has taken-
-don't join the military.

Simple enough.
Joining the military involves a degree of indoctrination (to lesser and greater degrees). This is, at least by you, and understood fact. And yet you joined, voluntarily (assuming you live in the USA, which I don't know).
If you are a USA citizen and joined the military, knowing beforehand the indoctrination you WILL go through, you have little to no legal right to question where the line is drawn regarding your "boot camp" indoctrination.
You volunteered for said indoctrination.
I'm not saying that your choice is "right" or "wrong". It's your choice. And just like all our choices, they are up to the individual to bear.

 

[CCGirl]

They have to do this to train you to be a killer.

 

[Verv]

I'll be going into the Air Force as a CTI specialist (translator) this year.

I've often thought about what my experience is going to be like while I am in the service. In particular, I've thought a lot about Boot Camp. It's my understanding that it is their effort to "break me down and build me back up".

The idea behind that process is to shock people into a blankness and structure a mentality that is more appropriate for military life. An indoctrination of sorts. I know that it will be rough, and I often wonder if I will change as a person in the next 4 years.

I have the same job as you but the Army side of the house. I am a Korean linguist and getting out of the Army in 22 days. I will be staying in Korea and going to college.

If you get Korean as a language I can give you some good tips and nice stories; and set you up with some nice, young ladies with less-than-wholesome-moral-values when you come on over.

Is it appropriate for an institution to indoctrinate people- children or even consenting adults to better fit their desired statute?

Where do we draw the line?

It is.

People make poor decisions without proper guidance -- furthermore, a person must be initiated into their society and their community through ceremony and through a sort of indoctrination process that allows them to share the same values as the rest of the community.

People who haven't been indoctrinated into anything lack a lot -- I think they do not truly know the meaning of 'free thought' because they have never even been given something to truly consider in an intimate light.

 

[quatona]

I'll be going into the Air Force as a CTI specialist (translator) this year.

I've often thought about what my experience is going to be like while I am in the service. In particular, I've thought a lot about Boot Camp. It's my understanding that it is their effort to "break me down and build me back up".

The idea behind that process is to shock people into a blankness and structure a mentality that is more appropriate for military life. An indoctrination of sorts. I know that it will be rough, and I often wonder if I will change as a person in the next 4 years.

=========

Is it appropriate for an institution to indoctrinate people- children or even consenting adults to better fit their desired statute?

Where do we draw the line?

If there weren´t people willing to subject themselves to these forms of brainwashing we wouldn´t have to deal with the question whether doing it is appropriate for an institution.

 

[truthshift]

I have the same job as you but the Army side of the house. I am a Korean linguist and getting out of the Army in 22 days. I will be staying in Korea and going to college.

If you get Korean as a language I can give you some good tips and nice stories; and set you up with some nice, young ladies with less-than-wholesome-moral-values when you come on over.

Hey, that'd be great. I was actually going to make Korea one of my preferences, but who knows what I'll be getting..

 

[Gishin]

They have to do this to train you to be a killer.

Joking, right?

 

[CCGirl]

Joking, right?

No.

 

[Gishin]

I got more training on how to be a killer through Halo then I did Air Force Boot Camp. You're severely misinformed if you honestly believe that.

 

[CCGirl]

A soldier is a trained killer.

 

[Robbie_James_Francis]

I got more training on how to be a killer through Halo then I did Air Force Boot Camp. You're severely misinformed if you honestly believe that.

That involved changing pixels on a screen, but being in the armed forces involves contributing to the death of actual human beings.

I feel an automatic respect for those that join the armed forces, but at the same time I can't logically escape the fact that we're talking about killers. It's easy to fall into the accepted idea that in an unjust war the politicians making the decision are wrong and the soldiers on the ground aren't because they're just following orders. But surely both are wrong because the person actually pulling the trigger, or facilitating that, is a murderer, uniform or no.

 

[CCGirl]

That involved changing pixels on a screen, but being in the armed forces involves contributing to the death of actual human beings.

I feel an automatic respect for those that join the armed forces, but at the same time I can't logically escape the fact that we're talking about killers. It's easy to fall into the accepted idea that in an unjust war the politicians making the decision are wrong and the soldiers on the ground aren't because they're just following orders. But surely both are wrong because the person actually pulling the trigger, or facilitating that, is a murderer, uniform or no.

Absolutely, however, I do not have respect for someone who chooses to become a professional killer. Like George Carlin said, "Nintendo Pilots".

 

[ACougar]

We are all part of that killing network, let's go a bit more at the airforce. Is the only killer the guy up in the plane who flipps a switch and drops a bomb on an enemy position? What about the guy who loaded the bomb onto the plane, the guy who maintains the plane inbetween flights, the guy who serves them all lunch, the tax payer who pays thier salaries, votes in thier leadership and uses the resources (oil) over which we are fighting? We are all a part of the killing spear, so to speak, the only differance is that guy who flips the actual switch and drops the actual bomb is the actual sharp end of the spear.

Is the haft of the spear not as much a part of the killing as the tip of the spear?

I feel an automatic respect for those that join the armed forces, but at the same time I can't logically escape the fact that we're talking about killers. It's easy to fall into the accepted idea that in an unjust war the politicians making the decision are wrong and the soldiers on the ground aren't because they're just following orders. But surely both are wrong because the person actually pulling the trigger, or facilitating that, is a murderer, uniform or no.