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Looks like the USNA has a qouta for pacifists too.

twobecrazy

RTB...
Contributor
Did he not realize the military goes to war? What was the point of joining a military academy? If his Quaker beliefs conflicted with the military why was other family members able to serve? Am I missing something here? I don't get it.
 

wlawr005

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
I had a friend who was booted from West Point three days before he graduated. Word is, if you get kicked out, you have to either pay it back or enlist in the Army for 5 years. Well, my buddy enlisted in the Navy, and the Army didn't hesitate to send him a bill to the tune of about $140,000. It took him two years and two hearings to fix that mess.
 

jmcquate

Well-Known Member
Contributor
I had a friend who was booted from West Point three days before he graduated. Word is, if you get kicked out, you have to either pay it back or enlist in the Army for 5 years. Well, my buddy enlisted in the Navy, and the Army didn't hesitate to send him a bill to the tune of about $140,000. It took him two years and two hearings to fix that mess.

What the hell did he do, bang the Superintendent's wife?
 

BACONATOR

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Did he not realize the military goes to war? What was the point of joining a military academy? If his Quaker beliefs conflicted with the military why was other family members able to serve? Am I missing something here? I don't get it.

I saw that episode of JAG.
 

DanMa1156

Is it baseball season yet?
pilot
Contributor
2 of my companymates were booted a week before commissioning. 1 for an honor offense, the other for a DUI. The honor guy eventually was let back in since the Supe's honor cases were investigated and was inconsistent with how he handled my companymate.

With that said, and closer to the heart of the article, I remember in plebe summer having a brief about service selection options and someone honestly asked something to the tune of "Sir, you didn't mention the Peace Corps - what about that option?" I had to hold back my laughter. Classic.
 

cfam

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
He'll pay it back for sure. He was my class, and the commissioning contract we had to sign prior to the start of junior year was very specific about you having to pay the navy back if you didn't meet your obligated term of service. In his case, as a sub guy, that's five years from commissioning, and since we're just about to hit the 3 yr point, he's SOL. What I'm not sure about is if the Navy will make him pay for additional training received. Nuke school ain't cheap.
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Neither is flight school, but you don't have to repay that if you DOR.

I really don't want to get all "damn kids these days," but this is what comes of never holding kids accountable for anything. This guy swore an oath, one that included a line about no mental reservations. Now he feels entitled to say, "I changed my mind," and lawyers up when he doesn't get his way. Not hard to believe; his world is one of helicopter parents badgering teachers to raise grades, or sue the little league when Jimmy doesn't get to play, etc etc.

Goddamn it, you're not always entitled to get what you want, when you want it, no matter how strongly you feel about it. Make a decision, make a commitment, then honor your commitment, even if you feel later like it was the wrong decision.

Well, whatever. This kid'll be out job-hunting in the worst job market in a century, saddled with a $100K+ debt to Uncle Sam. I imagine it'll be a nice lesson in learning to live with the consequences of your actions.
 

DanMa1156

Is it baseball season yet?
pilot
Contributor
I've gotten word from a reliable source that he is being faced with a bill in the $750,000 range for USNA, Berkley Grad School, and "military training" which I'd assume is nuke stuff... Nuts.
 

cfam

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Neither is flight school, but you don't have to repay that if you DOR.

True, I didn't know if it'd be different for Nuke School or not. He did do VGEP (Voluntary Graduate Education Program) at Hopkins the last semester of his firstie year and got a free master's degree out of the deal, so I figure he'll be saddled with something additional for that.

I completely agree with the rest of your post. If you read his petition, he tries to justify his status with the fact that classes like Ethics taught him the "just war" theory, which started him reexamining his position on serving/his religious beliefs. I don't know about you or any other USNA grads on here, but nothing in that class or any other class at the academy made me suddenly want to go get my "peace now" banners ready.
 
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