killing is not the way i want to go

[Flopotomist]

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Thats so hilarious because whenever our radios were f-d up (we used PRCs instead of SINCGARS, because it seemed more authentic), we assumed bluefor had ECMs & such and were jamming us. Guess it was just crappy leftover Vietnam manpacks.

You may still have been jammed - the TRQ-32's were still allowed to go, but they were land based, not air based.

 

[Ranger9879]

wow. talk about biting my head off. I just want to say that when did i ever call myself or clarify that i went to Ranger school, therefore i AM A RANGER. a screen name is irrelevant to status and i think if you read any more into things, you guys might just miss the big picture here. If I am guilty of "DISHONORING" elite members of the Army, then i think you should question every screen name out there and give them hell, like "Mr. Freeze." Does that mean he's REALLY Mr. Freeze????? according to some people, i guess he is. Again, i really hate to bark at people like this, but if you guys just gave thought to what you say, ask questions about my situation first before making assumptions, then maybe there would be decent conversations going.

I learned ALOT from West Point, some things that many people will not learn in a lifetime. I learned that not following through a commitment made me even more careful in making a commitment towards medicine. I've measured the commitment now and will pursue medicine. I think West Point can only work towards my advantage because i have so many stories and experiences involving ethical decisions, that it'll make your head spin (vets and active military in SDN will agree). thing is, i didnt' even have medicine in mind when i went to West Point. I felt that a career as a military officer was in store for me. Turns out, HEY GET THIS..... i changed my mind like so many people do in their lifetime. The fact that i actually made a sound decision to take an alternate path in life shows that i can pick myself up off the ground, dust myself off and pursue something else.

Wow. i still can't get over the fact that you guys actually think i'm calling myself a Ranger..... hint: IT'S A SCREEN NAME, NOT AN I.D. Screen names are a wonderful thing. They can be any name you can think of. If a screen name was "God1897" would you be so gullible and butt hurt that you would go out of your way to diss him?

 

[Flopotomist]

I learned ALOT from West Point

Some of the things that you may have missed are:

Integrity - It is just not honest to call yourself by a SN that does not reflect who you are. If I quit my job as a janitor in the NYPD building, I could not call myself "NYPDCop5772"

Dedication - When you make a committment to something you fulfill your obligation.

Leadership - A leader is able to analyze the situation and make appropriate decisions. You asked for assistance analyzing your situation, and you received nearly unanimous advice, yet don't seem to want to take it. In summary, the advice was to downplay being a quitter, and be VERY careful not to disrespect the miltary by using language such as "killers" because you never know who will be on an adcom.

Selfless Service - You deprived somebody of a slot in a prestigious academy so that you could drop out later. Selfish.

Respect - You disrespect the memory of your friend by suggesting that dropping out of the military was because of his death. You disrespect him by suggesting that he was nothing but a "killer."

Courage - You demonstrate a lack of courage by refusing to complete the challenging program you were enrolled in.

Logic - You fail to demonstrate a logical reason why you could not BOTH fulfill your military obligations AND become a physician.

Sorry to sound so harsh, but you sorta brought this one on yourself.

 

[MoosePilot]

wow. talk about biting my head off. I just want to say that when did i ever call myself or clarify that i went to Ranger school, therefore i AM A RANGER. a screen name is irrelevant to status and i think if you read any more into things, you guys might just miss the big picture here. If I am guilty of "DISHONORING" elite members of the Army, then i think you should question every screen name out there and give them hell, like "Mr. Freeze." Does that mean he's REALLY Mr. Freeze????? according to some people, i guess he is. Again, i really hate to bark at people like this, but if you guys just gave thought to what you say, ask questions about my situation first before making assumptions, then maybe there would be decent conversations going.

I learned ALOT from West Point, some things that many people will not learn in a lifetime. I learned that not following through a commitment made me even more careful in making a commitment towards medicine. I've measured the commitment now and will pursue medicine. I think West Point can only work towards my advantage because i have so many stories and experiences involving ethical decisions, that it'll make your head spin (vets and active military in SDN will agree). thing is, i didnt' even have medicine in mind when i went to West Point. I felt that a career as a military officer was in store for me. Turns out, HEY GET THIS..... i changed my mind like so many people do in their lifetime. The fact that i actually made a sound decision to take an alternate path in life shows that i can pick myself up off the ground, dust myself off and pursue something else.

Wow. i still can't get over the fact that you guys actually think i'm calling myself a Ranger..... hint: IT'S A SCREEN NAME, NOT AN I.D. Screen names are a wonderful thing. They can be any name you can think of. If a screen name was "God1897" would you be so gullible and butt hurt that you would go out of your way to diss him?

Obviously BS screen names usually don't bother anyone.

Your problem is you were involved in the branch of the military that spawns the Rangers, gave it up, criticized those who stuck with it, but then used that screen name. In other words, you knew better and yet you cloaked yourself in their reputation.

If I called myself God, nobody would believe I was.

If I called myself Thunderbird6, then people knowing I'm an Air Force pilot might assume I'd been in that unit. I'd be trying to take some of their rep by using their name. Do you see the difference?

 

[liverotcod]

If I called myself Thunderbird6, then people knowing I'm an Air Force pilot might assume I'd been in that unit. I'd be trying to take some of their rep by using their name. Do you see the difference?

Do they have transports in the Thunderbirds? 😉

Edit: I love your Silmarillion quote, BTW. 👍

 

[Supadupafly]

I learned ALOT from West Point, some things that many people will not learn in a lifetime.

Wow... I have heard this kind of crap from butterbars out of the point before, but I've never heard such self-aggrandizing B.S. from an academy dropout. I'd like to hear you pass that garbage by your NCOs IF you had stuck it out. I had some sympathy for you there for awhile, but that pretty much wiped it out. You SHOULD have stayed in the Army. The first coulple of years out would have taught you some humility if nothing else.

There are enough Blue Falcons in medicine already. Do me a favor and become a lawyer or something, where that kind of self rightiousness is tolerated.

REMF.

 

[MoosePilot]

Do they have transports in the Thunderbirds? 😉

Edit: I love your Silmarillion quote, BTW. 👍

Uhhh... yeah! You think it's tough to fly upside down in an F-16? Well, do the same in the super C-17 and you're a real aerobatic pilot.

 

[liverotcod]

Uhhh... yeah! You think it's tough to fly upside down in an F-16? Well, do the same in the super C-17 and you're a real aerobatic pilot.

I got a 737 to do a snap roll once.

In MS Flight Simulator. 😛 In real life, I seem to struggle with straight-and-level in a 172. I think I need better instruction, or more dedication, or something. Can you help?

 

[roboyce]

Wow,

This whole thread is getting a little out of hand. Unfortunately it is starting to take on the whole "big balls" approach that is so prevalent in the military.

First of all, to address the whole "elite" unit thing, I think it is important that everyone, and especially those without a prior-service background, understand that it is all about perception. Everyone in the military plays an important role, no matter what it is they are trained to do. Quite frankly, as an infantryman, I'm pretty damn happy when the tanks show up, just as I'm happy when I turn in my broken equipment to the ordinance guys, just as I'm happy when the C-130 drags my happy ass out of Baghdad. No one can take away from the training the SF guys go through, but even they couldn't survive without the support provided by so many others.

Second, there has been some talk about cowardice in this thread. That needs to stop. Personally, I don't believe there are really cowards, especially as pertains to war. People perceive and experience situations in different ways. Accordingly, they respond differently. For example, in Iraq, alot of women and children are killed in car-bombings and artillery attacks. While it was certainly hard on me, I know it was much harder on my soldiers that are married with their own kids. Things like that throw them off. Does that make them cowards if they have a hard time picking up the rifle again? There are so many things that go into the human reaction that it greatly oversimplifies to throw that around here. Honestly, I give some credit to Ranger9879. He stepped up to the plate more than 99% of the population. Most never even get that far.

Finally, if you went to Ranger school, then good for you. It ain't easy. I retract the last paragraph of my last post. However, I am a little confused. Ranger School does not allow WP cadets to attend, especially freshman, who can't even attend Airborne or Air Assault. You must be at least an E4 or officer, typically in a combat arms MOS. Now, I don't want to jump to conclusions here so I'm not making any accusation. The next logical thought is that you may have gone as an enlisted soldier before you went to WP. If that's true, then I'm a little surprised you haven't mentioned it. It would certainly help remove some of the doubt that has been expressed regarding the commitment factor, although it might make it a little harder to explain that you didn't know what you were getting into.

Just a few thoughts.

 

[MoosePilot]

I think you're misunderstanding his most recent post.

I just want to say that when did i ever call myself or clarify that i went to Ranger school, therefore i AM A RANGER. a screen name is irrelevant to status and i think if you read any more into things, you guys might just miss the big picture here.

I thought West Point was competitive like USAFA, but this broken English probably translates to something like:

When did I ever call myself a Ranger or say I went to Ranger school?

 

[roboyce]

I think you're misunderstanding his most recent post.

Sorry, must be the infantryman coming out. It happens every once in awhile.

 

[BeatArmy]

The Duty to obey and carry out the foreign policy of this country's military commanders without question and to have the impetus to ask questions beat the heck out of you by the brainwashing tactics of military and especially military academy culture, is something that the OP decided he/she should not be invloved in for whatever reason.--Ben

Easy with the "brainwashing." I think I know what you mean. There is certainly indoctrination into the military culture you speak of, but nobody gets brainwashed at american service academies.

On another note, lots of good people leave service academies because it is not right for them. We lost 1/4 of our class by graduation. But as other posters have suggested, the OP should be very careful how hard he tries to spin his decisions into a positive. If he approaches the topic with humilty, he should be alright. Maybe say, "I made a mistake. I didn't thoroughly think through life in the military before I went to West Point. I wasn't committed to it. I am committed to medicine. Let me show you the steps I have taken to make a more informed decision this time." Trying to spin it any more positively than that sounds like BS.
Basically, he should show he learned something about himself from the experience, not something about the military. He never saw the military. I would not play up all the "experience" he got as a plebe. I guarantee he did not, as he suggests, face moral decisions that would make heads spin. As others have suggested, he may need to take the time and figure out exactly what he did learn about himself. That is the most valuable thing he could take from his time at USMA. It doesn't sound like he has figured it out yet.
Finally, I think it would be a mistake for the OP to make the experience the centerpiece of his PS. When it is all said and done, he will be doing well for himself if he can get the Adcoms to view it as a mistake from which he learned about himself. If they are putting any more thought into it than that, then the rest of his application is not strong enough.
OP, go get some experience with medicine. Volunteer. Learn what medicine is all about. Learn about the day to day life of a doctor, including the bad stuff. When it comes time to apply to med school, if your USMA experience is still the most relevant thing you can think to write about, then you are making no better-informed decision than you did on I-day. (or whatever you Woops call it.)

 

[Mr. Freeze]

Unless you work at a state park or play baseball in Arlington, you, albeit subtly, are misrepresenting your "service" with your screen name. Granted, you may just think it is no big deal because of the nature of "screen names." I'm just letting you know it is in fact a big deal and has nothing to do with other members being gullible. Had you completed your commitment, you'd likely understand why.

Does that mean he's REALLY Mr. Freeze?????

A nickname given by guys in my unit because I get hot real easy and I didn't wear snivel gear until it got painfully cold. Or it may have been because of my cold heart and the fact that I am such an dingus...there were rumors I was raised on the North Slope by a family of arrogant polar bears. So yeah, it just may... 😎

In the end, however, you don't have to justify anything to us; just yourself and whoever reads you essay/application. But you did ask...

 

[Supadupafly]

Unless you work at a state park or play baseball in Arlington...

Maybe he's a Ranger like "Walker". I've seen that show; Chuck Norris is hard core.

 

[Masamune4567]

my reason for transferring from West Point is because after the death of my best friend in Iraq last October, i started to reassess what i wanted in life and found that it would be better not holding an M-16 assault rifle killing another human being, guilty or not. i didn't want that in my future. Rather, i wanted to be on the opposite side of the spectrum. I also will tie in my low GPA at the U.S Military Academy, a result from my difference in goals and my desire to incorporate a military lifestyle into academics. Would this be a good essay topic for med school?

My best friend is in Iraq for 3 years in exchange for guaranteed acceptance to the medical school of his choice.

Why not stick it out for 3 years for guaranteed acceptance if your academics are lacking behind other people?

 

[MoosePilot]

My best friend is in Iraq for 3 years in exchange for guaranteed acceptance to the medical school of his choice.

Why not stick it out for 3 years for guaranteed acceptance if your academics are lacking behind other people?

Excuse me?

 

[notdeadyet]

My best friend is in Iraq for 3 years in exchange for guaranteed acceptance to the medical school of his choice.

Why not stick it out for 3 years for guaranteed acceptance if your academics are lacking behind other people?

Either you're talking nonsense or your gullible friend is due for a rude, rude awakening. Lord...

 

[LJDHC05]

My best friend is in Iraq for 3 years in exchange for guaranteed acceptance to the medical school of his choice.

Why not stick it out for 3 years for guaranteed acceptance if your academics are lacking behind other people?

Last time I checked, the military isnt a free ticket into med school anywhere. It is a good life experience, but it wont make up for lacking academics.