Mandatory military service

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solwitch wrote:

Your best option and I'm being serious is to start applying for US citizenship. Stop fucking wasting time and come on over...

It's funny that you mention that because we had 3 Greek-Americans in the camp, all of them born and lived their entire life in the US, and had never visited Greece for anything else than vacation. One of them did not even speak Greek at all. They had dual citizenship. The thing with Greek citizenship is that you cannot abandon it. You stick with it for life, thus you have to serve.

The guy that did not even speak Greek, a lawyer, only lasted for about a week. He had panick attacks and was dismissed as psychologically unable. He could not care less since he has absolutely no intention on working in Greece. The other 2 spoke Greek. One was a stereotypical college freshman american teen from Chicago, and the other one was a 32 year old buiseness man from New York. They were doing fine. Especially the New Yorker was even enjoying it. He liked shootin with the gun.

Point is American citizenship would not help in avoiding doing my service.

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solwitch wrote:

He had panick attacks and was dismissed as psychologically unable.

another possibility :-)

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Schmodderhengst wrote:

Hi,

don´t you have any alternative/community service ? I used to work in a hospital for 20 months instead of going to the army, when Germany still had a mandatory service. By that time one of my friends went out of the military service into community service some months after he had started. I have no idea, if that´s possible in Greece now.

You never know who is giving the orders in the future and if you can think of your own, I believe you should not be forced to take orders from others. It might not have big consequences now, but things might change (When I look at some current developments I´m pessimistic).

However, always remind yourself who you are as an individual until the minimum time is over...

Hi,

Yeah, it is possible to do community service instead. However it is 18 months(instead of 9months military), and they send to you to work to a town as far away possible to the one you live and you are not getting paid. So all in all i thought it was not worth it. As things played out with the music department i will be fine i guess. Things are really loose in the musc department. Lieutenants are not even wearing military clothes.

I am just stressed out for the 3 week special forces training that is ahead of me. I never liked any of these anyway. And what bothers me the most, is the fact that normally, taking the physical test and going to the special forces is optional, except people with athletic backgrounds. SInce i had a few medals in 100m running, taking the test was mandatory. Had i not been lucky enough to get in the music department, i was about to face a full special forces service for the rest 8 months, not just the tranning. I just hope that i will return a "normal" person after these 3 weeks.

PS: Faking mental issues to not serve is not an option for me, since i want to work as a teacher in a school(as i did anyway).

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Poutsos wrote:

Had i not been lucky enough to get in the music department,

I´m speculating and I´m mean, sry, but that´s how they really can buy you in. It´s just the opposite of the conditions of the community service, as you have described it. Don´t forget, you´re athletic and they want you as a soldier, maybe it wasn´t just luck.

Ok, have to go and visit a friend now, I´m already late, all the best and good luck :-).

Well dude i'm sorry for u and for every greek people. it's very bad to see such a great country with thousands of years of great history having a governmnt thats destroying it's own country and making it's own population to suffer( like from military service) :(

I guess greek people's best shot would be to remove the liberal-nazi Tsipras government and take back control of your economy and border , then maybe when things get back to normal in a few years possibly even the mandatory service would go away for the next generation...

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Poutsos wrote:

"

solwitch wrote:

Your best option and I'm being serious is to start applying for US citizenship. Stop fucking wasting time and come on over...

It's funny that you mention that because we had 3 Greek-Americans in the camp, all of them born and lived their entire life in the US, and had never visited Greece for anything else than vacation. One of them did not even speak Greek at all. They had dual citizenship. The thing with Greek citizenship is that you cannot abandon it. You stick with it for life, thus you have to serve.

The guy that did not even speak Greek, a lawyer, only lasted for about a week. He had panick attacks and was dismissed as psychologically unable. He could not care less since he has absolutely no intention on working in Greece. The other 2 spoke Greek. One was a stereotypical college freshman american teen from Chicago, and the other one was a 32 year old buiseness man from New York. They were doing fine. Especially the New Yorker was even enjoying it. He liked shootin with the gun.

Point is American citizenship would not help in avoiding doing my service.

Usually people here in the US that we consider old money don't do so well in social settings. Anyways that totally sucks... I learn something new everyday.

Well here...

1. Starve yourself
2. In the middle of the night head to the bathroom.
3. When people call your name ignore them.
4. Get a pen and paper and write in your diary how you love Greek army but your sad all the time no motivation whatsoever.

You will be diagnosed with clinical depression... Your ticket out.

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solwitch wrote:

Usually people here in the US that we consider old money don't do so well in social settings. Anyways that totally sucks... I learn something new everyday.

Well here...

1. Starve yourself
2. In the middle of the night head to the bathroom.
3. When people call your name ignore them.
4. Get a pen and paper and write in your diary how you love Greek army but your sad all the time no motivation whatsoever.

You will be diagnosed with clinical depression... Your ticket out.

Or i could just walk into the camp's psychiatrist and tell him that i cannot do it. Really, once you have joined the force, it's that simple(it's much harder if you want to avoid it witout joining at all). There have been too many suicides. So once you have a fully loaded assault rifle in your hands, they tend not to take chances. If you say you can't do it they let you go.

The problem is not getting out. The problem is the possible consequences, especially on job applications, if you don't do your service.

Mandatory Military Service is probably the most retarded thing i have ever read... no.. just no.

Does Greece even have any enemies? Why even have a standing army?

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Darkfyre wrote:

Does Greece even have any enemies? Why even have a standing army?

The turkish and the greece people aint the best neighbours.
Zypern is part of this conflict, the whole story is too long to tell here, so you rather wikipedia it yourself.