How Many Has Military Service?

[Hazumu]

i Can't get my head around it.......so many people lived in denial......

Gender specialists call it "The Male Protest" -- it's VERY common, and it also happens in other paramilitary organizations like law enforcement and firefighting.  There are four other trans-women in my town who I either knew while on active duty or were in units I dealt with.

Me?

USMC Air Wing (Aviation Ordnance), 1975 - 1979

Army National Guard (Active Duty - AGR), 1985 - 2002.  Unit Clerk, Supply Sergeant, Military Broadcaster.

I know that if the effluvia ever impacts the rotating impeller, I have some t-sisters and t-brothers I can look to for backup, and I will be watching their sixes, too.

Karen

[RebeccaFog]

Me?

USMC Air Wing (Aviation Ordnance), 1975 - 1979

Army National Guard (Active Duty - AGR), 1985 - 2002.  Unit Clerk, Supply Sergeant, Military Broadcaster.

I know that if the effluvia ever impacts the rotating impeller, I have some t-sisters and t-brothers I can look to for backup, and I will be watching their sixes, too.

Karen

Hi Karen,

   Were you asked to leave the military because of your insistence on using language like this?      

[rhonda13000]

Me?

USMC Air Wing (Aviation Ordnance), 1975 - 1979

Army National Guard (Active Duty - AGR), 1985 - 2002.  Unit Clerk, Supply Sergeant, Military Broadcaster.

I know that if the effluvia ever impacts the rotating impeller, I have some t-sisters and t-brothers I can look to for backup, and I will be watching their sixes, too.

Karen

Hi Karen,

   Were you asked to leave the military because of your insistence on using language like this?      

She and I both.

In addition to an occasionally fiery personality, that is a distinguishing characteristic.

"You don't talk like the average mechanic", I was told one time.

[RebeccaFog]

Me?

USMC Air Wing (Aviation Ordnance), 1975 - 1979

Army National Guard (Active Duty - AGR), 1985 - 2002.  Unit Clerk, Supply Sergeant, Military Broadcaster.

I know that if the effluvia ever impacts the rotating impeller, I have some t-sisters and t-brothers I can look to for backup, and I will be watching their sixes, too.

Karen

Hi Karen,

   Were you asked to leave the military because of your insistence on using language like this?      

She and I both.

In addition to an occasionally fiery personality, that is a distinguishing characteristic.

"You don't talk like the average mechanic", I was told one time.

I got lectured for having a copy of Karl Marx's "Communist Manifesto"

[rhonda13000]

Me?

USMC Air Wing (Aviation Ordnance), 1975 - 1979

Army National Guard (Active Duty - AGR), 1985 - 2002.  Unit Clerk, Supply Sergeant, Military Broadcaster.

I know that if the effluvia ever impacts the rotating impeller, I have some t-sisters and t-brothers I can look to for backup, and I will be watching their sixes, too.

Karen

Hi Karen,

   Were you asked to leave the military because of your insistence on using language like this?      

She and I both.

In addition to an occasionally fiery personality, that is a distinguishing characteristic.

"You don't talk like the average mechanic", I was told one time.

I got lectured for having a copy of Karl Marx's "Communist Manifesto"

I wonder if I will ever get 'lectured' for having a copy of "Allure" magazine on my desk.  

[Hazumu]

In the Air Wing we performed aerial [******] utilizing rotating pastries...  If that's what you mean.

Not surprisingly, intelligent people gravitated to the Air Wing.  But they do so wherever there's a concentration of technology.

I once told a senior NCO who was contemplating a course of action to "Render thyself unconscious".  The look on his face as he worked it out to 'knock yerself out' was priceless...

Karen

[gween]

u.s.m.c. 1989 to 1993 i was in cuba,desert storm and desert shild and also went on a west pac on a LST i was in the infantry 1/1

                                                                     gween

[Terra]

One year Navy Hospital Corpsman. Came out to the navy after a night of suicidal thoughts. would have gotten a dishonorable if not for an unpleasant incident on base one night a month before my discharge. However as part of a deal all records were to be destroyed of the incident. ><  Would still serve if I could, but only as a medic, and only for as long as this fool's war drags on.

Oh, and I had an idea of who I was when enlisting, but hoped to be cured of it during basic. Didn't work. Volunteered for Iraq 7 times at the height of my depression, hoped to die in action to spare my family the pain of my transition and to help my sister and brother with college. Glad I'm out despite my desire to serve, the military is to dreary and doesn't like idealistic people.

[mallard500]

It wasn't living in denial it was existing in SUPPRESSION.
Rashelle

Maybe in a country like America there was more propagander and pressure towards young people to join the forces. It's still happening today....

I personally couldn't live or cope with that type of lifestyle and I wouldn't be any good at it anyway. I would be petrified at the thought. You are all so brave...

Hmmnnn...  not quite sure I like the term 'propaganda' automatically linked to one's desire to serve their country...      But thank you for calling us brave - not sure that's always true either.   

Personally, I volunteered in 1981 - a time when there was little hype about joining, and the military was still unpopular from the Vietnam war.  It was simply something I'd always wanted to do.

The number of former military here doesn't surprise me at all however.  As noted earlier, joining the military (or other 'macho' pursuits) is very common amoung future MTFs, who are either fighting it, or not really aware.

For FTMs however, it's a natural... I wasn't intimidated by doing a "mans job", or being in a largely male environment.  In fact, it felt very natural to me.  It was nice to be treated like 'one of the guys', and exist in a world where I was called Sarge, not ma'am, or 'lady', or "hey you, girl..."!   

Oh - to answer the question...  10 years, Army.  Communication Section Sergeant, E-7.  Was forced out due to a Medical Discharge for asthma.  While it was true I had asthma (developed just after completing Training), I'd never failed a PT test.  What is really was, was a homophobic Commanding Officer, and my young naivete in not being very closeted.  Oh well...

Scott

[Vanessa]

Airborne Infantry.  Currently Active, going on 5 years.  Reup'ed last month for financial stability.  Gonna be in until 2012 unless something unforeseeable happens.

I dressed a little in highschool so I knew something was there but I was unfamiliar with what it was and what it meant.  I am an Army brat and it just made since to join up even if there was a war on.  4th Generation Army with a Medal of Honor recipient in the Civil War.

~Vanessa

[Wendy Kahr]

U.S.M.C. 1974 (just after High School) to 1978 (End of 4 year enlistment). My MOS (Military Occupational Speciality) was in Ground Radio Repair.

The Marines are a great organization - taught me a lot about discipline and getting the job done. I never saw combat. I made it through ok during my enlistment (got out as an E-5 Sgt) but decided that a career in the military wasn't for me (not good at giving orders, and I never was really as strong or tough as the other guys).

After the military, I worked a few years of low paying electronic technician jobs, until I was able to get hired in at an auto campany (Chrysler) as an electronic technician, and have been doing ok at this job ever since (23+ years now).

In retrospect the years I was in (age 19 - 23) were the years I was in the best physical shape of my life and reasonably mentally healthy, and was therefore the best able to perform and carry out what was required of me. It turned out to be a good decision to get out when I did. In my mid-thirties to my mid-forties (approx) I went through an episode of depression (took me a long time to figure out what was wrong with me) that while I managed to stay employed in my civilian job would have made it impossible for me to live or work in a military job / environment.

I'll always love the Marine Corps, and have the utmost respect for my fellow Marines (those who served and fought in wars past, and those who serve and fight today).

[KarenLyn]

U.S.M.C. 1974 (just after High School) to 1978 (End of 4 year enlistment). My MOS (Military Occupational Speciality) was in Ground Radio Repair.

Did you go to the ground electronics school in 29 Palms? If you did, we may well have been there at the same time!  Semper Fi

Karen Lyn

[born2learn]

I always knew, the gender i was born in was wrong since I was a kid. Not that I went into service then known about it. I enlisted when they state we will go into war in middle east again. However, that night when i sign the paper work came home find it over.. we not going to war..

I serve 6 years in US Army as Medical specialist.

[greg-unknown]

Ive always thought about going into the Military. It somehow seems appealing to me. Protecting your country and freedom and such.

[mallard500]

Ive always thought about going into the Military. It somehow seems appealing to me. Protecting your country and freedom and such.

It can be a calling, for sure.  For many, I know it's mainly about the benefits (college assistance, VA loans, cash bonuses, etc), and I don't have a hard time with those at all - the people who choose to serve their country deserve all that and more.  So it's good that the extra benefits are there, but..........

That said, I like to think & hope that there's still the more ultraistic ideas of serving one's country, patriotism, etc in the decision to go into the military.  I'm kind of old fashioned that way, but I've always felt that service to ones country, community, etc is a great thing, and the military is a very honourable way to do that.  (We won't get into current politics, etc please...)

Anyway, the military certainly isn't for everyone, and for Transfolks who are aware of who they are, it probably isn't really a good place at all right now.  But still, it's good to know that there are people who still believe that serving ones country, etc can be a good thing.

Scott

[greg-unknown]

Ive always thought about going into the Military. It somehow seems appealing to me. Protecting your country and freedom and such.

It can be a calling, for sure.  For many, I know it's mainly about the benefits (college assistance, VA loans, cash bonuses, etc), and I don't have a hard time with those at all - the people who choose to serve their country deserve all that and more.  So it's good that the extra benefits are there, but..........

That said, I like to think & hope that there's still the more ultraistic ideas of serving one's country, patriotism, etc in the decision to go into the military.  I'm kind of old fashioned that way, but I've always felt that service to ones country, community, etc is a great thing, and the military is a very honourable way to do that.  (We won't get into current politics, etc please...)

Anyway, the military certainly isn't for everyone, and for Transfolks who are aware of who they are, it probably isn't really a good place at all right now.  But still, it's good to know that there are people who still believe that serving ones country, etc can be a good thing.

Scott

Thanks, I dont actually know that much about the Military right now or its benefits, Ive always just thought of it as protecting your freedom and helping other people. I would never join the American military, but I cant really anyways because Im Canadian. As I said before I dont really know that much about it. But being in the Army or being a Marine just seems appealing to me and seems like something Id like to do when I get older. But Im still not sure about anything these days.

[Hypatia]

I'm a lifelong civilian. But I worked in the Defense Department for some years with military officers as my supervisors (and the experience opened my eyes to how many lesbians are serving in the military, it reminded me how much I like being around lesbians). The month after leaving and switching to a non-Defense job, I came out to myself.

One of my transsexual friends served in the Army in Vietnam. She was "blanketed" by her fellow soldiers. Anyone else ever get that treatment?

[KarenLyn]

I'm a lifelong civilian. But I worked in the Defense Department for some years with military officers as my supervisors (and the experience opened my eyes to how many lesbians are serving in the military, it reminded me how much I like being around lesbians). The month after leaving and switching to a non-Defense job, I came out to myself.

One of my transsexual friends served in the Army in Vietnam. She was "blanketed" by her fellow soldiers. Anyone else ever get that treatment?

I've never participated in a "blanket party" though there was a guy in my platoon who was on the receiving end. He had this thing about bathing so he didn't bother. He had crabs and passed them on to the other bunks near him. Needless to say the guys who caught them were Not impressed. The blanket party didn't changed anything but our platoon sargeant had the other infected troops take him to the showers and got him nice and clean.

[ErickaM]

I'm a lifelong civilian. But I worked in the Defense Department for some years with military officers as my supervisors (and the experience opened my eyes to how many lesbians are serving in the military, it reminded me how much I like being around lesbians). The month after leaving and switching to a non-Defense job, I came out to myself.

One of my transsexual friends served in the Army in Vietnam. She was "blanketed" by her fellow soldiers. Anyone else ever get that treatment?

I've never participated in a "blanket party" though there was a guy in my platoon who was on the receiving end. He had this thing about bathing so he didn't bother. He had crabs and passed them on to the other bunks near him. Needless to say the guys who caught them were Not impressed. The blanket party didn't changed anything but our platoon sargeant had the other infected troops take him to the showers and got him nice and clean.

I too have participated in a blanket party, it was back in '85 when I was in School following Boot Camp and we had a guy that didn't like taking baths or washing is dirty clothing & we had a room inspection and his locker was the first one the inspector stuck his head in and I thought that man would pass out. Needless to say we failed the inspection, so a few nights later this young sailor discovered just how to bath, wash his uniforms & nurse bruised ribs. There are a few things to say about active peer motivational skills, the military should have never gotten rid of some of the old ways. >

[Berliegh]

It might be an 'American' Phenomena as the Transsexuals I know in the U.K have never been in the forces...

In the U.S.A it might be more expected or forced to a certain extent....