nbblood

Wow, thanks for the post. I'll admit it, after reading this post I hadn't thought this situation all the way through. Good stuff to think about. Glad it worked out for you. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Darius, Thank-you. What a terrific perspective. I agree with others when they say that you have truly captured the spirit of this thread. For those of you that may have missed it, please take the time to check this one out. Edited to add: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=923105;search_string=patriotism;#923105 (sorry I don't know how to make it just say "clicky") Who knows, maybe we can get this back on track. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

I know. Thank-you, Michele. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Kallend, Thank-you. I appreciate that. All, Let's try to get back on track. There are plenty of threads for political bashing and backstabbing. I'm not saying political discussion isn't valuable....it is. However, the spirit of this thread is supposed to be "What's great about our/your country". How about some more positive tones. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Unfortunately, I'm still in Korea. I should be back in early June. I'm gonna get down to Mesquite soon after I get back trying to beat the summer heat. Just gotta get down there and support Brad and Sher, they've been awesome to me. I'll also be hanging around Skydive Ogden for a while too. Planning on taking at least 30 days and jumping my ass off. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

That's funny. LMAO. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Ok, I'm a self-proclaimed Chevy man, but I'll try to give you an objective opinion. First, I think all of the big three are making great trucks and you can't go wrong with any of them. Chevy definitely is the best ride hands down. Ford and Dodge are making their suspensions too heavy duty, making for a rough ride. They're durable, but rough. I spend many hours in the mountains, and I once actually got out of a Dodge and walked because I couldn't stand the ride any longer. That said, I think the Cummins diesel is the most reliable in the long run. It will pull anything you want to pull and will probably outlast the Duramax and the Powerstroke. On the other hand, the power ratings are Duramax, Powerstroke, then Cummins, in that order. But again, the Cummins is more than enough for anything you'll ever need. On the positive for Ford, they're still bolting everything as opposed to welding components, as far as I know. Stronger, easier for replacement parts, etc. Again, you can't go wrong, just my .02. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Wow, Kallend, you really are negative. So many posts and not a single positive thing to say? I know you have something. It's ok, you won't lose cool points. Your comments are relavent, but come on, something positive??.....I really do want to hear what you've got to say too......as long as it's positve. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Well, I can speak for the Army. Yes the Army has a buddy program and yes that means that you and your "buddy" would be stationed in the same basic, AIT (assuming you have the same MOS) and on to your first duty station. It has been somewhat succussful. I will say, that just because you have the same first duty station, does not necessarily mean you will end up in the same company or platoon. I think a lot of participants find out that they make other buddies and by that time it's not that big of a deal. As far as preparation. I suggest "We Were Soldiers Once....and Young" by LTG Hal Moore. Yes, the book the movie was based on. The book gets a lot more into the mentality aspect and helps understand the sacrifice made by soldiers. The ASVAB is not that big of a deal. I second the opinions others have stated. If you did well in high school and you've taken an SAT or ACT you will be prepared. Still there are ASVAB study guides and you want to do well as this opens up options. Physical preparation will be more valuable, in my opinion. The Army Physical Fitness Test includes 2 minutes push-ups, two minutes sit-ups, and two mile run. Standards vary depending on age group, but I would focus on upper body and ab workouts. The better shape you are in when entering basic, the better off you'll be. Very simple. Anyway, can't help much with the USAF, but there's an Army perspective for you. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Now we're talkin'.....thanks. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Ok. Granted. Still, do you have anything positive to say? Trying to get this back on track rather than a flame war. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

There's a few (birdmen) that hang out around there. Not sure if they're gonna be at the boogie or not. Ask for Scottie, Seth, or Ian. They're SLC crowd, but might make it down for the boogie. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Coolness, good job and good luck!

Ok, enough already. Don't you have a something positive to say? How about: I love that if I purchase land for my residence the zoning laws will protect me from a hazardous waste facility built in my back yard. or If I don't like the zoning restrictions in my neighborhood, I can choose to move. I have the freedom to choose where I want to live. There's some great stuff here. Let's keep it going, not insist on dragging it down. Others that I particularly liked, social and ethnic diversity....great thing about our country. Peaceful transformation of power. Sparky.....great stuff. Edited: Sparky said it, but Luv2Fall copied and pasted, so good stuff for you too

aha....thank-you. I knew there were some positive replies out there. We're getting somewhere now. Thanks for the positive replies. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

I know I didn't say anything at all about the current leadership. I'm simply asking, why do you love your country. Again, I'm not looking for the politcal backstabbing. Merely, what's great about your country. I don't know why this is so hard. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Ok, fine, fair enough. You've got an excellent point. I should rethink my phrasing. Anyway, just a thought, not something I think should be enforced. I just think people "love it" more than they realize they do, otherwise they would leave, nothing more than that. Anything positive now? Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Ok, I'm quite distraught about some "Americans'" views of America from some other threads. Personally, I think of myself as very patriotic and what I've seen in other threads lead me to believe that patriotism has long since gone by the wayside in the USA. Patriotism as Webster defines is: "love for or devotion to one's country." My thought is "love it or leave it" and I'm tired of the bashing, the attitude of "I don't owe my country anything, what has it done for me?" I've served my country for the past 12 years in the military and all I think is I wish I could've done more. I will continually look for ways. Yes, there are things I don't like and don't agree with, but I feel the good far outweighs the bad. I would like to hear what others think is great about the USA. If you're not from the USA and you've got something to say that's great about your country, please, by all means, I'd like to hear that too. I personally believe that the U.S. is the greatest country in the world, but I expect that others think theirs is and I certainly respect that. If you want to "bash" the USA, please do so in the numerous threads that are already doing that. Sure, you can utilize your free speach and hijack the thread if you really want to, but I'd really like to see a positive spin for a change. I'll go first: 1. I love the fact that my country protects my freedom of speech, whether for or against the government, without the recourse of punishment by imprisonment or death. 2. I believe in the concept of the American dream. I don't think my country owes me welfare, medical care, education, unemployment....etc. I believe in the concept of those that apply themselves and take advantage of opportunity are rewarded accordingly for their efforts. I like that this still exists in some sense. 3. I love the fact that the USA has so many diverse climates and terrains and it offers so much variety in sites, environments, and communities. 4. I like the fact that we are held accountable by our peers through the justice system. Although flawed, as every system of justice seems to be, it is the best that I know of. 5. I love the fact that people are free to practice their religion of choice without persecution from the government. 6. I cherish the right to keep and bear arms. 7. I appreciate that my country realizes that freedom isn't free and takes proactive measures to maintain security and freedom, for the US and other countries. 8. I feel that the US is the most charitable in the world and I like what we've done to help others worldwide. Ok, that's my short list. I could go on and on, but I'll leave it at that for now. Some may say I'm overly optimistic, I think many are overly pessimistic. Anyway, if you've got something good to say, I'd really like to hear it. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

I start and end every day with a Pepsi....it's pathetic how much of that stuff I drink. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

What I do is wait til she falls asleep after sex, then go through her purse and find her driver's license. Of course she always inevitbaly catches me and says, "Geez, honey we keep the marriage certificate on the wall, you could just look at that!" I know....doesn't help much. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Exactly. I saw a 35% of XXXX coupon for $200 and was thinking about it, but you have to go through the manufacturer and pay their price, instead of the always-lower dealer price. After the 35% off, I'm roughly down to what I would pay the dealer, but I would have to pay $200 for the "privilege" of that. In the long run it's more expensive. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Funny, that's pretty much what I put in the comments box without reading your post first. Anyway, hope this isn't a troll......but looks an awful lot like it. Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

This angers me to no end. I would be quite offended, but I take resolution in the fact that you very obviously have no idea what you are talking about. You've never been there, you have no clue what our presence means to the Iraqis. I guess it's real simple for you to only consider your own welfare and beliefs. I suppose, to you, we are all murderers. You don't have any clue what it means to have your life on the line. You don't know what it means to have to live with something when accidents inevitably happen. Go ahead, believe anything CNN and any self-interest group waves in your face, but only if you really want to believe.....don't worry about actually being there and seeing for yourself, that won't serve your interests anyway. I can't believe this whole thread has gone this long. There are NO plans to enact the draft within the military. Trust me if it ever gets close, there will be indications within the military....not just some bill in congress. There are none. Go ahead and believe the media on everything else if you want. Trust me, they are very rarely ever anywhere near accurate reporting on the Iraq and Afghanistan situations. How do I know? Because I've been there and I correspond daily with people that are there. People this is an election year, you WILL hear all kinds of crazy shit and most of it will not be true. Unbelievable to me what "open minds" can dream up some time. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't PD coming out with larger sizes for the Katana in the near future? If you're determined to order a Katana, why not wait a little while and get one that you might actually be able to fly in the next five years? I've known quite a few people that buy a new "toy", whether it be canopy or camera or whatever, saying they're gonna wait til they're ready to jump it. Never seen one wait more than a month yet. I just get a feeling we'll be reading about this one in the incidents forum, first incident with a Katana in Russia. I echo the sentiments....hope you don't die. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Yeah, I realize that, and that's mostly installation stuff too. I just heard quite a few people say that slinks require "more maintenance" than rapid links. Seems to be about an even race one way or the other. I'm not knocking rapid links and I'm not saying they require more or less maintenance, I'm just saying I don't think saying a disadvantage to slinks is that they require more maintenance is really valid. Anyway, I hear you. Blues, Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.