Grandson Devastated

[travelover]

I don't think the boy is devastated. I think he is being educated.

 

[rescueme]

The tattoo thing has gone to extremes (IMO).

I agree.

IMHO, it's just a way for younger folks to "be unique". However, if everybody does it (or a great majority, today) how unique are you?

Reminds me of the natives that use "lip plates" or the Karen people who extend their necks by using neck rings...

 

[MichaelB]

No trick. Did you hear the bell ring too?

Pavlov would be proud

I didn't click the link.

 

[Nords]

Can't say about anyone else, but I clicked on the link and looked. Then I closed the page and less than ten seconds later the image was gone from my mind. It was pretty easy to let go -- as it was not easy on the eyes.

That reads suspiciously like "C'mon in, the water's fine!"

 

[devans0]

Grandma!!!

She is the spittin' image of grandmother E! I never saw her tats before though.

 

[teejayevans]

I didn't click the link.

Neither did I, shows we're are deciplined individuals, reverse psychology doesn't work on us
TJ

 

[calmloki]

Saw a place down in Cathedral City California that had one store-front advertising cosmetic tattoos (eye and lip liner, dunno what else), regular tattoos in the next store front, and tattoo removal in the third. I'm convinced it was all one owner as the signs looked pretty similar. Good business plan.

 

[calmloki]

Grandma!!!

She is the spittin' image of grandmother Eeeek! I never saw her tats before though.

FTFY

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Update:
Since grandson was rejected by the Marines due to tattoos. SIL (former Marine and ex recruiter) has been talking to numerous contacts to no avail. SIL and grandson went together to see the local recruiter and they got stonewalled. SIL talked to them about requesting a waiver but recruiter said rules are very strict now and he refused to send it up the chain for a formal rejection. SIL also called a couple friends in PA where he enlisted. Talked about traveling to PA and enlist there. No dice. So it looks like grandson will now be going into the Navy. He passed all the tests and now is waiting for a phone call for the date to enlist. The Navy offered him some kind of deal where they would send him to school but he's not interested in school. He's sick of school. I'm sick of him and his attitude. He's 25 and is sick of school and hates work. He's just getting started in the workforce (??). Told him to look forward to fifty more years of being fed up with the world.

If anyone wants to chime in here, I'd love to hear what you've got to say;
however, I'm tired of talking about it and won't be posting anymore on this thread. I'll gladly read your posts and thoughts. Thanks for listening.

 

[unclemick]

I of course klicked on the link - and my eyes went went imediately to the chick in back of the guy with the Security T shirt - being a dirty old man with functioning radar - the hearts on her ?? would pass muster at Hooters.

heh heh heh - it's a test right? Pick out the set(with the heart) hiding at the edge of the picture. I've seen that the current economy allows the military to be picky. A friend's grandson was rejected by the Marines for fighting(some minor fines involved) with his Girlfriend in public. However he is now Combat Infantry in an Army Styker brigade.

 

[oldtrig]

Sounds like he has an attitude that the Navy will take care right away. If he makes it he will be a better person when he gets out. Not sure he will make it with that type attitude though. I wish him luck because he will need it. I hate Tattoo's but that is me. He could always have the tattoo removed then enter the marines. Tom

 

[Bestwifeever]

Maybe the Marine recruiter picked up on the attitude.

I'm really glad the Navy didn't hold the tattoo against his enlistment and hope when you see him for the first time after his enlistment starts that you'll see some changes in him.

 

[GregLee]

Reminds me of the natives that use "lip plates" ...

The lack of sounds p/b/m in some languages has been attributed to the use of such labrets (since those sounds require bringing the two lips completely together). And

Archeological evidence indicates that labrets have been independently invented no less than six times, in Kamchatka (8700 BC), Iran (6400 BC), the Balkans (5000 BC), Sudan (3700 BC), Mesoamerica (1500 BC), and Coastal Ecuador (500 BC)[1].
Lip plate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Grandlakeokie]

This woman wanted to work at Hooters: (Warning, you do not want to click this link. There is nudity, and you will not be able to get the image out of you head once you click on it. Trust me on this. Link).

OMG........I will never doubt you again!

 

[packrat44]

Reminds me of the natives that use "lip plates" ..

Comes in handy around meal time.

 

[Nords]

So it looks like grandson will now be going into the Navy. He passed all the tests and now is waiting for a phone call for the date to enlist. The Navy offered him some kind of deal where they would send him to school but he's not interested in school. He's sick of school. I'm sick of him and his attitude. He's 25 and is sick of school and hates work. He's just getting started in the workforce (??). Told him to look forward to fifty more years of being fed up with the world.
If anyone wants to chime in here, I'd love to hear what you've got to say;
however, I'm tired of talking about it and won't be posting anymore on this thread. I'll gladly read your posts and thoughts. Thanks for listening.

Gosh, we're all glad that we weren't like that when we were 25 years old.

So Navy will take whoever's not good enough to be a Marine? Oboy, I bet the recruit training instructors are looking forward to this experience.

FIREUp2020 can correct me on the latest practices. But IIRC if he enlists with a "no school" option, then the recruiters will administer an ASVAB and slot him for whatever ratings [-]the Navy is currently critically short of[/-] he meets the specs of. He'll get the minimum recruit training and then be sent to sea duty, probably on a big-deck ship like an aircraft carrier or an amphib. He'll be an E-1 or E-2 of a couple hundred young adults in Deck Division, in charge of what we euphemistically call "preservation". Before he qualifies to chip & paint, however, he might spend a month or two on the mess decks as a food-service "helper" to the cooks.

With a 2-4 year enlistment to look forward to more of the same Deck Div (and mess decks) experiences, he'll be motivated to find a rating that interests him. Usually that's accomplished by telling a chief petty officer and then getting to try it for a few weeks-- provided he has the ASVAB scores. If his chain of command is happy with his potential then he can start studying to take the advancement exam and get admitted to that rating. Or he can apply to the training pipeline (there's that "school" thing again) to get the training he qualifies for.

Even if he aspires to be a knuckle-draggin' bosun's mate (the Navy's oldest rating, from the age of sail) then he'll still need to complete an amazing assortment of one-week schools, website training, general-knowledge programs, under-instruction watchstanding, leadership seminars, and other educational experiences. The Navy is all about school.

Or he can [-]grow up[/-] consider the recruiter's advice to pursue training in something that interests him-- mechanical, security, computers, electronics, intelligence, aviation, even explosives. Mechanical & electronics training can also lead directly to a nuclear submarine career, and the other fields can lead to submarine duty in a non-nuclear rating. He'll have a 4-8 year enlistment, but he can leave the training pipeline as an E-3 or even an E-4 and spend a lot less time on menial labor.

In general, two years of "nondesignated" Navy service is a huge motivator to get trained and perhaps even get some college classes.

But with that tattoo there may be some programs (instructor, recruiter) that he won't qualify for. I can't say "never", but he'll be at the mercy of the "standards of the month" rules.

Sounds like he has an attitude that the Navy will take care right away.

Yeah, sure, like the military really wants that job. Far easier to recruit the ones who really want the advanced training, and a shaky economy offers plenty of opportunity to pick & choose.

 

[Amethyst]

Sounds like he's ready for ER!

Amethyst

Update:
He's 25 and is sick of school and hates work. .

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Nords, I said I wouldn't post anymore on this thread but your posting got me to thinking. Of course I can't possibly know him like his mother and father, but I'm starting to pick up a little. When I mentioned that the Navy will take him, I should have gone into more detail. I understand there is some kind of standard test they give to all applicants, kind of like a SAT. He scored 93 on it and I think that's pretty good. The kid is smart, just not smart enough to apply himself. The Navy offered him schooling in nuclear something or other and that is what he turned down. Remember, he's sick of school. Said he wanted to be in the aviation end of the business.

Well, come to find out a little family problem may be the root cause of all this. Our daughter and SIL came over last weekend and informed us that grandson #1's brother (23) is gay. They have known about it since last October as has grandson #!. The brothers had a knock down drag out fight that has put a little riff in that family. I guess grandson #1 kicked #2's butt. SIL had to jump in and stop it as he feared #1's martial arts might come into play. #1 is so pi**ed at his brother being gay that he wants out of the house. Can't stand to be around his gay brother.

I'm thinking about having a talk with grandson #1, try to pick him up a little and talking him into taking the "nuclear thing" offer from the Navy. However, the "nuclear thing" might mean submarines and couldn't blame him for not wanting that.

 

[Amethyst]

"#1 is so pi**ed at his brother being gay that he wants out of the house. Can't stand to be around his gay brother."

Johnnie, this must be hard for you to take, since I'm sure you love all your grandsons equally and don't want one to bully the other one. You must be hurting for your daughter's sake, too. I'm sorry there is strife in your family.

Amethyst

 

[MichaelB]

He's 25 and is sick of school and hates work. He's just getting started in the workforce (??). Told him to look forward to fifty more years of being fed up with the world.

This describes a cousin of mine. We were very close as kids and spent our summers together. One additional characteristic he had to your description above was "problems with authority".

The short version: he joined the army, spent 10 years or so, and has been driving a truck ever since. He doesn't complain but it is a tough life.

The Armed Forces is not the ideal place to deal with individuals like this, but they are equipped to do so.

 

[rescueme]

I understand the situation (of his wanting to leave), completely.

For me, the military was my "way out" of a bad family situation. I left the month after I turned 19 and other than a few short visits during my elistment, it was my path to "freedom".

I went in with nothing (literally, with no money, and the only clothes on my back, as a "rainbow" enlistee). I left the military with a wife, a son, and a better future. Yeah, for me, it turned out well...

No regrets...

 

[Nords]

I understand there is some kind of standard test they give to all applicants, kind of like a SAT. He scored 93 on it and I think that's pretty good. The kid is smart, just not smart enough to apply himself. The Navy offered him schooling in nuclear something or other and that is what he turned down. Remember, he's sick of school. Said he wanted to be in the aviation end of the business.

That's the ASVAB, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. It's frequently administered at high schools in addition to recruiting stations, and it's the preliminary screening tool for choosing ratings (specialties).

Even in the submarine force there's a substantial difference among the ASVAB requirements for a [-]quartermaster[/-] navigation electronics tech (or whatever we're calling them now), a [-]torpedoman[/-] machinist's mate weapons, a nuclear reactor technician, and a [-]cook[/-] culinary specialist. However they all have varying degrees of required schooling/training, and on a submarine he'd be heavily burdened with additional qualification requirements (which require more schooling/training/studying). For example a submariner cook is cross-trained as a first-aid medic, and some have even taken the initiative to pursue EMT training. All submariners are heavily trained on firefighting and damage control. Many of them are even cross-trained on target tracking & analysis to help with intelligence and warfighting.

But lemme make sure I understand this young man's attitude: he doesn't want to have to learn or study, and he doesn't want to work hard, so he'd rather be an aviator? (I can almost hear REWahoo! spewing coffee on his computer monitor.) As much as I'd like to tell this story in the submariner's bars, I'd have to say "Good luck with that". Navy air is not for laziness, and I think even the Air Force requires some minimum level of schooling, training, & studying in its aviation community.

Based on what you've told me of your grandson's stated aptitude for physical exertion, if he's offered the Navy rating of "aviation bosun's mate" or the really cool job of "plane captain" then he should run away fast.

#1 is so pi**ed at his brother being gay that he wants out of the house. Can't stand to be around his gay brother.

Sibling rivalry? No problem. Martial arts? A plus. Doesn't get along well with the team? We can work on that.

Homophobia? Don't even bother trying to enlist-- the military will successfully implement the end of "don't ask don't tell" but right now the chain of command is very sensitive to any possible backlash. If he tells this story or expresses any anti-gay sentiments then he'd be heading straight for an administrative discharge. Or worse.

I'm thinking about having a talk with grandson #1, try to pick him up a little and talking him into taking the "nuclear thing" offer from the Navy. However, the "nuclear thing" might mean submarines and couldn't blame him for not wanting that.

The "other nuclear option" is aircraft carriers, which can work out just fine. He can spend an entire career going among any of a dozen of them and, depending on his rating, might even be able to get duty on a different ship like a submarine tender (nuclear maintenance). He still gets sea pay for sea duty. When he's doing nuclear work in his specialty then he gets special duty assignment pay. There are plenty of shore duty options as well, although some of the special programs still screen for body art.

He'd have to volunteer for submarine service, so if he doesn't want it then it won't happen. Submariners do not want non-volunteers, and volunteers who change their minds are quickly persuaded to leave.

 

[packrat44]

.

But lemme make sure I understand this young man's attitude: he doesn't want to have to learn or study, and he doesn't want to work hard, so he'd rather be an aviator?
.

Sounds like someone who has "grown up" playing way too many video games.

 

[utrecht]

Nords, is the ASVAB the same test and same scoring system they used 20 years ago? I believe the same test is given to all branches, correct? If so, then I dont believe 93 is all that great of a score is it?. I took the test in 1986 and joined the Army. I scored 125.

 

[Gumby]

There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.

Brutus -- Julius Caesar Act 4, scene 3, 218–224 (by Wm. Shakespeare)


Johnnie:

Your grandson stands now in the position to take that tide. If the Navy accepts him, he will be in a position to learn a useful trade. Among other possibilities, the Navy can teach him to be an electronics technician, an electrician, HVAC tech, industrial health safety tech, diesel mechanic, aviation mechanic or power plant operator. People who are rated in these specialized areas tend to advance faster and go further in the Navy. And even if he finds that the Navy itself is not the career for him, the skills he learns there can be immensely valuable once he gets out. But here's the rub -- all of these require further schooling and the desire and ability to work to acquire the necessary qualifications. So, even assuming the Navy takes him, indolence is not rewarded there any more than in the civilian world. If he's planning to sit there like a bump on a log and do nothing but mess cook and chip paint as an E-3 in the Deck Division, I'm not sure it's even worth his time to join.

I'm sure it's quite frustrating for you to watch. I have nephews and a niece in their mid-twenties who seemingly have no ambition and are just drifting through life. If I were their father instead of their uncle, I might be pulling my few remaining hairs out. At this point, I just have to be content to provide a good example. They do not ask for my advice and I don't give it.