Donald Trump: prep school was like the military

breamfisher

...riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Wonder what his chances of being deployed while in school were?

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/trump-always-felt-i-was-in-the-military-128645628576.html

Farm Boy Deuce

He has always been a blowhard. Now he has stepped in it again.

breamfisher

I don't think other folks are claiming their experiences were equivalent to the military. He is.

And as to lack of combat: true, lots of military vets haven't been through that. But it was a possibility. Not so in his prep school. I doubt the ran the risk of dying in a training accident or on a rotation. Happens in the military even in peace time. And the negative effects of getting kicked out of the military are a bit worse than getting kicked out of a prep school.

Varmintmist

Wambli Ska wrote: »

He never said he had combat experience did he? Actually the school he attended, New York Military Academy is pretty hardcore and as military as attending West Point in later years would be. I actually looked at that school for my son but he really did not want to go. Most folks IN the military never see combat only the structure and chain of command and quite frankly he probably did get more military type training in his prep school than many folks in the military ever will.

You weren't in were you?

And how come none of the other folks lack of military experience gets called into question by the media AND the Republican Party infrastructure?

Oh, because none of them were so dense or full of it to have claimed high school was like being in the military? just a thought.

The more the establishment tries to single him out based on superficial spin BS, the MORE I'm getting convinced that HE MIGHT be the right guy...

Superficial BS? Really. Hiring a commander in chief that thinks his prep school qualifies him as a vet? There is a PLAN!! Right after he steals your property, he can drive a tank over it.

Big Chief

Not all past presidents with military experience did so well, look at the Peanut Farmer. Some have and some have not been good presidents.

Even Colin Powell a retired 4 star (who served our country well BTW) has politics I don't care for....to the left and endorses the Black Lives Matter Movement. I understand why he does support what it is/was supposed to be before the radical troublemakers got in it, but just don't agree with him. Wesley Clark was a Clintonite......need I mention Swift Boat John......................

I wouldn't have liked a military academy HS either. If that is his only exposure to a military like environment then to him it probably is in his mind .....like the military.

If he makes sound decisions based on a good team of advisers both military and civilian and does what is best for America FIRST, not the rest of the world and takes care of all our military in War and Peace.................that would be where my vote is going.

Varmintmist

I dunno, he just made the decision to compare his high school days as a military equivalent and that he knew people who went in. CIC does not need military experience, but he does need to know the difference.

“My number was so incredible and it was a very high draft number,” Trump told D’Antonio, according to the Times. “Anyway so I never had to do that, but I felt that I was in the military in the true sense because I dealt with those people.”

he “always felt” that he had because he attended a military-themed prep school that gave him “more training militarily than a lot of the guys that go into the military.”

My HS band director was a Army band guy and kept extremely strict discipline, probably stricter than most NG or reserve units, I am just like a Seal right?

bowserb

While it's a complex issue--military service or not--of all the things a president can do, getting our nation into a war is to me the most significant. And for that, I want the person who makes the decision to have some "hands-on" knowledge of what he will be asking American military personnel to do. If you look at modern presidents, there is some proof that real war experience is desirable.

Eisenhower is an example of a president who knew the down side of war. He refused to go into Vietnam (and bail out the French...again), and he favored tactical nuclear weapons over large numbers of troops. Indeed, he avoided war while still scaring the bleep out of the Russians.

Democrat Kennedy certainly had war experience. We don't really know if he would have escalated Vietnam like Johnson did. (Pay no attention to 'history according to Oliver Stone'!) Johnson's war experience is minimal and somewhat controversial, since he was essentially just a shipyard inspector, with his Silver Star having the same kind of cloud over it as Kerry's Purple Heart. Johnson was on one mission in the south pacific and was in a B-26 that had to turn back with generator trouble before even reaching the battle area. No one else on that plane got a medal of any kind.

George H W Bush. Youngest pilot in the Navy. 58 combat missions. His bomber shot down in an area where the Japs were executing and EATING American prisoners, and was picked up by a U.S. submarine. As a congressman (Texas 7th district...where I live), he showed his lack of respect for the Vietnam war by getting his son (George W. Bush) a spot in an Air National Guard unit flying obsolete aircraft, so he could never get sent to Vietnam. He showed restraint in the Gulf War...restraint which his son, lacking any war experience, failed to demonstrate later.

Clinton. Glorified draft dodger. Natl Guard but never reported for duty, thanks to political connections.

George W. Bush. Responsible, more than any other single person in America, for the terrible state of affairs in the middle east. Make no mistake. I am a conservative and have no question that Obama is the worst president in U.S., and maybe world, history. However, Bush screwed up beyond what I would have thought possible, and created the vacuum that has been filled by ISIS and other muslim extremists. Getting rid of middle east dictators is always a bad idea, which he should have recognized from the disaster in Iran. Only a brutal dictator can keep muslim extremists under control and maintain order in a muslim country. (I have a friend from Syria who has been telling me stories for 15 years and still has friends, business associates, and relatives there.)

Obama. Here we have hit rock bottom. Community organizer and puppet. No experience in anything of value or productivity. Hates the military. Hates police. Hates white people. His goal is simple: Punish the rich and white people by taking their money and giving it to poor blacks, while destroying the longest-lasting democracy in the history of the world.

And now we have Trump, who equates military school to actual military service. Trump has had no chance from the beginning, but I had hoped he would last long enough to keep the GOP from making Planned Parenthood the only issue of the next election. Looks like in spite of his lack of military experience, he's going down in flames. I wonder if he'll bail out in time.

Big Chief

Varmintmist wrote: »

My HS band director was a Army band guy and kept extremely strict discipline, probably stricter than most NG or reserve units, I am just like a Seal right?

Naw, but a smooth Operator, at least :tooth: :roll2::roll2:

I think he is getting a little better at answering questions lately with some depth he wasn't showing a earlier. He seemed better at it last night than in previous weeks.

He needs to catch up on foreign affairs better and get caught up on who is who and doing what around the world. He got caught up and confused when asked a question by the talk radio host about the Iranian Quds Force and confused it with the Kurds and then slammed the guy who really wasn't trying to pull a gotcha question on him. It was a fair question and he should have said he really didn't know.

Every time he does something all the talking heads say will sink him, his support gets stronger.

He promotes himself and his Brand pretty heavily every chance he gets. A little too thick, at times.

There will come a time soon he had better be prepared to give pertinent and specific answers to questions. That radio host will be on a panel for a future debate, I believe.

I think he can do it and get himself up to snuff. He said he likes and respects John Bolton's opinions, our former UN Ambassador who is a pretty level headed guy that has a good grasp on world affairs. He needs to watch him and others address what they think and how or what the US should be doing.

I learn a lot from reading the news and watching TV which helps me stay up on current affairs. That is where most of us get our news is from the news...right?

In his case I would still watch/read the news, but call in the experts and get coached and tutored by professionals. Ask for the feedback from those whose job it is to keep track and analyze what is happening internationally and what our role should be. Consultants from think tanks, retired military, professors and those with former experience should be on his staff and keep him briefed and updated enough to understand what is going on and intelligently answer questions about it.

Find out what topics are on voters minds, what they worry about like ISIS/Iran, our economy/trade (his strong suite), crime, medical care, education, our infrastructure, national security, taxes and put forth what his solutions would be if nominated and elected.

Hopefully his answers will resonate with voters enough to earn him their trust and vote.

Americans are feed up with the Status Quo and looking for an alternative to the same ole same ole from both parties. Trump just may be the man to provide the change they want and pull in enough support and votes to get elected.

Time will tell how his campaign will play out. I say like him or hate him, don't underestimate The Donald.

Diver43

Uhm, not make a big deal of it but, the article begins with: Reportedly told the author

He never denied his draft deferment or that he did receive a high number. He did not serve in a support function and claim to be a hero. Claim to be under fire when the conflict was miles away, or anything like that.
Like him or not, he is a key figure at this point and about the only one not hiding behind PC bull poop. If he were to make it through and be elected, I believe he would be smart enough to listen to his Military leaders and not fire everyone that does not agree with him. I believe that Military School taught him things like discipline, leadership and what it feels like to not be at the top. He realized he wanted to be the person in charge and has built what some may call an empire.
My guess is that as things progress, a lot less dirt will be found on the Donald than most other folks running for office. If he and Dr Carson were to team up they may just steal the show.

Make_My_Day

Regardless of whether Trump's experience in a military prep school is comparable to being in the military, I think that he would have learned a certain amount of discipline and organizational skills in the process. Certainly his education was superior to most public high school education available at the time, and he was at the top of his class at the Wharton School of Business. Even though he has some annoying qualities such as having a monstrous ego, and he is not shy about promoting his accomplishments, at least he has something to brag about other than being a community organizer and a fake constitutional lawyer. If he makes it to the nomination for president, I will vote for him. I think it's time for someone who has not spent their entire working life in government, and being a billionaire will ensure he will not be beholden to lobbyists and campaign contributors.

Big Chief

From Trump:

Donald Trump: Amateur hour with the Iran nuclear deal

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/09/08/donald-trump-amateur-hour-iran-nuclear-deal-column/71884090/

Big Chief

You made some good points bowseb, but I don't see Trump going down in flames from anything I've seen or read.

I have heard a lot of predictions from TV talking heads and politicos saying he was a joke, but who are changing their views now he hasn't.

Especially from his competition in the race, so far wishful thinking.

Big Chief

He may very well fizzle out in time like a Roman Candle in a dark sky after a spectacular start, I dunno.

For now he is in it and only ONE of the 17 or so will get the Republican nomination.

Huckabee, who I think is an honest good man who sticks by his convictions is scrambling to get noticed by hanging his star on the Gay marriage license debacle with Rand Paul in the shadows there...........some of them are getting desperate and yet the Donald gets most of the attention, free press just by being himself.

I will surely vote for him (Trump) in the general election if he gets that far on the Rep ticket.

Varmintmist

Wambli Ska wrote: »

Nope, I never wore a uniform, fail to see that as any kind of a salient point to this discussion. Again military experience DOES NOT equal combat experience which he never said he had.

Well if you had, you would understand that signing yourself to the Govt for X years to fulfill whatever capacity they choose for you to fill because you chose to serve your country, is a HELL of a lot different than going to high school.

Many folks in the Military, I'll probably even go with the majority, just like most LE folks, will never be anywhere near a shot fired in anger.

You may not fire a weapon more than once. AF in the early 80's did a day of 22LR ar15 fam fire in boot, that was it. Those 17 year olds were then in charge of loading nukes and repairing 100Mil aircraft that people were depending on 24/7/365. The commitment is worlds away from HS and above any LE. You cant quit, you cant complain (for real) you cant go on strike and they dont have to pay or feed you, but you volunteered to be there and if you choose not to be, you will be jailed. When your commitment is done, if they need you they keep you. If they need you after you leave, you will go back. You dont do it because "mummy" sent you there, since it went all volunteer, you do it because you are the type of person that looks around and figures someone should.

Military experience does not equal combat experience, that was never part of the discussion. Trump equates his time in a high school that, and I quote "Trump, whose parents sent him to the school to curb their son’s chronic bad behavior" sent him to. That would not be confused by a adult with a adult decision with adult commitment with real adult responsibility's and real adult consequences.

And yes this is nitpicking at the superficial stuff to divert the sheep from real issues. We seem to loose a lot of good candidates that way and I wish we'd get smarter about it.

This goes to his mindset. If he wants it to be, it is in his mind. If Bill Clinton had said that wearing a HS band uniform made him feel equal to the Silent Drill team you would be one of the first to point out that he is a fool. When we loose this one, it wont be the loss of a good candidate by any measure. There is no need to wonder if Trump will or would abuse the constitution. He already has when he had to buy the legicritters, multiple times.

BigDanS

Gene L

My problem with Trump is that he says what he's going to do but doesn't say HOW he's going to do it. Takes a lot for granted, like people believe he can do what he says, without saying HOW.

I'm interested in HOW rather than empty promises. If there's meat to his promises, I'd like to see it. Ambition alone won't do it for me. I like what he says he's going to do, but not HOW...and HOW is extremely important.

Varmintmist

Wambli Ska wrote: »

I have both my kids in active duty both of them are NCOs. About 50% of my close family and a butt load of my friends are active or retired. One of my best buddies is a recently retired AF Col whit some spectacular achievements in his career. I was talking to him about this very subject and he agreed with me. I'm rather cozily acquainted with military life. Comparing wearing a band uniform with attending a prestigious Military Academy that is usually a front door to West Point sounds silly to me. I'm guessing we'll just have to agree to disagree.

And yet you take Trump saying his high school is the equivalent of military experience.... The front door to west point is not West Point, and West Point is just a door into the military, it is NOT the military. When they are done with West Point, they can give up their civilian status and ONLY then enter the military and ONLY then get military experience.

So a retired AF Col. agreed that a High school was the equivalent of military experience. Maybe the jokes about the AF have more basis in fact than I thought. Of course the first thing they build is the golf course and they live in dorms and eat lunch so he could be correct from his experiance. I am sure your daughter thinks any college prep high school equates to her level of commitment. She is SAR right?

The "prestigious" Military Academy is by its charter a boarding and college prep school that has a military model to wake up in the morning not unlike Boy Scouts. The JROTC program is the ONLY way to earn the way to West Point. It is optional and is the same program at high schools across the country. Except those schools dont take dirtbag rich kids at 37K + books.

So yeah, I disagree that having someones parents buy them a place that they wont get kicked out of is no different than raising your hand and swearing a oath.

Varmintmist

OK, you and Trump insult everyone that ever wore a real uniform by seriously equating a adult commitment to a prep school that has a optional JROTC program (PER THEIR WEBSITE http://www.nyma.org/ ) and I joke about the AF and I'm the one who is clueless.

Got it.

FYI those who wore the uniform get to insult each other and they understand the tone in which it is given, to which you are clueless, and they really do build the golf course first. The topic is you and trump equating HS to mil service so that you can "feel good about yourself" and now you have ventured off to say that I dont understand the role of the AF. Obviously it is a over stretch of your personal delusion of understanding more than a waste of your time.

And as to Bona Fides, I had a great aunt that I would have loved to see you Col tell that her service in Europe in WW2 was the same as a prep school. She would have eaten him and picked her teeth with the bones.

Big Chief

Hey, who you calling faceless Mac? What me worry..........I know my candidate :tooth:

[IMG][/img]

tennmike

Big Chief wrote: »

Hey, who you calling faceless Mac? What me worry..........I know my candidate :tooth:

[IMG][/img]

Dadburn it, Big Chief! Leave my cousin Alfred out of it! :rotflmao:

BAMAAK

I was one of those "non combat" USAF types and took no offense to Trumps statement. Heck, four years at a military school were probably worse than 12 weeks of basic. Didn't get shot at but working on large aircraft can be pretty dangerous. Try falling of an icy wing or working on a T-Tail in stiff winds or having a 3000 PSI hydraulic line bust near you. Or maybe getting a facefull of JP4 checking the tanks for water. One guy got crushed in the tail (died) and one sucked into the engine (lived) while I was there. People were always getting hurt, nature of the job. I did manage to break an ankle faling off a maintence stand and lost some hearing.

BAMAAK

I watched an F105 with it's elevator stock nose down crash on approach. Gear hit the top of one of our LTs brand new car just before the pilot ejected. Was pretty cool since everyone was ok.

rberglof

BAMAAK wrote: »

I was one of those "non combat" USAF types and took no offense to Trumps statement. Heck, four years at a military school were probably worse than 12 weeks of basic. Didn't get shot at but working on large aircraft can be pretty dangerous. Try falling of an icy wing or working on a T-Tail in stiff winds or having a 3000 PSI hydraulic line bust near you. Or maybe getting a facefull of JP4 checking the tanks for water. One guy got crushed in the tail (died) and one sucked into the engine (lived) while I was there. People were always getting hurt, nature of the job. I did manage to break an ankle faling off a maintence stand and lost some hearing.

BAMAAK what aircraft did you work on, everything you said sounds very familiar.
I worked on the C-141.
You are correct flight line can be a dangerous place.
Stepped out on a wing once that was damp with dew and slid all the way down till about 3ft from end when finally stopped.
Guy was killed on the jack that I would have been on if I had not been given the night off (jack broke), had worked 42 days straight 12 to 14 hours a day.
One time after blocking my plane in I was inserting the nose gear pin when the gear gave way, had the pin in just far enough that the nose of the plane did not collapse on me.

BAMAAK

I worked on C-141s also. A and B models in New Jersey from 77 to 81. Fun and interesting for a while, would not have wanted to do it forever. Cross trained into PMEL.

NN

I went to a military academy for high school and thought it was kinda like being in the military;
then I went in the military and it was different. :silly:

Big Chief

BAMAAK wrote: »

I worked on C-141s also. A and B models in New Jersey from 77 to 81. Fun and interesting for a while, would not have wanted to do it forever. Cross trained into PMEL.

We took a C-141 to Germany in the 70s for a REFORGER Exercise. Stopped in Bangor Maine and then Gander Newfoundland where they said grab all yer gear because this aircraft will never make it to Germany, so we did and a couple hours later they put us back on the same plane....same tail number :yikes: :yikes:

rberglof

BAMAAK wrote: »

I worked on C-141s also. A and B models in New Jersey from 77 to 81. Fun and interesting for a while, would not have wanted to do it forever. Cross trained into PMEL.

I only worked on A model 66 to 70.

Varmintmist

Wambli Ska wrote: »

that bimbo Megan Kelly who is on camera because of her legs and hair, not her brains.

You did know that she was a successful attorney before she did FOX right. Over 10 years working and is published?

" Prior to her career in television news, Kelly practiced law as a corporate litigator at Jones Day for nine years and was an associate in the Chicago office of the law firm Bickel & Brewer LLP."

http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/personalities/megyn-kelly/bio/#s=h-l Whats that about dismissing talent? Again, something easy to research.

I wish folks would take the time to learn about the candidates, understand what they say from the candidates perspective and background and not dismiss incredibly talented people because they have funny hair or they express themselves in a certain manner.

The next Presidential election will be crucial to this country and i really believe it is the make us or break us point in our history. PLEASE use all your resources to make a wise choice and think for yourselves. Don't let a Megan Kelly or faceless some guy on the internet make up your mind...

I have a face and I know the Donald is a thief. Long before G&A had a discussion board he was buying the Casino Reinvestment Development authority and stealing private property by buying legicritters and forcing people out at the point of a gun. He has stated that Kelo vs New London was a great decision. That is a fact that you can research. I am pretty certain how he would try to govern by his past ACTIONS, not his platitudes. He was (is) a Clinton Democrat and has always been for big govt as long as it helps The Donald.
As far as his campaign, So far he is fluff. He has all kinds of grand plans and no clue (or IMHO any intention) of ever implementing them. Hear anything yet that is based in any reliable fact about how he is going to build a wall and have Mexico pay for it? Nope, but its getting eaten up. He has focus grouped the sunshine conservatives and found out what they want and is throwing happy meals out as fast as he can. IMHO he is only in to Perot the election. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.
What a class guy to, first Megan, now Carley. What a upstanding representative for the US. Anyone here insult women like that on a regular basis?
Now he is going to renegotiate with Iran? Really? Who says they are going to talk to him? How is he getting Americans out? fluff and happy meals

I conclude with a big thank you to all who are wearing or ever wore the uniform. I hope you understand what I'm saying and if you'd like further discussion on the subject just PM me and I'll be more than happy to discuss or clarify my point at length.

Thanks.

I know a nurse with a masters would get commissioned in as a Col. after a familiarization, not OCS. The AF went after my mother not realizing she was a returning student. It was kind of funny. I told her to go, anyone she didnt out rank, she could mother them to get it done.

Now, West point IS a military academy, so is the AIR FORCE academy. What Trump is equating and you were defending is a high school college prep school that has a JROTC program. Of course the AF will select out of the AF academy, thats why its there. The basic work is done and you have individuals that are primed and motivated to go into the AF, thats why they went to the AF academy. There is LESS of a learning curve to bring them up to speed, not NO learning curve.

That is NOT where Trump went and it is NOT the reason he went. His HS experience at a military THEMED prep school bears no resemblance to any military training any more than a boy scout summer camp does, probably less, and to equate the two as he did is either blind egotism or a disconnect with reality. Neither is a good quality in the CIC. I dont take offense to his statement, I just consider the source and label it "clown" the same as I look at youtubes of mall ninja defense schools with the 300 lb dude decked out is tacticool sweating like a swine comparing himself to a Marine or Ranger.

Gene L

Megan Kelly is smart, beautiful, and one of the hardest interviewers on TV. She's NO bimbo. None of the Fox women are bimbos, and they all have great legs and great hair.

Gene L

Trump is "the next shiny thing," all bling and not substance. He's entertainment. I thought the question was valid and Trump's thin-skinned response was a failure. Yesterday, he called Dr. Carson an "OK doctor." And criticized Carlie Fiorina for her face.

How immature is that? Is this the personality we want running the nation?

Big Chief

Gene L wrote: »

How immature is that? Is this the personality we want running the nation?

Heck yes I'd take him over any Dem and he would be better than that DORK we have now, by a long shot!

A "Winner" for America would be nice change.