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  Posted by happycowgirl at 05/23/12 13:20:17

  It doesn't look that great. Quote from Army Staff Sgt. and vegetarian Liza Reiter, "I had no clue how hard it would be. It's funny that we're a hospital unit, but as far as healthy food, there aren't a lot of options."
  
  Here's the article:
  http://www.armytimes.com/offduty/health/military_veggieiraq_071210w/
  
  I bet it'd be almost impossible for a vegan. I'd love someone to tell me otherwise.

  
  
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  Posted by happycowgirl at 05/23/12 13:27:47

  Oh crud, well this is just sad. Comment board on vegans in the military:
  "You can make a commitment to the animals. And you can make a commitment to your country. But I assure you, when push comes to shove, the only legally binding one is to your country. If you haven't enlisted yet and you feel giving up veganism would be a no-go, then I urge you to reconsider making this HUGE service commitment. The two don't really mesh."
  http://www.veggieboards.com/t/112930/any-vegans-in-the-military-wana-help-answer-my-question
  
  Enormous military budgets and we can't get our troops healthy food. This is pissing me off.

  
  
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  Posted by 1rax at 08/20/12 16:34:30

  I don't even see how its possible to be Vegan and be dumb enough to in list in the dumb army. I mean your already an idiot if you go into the army. But being Vegan AND then going into the army? Makes no sense to me. You know already that there is no way in hell they would ever serve anything other then animal products....but then you go and do it anyway? Or even thinking of going is just as stupid.

  
  
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  Posted by DeGoshReed at 09/24/12 05:12:15

  The army is ok for vegans. I am a vegan and I have been in the army for 11 years I am infantry. The killing of animals and people is a completely different issue. The bad guy is trying to kill you or people close to you. The law still applies if you murder some one in war you still go to jail. I think haveing a compassionate view point helps to keep soldiers from committing war crimes. I have alwase looked at my job more as a life saver than a life taker. The diet side is not hard but you will go on fruit fasts at times but I can get by on fruit and veggies that are served at every meal just fine. That is just talking about the field or deployed. When I'm state side I can bring my own food in from home and what I eat off duty is up to me any ways. Even if I forget my lunch the chow hall has plenty of things I can eat. On the issue of uniform yes we do have leather boots and I can't change that but one small down in so much good. Running shoes are purchased by the soldiers and can be of any color and construction provided they cover the foot and that the toes are inside the shoe( no five fingers). I have shown by my example to others in the infantry the benefits of being vegan and a hand full of them are vegans now too. As long as we're not too preachey about our beliefs most people will not hassle us in the army but the jokes come and go.so there it is. Use your brain don't rely on others brains to do your thinking for you.

  
  
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  Posted by DeGoshReed at 05/19/13 09:00:40

  This vegan just won noncommisiond officer of the year for Alaska. Not only can vegans make it in the army they can thrive.
  So dont be so closed minded.
  Now I go to Hawaii to chalange ncos from all across the Pacific.
  I can tell the meet eaters are sluggish and need to rest more often. I will do what I can to bring more people to the kinder side of life. Lets try to be nice to them when they get here;-)

  
  
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  Posted by DC1346 at 05/23/13 13:24:05

  I've never had the honor of serving in our Armed Forces, but I was a USO volunteer in Saudi Arabia during the 1st Gulf War. After force reductions forced the closure of the USO, I transferred to the Air Force Morale Unit and continued working as a civilian volunteer baker. I served at Khobar Towers on the weekends, which for me was Thursday/Friday as the Saudis have a different weekend schedule. I was a volunteer there until a year before the base was bombed by terrorists.
  
  I've lived all over the world and have a total of 17 years experience in Ghana, Thailand, El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon. The freedoms that we enjoy are not universal. I've lived in countries where anyone who steps "out of line" can be made to disappear by the authorities. It's a sad reality that there are countries where people may be arrested with no Miranda rights, no phone calls, and no access to attorney.
  
  In Saudi Arabia, I once knew an American who was arrested by the civil police for an alleged traffic violation. He was held at the municipal jail in Al-Knobar and his family and co-workers didn't know where he was. He was held for five days and only managed to get out when he borrowed a cell phone from a stranger who was visiting someone in the next cell. He called his wife who alerted the U.S. Consulate. He was subsequently released. For all of the outrage felt by the American expatriates, we all know that this could easily have been much worse.
  
  I was in Lebanon during the Syrian occupation. I had a Lebanese friend who owned a bakery and every morning, officers of the Syrian military would come to his bakery to take baklava and other products without payment. When I naively asked the baker why he would allow this, he told me that anyone who protested could be made to disappear by the moukbarrat, the Syrian secret police.
  
  I would submit for the consideration of all readers, that the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women have made it possible for us to have the free and Democratic society that we enjoy today.
  
  One of the rights accorded by our free society is the right of free speech. This right allows us to say things that our cultural mainstream would regard as heinous. Under this right neo-Nazis and members of the KKK can espouse racial hatred, conservative Christians can verbally bash homosexuals, Republicans and Democrats can say atrocious things in the name of party politics, and self righteous vegans can disparage our Armed Forces.
  
  For shame!
  
  It is attitudes like this that caused the downfall of the Song Empire in China during the 12th century. There is an ancient Chinese saying that goes, "Just as you don't use good iron to make a nail, you don't use a good man to make a soldier."
  
  The sad result of this attitude was that the Song Chinese Army was largely filled with the dregs of society ... thieves, layabouts, gamblers, and alcoholics. These men warded the border against the Jurchen. When diplomacy eventually failed and the annual tribute of silver, tea, and silk was deemed insufficient, the Jurchen poured across the border.
  
  Although the Song had one of the largest armies of the ancient world with 1 million men under arms, is it any wonder that the Jurchen were able to crush the Song army? The army had no esprit de corps. They had no self respect. As the dregs of society, they had no reason to stand and fight for their country.
  
  Can you imagine what would happen to our country if no one wanted to serve in our Armed Forces? Can you imagine what our military would be like if the ranks of our military were filled by social cast offs?
  
  There's an old song that was written by Ed McCurdy in 1950 called, "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream."
  
  I won't repeat all of the lyrics ... but the first lyric goes like this:
  
  "Last night I had the strangest dream
  I'd ever dreamed before
  I dreamed the world had all agreed
  To put an end to war."
  
  This song later became one of the anthems of the growing peace movement during the Vietnam War. Although I agree with the sentiment and earnestly wish that we could do away with war, the sad reality is that we need our Armed Forces because as we've seen from the events of 9/11 and now the Boston City bombings, there are people out there who want to kill us.
  
  Vegan platitudes won't stop these killers. Appealing to their better natures won't stop these killers. There are some very bad people out there who'd be happy to kill us and they don't care whether or not you're vegan.
  
  Before any of you disparage the service of these brave men and women, I would ask that you remember that your right to free speech is guaranteed by our Constitution and that our Constitution is PROTECTED by the very men and women that some of you have disparaged.
  
  By itself, the Constitution is nothing more than words on a sheet of paper. By itself, the Constitution will not deter hostile countries from trying to kill us. This protection has been purchased by the blood and sacrifice of our Armed Forces who are sworn to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution.
  
  Instead of looking down on our servicemen and women for being "killers" (which is a huge stereotype as it's well known that there are many places in the military for conscientious objectors), I would instead thank them for their service.
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
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  Posted by DeGoshReed at 07/13/13 15:45:01

  I won United States Army pacific command best warrior competition and am now among the top 12 noncommissioned officers in the army. I compete for the top spot in the army on oct 5 at fort lee, va. Wish me luck. Vegan power.

  
  
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  Posted by DominicDougherty at 08/23/14 02:39:16

  How can an individual be a vegan in the US Armed Forces? You can surely have a plant-based diet, but you cannot be a vegan. It is as simple as the uniform you wear is made of leather and wool.
  
  -USMC 2001-2005