Hello TL. Its me again. So a lot has happened in the last couple of months and I am questioning enlisting in the armed forces. Whether it will be the army, navy, or the airforce I still haven't decided on which one. I have given this question some thought but I would like to know what you guys think. I am probably going to see the army and navy recruiters sometime this week and the airforce one next week if i haven't decided on which one.
Have any TLERs been in the armed forces or have relatives that have been in the forces.Tell me your stories and any suggestions.
Some background info.
Im going to be 19 in a few days. Any other questions can be answered.
And for the ladies and gents of TL a poll, for those to lazy to post.
Poll: Which branch of the military to choose?
Air Force (12)
46%
Navy (9)
35%
Army (5)
19%
26 total votes
Your vote: Which branch of the military to choose?
On May 13 2013 12:02 Blitzkrieg0 wrote: Why have you excluded the Marine Corp?
I thought the marine corp was pretty much the army. I also heard marines corp sucks and not to join. Im going to do some research on it right now.
I bet somebody in the army told you that ^_^
Ya i was in hawaii a couple of years ago and I met with a guy in the marines or the army i forget which. We were in the elevator and He said, "The marines. america needs em but it sucks to be them." lol
A couple of months ago, I went to a club (in Cologne, Germany) with a few friends. One of them is in a wheelchair because of birth complications. So in the club a guy comes to us and starts telling us how much respect he has for my friend in the wheelchair because of all the challenges in life he has to face. Turns out this guy was curently stationed in US base in Rammstein. He then goes on to tell us how he has several close friends who lost limbs in Afghanistan when he was there, too, and how shitty life has become for them. Then he added that at least they survived unlike some other of his buddies that were killed in the war. Do not join the military and certainly do not join the army! Chances are you'll be shipped overseas as soon as you're done with your basic training. If you really see no opportunies other than enlisting, make sure you end up somewhere in the middle of nowhere (tending an ICBM in middle-of-nowhere Dakota for example). This would be the best for your mental and physical health.
On May 13 2013 13:14 ggrrg wrote: Do not join the military and certainly do not join the army! Chances are you'll be shipped overseas as soon as you're done with your basic training. If you really see no opportunies other than enlisting, make sure you end up somewhere in the middle of nowhere (tending an ICBM in middle-of-nowhere Dakota for example). This would be the best for your mental and physical health.
While I agree with the general sentiment to try to avoid a situation which places you in extreme danger (assuming you don't actually want this), this advice is kind of misleading. There are many ways to work for the military other than these two extreme scenarios (the latter is not necessarily a good job to have either). As I mentioned earlier the OP really should explain his reasoning for enlisting before we offer any help.
On May 13 2013 13:14 ggrrg wrote: Do not join the military and certainly do not join the army! Chances are you'll be shipped overseas as soon as you're done with your basic training. If you really see no opportunies other than enlisting, make sure you end up somewhere in the middle of nowhere (tending an ICBM in middle-of-nowhere Dakota for example). This would be the best for your mental and physical health.
This isn't true, they aren't sending everyone over, especially with the drawdowns the military is currently going through. You will probably deploy though, but it's not a "good job you finished training now go to Afghanistan next week" type deal. If you don't want to deploy then don't join the Army or the Marine Corps.
On May 13 2013 13:14 ggrrg wrote: Do not join the military and certainly do not join the army! Chances are you'll be shipped overseas as soon as you're done with your basic training. If you really see no opportunies other than enlisting, make sure you end up somewhere in the middle of nowhere (tending an ICBM in middle-of-nowhere Dakota for example). This would be the best for your mental and physical health.
While I agree with the general sentiment to try to avoid a situation which places you in extreme danger (assuming you don't actually want this), this advice is kind of misleading. There are many ways to work for the military other than these two extreme scenarios (the latter is not necessarily a good job to have either). As I mentioned earlier the OP really should explain his reasoning for enlisting before we offer any help.
You're right, but people who think about enlisting should keep in mind those scenarios because they are far from unlikely. From my experience most kids do not take into account what expects them after they enlist. I studied for an year in a US highschool (12th grade) and from the people who graduated with me 4 decided to enlist. 3 went to the army and one joined the navy. The 3 army guys were shipped overseas in less than a year after joining. One of them posted a "RIP" message on facebook not long ago because a friend of his just died in Iraq. The guy in the navy spent the better part of his first 3 (or was it more?) years on a ship.
I vote marines...also if you want to join the military but dont want to be sent to combat, then just don't join there is no way to be sure where you will be assigned, even if you go navy there is a chance you'll become a corpsman, which are medics for the marines (marines dont train medics) and air force have EOD units, dude if you're unsure your best bet is to just not do it there is nothing worse than finding yourself in a firefight and saying "damn a job at mcdonalds sounds really good right now"
There are two reason I was thinking about joining the army.
1. I'm studying bio-chem right now but I don't know what job I want to do. I am at the point were I will have to transfer to a UNI and take higher level courses. This implies that I will have to spend around 45k for an education that I don't know I want and 3 years of my life getting into debt for a career i don't want. I was thinking about just enlisting for 4 years and then going back to school when i get back.
2. The second reason i guess would be my parents and the fact that i want to get a way for a bit. I guess this is kind of a cop out. Ok its a cop out. But If i did enlist I would still be on good relations with my parents.
A big part of it is number 1 and the fact that I don't want to commit to a career choice for something I will regret. Studying pure science is only useful for research which i don't really want to do or for higher education which I don't know what I want to do. Because of my previous education choices i have too many credits at a community college level that only like half of them will transfer and I still have no clue what I want to study.
On May 13 2013 14:26 Sega92 wrote: I vote marines...also if you want to join the military but dont want to be sent to combat, then just don't join there is no way to be sure where you will be assigned, even if you go navy there is a chance you'll become a corpsman, which are medics for the marines (marines dont train medics) and air force have EOD units, dude if you're unsure your best bet is to just not do it there is nothing worse than finding yourself in a firefight and saying "damn a job at mcdonalds sounds really good right now"
A job at mcDonalds would be across the street. At least I would be in a different part of the world.
do what makes you happy. Who is to say a life that ends at 20 yo is any worse than if you die in your own bed at 80? Many old people have lead very boring lives and haven't really ever lived.
On May 13 2013 16:35 capu wrote: do what makes you happy. Who is to say a life that ends at 20 yo is any worse than if you die in your own bed at 80? Many old people have lead very boring lives and haven't really ever lived.
Exactly. Besides, if you die the only people it burdens are others, it really makes no difference to you after you're dead right?
The problem is when you're left crippled and maimed rather than just passing on.
There's nothing cool about war. Either you decide to become a killing machine at your government's disposal or you don't, in the bigger picture your life won't matter much to those in command in the higher spheres.
If you think that's where you see your life's purpose and if you aren't the guy to question your government's decisions, then go ahead. If you want a quiet place or special treatment or think too much about just and unjust stay away from it.
On May 13 2013 14:44 MysteryMeat1 wrote: 1. I'm studying bio-chem right now but I don't know what job I want to do. I am at the point were I will have to transfer to a UNI and take higher level courses. This implies that I will have to spend around 45k for an education that I don't know I want and 3 years of my life getting into debt for a career i don't want.
You HAVE to transfer to a Uni? No one is forcing you to do anything, you can job anywhere or travel through your own country if you want to get away from your parents. I'm sure there a jobs that you could do that would combine getting away from your parents without them hating you for whatever reason (which is a silly anxiety anyways).
I think the point I'm trying to make is that it is a stupid idea to agree killing other people and putting your life at risk because of minor reasons like that. From reading your postings I think it is the exact opposite of what you should do, you are trying to get away from life changing decisions but at the same time you are making the most life changing decision ever and you will potentially die following that road, or get heavily crippled and will never be able to live life like you are doing it now.
Of course this is just my own opinion, but this is the dumbest stuff I have read in a long time and as that it is worth replying to, so I think you should really think this through. That said, my opinion should have no big impact on your decisionmaking, I'm just some guy on the Internet. I also know the society in the US in particular has a very different view on warfare and war than Germany (which makes a lot of sense based on history), so I try to not be too biased in any direction. If you really believe in what you are doing the right thing and that you are helping your country and the world by enlisting, that's great. I just think that the reasoning you gave so far for enlisting makes no damn sense and you risk "achieving" the exact opposite of what you want out of it.
If you want to go kill bad guys, then the Army or Marine Corps are the way to go. You are virtually guaranteed to spend time in the middle east shortly after you finish your training.
If you want to serve while sleeping in your own bed at night then the Air Force is the way to go.
The Air Force/Navy are also more likely to teach you skills that translate well into civilian life. Just one small example: Several guys I know worked in aircraft maintenance while serving active duty and were immediately hired by Boeing and Lockheed Martin when their service was done.
Last, I think anyone who has served will tell you the same thing: The Air Force has the best food, living conditions, and easiest jobs out of all branches.
I'm happy to answer specific questions if you have any ^^
On May 13 2013 14:44 MysteryMeat1 wrote: I have no problem with being sent out to combat.
There are two reason I was thinking about joining the army.
1. I'm studying bio-chem right now but I don't know what job I want to do. I am at the point were I will have to transfer to a UNI and take higher level courses. This implies that I will have to spend around 45k for an education that I don't know I want and 3 years of my life getting into debt for a career i don't want. I was thinking about just enlisting for 4 years and then going back to school when i get back.
2. The second reason i guess would be my parents and the fact that i want to get a way for a bit. I guess this is kind of a cop out. Ok its a cop out. But If i did enlist I would still be on good relations with my parents.
A big part of it is number 1 and the fact that I don't want to commit to a career choice for something I will regret. Studying pure science is only useful for research which i don't really want to do or for higher education which I don't know what I want to do. Because of my previous education choices i have too many credits at a community college level that only like half of them will transfer and I still have no clue what I want to study.
On May 13 2013 14:26 Sega92 wrote: I vote marines...also if you want to join the military but dont want to be sent to combat, then just don't join there is no way to be sure where you will be assigned, even if you go navy there is a chance you'll become a corpsman, which are medics for the marines (marines dont train medics) and air force have EOD units, dude if you're unsure your best bet is to just not do it there is nothing worse than finding yourself in a firefight and saying "damn a job at mcdonalds sounds really good right now"
A job at mcDonalds would be across the street. At least I would be in a different part of the world.
joining the military because you dont know what you want to do is retarded. there are plenty of alternatives to school that dont potentially end up with you getting killed.
take off from school for a year and work whereever you can find a job. youll get money you can use right away if you need, you get work experience, and you get to see what you can expect if you just dropped out for good and worked with only a high school degree. if your parents really have that much of a stick up their ass about you finishing your schooling asap even though youre unsure at the moment, id honestly tell you to move out and work ft. tough, but doable, and certainly preferable to a four year committment to uncle sam.
i am not big on the military but i have met people who went and it worked well for them. mostly because they knew for a while they wanted to do it, were 100% sure and mostly because the people that did it knew what they were getting into and typically avoided army/marines and learned useful skills in the navy or air force. those are the dudes who get skills that can translate into jobs at home. marines/army, you're just killing people for the most part unless you get a specialized job as an engineer or something like that. so as far as job benefit, it's the gi bill and it helps you if you wanna be a cop or firefighter, and not much else.
it just kinda really seems stupid to enlist because 'i dont know what else to do'. this is a life lesson here: if you are making any kind of major, life altering decision because 'i dont know what else to do' it's probably a really fucking bad, knee jerk reaction you just did.
Now that you've shared a little about why you are considering this, it is possible to advise you. Keep in mind that just about any time you go to a non-military website and ask for advice about enlisting, most people are going to say something like "don't... do you really want to die??" even though it isn't particularly helpful.
On May 13 2013 14:44 MysteryMeat1 wrote: I have no problem with being sent out to combat.
This opens up your options, but why do you have no problem with it? You don't mind getting shot at and possibly being near an explosion? Being willing to do it is different than not minding it.
1. I'm studying bio-chem right now but I don't know what job I want to do. I am at the point were I will have to transfer to a UNI and take higher level courses. This implies that I will have to spend around 45k for an education that I don't know I want and 3 years of my life getting into debt for a career i don't want. I was thinking about just enlisting for 4 years and then going back to school when i get back.
But does this address your issue? Will enlisting mean after your 4 years you will know what to do about your schooling? It sounds like you are just putting off dealing with this problem.
2. The second reason i guess would be my parents and the fact that i want to get a way for a bit. I guess this is kind of a cop out. Ok its a cop out. But If i did enlist I would still be on good relations with my parents.
This is why a lot of people go away to college. I could see why money would make the military a more appealing choice, though, if you weren't already loaded.
A big part of it is number 1 and the fact that I don't want to commit to a career choice for something I will regret. Studying pure science is only useful for research which i don't really want to do or for higher education which I don't know what I want to do. Because of my previous education choices i have too many credits at a community college level that only like half of them will transfer and I still have no clue what I want to study.
Something to note is that your credits to date would most likely allow you to enter the military at a higher rate.
A job at mcDonalds would be across the street. At least I would be in a different part of the world.
If you want to travel, your best bet is probably the navy. How do you feel about living with many other guys on a fairly small vessel? If you are okay with that, they will pull into ports every so often and you will get time to explore with friends/etc. If you are considering this, read through all the non-officer navy jobs to see what you would want to specialize in. They train you in whichever job you get. However, your job won't be guaranteed when you sign on.
The recruiter will try to get you to sign like, within a week of talking to him/her. You need to not let them give you the bum's rush, and try to get the job you want written into your contract so they can't offer you a great job, have you sign, then switch you over to the guy that scrubs the deck. There are some pretty responsible jobs an enlisted man can get, and since you seem to have a science background that will help. The pinnacle might be becoming a nuclear-trained Machinist's Mate, Electrician's Mate or Electronics Technician. I have been reading a lot about the nuke program recently, so if you have questions about it I might be able to help you.
alternatively, if your main reasons are traveling and going to see new places, go sell your car, buy a ticket to europe and go travel. without any strings, commitments or binding contracts for four years. and you get to go on all cool adventures and talk to people totally different from yourself which will give you perspective
and yeah, it cant be stated enough: recruiters only give a shit about getting your signature. there are plenty of stories of people signing up for one thing and ending up somewhere totally different
it just really doesnt seem like you actually want to go to the military. you just want to change where you are now and you dont know to what
i mean if the military was something you reaaaaally wanted to do for some reason, i would say graduate college so you can be an officer.
while recruiters will try to get many people in as they can, as they do have a quota to fill, you won't sign up for one job and end up getting another. when you sign up your mos (which is your job, essentially) is in the contract and you WILL have that job. it's your own fault if you get stuck with a shitty job because you didn't do any research on what job you wanted.
now having said that, you have to go in with an idea of what you want to do in the military, like do i want to fly planes, blow things up, build things, shoot people in the face, etc.
On May 14 2013 00:15 Nitrogen wrote: while recruiters will try to get many people in as they can, as they do have a quota to fill, you won't sign up for one job and end up getting another. when you sign up your mos (which is your job, essentially) is in the contract and you WILL have that job. it's your own fault if you get stuck with a shitty job because you didn't do any research on what job you wanted.
now having said that, you have to go in with an idea of what you want to do in the military, like do i want to fly planes, blow things up, build things, shoot people in the face, etc.
From what i've read, the jobs you are elligible for are based on ur test scores for the aptitude test they give you. Then you talk with them and choose a job that is suitable for you. I think joining the Navy sounds like a better option than joining the marines.
@QuaticHawk: Your right that i want to change my situation and I don't really know how.
Im going to go talk to the navy recruiter since his office is only a few blocks away from my house sometime this week. I think its important to have skills that transfer over after your done with ur enlistment which makes it seem like the marines isn't the best choice.
Ill keep in mind to get everything promised in writing and to keep my cool under his 10 pool as he tries to get me to sign. Gonna go take a look at more of the Navy Jobs that are offered.
i cast my vote for taking off from school and either working or traveling somewhere. deciding what you want to do with the rest of your life is difficult as hell at 18 19... it's not much easier even at 20 or 21. but if you wait, you can at least try to get an entry level job in something that interests you first before making a decision on what you want to study.
i would really only recommend the military if that was something you really had an interest in it and it was something you always wanted to do. the only other way was if you wanted a specific job and the military would help out with getting there eventually. like someone mentioned, air mechanic to getting hired by boeing, jeep mechanic getting a job at Jeep when he is out, someone who always wanted to be a doctor and traded out a few free years to be an army doc, wanting to be a firefighter or cop, etc. There are a lot of different things where it could help, but you have to know what it is you wanna do and you should just be aware of the risks of whatever it is you'd be doing in the military.
i think before you go talk to a recruit--a dude whose job it is to get you to sign--you should do some research and thinking on your own. like go make a list of jobs that interest you, or at the very least your interest and hobbies and what jobs you could apply those skills to and go from there. think about the best path to get there and if it involves the military.
in the grand scheme of things, if you take off for 6 to 12 months to figure out what you want to do and then take action, you really will not be far behind, even if you decide that the best decision is the military. that's a lot better than talking to the recruiter, signing a week or two from now and hating life when you still end up in iraq as a mechanic even though you just wanted to work on planes or something safe.
also at 19 you still probably got some general credits to burn still. if youre still doing well in school, as in not burnt out and flunking, but just unsure, it is worth thinking about at least finishing those out before you withdraw. that way, whenever you decide to go back, you will know what it is for and your classes will reflect only that. so if you withdraw and do decide to do four years of the military before going back, you'll be 23 or 24 and studying with juniors and seniors vs taking general classes at that age with 18 year olds, wondering what the fuck youre doing
On May 13 2013 14:44 MysteryMeat1 wrote: I have no problem with being sent out to combat.
There are two reason I was thinking about joining the army.
1. I'm studying bio-chem right now but I don't know what job I want to do. I am at the point were I will have to transfer to a UNI and take higher level courses. This implies that I will have to spend around 45k for an education that I don't know I want and 3 years of my life getting into debt for a career i don't want. I was thinking about just enlisting for 4 years and then going back to school when i get back.
There is a big big big difference between enlisted life and officer life.
If you're in a community college now (I assume, because its kind of odd to say you study a specific subject for high school) look to see if you can join a ROTC program as part of a transfer to university. rotc is a path to becoming an officer after finishing your college degree that, in general, can have a pretty hefty scholarship towards (or even full tuitio/fees, probably not housing).
the nuclear program in the navy is the best program from what I've heard by far--you can get huge benefits without even doing ROTC. You apply for that after your sophomore or junior year in college though, but check out the NUPOC navy program. People who did ROTC or enlisted and eventually matriculated to being an officer in the navy wish they knew about NUPOC (if you're at all interested in that; they will take any major they can get for submarine or aircraft carrier officer).
On May 13 2013 14:44 MysteryMeat1 wrote: I have no problem with being sent out to combat.
There are two reason I was thinking about joining the army.
1. I'm studying bio-chem right now but I don't know what job I want to do. I am at the point were I will have to transfer to a UNI and take higher level courses. This implies that I will have to spend around 45k for an education that I don't know I want and 3 years of my life getting into debt for a career i don't want. I was thinking about just enlisting for 4 years and then going back to school when i get back.
There is a big big big difference between enlisted life and officer life.
If you're in a community college now (I assume, because its kind of odd to say you study a specific subject for high school) look to see if you can join a ROTC program as part of a transfer to university. rotc is a path to becoming an officer after finishing your college degree that, in general, can have a pretty hefty scholarship towards (or even full tuitio/fees, probably not housing).
the nuclear program in the navy is the best program from what I've heard by far--you can get huge benefits without even doing ROTC. You apply for that after your sophomore or junior year in college though, but check out the NUPOC navy program. People who did ROTC or enlisted and eventually matriculated to being an officer in the navy wish they knew about NUPOC (if you're at all interested in that; they will take any major they can get for submarine or aircraft carrier officer).
officer life is a lot better.
Because of my highschool I graduated as a sophmore in college and I think im around 10 credits away from having junior status. I've kind of went through all of my general classes already. I'll look into the ROTC program that seems like something I would like to do. Thanks
@Hawk: I've had other aspirations but I have had a certain fascination with the military since I started high school. One of my friends dad did the whole 20 year stint in the navy and he really enjoyed his time there.
On May 14 2013 00:40 MysteryMeat1 wrote: Im going to go talk to the navy recruiter since his office is only a few blocks away from my house sometime this week. I think its important to have skills that transfer over after your done with ur enlistment which makes it seem like the marines isn't the best choice.
Ill keep in mind to get everything promised in writing and to keep my cool under his 10 pool as he tries to get me to sign. Gonna go take a look at more of the Navy Jobs that are offered.
You don't sign your contract at the recruits office so don't worry about that. You have to get processed at MEPS. When you do sign it make sure it has everything you were promised though because it is the final word on everything about your enlistment.
You have to be 100% sure that military is what you want. There is no backing out once you're sworn in. I don't think marines would fit you very well op, if you're a college kind of guy I doubt you would fit in. If you're looking for skills that you might be able to apply in the real world the other three branches are much better.
I am personally in the process of joining army. I just need to be fingerprinted and then schedule my MEPS date and then i'm set, just gotta wait for boot camp. I considered the Air Force but they're often called the "chairforce" for a reason. I would much rather be doing something than being bored. Air Force does lean more toward education than the other branches though. That might be for you OP. I also considered navy but I don't like the idea of being on a boat for extended periods of time with nothing to look at other than the ocean. The Army was a natural fit. I'm hoping to be a combat medic and then go to medical school after I'm out.
The people saying "don't join the Army, you'll get killed" are usually pretty ignorant to what actually goes on. The war is winding down as of now anyway, there's not a huge chance that you will get shipped out especially as an inexperienced soldier. Also ignore people saying that you will be a "government controlled baby killing machine". Those are the people who don't understand how much blood was lost just so they can sit there and be a dumbfuck.
I gave you my reasons for joining Army, but I wouldn't use them as your own. Take a week or two and look up all the different jobs that interest you from each branch's website. I'd think you would enjoy the Air Force though, they're treated well overall (not too significantly over the other branches but noticeable),
On May 13 2013 14:44 MysteryMeat1 wrote: I have no problem with being sent out to combat.
There are two reason I was thinking about joining the army.
1. I'm studying bio-chem right now but I don't know what job I want to do. I am at the point were I will have to transfer to a UNI and take higher level courses. This implies that I will have to spend around 45k for an education that I don't know I want and 3 years of my life getting into debt for a career i don't want. I was thinking about just enlisting for 4 years and then going back to school when i get back.
2. The second reason i guess would be my parents and the fact that i want to get a way for a bit. I guess this is kind of a cop out. Ok its a cop out. But If i did enlist I would still be on good relations with my parents.
A big part of it is number 1 and the fact that I don't want to commit to a career choice for something I will regret. Studying pure science is only useful for research which i don't really want to do or for higher education which I don't know what I want to do. Because of my previous education choices i have too many credits at a community college level that only like half of them will transfer and I still have no clue what I want to study.
On May 13 2013 14:26 Sega92 wrote: I vote marines...also if you want to join the military but dont want to be sent to combat, then just don't join there is no way to be sure where you will be assigned, even if you go navy there is a chance you'll become a corpsman, which are medics for the marines (marines dont train medics) and air force have EOD units, dude if you're unsure your best bet is to just not do it there is nothing worse than finding yourself in a firefight and saying "damn a job at mcdonalds sounds really good right now"
A job at mcDonalds would be across the street. At least I would be in a different part of the world.
aight man, sounds good to me good luck and if you have ruled out marines go army and be a ranger. (you gotta go full badass) good luck man
Never been in the military, know several people that have been. I'll just talk about 2 as I think they are somewhat typical of the branches they served in. Both were enlisted; not officers.
1. This guy was in the army. He eventually would go back to the middle east working for one of those PMCs (private military company). Is a cop back in the states. I personally don't hate the guy, as he's always been nice to me and I'd vaguely consider him a "friend." That said he's basically the stereotypical meathead. Misogynistic as shit, and pretty racist. (Used) to be one of those guys that goes to bars sort of looking for a fight, and definitely looking to find a girl to cheat on his wife with. After he got wounded (shrapnel) in the middle east, he calmed down a bit, but part of that is that he isn't as physical able as he was. Not a terrible dude, but I'd fucking hate having to be in the company of 50+ like minded guys at once.
2. This guy was in the Air Force, as an EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) tech. Sort of the Air Force version of the "hurtlocker" type guys. Much more rational and laid back guy than the guy above. He now dislikes all war and the military in general. I believe he lost a friend to a bomb at some point (he doesn't talk about it much). He sort of seems to value the analytic and rational thinking he honed as an EOD tech, but I don't think he will be using those skills specifically anymore. He used to build computers and stuff as a kid, so he has one of those engineering-focused minds I guess.
Personally, from what I've seen and heard from other people, I wouldn't join the military unless I was going in as an officer (even then, probably not). One of my friend's wife is also in the military as a doctor, but since your experience wouldn't be like hers, I'll leave that out.
On May 14 2013 00:15 Nitrogen wrote: while recruiters will try to get many people in as they can, as they do have a quota to fill, you won't sign up for one job and end up getting another. when you sign up your mos (which is your job, essentially) is in the contract and you WILL have that job. it's your own fault if you get stuck with a shitty job because you didn't do any research on what job you wanted.
now having said that, you have to go in with an idea of what you want to do in the military, like do i want to fly planes, blow things up, build things, shoot people in the face, etc.
From what i've read, the jobs you are elligible for are based on ur test scores for the aptitude test they give you. Then you talk with them and choose a job that is suitable for you. I think joining the Navy sounds like a better option than joining the marines.
@QuaticHawk: Your right that i want to change my situation and I don't really know how.
Im going to go talk to the navy recruiter since his office is only a few blocks away from my house sometime this week. I think its important to have skills that transfer over after your done with ur enlistment which makes it seem like the marines isn't the best choice.
Ill keep in mind to get everything promised in writing and to keep my cool under his 10 pool as he tries to get me to sign. Gonna go take a look at more of the Navy Jobs that are offered.
yes you do have to take a test, but if you aren't retarded you're probably going to qualify for pretty much every job. don't look at which branch of service in terms of how useful your training will be, look at what particular job it is. i have a good job with employment opportunities if i get out and i'm in the army, so the branch isn't everything.
It seems like you're not really sure what you want to do within the military so I would suggest if you do join that you pick the branch where you have to deal with the least amount of bs and have the best lifestyle which to me seems like Air Force by a mile.
Also keep in mind that there is a very wide range of jobs and experiences within each branch. As a programmer in the Air Force my lifestyle is more like office space than any war move but I feel like I have one of the best jobs an enlisted person could possibly get. I get paid to get career experience and go to school which is pretty god damn sweet. On the other hand if you want to do something more badass you can always try to be pararescue or tacp and just workout all day.
I wouldn't really suggest doing security forces or any general infantry position regardless of the branch. It seems very very boring 99.9% of the time if you're low ranking where you do meaningless chores all day or check ids for 10 hours (I've done that....) .
As a rule of thumb I would suggest whatever branch you pick to consider jobs that have somewhat special requirements like linguist, programmer or special forces. It just increases your chances of spending your days doing things you feel are meaningful.
Are you considering this as an option because you are disinterested in college? Or don't like your prospects? Or because you want to avoid debt? I feel like people shouldn't really enlist unless they have a fierce loyalty or passion for whatever the government sends them to do, or national pride, or have a general interest in things that go boom (or killing enemies). If it's a ho-hum, "I don't know what I want to do/may as well enlist because I'm not going to college" kind of thing, I feel that sounds a bit risky, both in terms of future prospects and in terms of mental health. I mean the military is a job/career, but it's much more than that. If you don't grasp the "more" aspect fully, it just seems... I mean this is just one man's opinion.
In addition, everyone else is correct: Air Force is the way to go.
I took the whatever test (the math and something rather one) at an Army recruiting office when I was in high school, and it's no surprise, the smarter you are, the less likely you'll be sent in the front lines consistently (or be any guy on Hurt Locker), or at least that was what they were attempting to sell. They had a lot of really alluring "safe" sounding jobs, like one of mine was the Base Air Conditioning Maintenance Operation. As opposed to my buddy, who actually enlisted and ended up placed as a tank driver :| Which certainly didn't sound easy to me, but sure sounded more dangerous!
I kind of wanted to join the military for a variety of reasons and after thinking about it I came to the conclusion that I wanted to either join the marines and just be a meathead and get sent out. Or I could join the navy and do a career for 4-6 years and see the world while getting skills that I would be able to use later. If I didn't want to continue with it then at least college would be really affordable and I would have more options on what I wanted to study.
After looking at some of the jobs that the Navy and Airforce offer, I like the navy jobs much better. One of them is the nucluear stuff that micronesia linked earlier and what my friend told me about today. its 6 years and you get to work with nuclear reactors on ships.
Nuke is either working on an aircraft carrier or on a submarine, as they are the only two vessels in the US navy that have nuclear reactors. The pipeline is challenging though, so make sure you know what it entails before you seriously consider it.
It has some of the best job prospects for those leaving the military, though.
On May 14 2013 13:56 micronesia wrote: Nuke is either working on an aircraft carrier or on a submarine, as they are the only two vessels in the US navy that have nuclear reactors. The pipeline is challenging though, so make sure you know what it entails before you seriously consider it.
It has some of the best job prospects for those leaving the military, though.
My friend says you need to qualify for it first through taking the test and have no criminal background. Afterwards its a 6 year commitment, 2 years for school and then 4 years in the service. He said working on a boat is 1000x better than working on a submarine because you get to go into port a lot longer than you would if you worked on a submarine, as it is their job to stay hidden. And afterwords you did work on nuclear stuff so the jobs offered afterwards are really good.
I'm fine if school is challenging though. I started college when i was 16, have around 110 credits with a cum 3.6 gpa.
From the people I've spoken to, it isn't such an easy decision between sub and surface as you might think. Unfortunately, it is difficult to tell which is better for you until you've tried it, and by then it's too late to make a switch. However, if traveling and seeing the world is very important to you then surface ships are definitely better since subs avoid most of the desirable ports (not that they never go into a port).
Subs supposedly get a better class of people overall (and better food believe it or not), but space is tighter, sun is less frequently seen, and days are 18 hours long! The pay is better, though. Also the smaller communities on subs mean you can 'move up' faster. Sub duty also varies greatly depending on what type of sub/mission it is. Subs don't rock in the waves by the way.
On May 14 2013 14:20 micronesia wrote: From the people I've spoken to, it isn't such an easy decision between sub and surface as you might think. Unfortunately, it is difficult to tell which is better for you until you've tried it, and by then it's too late to make a switch. However, if traveling and seeing the world is very important to you then surface ships are definitely better since subs avoid most of the desirable ports (not that they never go into a port).
Subs supposedly get a better class of people overall (and better food believe it or not), but space is tighter, sun is less frequently seen, and days are 18 hours long! The pay is better, though. Also the smaller communities on subs mean you can 'move up' faster. Sub duty also varies greatly depending on what type of sub/mission it is. Subs don't rock in the waves by the way.
I don't get sea sick I think. I live in Seattle and have taken a ferry a few times and its never been a problem. I've also gone crabbing once for the whole day and that was fine to but there were no waves :\. However, extended stays might be different. Who knows.
From what I've heard seasickness is not a problem 99% of the time for someone who has been on boats before (even just family cruises). The other 1% is well understood (like special trips on small boats) and people can warn you to take a Dramamine or whatever.
Dude, if that makes you excited, do it. Do some research first though (as i think you already have). As long as you are happy with the choice, you should do whatever you decide. Without reading much into that specific field, it sounds like a very good job - even after your get out of the army, and in my opinion, that is the most important thing.
EPT
