Joining the military?
 

I am concidering joining some branch of the military.

I have come to the decision that my life isn't going anywhere. I can't afford school and I am getting to old to get the degree I was going to get.

So all I see left is to join. Stupid reason I know, But I have always kind of wanted to join.

I have never really considered joining before, so I haven't done much research yet.

For those of you that have experience or can offer any good information. For example; is any branch (army, navy, AF, marines, ect) better than the other? I was considering either Navy or Marines, but like I said I don't have much information on either.

Eventually I'd like to move up to some sort of special ops type of thing or higher ranking type of stuff.

Thanks

:)

**Please disregard any spelling or grammar errors. I am at work and don't have time to proof read.:(

I'd first like to challenge the assumption about being "too old to get the degree" you wanted. You're never too old. My mom got her BA at 45. My grandma finally got her high school diploma at 60. Tons of people go back for degrees at later ages. If you really want it, you'll find a way to afford it.

Second, I would be very, very careful about enlisting just because it seem like the only option left. Remember that what you are doing is giving your LIFE (maybe literally) to the military for X years. Do it because you have a genuine desire to serve your country, or because it presents a serious career option that you really want. The pay sucks, you're not your own person any more, and at any moment you could be deployed to battle. None of this is really meant to be an argument against joining the military per se, just against joining because there's "nothing better to do." You could just as easily join the Peace Corps, Americorps (there's a way to get some $ for college), the merchant marine, whatever. Don't flake out and make a huge decision like this based on what you don't think is available to you.

The branch that is right for you all depends on what you want to do with it. If I were to go into any branch, I would pick the Air Force. The academics are a little more difficult, but hte rewards are a little better.

**Edit: The advice before mine is a lot better, but I didn't see it when I made my post.

Yeah..I didn't really want that to sound like a last resort, like it did.

Like I said, I have always been interested in it, just never really took it seriously, like I do now.

I guess I jst really need to do some research on it and see exactly what I need.

Agree with lurkette on the age thing, unless you're dead there's no such thing as too late. But, even though you are in the military, you are still your own person. They will break you down and put you back together but you do not become an automaton.

That said, each service has its own pluses and minuses.

The air force has better facilities (typically not very forward deployed so you get relative safety and more of the creature comforts).

The army has a lot of different jobs since it is so large.

The navy has lots of opportunities but you have to put up with the ice cream man uniforms (apologies to the sailors out there ;^)).

The Corps, well, it's the Corps. No matter what your MOS you are a grunt at heart. If you don't like that idea, stear clear.

As far as Special ops, your best bets would be army or navy. The air force and Marine Corps have few slots in spec warfare and those slots are highly competitive (not that the others aren't but there are more of them).

Another alternative is the Coast Guard.

No matter what branch you pick I think it's a great idea. I picked the Marines when I was a young man and never once have regretted it.

I spent 8 of the best years of my life in the Navy as a Radioman. Definately had some rough times but you work hard and you play hard.

Sorry, that's not how I meant that - I meant in terms of deciding what to do with your life while you're in the military. If you enlist for a certain amount of time, you belong to the military for that time, and are seriously limited in what you do. It's not just a job that you leave after 8 hours every day and can quit if you don't like it, or go on vacation whenever. That's what I meant in terms of not being your own person. Poorly phrased.

Oops, my bad. I read into it from another perspective I hear quite a bit (the you're crazy to want to join the military, since you give up your personality and ability to think, yada yada yada). Sorry about that.

Just some thoughts for you:

• Make sure you want to join. You won't be successful otherwise. Some that really want to make it never do.
• Talk with a recruiter and see about taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). I don't know if there's any cost involved in doing so; I took it in high school and don't remember. Whatever small cost there might have been was worth it, though: it helped the recruiters place my skills and talents, thereby letting me see the jobs they had to offer me.

Hope this helps. :)

I couldn't agree more. A friend of mine just joined the Air Force (he's currently in basic training) for the same reason that you've just described. I get the feeling that he's going to hate it and he's commited to be there for a few years. If you're going to make that big of a decision, you'd better be damned sure it's what you want to do.

Egh ... I would never join the military from hearing what my Dad went through in his past.. I won't go onto explanations but it sounded like it sucked pretty badly..

Anyways, as Thrae said make sure you want to go, or you're not going to succeed.

Good luck..

My logic from years ago. :)

The Vietnam war was heavily under way when I decided to join.

Army and Marines. You get to carry everything on your back while assorted people shoot at you in some of the worst terrain ever invented.

Air Force. Nice organization, nice facilities, and nice people. Only problem with their vehicles is that when they sink they are usually a long way above sea level and they sink fast.

Navy. Everything you own goes with you along with color television, hot showers, good food, movies, and if you start to sink you are already at sea level.

If you are just in for four years you will probably be a grunt of some kind no matter what you join.

for me, it was the best thing i ever did with my life at the time. rock summed up the branches pretty well; doubt if they've changed that much since way back. if you talk to recruiters, don't talk to just one branch. those guys are slicker than owl shit and will promise you the moon just to get their quota. and don't forget to look at the coast guard...

it also might help to talk to a few people that are currently in the armed services to get their perspectives...

I spent eight years in the Air Force. I did some "homework" before deciding on the branch of service that I wanted to serve in. I found that the Air Force had the better food, the better facilities and the better everything all around. Then the Navy, the Army and the Marine Corps., in that order. Of course, that's been a good many years ago. Just remember The Marines Corps. takes it, the Army secures it, the Navy cleans it up and the Air Force lives in it. I've found this axiom to be fairly accurate.

Yeah, that is why I started the thread here. I usually get a ton of useful info from you guys!

I wanted to get some different perspectives on the different branches ect. Like you said, the recruiters just want to meet their quota's so I am sure they will be a bit biased.

Never believe what the recruiters say. Boot Camp sucks, hopefully you get a good "A" school, and just hope you don't get any salt peter put into your food..

I'm in the same boat as Erock81, in fact, I plan on contacting the Navy, Airforce and Coast Guard a week from today, unless things get A LOT better.

I would just second (or third) the look at the coast guard posts.

I also have a question of my own, is their anyway to make what the recruiters promise bonding?

yeah... definitely make sure you have a desire to go... my cousin enlisted in the navy right out of high school... he hated it.. absolutely hated it.. but he's stuck there now for 4 years... and even after his 4 years are over.. they can still call him back to go fight should they need him for another 2 years after that...

there are some nice benefits... but you have to weigh the pros and cons and figure out what works for you...

good luck in your decision making... ;)

Well, I did the whole Army Rangers thing...it wasn't too bad. My Basic was at Fort Benning, supposedly the hardest basic in the Army. Nothing really too bad. Just the usual crap. It wasn't really what I was expecting. I think that I had other ideas in my head about what it would be like. I kinda did the same thing that you are thinking about. I got bored one day, went to the recruiter and the next thing you know I am signed up! Make sure that it's really what you want to do. It's a totally different lifestyle!

Plus, no mepco :p :crazy:

In four years (and not counting Boot Camp and all the pomp and circumstance there) I wore my dress my dress blues ONCE and my dress whites very sparingly aside from my stint in base security down in Orlando when I was bounced from Nuke School (class 9625M).

Spent 3.5 years basically living in coveralls doing real work in the oli lab/engineering spaces transferring and stripping diesel fuel.
-rant mode-
Only had to wear to wear those hateful pretty-boy dungarees for quarters at 0545 and for some inport duty days. And I left before they made everyone buy those new thick ugly ones with the required "US NAVY" patch above the right pocket and your name with the same kind of patch above the left one.
We just stenciled ours by hand and it was so much easier (especially with coveralls you frequently wore at halfmast anyway).
-/rant mode-

Well if you have an interest in it, joining it can't be that bad I guess. I don't like the military personally, and I think there are far better things you could do with yourself - but if it provides you with an environment that you feel comfortable in, then go for it.

do you mind if i ask you a question?

well, have you been influenced at all by the free release of America´s Army (by Americas Army), the computer game?

or would you refer to the game to garner some understanding of how the army works?

i´m just curious as to the influence of this game.

one thing to think of if you do decide to join. take the asvab you will give up 1/2 to a full day to take it, but it is free. after you get your scores then talk with each recruiter and see what jobs they have available. If after that you have decided what job and what branch you want. make sure the school for job you wanted is in your initial contract. Having that little bit ensures your spot and is about the only thing they have trouble changing. dont let them sucker you into saying you will get a job after boot camp that means you ususally get the crappiest job that they need bodies for. after talking with friends that went into the army (I was navy, dad airforce, many friends marines) make sure it they state the specific job not just the general area or you could be doing the crap jobs in that field. and to say what others have been saying, make sure it is what you want and are willing to deal with the changes that go with the military.

Personally, I think that the ASVAB is overrated. It is a test that caters to the low end of the mentality and really gives you no realy overview of your specific qualities in certain areas. Plus, I maxed every section on it........:crazy:

Hey if I had it to do over I would have gotten my degree first. then went into the service. And the rest are right, never to old to get your degree...

I have my degree and am now looking at getting in the the armed forces. Why would you get your degree first? Officer opportunites? Or something else?

Yep. Get your degree and there is a much larger chance you will be pulled for OCS. You would be surprised how few of the armed forces have college degrees...

Edit: OCS = Officer Candidate School

Do it
 

It's a great option for people in your predicament--I have a family friend who joined because he was in your situation back in the 70's--he's on the board of the american medical association now. So, worked for him! You've just gotta make it work for you, just like everything else.

It's all you
 

You want to join the military, there are many good reasons to do so. Job security is always nice, GW will keep you busy. I would not do it, but I am not military material. I have friends in the service, they love it or hate it, no middle ground.

Hate to break it to you folks, but even job security isn't all that great in the military these days. We're downsizing again. The Navy is cutting personnel, people are being forced out at the end of their enlistments, specifically unskilled first-termers. Re-enlistment bonuses are down, and lots of incentives to re-enlist are dropping. Enlistment bonuses are still pretty good, though, several thousand bucks. You get the $$ AFTER boot camp and initial training, not up front :)

I can't tell you about the other branches, but I'm starting my 9th year active duty in the Navy. If you consider the Navy, the biggest piece of advice I can give you is DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, ENLIST WITHOUT AN "A" SCHOOL GUARANTEE NO MATTER WHAT THE RECRUITER TELLS YOU! In fact, tell your recruiter that you won't enlist without one, that is non-negotiable. "A" School is your initial technical training after boot camp, where you learn your rate, or job. Mine is Aviation Electronics. An "A" school guarantee means that you will get some sort of technical training that you can choose, will be worth something to you when you get out, plus you won't be what they call a "general detail" sailor, or a non-rate, who will get only very general training in engineering, aviation, or deck seamanship and basically fill whatever shitty job they need filled for a few years until you might maybe be lucky enough to get a rate. The recruiter will tell you that you "can try all different jobs and pick the one you want." Bullshit. It means he's met his quota for technical rates and needs to ship more GenDets. This is the biggest lie in the history of our military and has ruined more naval careers than torpedoes.

Serving in the Navy has been nothing but a positive experience for me. I would recommend it to you, but you must be informed when you walk into that office or you can very easily set yourself up for a short, unhappy career in the military. PM me if you want more info on specific jobs or after you talk to a recruiter, if you go the Navy route. Write down what he tells you.

Oh yeah... there's only one Navy boot camp, and it's in Great Lakes, IL (near Chicago). Try to avoid it between October and April, it's colder than a brass toilet seat in the Yukon, and snows like a mofo, and guess who gets to shovel all the snow. Unless that doesn't matter to you.

-Mikey

Right now I am currently serving 4 years in the US Army. I've been in a little over 2 years now, and I can honestly say the military really isn't that bad. I mean, I'm in iraq right now surfing the net. It all depends on the job you want to do. The military isn't nearly the same as it as 30 years ago. There are some great career paths out there and a lot of jobs that can get you all the training you need for a job when you get out of the military Free! hell my training cost over 40 grand and i didnt have to spend a cent. I got a lot more i'd like to tell you if you want to know more. just pm me

I did 9 years in the Airforce and I enjoyed it. I'm not sure if they still do it but when I went in I gave them a list of the jobs I would take and did not sign the papers until I got what I wanted. Took what they taught me and got a job on the outside. Sign up for something that teaches you a skill you can use when you get out.

what ever branch you join...... get a job that is war related.... I never could understand why someone would join the army to be a cook.... you wanna be a cook go to Denny's apply to be a cook.
I was in the Army for almost 8 years as a Combat Engineer. It was a blast. I was in the first Persian Gulf episode. Great times. Just don't join a military branch to be in the band or some stupid shit.