Considering joining the military and looking for advice

[shooterfpga]

guessing you wanna go af. ive been both a dod contractor and military. figure out what jobs they can offer you both in and out of service. the hours you have towards college can be used to promote you. anything promised should be in your contract and if not then its not guaranteed.

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[shooterfpga]

Did 5 years active duty (enlisted) USAF and regret not staying in for another 15 to get the retirement. TGT members can joke all day about the Air Force not doing shit or being pussies, but the truth of the matter is USAF has the best quality of life hands down! It doesn't matter which branch you pick, all will/should lead you in the right direction in being a better human/person.

i have to agree. ive never seen another branch have steak and lobster nights in a FOB besides AF. ive been to many different posts and bases and af always were nice. the other branches yeah, not so much.

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[texas skeeter]

Good luck with whatever you decide. I spent 4 yrs Army 1/9 Aircav as a door gunner @ Fthood Texas 84-88. and I can tell you
as well as some others here, the military AINT WHAT IT USED TO BE!! We now have POLLOCKTICIANS that could give a rats arse
about our soldiers right now!! The Military has been Pussified in EVERY WAY these days, and is now run as if it were a P.C.'d Corporation.
REALLY? stress cards and no more Army Bayonet training as the list is endless. Every person i know still serving or on their way to
retirement say every day, "I cant wait to get out" due to what the military has morphed into. I'll do whatever it takes to try and sway
my 2 boys to NOT JOIN!! as i have the utmost respect for anyone who has served and is serving now, I could care LESS for those commanding them......

 

[majormadmax]

Jeez skeeter, forget to take your medication?

I have over 30 years in and working with the military (retired contractor now), and I can tell you that life in uniform has always been a roller coaster ride. Just look at the mass demobilization that occurred after WWII, and how badly lacking the Armed Forces were at the start of the Korean War. The conscript Army of Vietnam had huge issues, and the huge shock Reservists experienced when they learned it was more than weekends and two weeks during the summer when DESERT STORM kicked in. Of course since 9/11 the ops tempo has been crazy, but with the cessation of operations in Iraq and our pending departure from Afghanistan in 2014, combined with the ongoing attempts to control our deficit; there are no guarantees for the future. Life in the military today is a far sight different than it was for us Iron Ass Reagan Babies in the early 1980s, but that should not deter anyone from seeking a career in the Armed Forces.

Just keep in mind that it is serving your country, and you sacrifice a lot for the honor of doing so; but the rewards can be great.

Joining the military is not a decision to be made lightly.

Cheers! M2

 

[OldCannon]

Did 5 years active duty (enlisted) USAF and regret not staying in for another 15 to get the retirement. TGT members can joke all day about the Air Force not doing shit or being pussies, but the truth of the matter is USAF has the best quality of life hands down! It doesn't matter which branch you pick, all will/should lead you in the right direction in being a better human/person.

I served 10 years before getting medically discharged, and my mission was clear and worthy (look up "Cobra Ball"). No regrets, except I'd have rather stayed in until _I_ decided to retire. Those weren't the cards I was dealt though. My son went on to go into the AF Academy, then cross-commissioned into Uncle Sam's Misguided Children as a Cobra pilot in Iraq, got injured and is now getting his grad degree at SMU. My daughter enlisted in the AF and fixed C-130s in the middle of nowhere in Afghanistan, now she's a cop in Arlington. They're the 4th generation of my family to serve. I'm proud of them as well as what I did!

As for what branch: Keep in mind the mission of each branch, and know that in the end, what you do is defined by that mission. Most importantly, the experience you get, regardless of what branch you choose, it primarily determined by what YOU put into it, just like any other job. Take pride in your work, know your mission, and always be the best warrior you can be, even if it means your "sword" looks like a desk

 

[GPtwins]

Have you considered finishing your degree and going in as an officer? The military can be a great career.

 

[majormadmax]

Have you considered finishing your degree and going in as an officer? The military can be a great career.

While that is sound advice, there are some other points to consider. First, if he gets his degree first and then applies; he will have to be picked for OTS/OCS and right now those selection rates are pretty low. Preferably, he'd look into joining ROTC while still in school which increases his chances of getting a commission when he graduates. Those slots are pretty competitive, but he would be more likely to become an officer via that route than to try after he graduated.

Of course there is also the route of seeking a commission while enlisted, or a becoming a warrant (except for the Air Force, which doesn't have them). The Navy has something called Limited Duty Officers (LDOs), which don't require a degree but you can only be promoted to Lieutenant Commander (O-4).

But before considering any of that, you want to be pretty certain that you're gonna make the military a career.

Cheers! M2

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

If you're already at A&M I'd seriously look into the Corps of Cadets. There's a ton of information and direction the folks at the Trigon can provide. You can also do Advanced Camp instead of OCS and start as an officer after you graduate. There's a lot of options.

As for grades, we had plenty of people with difficult degrees like pre-med, nuclear engineering, etc in my outfit and they managed to maintain their grades. A number of us even got 4.0s. I think they re-organized outfits by major/college now as well.

 

[texas skeeter]

Jeez skeeter, forget to take your medication?

they had'nt kicked in yet. but nothing i mentioned was unfactual. Not one friend i have either still in or has just gotten out would say the military is better now than it was in the 80's/previous. unless of course a kid looking to join actually wanted the new whimpified version....

 

[Medic218]

I started off in the Army and then crossed over the the Air Force.
I joined the Army because I wanted to be able to tell people I was a soldier and have them look up to me and have people see that I had done something with my life since I never really gave anyone the impression that I would be a huge success in life. My job sucked but it was ok.
After I was in for a bit and had some first hand knowledge I crossed over to the AF with one thing in mind that I didn't have when I joined the Army...."What job can I choose that will help me in the civi world?".
I settled on fire protection and while I'm not a firefighter now I am a medic and like what I do.
If Texas didn't require you to medically trained to be a certifiable FF I would have never gotten in to medicine and found my career path even though it wasn't the path I originally set forth on.

So, in a short, simple suggestion I would tell you to do this.....
Think about what you want to do for a living RIGHT NOW if you could be happy doing something for the rest of your life and then pick the branch and MOS/AFSC that most closely resembles your end plan and go from there.

If you want to be a cop, be an MP/SF.
If you want to me a mechanic then so be it.

I would suggest something in aviation(Air Force or Navy).
Becoming a pilot is very costly if you're paying for it out of your pocket.
Let the military train you to fly, get your hours logged in and then when you get out you can get a job flying any number of things and potentially make some good cash in the process.

 

[M. Sage]

Ok, my perspective is probably going to be different...

I was talked out of joining the Army several times in my life. The last was my (now ex-) wife forbidding it. Well, guess what? Here I am at 35 with a knee that's screwed up to the point I'll never run a mile again, and I seriously regret not joining when I had the chance.

I heard once that it's better to regret something you did, than to regret something you didn't do. Every time I look back at the stuff I regret in my life, the biggest ones are the paths I didn't take than the mistakes I wound up making.

If you want to do it, go for it.

 

[Medic218]

To add on to what sage said.
If it's something you want and you never take that leap you will always have the void inside you while you wonder "what if".
Hell, give it a shot. If its not for you then its not for you, just don't re-up.

 

[majormadmax]

I heard once that it's better to regret something you did, than to regret something you didn't do.

That is probably one of the most profound comments you'll ever read on this forum or anywhere else...

My life took a different path at 18, I was destined to work in a grocery store or something similar in my hometown for the rest of my life (it's what 80% of my high school class did). Instead, I walked into a recruiter's office a month after high school and signed on the dotted line. Honestly it was just because I wasn't doing anything productive in my life, I had no plans on a career; I just wanted to do something other than stock shelves every night.

In my first four years I spent half of it stationed overseas (England), bought a motorcycle and saw as much of the country I could, visited London on my own, jumped out of airplanes and traveled to much of Europe. I also started taking college classes in the evening, something I would have never done otherwise. When my enlistment was up, I went to college, something I had no chance of doing after high school. I was older, a little wiser, and learned how to dedicate myself to achieving my goals. I also decided that I enjoyed the military so I also joined ROTC, and once college was over I had a degree and a commission, two more things I would have never accomplished had the USAF not gotten me on the right path. I went on to serve another eight years overseas, got to go to places and do things that I have never fathomed I would have done, and got a graduate degree amongst other things.

And retirement has not dampened the adventure, I still work for the DoD as a contractor and actually spend even more time now traveling than I did on active duty. I've been to even more places and get to do some rewarding work. I could honestly do this for the next 20+ years if they let me.

But again, it's not for everyone; and I strongly encourage anyone who is contemplating a career in the military to think long and hard about the decision.

However, if you do decide to go that route, seek out and take advantage of every opportunity you can find!

Cheers! M2

 

[oldguy]

It would be interesting to know your parents objection to the academy many folks now claim to love and support our troops at the same time they don't view the military as having value for there children.

I served in the Air Force during Vietnam it was a big influence on my life actually wish I had remained and made it a career would have
made less money but overall I believe it would have been a more rewarding life.

The Air Force has more opportunities then other branches but all have there own mission/

I must agree with one poster IMO the military is a much different world today then when I served, now more of a civilian
contract gig but opportunities still remain if your willing to learn.

My view is try it certainly it will be an experience you will have a different outlook on life after you serve.

 

[TimberWolf7.62]

Depends on what you need. At 18, I was well qualified for college but bored with class, and full of piss and vinegar. I thought I was a badass and wanted official certification of that fact, so I joined the Marine Corps. I wouldn't go through it again, but I've never regretted it. As has been said before, you'll regret the things you didn't do much more than the things you did.

Life's an adventure - LIVE IT! My wife says that when faced with a choice, she always chooses the option that scares her more. Why? Because that's the more interesting one. Don't be 60 years old and bitter because you never did anything with your life. Safe is boring. Get your ass out there and do something - take the risk, venture into the unknown, try out the dangerous stuff, date the bad girls, get the tattoo. It'll be a good experience. . . . or at least one that will give you some drinking stories to laugh about later (buy me a few beers and ask me to tell you about the SoCal police chief's married daughters sometime).

 

[texas skeeter]

Also read the "Snubbed at the VA" thread. another thing i scratch my head at. You put your time in and serve your country, next thing you know
you're busted up and broken down and you have to fight em to get fixed up/what you have coming to you. Our current GVNMNT could give
2 sh-ts about taking care of "ALL" of our returning vets!!!

 

[glenn61]

Not sure if this is the right area for this but figured I might get the best advice from here. I've cojsidered joining the military since I started high school and even nearly went to the air force academy after I graduated but didn't because my parents were against it. I went to Texas a&m for a few years but haven't finished my degree as I took a break for various reasons. Anyway, I've been considering the military again and was wondering if most of you were happy with your choice to serve. Also, would you recommend a specific branch over another and why? I've read stuff and talked to recruiters in the past but want a different viewpoint

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I just retired as LtCol and agree with what BigBoss0311 said. You need to make sure you have something that separates you from the other recruits. Many services now have the capability to be extremely selective in who they pick. Additionally, every service is going through a major drawdown (and as been for the last 3 yrs) and things are going to get even tougher if the current administration remains in office. The DOD is looking at some major budget cuts--especially in the personnel area because it's one of the biggest (if the not biggest) expenditures in the DOD. I have an IT/Communications background (22+ yrs exp) with a security clearance and have applied for a lot of government jobs with little success. Many of the job openings are coming back as "organization no longer plans to fill position." The retirement system is also getting looked at for major changes--not good for those who want to make the military a career. You might want to check militarydotcom for the latest news. Hope things work out for you.

 

[Soldiernurse]

My main concern for anyone considering military service at this time is the massive downsizing of troops across the board. Nonetheless, IMO you should talk to a recruiter from every branch of the military. Don't go into the recruiting office all excited & anxious to raise your right hand. Think of it as a fact finding mission. Find out the needs of the service (job openings, so to speak), and out those that you are qualified, based on your ASVAB scores, which one you would want for your Military Occupation Specialty. I was enlisted avionics tech in the USMC, 1980-1988. Simce 2003, an Army officer (Army Nurse Corps). It would only be subjective for me to say 'it was tougher back then' or one branch of the service is better than the other. You need to get all the facts (from recruiters, veterans, and those presently in the military, etc. Final thought; the needs of the military ALWAYS come first.

 

[Clockwork]

Not sure if this is the right area for this but figured I might get the best advice from here. I've cojsidered joining the military since I started high school and even nearly went to the air force academy after I graduated but didn't because my parents were against it. I went to Texas a&m for a few years but haven't finished my degree as I took a break for various reasons. Anyway, I've been considering the military again and was wondering if most of you were happy with your choice to serve. Also, would you recommend a specific branch over another and why? I've read stuff and talked to recruiters in the past but want a different viewpoint

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Joining the military is the second best decision I've ever made (the first being getting hitched to my wife). Active Duty, been in for 9 years now. Deployments, etc. When it comes down to it the Air Force cares more about its people than other branches do. Also the Air Force (and the Navy) have more technical jobs than other branches do, which give you great marketability for when you decide to get out of the service and get a career in the civilian sector. You'll start with world-class training and security clearances to put you ahead of your peers. As I've said, I've been in for 9 years now and whenever I go home to the Washington, D.C. area I still see my friends doing the same old shit they've been doing since before I entered the service whereas I'm working on a dual masters (Cybersecurity & MBA) and have clearances up the wazzoo. I don't see myself getting out of the service before I retire because I love serving, but if I did I would be able to get a great job earning a great salary.

As I said, I've been on deployments. One of the things I hear from Soldiers and Marines time and time again is that they wish they had gotten technical experience instead of just being Infantry or something along those lines. One of my former Air Force supervisors was in Marine Infantry before he went into the Air Force. When your job is to kill people and blow shit up there isn't a lot of demand for that in the civilian sector so when you get out of the service you'll have a hard time looking for work.

 

[TundraWookiee]

I've been out of the state and with Tapatalk down I was having trouble getting on to check the forums much. Thanks to everyone else who has responded as there are so many good tips and words of wisdom. There isn't a recruiter's office in my town, but I plan to go by the nearest one sometime soon to talk to them and go from there. I'll try to keep everyone updated on what comes of it and what I decide. If I do decide to join, I've really been leaning toward Navy but plan to keep an open mind and see what they all have to offer.