Well GC I've hit a crossroad in my life. In November I will be graduating from DeVry Universtiy with an associates degree in Electronic and Computer Technology. My dilemma is I do not know if I should go out into the work force or join the military. I went to speak to a US Army recruiter yesterday to see what my options are and he made some really valid points. For example my college tuition will be paid off if I enlist (its about 40,000 dollars right now), I will get crucial job experience which every company is looking for at least 4 years of experience. Here is the real reason though. All my life I have always doubted my abilities in every aspect from doing well in school to getting girls. I really dont have much confidence to do great things in life. I have also never been challenged, I've always lived at home so there is always food in the fridge, my mother (god bless her) always does my laundry. I just feel like I need to go somewhere to mature and become a man you know? I have talked to my father about this and at first he was skeptical because he is a Vietnam vet so he thinks the military is somewhat crooked but now he seems to be supporting my decision. I have yet to tell my mother about this because she is so stressed out with my grandmother who recentely just had her aortic valve replaced so I dont want to give her a heart attack as well but she needs to hear this sooner or later. Anyway I'm just wondering if any of you fellow blades can provide some input on my life. Maybe some of you have served in the military so you can tell me first hand how it really it and if it is worth my time. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Fuck the bullshit, I wouldn't do it but that's just me. Then again I have had 3 real close buddies go in and only 1 come out..
Its your life man so its your choice. Joining the service is a great thing to do and when you try and find a job and thats on your resume it'll look great. Its deffinatley something significant to be in the service and everyone in it deserves the most respect but again its all your choice.
A lot of benefits to the service I hear, if you're man enough. Little bitches need not apply. I for one am too bitch for the military.
You'll learn a lot more there than in the real world, just listen intently, concentrate, quit smoking anything, be careful, and again listen to every detail. That is if you go, if not that is also ok, don't feel obligated to do something that will change your life that much. Feel out all of your opyions before you make any decision.
I would recommend joining the military... that's what I'm doing. But I HIGHLY suggest (ESPECIALLY with your degree) that you join the Air Force and not the Army or Marines.
Before YOu decide to join a branch I would do research as to your options in the military. I considered joining the Marines about a year ago but didn't like the way I would end up being deployed. Also youve gotta ask yourself what you wanna end up doing. Cause it seems as though with the way the fighting is over there if your a ground force expect to be engauged and shot at by insurgents...even if your a cook or tech. I have many friends in the military most are Marines or Air Force. But its like a few ppl have said on here alrdy its all about what you wanna end up doing. Personally Im considering joining the Navy in a few years and applying for the Seal program; more so for the experience than the financial aspect though. Also Im 18 and stoned right now so I may be talking out of my ass Does the military do drug tests?
Stay out man. I have a few years left to go till I'm out, and it blows balls. Sure, I'm going to college for free, but it's not worth it. If for some reason you do join, go reserves. Active duty sucks.
use that fucking associates degree to get you a higher pay grade and officer rank asap...you spent the time and money to get the degree, now use it to your benefit if you can. also weflyhigh was right on with looking into the AF, they have many options for you to look at, so take your time with the decision. no one can argue with some of the incentives for school and owning a new home, they make the idea of giving up your life to the service a bit easier to swallow. make no mistake about it though, your civilian rights as you now know them are gone for four years if you enter. understand what that means all the way too. your doing something that a lot of people are too chicken shit to do and I respect that pimp. so make all us fucking stoners proud and pull out some epic computer tech shit that finds osama and then coast for the next 4 years. Good luck to you man...stay fucking safe okay? You could always be a kick ass geek squad dude at BB....just sayin, i bet those dudes pull tail. -tazm
Oh, I don't know. It's fascism. A bunch of drones that let other people think for them. Navy - I don't know if you've met a lot of military people, but the majority of them are huge douche bags. There's few nice and chill people, but still there is no one I can talk to about what I really think. Everyone I work with is all "fuck yeah, america rocks, lets nuke the entire middle east." Seriously. I just don't fit in. Not to mention, drug tests.
Then honestly, it sounds to me you didn't join for the right reasons. The military is for a certain kind of person.
I joined for the G.I. bill. I'm waiting to get out and go to school. I'm using TA to get a degree right now, but online courses don't cut it. Of course it's not for everyone, but not every person is going to find this out until they've been in.
First let me tell you where I'm coming from. I did five years (enlisted) in the active duty Army, with limited experience with the other branches. Normally I discourage people to join while acknowledging that there are a few pros with the cons. But a debt of forty grand is enough to scare me to death, so consider this opinion biased. I'm a thinker, and the military is not the place for thinkers. It feels like a corrupt totalitarian state where most of your superiors are either idiots, dicks, or both. It felt like Full Metal Jacket meets Alice in Wonderland meets MASH. Common sense is frowned upon, silly head games are common, and masculine barbarism is thought of as a virtue. If this sounds horrible to you then I would strongly advise against it. However, not everyone is just like me, and that's perfectly cool (I suppose ). There are many people who get along fine with it because they learn to twist their thinking in line with the military mind frame or find some other way to cope with it, such as ignoring it as much as possible. On the plus side of the social environment topic, you'll meet so many different personalities -- including soldiers and civilians, Americans and non-Americans -- that it will make your head spin. You definitely become cultured, provided you are capable of being cultured. Now let's talk money. If you are prudent with your spending you should be able to accumulate quite a savings in your time. When you deploy you earn more pay and on that you are not taxed, and anything you buy in the war zone (eg, items at a PX in Iraq) will also not be taxed. When you file your taxes for in the beginning of the next year your W2's will report only taxable income, so you technically "earn" very little, which in turn means you're more likely to receive more money back during tax time because you appear to be a pauper. And as far as the College Loan Repayment Program goes, let me say this very loudly: STAY ON THEIR ASSES ABOUT IT. Make sure with all of your power that they pay your loans as promised. I was a young imbecile that didn't take care of my business and it blew up in my face like no other. (Long story short, they did not pay but also claimed that they did. Collection agencies were involved, it was a nightmare.) Now let's talk war. If you join any branch there will be the possibility that you are deployed. The more hardcore the branch, the more likely you will be deployed and the more likely you will go to one of the worse areas of wherever we decide to fight people today. So at one end you have the Marines and at the other is the Air Force (from my observations). Obviously the job you take also will determine how likely you are to be sent somewhere hostile. With an electronic type MOS you could be sent anywhere really, because shit needs fixin and operatin everywhere. Generally though if you have that type of MOS you'll be staying on the base doing whatever, but do not hold me to that because at any time anyone up there in the chain can decide that so-and-so needs to go out on a mission with the grunts, or do guard duty in a hot zone, or what have you. Nothing is ever guaranteed, as much as any recruiter or anyone else wants to promise you. I've seen so many lies and broken promises and treacheries of one sort or another that it makes me sick. Now let's talk enlisted versus officers. I was enlisted. The workload is basically work hard as hell sometimes and do nothing at all other times. Lots of hurry up and wait, lots of fool's errands, lots of briefings and BS. Because commisioned officers were at a level higher than my full and direct observation, I can't comment much there. I know they go to BS briefings like mad, and they're always doing something. Very little free time, but hey, it's loads of money, and no physical labor. Plus it makes you look like a superstar when you get out into the real world workforce. Well, that's about enough from me for now. I had tons of great experiences in my military time but the hundreds of thousands of major and minor grievances I've had and have seen had by others mostly keep me discouraging people from doing it. But damn, a debt of $40,000 just to learn? That's enough for me piss myself and run back to the recruiter. Maybe.
This all sounds great, but I have bad news, you have to have a bachelor's degree to be an officer. Go enlisted anyway, you learn more. Rudolf was right though, you have a lot of piss and vinegar kids that want to believe everything that is fed to them. Remember you can make your own deductions about what you think, but keep it to yourself and people you really trust.