Join the Army?

[Hellgate]

I want to thank everyone who chimed in on the topic. I intend to read all of these posts several more times. I think I will try and talk to a recruiter and take a look at the paperwork. This is a pretty big deal for me and It's something I will be thinking over for several weeks, maybe months.

I do have another question though. It may sound ridiculous to the vets here but I have to know. If I joined tomorrow, When is the soonest I could be deployed? I assume I have to go through basic and ait but ?

Also since I want to go for reserves, basic and ait would take over a year since its only weekends and the two week per year deal, right???

thanks again to all responders.

It's impossible to say. The MOS will drive where you go to basic, or OSUT (One Station Unit Training), what the training cycles are etc. When you shid could be a week, could be a few months. Then how long is your training? Army basic is now 10 weeks (lengthened because Americans are so fat these days). Then AIT, intel and other specialies are 4, 5 months, to a year. Others are 6 to 8 weeks. Then what unit are you enlisting into? Your recruiter will tell you specifically where you are going. Each unit has an MTOE that determing how many, what grade and MOS. Once you know that then you can see if they are up for deployment. Units receive an deployment alert about one year in advance.

Hell you might even get into a TDA unit and never deploy.

So, who knows?

 

[SSgtBaarnes]

I did nine years as a Marine and never have considered my decision a mistake. I got to see the world, learn a skill, and deployed multiple times. If you are truly interested, I say go for it. Be aware that it is essentially a lifestyle that you must accept or it will bite you. The climate being what it is in the world right now, you should also be prepared to deploy overseas. The days of the Reserves not deploying are over and they now pull their full share of time away.

Whatever your decision is, I wish you luck and God speed!

Mike

 

[AFDavis11]

I did 22 years in the Air Force. I can't say I'm proud of my service, simply because I enjoyed it so much.

I'm not a big fan of you joining the Army, particularly with the idea of becoming a mechanic.

Personally, I think you're a mechanic already.

If you are going to join the Army, or any other service, think about what you might be able to get out of it. Consider some objective.

"Joining" is not an objective. You'll remain bored, you'll just be wearing strips or chevrons while you do it.

Consider learning a real, civilian equivalent profession, maybe get a security clearance, get a college degree, get money for even more school. Shoot, just get a degree then turn around and join the Army as an Officer and have them pay off your school debts (benefits changes so don't take this post literally).

No kidding, a smart kid now a days could parlay becoming a Doctor with no educational loans to pay off, get several years experience without the threat of malpractice, and then move to the country and practice medicine like some freakin' Lifetime movie if you wanted to . . . all in the next decade.

I started out in Law Enforcement, then became an Intelligence Analyst. I hold several degrees, all paid for by the government. I fought in more than one war and have more war stories then you can shake a stick at (although I don't share them with anyone). I have a lifetime of incredible memories. I worked for Oliver North, helped plan Desert Storm, have met a President, been oversees hundreds of times, stood toe-to-toe against 3 Iraqi Divisions, and ended my career as the Superintendent of the Intelligence Schoolhouse.

Today I make a good living consulting to the government.

I had incredible drive when I was growing up. After I left High School I started college with a plan to go to Med school. But, there was no way I was going to succeed, support myself, do anything cool, and invest in myself enough to make something great out of myself.

Fighting boredom was never a real problem for me, but dang, it sure was nice not to have to expend energy trying to find excitement.

 

[6R Blackout]

Good question

Well I really don't have an answer for that but I do want to say THANK YOU to ALL Millitary personnel both in the past who have served and to those currently serving. Thank you for what you have done and what you continue doing to allow people like me who have never served to enjoy the freedoms that you all fought for. My father is a Vietnam veteran, and I still thank him for serving. So once again THANK YOU to all who have served and are serving. Thanks guys you all have done and are doing a great job! :bow::america:

 

[Professional_Noob]

Well, if you are looking into mechanic, you will be going to Fort Jackson for BCT and your AIT! Your basic will be nine weeks and after that you will graduate basic and start your AIT. Once you have graduated basic you won't have to deal with the Drill Sergeants, they are only in charge of you during the BCT portion. That is how it's done in Fort Jackson anyways! If you join the Infantry.......you will go to Fort Benning and you will have a 13-14 week basic training and the Drill Sergeants will be there the whole time! Just some info for you!

 

[MC#4]

Well, This thread had been a real eye opener for me. I was under the impression that I could do Basic and AIT on the weekends and still run the shop during normal hours. There is simply no way I could be away for months on end right now for training. This idea will have to be put on hold for a while. Maybe if the shop picks up enough for my dad to take over full time or my brother decides he wants involved I'll look into again.

Oh how I wish I would have considered this about 2 years ago..... I guess hindsight is 20/20.

Thanks again to everyone who helped me through this "phase".
I also want to thank all veterans for their service. You uprooted your entire lives to give us the things we all take for granted.

 

[6R Blackout]

Well, This thread had been a real eye opener for me. I was under the impression that I could do Basic and AIT on the weekends and still run the shop during normal hours. There is simply no way I could be away for months on end right now for training. This idea will have to be put on hold for a while. Maybe if the shop picks up enough for my dad to take over full time or my brother decides he wants involved I'll look into again.

Oh how I wish I would have considered this about 2 years ago..... I guess hindsight is 20/20.

Thanks again to everyone who helped me through this "phase".
I also want to thank all veterans for their service. You uprooted your entire lives to give us the things we all take for granted.

I just want to say good luck in the future and remember everything happens for a reason. Take care.

 

[Roaddawg]

I did 10 years in the Air Force (93-03) as an aircrew member (loadmaster) on a C-5. Traveled to over 55 countries and 47 of the States. Military paid for two college degrees and I had a great time. Got out only because I had a better job opportunity come my way (more money, better retirement, more time home with family...). I don't regret a single day (well, maybe just a couple here and there in the desert)

I can't really add to what the other military and prior military guys already told you above, but enlisting in the reserves is not just something to do because your bored. If your just bored, go ride your bike or something. If you want to do something for yourself, for your country, and for your family....then sign up! It's all what you make out of it. If you want it to be a bad experience...then you harp on the negative issues with it. If you want it to be a good experience, then you take full advantage of what it can offer. Yeah, you could get deployed to the shitty ass desert (or to great places as well)...but you are 20!!...you've got time to do all kinds of stuff. Or you can listen to peoples stories of OTHER peoples stories of how their story did go their way....blah, blah, blah. YOU make the best of it to get the best of it.

I hope you can see all the passion all these other military guys wrote about their experiences....that tells you a lot! Its a tough decision and don't take it lightly. Think it through and do what's best for YOU.

 

[Chucker]

Well, This thread had been a real eye opener for me. I was under the impression that I could do Basic and AIT on the weekends and still run the shop during normal hours. There is simply no way I could be away for months on end right now for training. This idea will have to be put on hold for a while. Maybe if the shop picks up enough for my dad to take over full time or my brother decides he wants involved I'll look into again.

Oh how I wish I would have considered this about 2 years ago..... I guess hindsight is 20/20.

Thanks again to everyone who helped me through this "phase".
I also want to thank all veterans for their service. You uprooted your entire lives to give us the things we all take for granted.

What is important is that you do something that you enjoy that gives you a sense of accomplishment. You're only 20. You have a lot of time to choose your path and you will make some bad decisions (for you) and will hopefully learn from them. In the end, you need to be happy with your lot in life. I didn't choose my path until I was 28. I'm 46 now, happily married with 2 awesome kids. I make enough money that I don't need to worry about. I like what I do for a living, even though it would not be my number 1 choice. My number 1 choice wouldn't leave me in a position where I didn't need to worry about money.

You need to think long and hard about where you want to go before you choose your path. Once you know, move forward with passion and determination. Whatever path you choose, you will be successful and happy if you choose to be.

 

[owldaddy]

I joined the Navy in 1971. Was looking to get some training that I could turn into a career. I got what I wanted, and spent 31 years working at a well paying job with great benefits. Was it worth it? Hell ya! Was it the longest 4 years of my life, no doubt.... If your looking for good training, I'd look at the Air Force or the Navy. Also make sure the school of choice is in the contract. The recruiter may not be exactly honest when they verbally tell you something. I was promised a school to become a Engineman, what I got was an Engineering school, not what I was promised by the recruiter, but listed in the contract. I got to be a Boiler Tech. arguably the worst job in the Fleet. If you do it, check that contract carefully.

 

[toddjcruz]

I did Army National Guard when I as 18 (my mom made me). Wouldn’t recommend it, didn’t care for it. We didn’t really do anything on the weekends but stand around (we were and admin group). 2 weeks a year was difficult to fit in, as that was the only 2 weeks I would get for vacation as well. We spent that time in some dump checking records non-stop. I went in for computer training and quickly found I knew more than they were teaching (as I wouldn’t be going past AIT training). So, for me, I can’t recommend the guard or reserves. We did do two weeks in Japan once, that was great, but overall, the reserves/guard just didn’t work for me.

That said, if I could do it all again (43 now), I would have gone full time Navy and seen the world. Travel is the best feature in my opinion when it comes to the service. I found basic training to be a life changer for me. It turned me from a wanderer with little drive and self confidence to someone who took on all challenges in life. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t done basic training. If I could pass one law in this country, it would be to make basic training mandatory for all 17-18 year olds as part of their summer vacation after high-school. No commitment to enlist unless they wanted to. I wish I could do that for my kids when they turn 18 and I plan to do my best to get them to go that route. Watch the reality show “Boot Camp”. Watch how they hate their drill instructors at the start, but those that make it ½ way or further, find utter respect and admiration for them, their process and for the person they became in just the short time on that show. It’s real, the transformation. And it’s worth it just for that.

There are so many benefits’ to joining and now that I'm older, I really wish I had seen more of the world, put in my 20 years of service (I would have retired 5 years ago and been working contract work with a nice pension to retire with). Regardless, it's about lifestyle. The guard didn’t offer enough to me, full time would have been great had I know what I was missing out on. Hindsight is 20/20, if I was single and could qualify, I'd join today.

 

[owldaddy]

That said, if I could do it all again (43 now), I would have gone full time Navy and seen the world.

Just one thing to add to this, you do see the world, but it is mostly water.... lmao. What Todd said about it changing lives is true, I would not have had the life I had, if not for the time I spent in the Navy. It was a game changer. I wouldn't change a thing. They gave me the tools to make something of myself.

 

[DjOrchie]

Air Force

I'm in the process of my training to be a Firefighter with the Canadian Air Force right now. Best decision I made in my life! Met tons of great people so far, have a good stable income, and have got to do some traveling where I met my wife. You have to not mind being moved around as you usually don't spend too much time in one place. But the training you get is top notch, and if you choose the right career when your time is done you can transfer right over to a civilian job.

Oh, and go with the Air Force. I find it the most relaxed section of the military They don't call it the Chair Force for nothing, lol

 

[rr_double_rr]

In my opinion the big mistake is not the service, it is what you are signing up for.

What you are signing up for is ten years or longer of being on the hook to be called up for any reason and at any time.

I will give you an example. I have a nephew who joined the Marines just after 911. By the time he went in, he just made it to Iraq. He was all gung-ho and semper-fi everything. He was in the first wave that went into Iraq. After his second tour in Iraq, he was a bit less enthusiastic and after his third tour in Iraq, he was ready to get out. So up came his EAS and all of the sudden they instituted stop-loss so he had to stay in after his expected release. He was finally released 6 months later.

He finds a sweetheart and gets married, has a kid and another on the way. Got a job with an electric COOP as a lineman. Life is starting to look up and then comes the letter from Uncle Sam. He is to report for screening for a return to active duty. He did not realize that he was on the hook for a minimum of 10 years and maybe longer if they change the rules again. He reports for the screening and goes home. Everyone is real tight lipped.

Two months later, he gets orders for active duty. You see he was in the IRR. It is another name for what some call the Back Door Draft. That's right, you better read the fine print on your enlistment contract, you are on the hook for a very long time. He goes back on active duty. The rub is, his lance corporal pay is about 1/2 of what he was making, and he was ordered to Camp Pendleton, CA. That is a long way from Colorado where he and his wife are from. So now, his wife and kid with one on the way have to move out of their apartment and move back in with her parents. Meanwhile he is in California on active duty making 1/2 of what he used to make.

My point in all this. This is just my humble opinion.

It is a big mistake to join the military today. You have no idea what you are signing up for. You are signing up for a very long time. Read the fine print, all of it.

I agree with the reading of the fine print, but no initial enlistment is over 8 years. period. Still, with all that he has going on, I would say that the service isn't probably the best idea for him. If he wanted out of the shop completely, then yes. But since you're just looking to get out of the house every now and again, it's a bad move. You will get called to deploy, once, if not a couple of times before your term is up. You may get stop lossed, plan on it instead of being surprised by it (obviously the initial wave of stop losses had no idea it was coming, including many a friend of mine).

If you just want out of the house and training + experience, check out a technical college around your house if you can find one. They have lots of programs for tuition assistance, so the money shouldn't be too much of a concern, and you can get all the training, experience, and comradrie in your classes and shops that you would get in the military. With none of the drawback of being deployed.

It's a fit for some people, but given the circumstances that you set out, you would probably get frustrated with them before long and have a negative image. By the by, I am a combat veteran, and a current civilian contractor, so I'm not just giving you lip service. I can back up what I say.

 

[2010FZ6R White Lightning]

i planned on joining the canadian military when i turned 18, but when i was 17 i met my girlfriend and said she wouldnt wait for me lol. she is a huge worry wort and said she couldnt handle the stress. so i decided to join when we split.... but over 3 years and running. so i still havent had my opportunity lol. its been a long run considering my pick up line was at a christmas party and i said "hey, im santa claus, wanna suck my candy cane?"

 

[CBanks2343]

I work for the Department of Defense, but I have never served in the millitary. I wanted to back when I was 18/19, but they would not let me in due to my Diabetes. In a way, I am glad I wasn't able to join, especially with everything how it is now.

I hear soldiers talking on each fielding I go on that absolutely love it, ad those who hate it and wish they never joined.

I guess I got lucky with my job, because I get to travel the world on the governments expense, but I do not have to deal with any real "military issues". I guess what I really replied to say on here, was THANK YOU to everyone who does serve or has served with any part of the military. I see how tough it is on a daily basis pretty much, and tip my hat to all of you!

 

[bomberspec]

I have been considering joining the army reserves for a few weeks now and I'm pretty interested. I'd like to go through basic and then go for some form of mechanical work. I mostly just want to get out of the house once in a while. I don't really want to go to war, just get the training and if I get deployed so be it.

If you don't want to go to war the military (especially the Army) isn't the way to go. Air Force is a lot better for deployments but it all depends on the job.