military

[BruceB83]

True. Sometimes it's just about who you know, not what you know.

Right.


Plus, it's more about finding what you are good at and sticking with it. So you're not good at taking tests....who cares. Most people don't get paid in life to take tests! You get paid to produce results.

 

[kf_chris]

You know what. Not knowing what you want to do is totally fine. You (people in general) go through at least one or 2 careers in their working lives. If you want so see things from a different perspective then join. Just figure out what you think you have some interest in and try that. Sometimes (it's a painful but possible process) you can change your job assignment if you really hate what your doing.
Good thought about the ROTC. You can get a free education, then get a job that you'll have fun doing and be able to get out at the end of your obliserv time. Or...you can make the military a career. There are plenty of GREAT people in the services and they're making 20 years out of it.
I'm not saying that's for you. You're going to be a grown ass man soon and these are your issues to deal with so you have to figure them out.
And to be truthful. You SHOULD care about taking the ASVAB. It's the basis that they have for your prospective job fields. So at least read a study guide, I think they have them at the library, if you're going to do that. It could help you a lot without knowing it. Also talk to the local ROTC teacher if your school has one. See what he's got to say about things. May get a good straight answer from that source.
Ultimately. More information is better. Get out and research

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

Go Air Force, have mroe fun, and AC.

Recruiters lie, all of them. Research on your own, then ask people in every career field you are interesed in. It is not really their fault, they are getting some crazy pressure from above, which leads them into a lot of "sure you can" statements, which mean that if you are the best in your class anything is possible.

If you want the Army because of some macho thing, and want to live in the dirt doing nasty things to unsavory people in places we can't speak about: Go TACP or combat control/PJ. You still get to kill people and break things, but when not in the field your life will be much better. Want about the coolest enlisted job I can think of? Go Aerial Gunner/ Crew chief in the Army or AF, or be a boom operator on Air Force tankers, I know guys doing both jobs and they love it. I think Ladywolf on here is a Chief on 60's.

I am an AF LT, in flight school.

 

[bigalpha]

Go Aerial Gunner/ Crew chief in the Army or AF, or be a boom operator on Air Force tankers, I know guys doing both jobs and they love it. I think Ladywolf on here is a Chief on 60's.

That does sound like awesome. From my experiences, the AF has better facilities than the Army; in terms of housing, and Installations.

 

[ruinator]

combat control/PJ...make sure you are in excellent shape BEFORE you leave

HOO YAH

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

That does sound like awesome. From my experiences, the AF has better facilities than the Army; in terms of housing, and Installations.

the army and Navy BOQ's I have stayed in have had one room with a bathroom, microwave and possibly a desk/kitchenette. The Air Force q's I have stayed were more of a small suite.

 

[kf_chris]

Dude calm down with the trash talking til you actually reach your first duty station. There's more to being in a service than the barracks facilities...oh excuse me "dorms"

 

[bigalpha]

Nobody is trash talking.

 

[kf_chris]

true. but before it started I though I'd say something. I've seen and heard too many newb officers start talking about other services from their "vast" experience in flight school.

and not being able to edit past posts that I make...funky but whatever

 

[bigalpha]

It's true, though. The AF generally has better facilities than the Army. At least they do in Germany; and the AF facilities where I work are generally better than the Army facilities.

 

[ThatGuy]

well iv been doing alot of thinking and thanks for all you guys's input and what im thinking i will probably look into is going army national guard and going to a local college...... opinions or past experiences?

 

[bigalpha]

It's an excellent way to get your school paid for and get some valuable experience

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

true. but before it started I though I'd say something. I've seen and heard too many newb officers start talking about other services from their "vast" experience in flight school.

I will be the first to admit that I lack "vast" experience. However I will stand by every statement that I made. There ARE lots of recruiters out there who will say what they need to to get another tally mark on their sheet. There are others who will go out of their way to help you. In the time between HS and college I talked to quite a few. Most of them promising the moon. During college I worked a lot of recruiting events, once again, we tried to be truthful, but the end goal is to attract people to the service. I have used the RAP program to get free leave a few times, and the recruiters have sometimes been a bit optimistic when giving advice.

This is why I told him to go find people in careerfields he might be interested. And I mentioned the couple that I have friends in that LOVE their job. Gotta get out of the office and go talk to real people, unless the recruiter is from that career field, they are just reading a description that was given to them.

As far as the Q facilities go, why are we arguing about it? Regardless of what base you are on, it is still probably equivalent to about a 2 or 3 star hotel. I just said that out of the ones I have stayed on on TDY's the AF has had the nicest.

Oh, my flight training is with another service. I am sure the AF will be re-bluing me in a year or so.

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

well iv been doing alot of thinking and thanks for all you guys's input and what im thinking i will probably look into is going army national guard and going to a local college...... opinions or past experiences?

Great way to go, if you can get it setup right.

 

[ThatGuy]

what would you say the good set up would be?

 

[JNickel101]

true. but before it started I though I'd say something. I've seen and heard too many newb officers start talking about other services from their "vast" experience in flight school.

and not being able to edit past posts that I make...funky but whatever

Ok, maybe you'd rather have 13 years of AF experience chime in, working with/at Army camps, Navy bases and w/ Marines on the ground doing forward comms...

The LT is correct, regardless of his shiny bars

Go USAF.

 

[JNickel101]

what would you say the good set up would be?

Getting a good job that won't get you deployed (and out of school) for semesters at a time - and get them to pay your tuition. My brother was Army Guard for about 6 years, and I think they paid for all of his schooling. He's a petrol/natural gas engineer, 5 years of college.

Check into the Guard/Reserve units in your area - see what their specialties are - what their deployment tempo is...

 

[ladywolf]

definitely check out all the branches. i've been in the army now for 9.5 years as aviation. yes i've been deployed, yes i deal with BS, but the benefits I receive have been more than worth it.

i agree, the a/f does have nicer living facilities than a lot of army posts. doesn't guarantee that you'll get to live there though. just depends on what you really want to do. each branch has a lot of different programs, you just have to decide what will fit you better.

i went in straight out of high school, and I havent looked back. I'm doing college while I'm in, and working towards a degree in sports science.

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

a buddy of mine is doing the coast guard aviation gig. If you want a pretty stable life with a kinda cool job his is pretty sweet.

 

[Dozer11B]

Hey ThatGuy, I've got 11 years and counting as an active Infantryman in the Army. I am slated as Indefinite, which means I will do at last 20 years, if I have anything to say about it.

I originally joined up because I was part of the wrong crowd, and had no where else to go. I figured the college money looked good, but who am I kidding? I hated school- when I was there. Not that I was raised wrong, I knew what I was doing (drugs, no job)- I was just selfish.

I reenlisted because I didn't have a plan when my first term was up and I haven't looked back. My two deployments to Iraq have been very profound experiences for me. There are men among the ranks who have 3 and 4 deployments under their belts. I know I got a few more in me.

Going active you will have the privilige of meeting, living with, and fighting side-by-side with men from all walks of life. Guys that you would never have hung out with in high school, may even have turned your nose down at them in the cafeteria. Some of those guys can be the best dudes to party with in your unit, and as soon as you hit the ground overseas, they can do some of the most selfless and heroic things you have ever experienced. Some of these guys will be lifelong friends of mine. Their children will know my children.

I had to leave my former life behind, sure. But the life I have made in the Army has been full of some of the most richest experiences imaginable. I have shared fresh cooked meals with Kurdish soldiers while they sang songs from their homeland, fought next to these brave men as they battled for a country whose dictator gassed them mercilessly, and shared stories of home, as only professional fighting men who miss their wives and children do. I have lost close friends to the enemy, but who can ever say anything bad about them? They are eternal heroes now. I have seen the depth of human hatred as well as compassion, and I am better for seeing both.

Is it tough? Does it suck? Yes. Being back in garrison (not deployed) means there are menial tasks to be performed daily. What the recruiter does not tell you is you will become an expert at picking up trash and mopping, and yardwork and a bunch of other junk. To me the good times outweigh the lame shit. But know that as bad as it gets over there, you are surrounded by brothers who are going through the same agony, grief, fear, and lonliness that you are. These emotions and people will shape your experiences and no one will ever be able to take that away from you.

For a while I thought I was protecting my country. In a round about way, yes I am. I PROJECT freedom and Democracry and spread our way of life, so that others may enjoy the freedoms we have and it keeps those XXXXing Jackals from my doorstep. All men are created equal right?

Oh yeah, TheChief86, I do this all so you don't have to. I do it so you can say what you want, when you want, where you want. I do it so Green Day, the Dixie Chicks, and System of a Down can sing about how XXXXed up my country is without having their heads suddenly removed from their bodies and their families murdered in the middle of the night. Just pop the collar on your pastel polo shirt, crack open a beer and go XXXX some hot college girl while me and my boys take care of business.

I'll never hold it against anyone for not serving, just maybe for talking out their neck without any real idea of what it's about.