Military life: What have been your experiences and/or advice to give

[Abandon]

might wanna take that fail kicker out of your sig, lmao

[Rakiel]

I STILL BELIEVE

[kuronosan]

As a child of the Air Force, I can tell you from personal experience... pay attention to your fucking children if they're born while you're in and if you get married pick a spouse who supports a military life because it will be hard as fucking hell no matter what branch you're in - the Air Force is tame compared to the rest.

[Lyn]

Ahh alright thanks for the clarification, I was thinking about going into something like intelligence work or security/police depending on how I score.

EDIT: Also who has had off base housing vs living on base or in barracks/other forms of housing, how was your quality of life in the housing that you had?

Don't join the Army.

You can only live in base housing if you are married. No water bill, no electricity bill, and free maintenance. Only thing you pay for is your own cable bill. Something in your house breaks down at least once a month. You sometimes have to be put on a waiting list if everything is full which could take 4+ months and you'll be stuck in a military hotel. You can't pick your house, but the more kids you have the bigger of a place you get (and the higher rank you are the nicer it gets). You can paint and do whatever you want in the house, but you have to paint everything back before you leave. Houses usually come with all appliances you need. You also have to clean it and have it inspected before you PCS, if it doesn't pass you can't leave.

If you aren't married you'll be a barracks rat. I dunno how it works in other branches but in the Army you can get random "room checks" whenever they want. You'll have at least one roommate. Someone can correct me on this, I'm not 100% sure, but the only way to live off base if you aren't married is if you are an NCO.

If you're not sure, just sign up for 2 years. You can always reenlist if you like it.
If you're a military police have fun sitting at the gate and checking IDs for 12 hour shifts.

Depending on how you score, you might get stuck waiting to join for 6+ months. A lot of people want in and they are downsizing the entire military.

I've been a military brat all my life, and now I'm married to an Army guy. If you have a wife who has any questions or w/e can shoot me a PM. Also. Seriously, don't join the Army.

[Churchill]

Ridiculing the mentally inadequate is satisfying

>>join any service besides combat MOS in army/marines

>>making equivalent 40-50k/yr single in 2-4 years
>>college paid for
>>job training (if you're smart, this will be relevant, if not then at least you had fun)

Out by age 22 if you go in at high school, unless you like it. Go to school, age 26 done and no debt.

>>mentally inadequate

[Churchill]

pressured? some. I know a few who joined out of pressure from that overbearing parent, but most I know who were military brats did it because they saw and liked some of what the parent(s) did, and wanted to experience something similar.

He'd probably be a better human being if he had some institution force him to stop being a pussy

[Churchill]

Don't join the Army.

You can only live in base housing if you are married. No water bill, no electricity bill, and free maintenance. Only thing you pay for is your own cable bill. Something in your house breaks down at least once a month. You sometimes have to be put on a waiting list if everything is full which could take 4+ months and you'll be stuck in a military hotel. You can't pick your house, but the more kids you have the bigger of a place you get (and the higher rank you are the nicer it gets). You can paint and do whatever you want in the house, but you have to paint everything back before you leave. Houses usually come with all appliances you need. You also have to clean it and have it inspected before you PCS, if it doesn't pass you can't leave.

If you aren't married you'll be a barracks rat. I dunno how it works in other branches but in the Army you can get random "room checks" whenever they want. You'll have at least one roommate. Someone can correct me on this, I'm not 100% sure, but the only way to live off base if you aren't married is if you are an NCO.

If you're not sure, just sign up for 2 years. You can always reenlist if you like it.
If you're a military police have fun sitting at the gate and checking IDs for 12 hour shifts.

Depending on how you score, you might get stuck waiting to join for 6+ months. A lot of people want in and they are downsizing the entire military.

I've been a military brat all my life, and now I'm married to an Army guy. If you have a wife who has any questions or w/e can shoot me a PM. Also. Seriously, don't join the Army.

This is entirely dependent on where you're stationed, and what you're doing, though army is the worst for families.

[Lyn]

I've been stationed at 8+ bases and that's the norm for most branches as far as base housing goes. You quoted my entire post so I'm not sure what you're referring to.

[Abandon]

curious to hear how the Army family situation is worse; someone mind explaining?

[Rakiel]

Couldn't tell you, I didn't get married until after I left active duty. Barracks weren't so bad, the new ones on Bragg were freaking amazing.

[Churchill]

ok so you know how you got to your base and there was basically your own room and it was like a mini apartment

I have shared rooms with 2-4 people until my unit (which had a separate budget) paid for its own junior enlisted housing.

>I was referring to only living in base housing if you're married, which is what most of the post is about. That hasn't been the case any place I've been to and it is a post commander policy and can change every 2-3 years when they change out. It all depends on the numbers and how much money is available to be allocated to moving people off post vs. what's on post.

In general, the army (and maybe marines, I have no idea) spends the least amount of money per soldier.

Edit: For living arrangements, food, off duty stuff. Training is astronomically higher.

[Sevilla]

If you aren't married you'll be a barracks rat. I dunno how it works in other branches but in the Army you can get random "room checks" whenever they want. You'll have at least one roommate. Someone can correct me on this, I'm not 100% sure, but the only way to live off base if you aren't married is if you are an NCO.

You are correct that some NCOs live off base. You can always put in the 4187 to get off post housing, it doesn't necessarily mean you will get it. Now this differes greatly overseas vs in the states.

Overseas, E-6 and below still live in barracks. E-7s and above get the choice of on post or off post housing.

The states, an e-4 is able to live off post IF the barracks are a certain percentage full. But i think i t might have changed because of the budget cuts and what not.

[BaneTheBrawler]

some srs trollin up in here.

[Abandon]

Navy talking, but overseas, E-4 with 4 years can move out into town, E-5 are good to go.
Stateside, E-4 can move out of barracks with CO's permission, as can E-3 IF barracks are 95% full or more.

[Abandon]

some srs trollin up in here.

there you go, shittin up threads again

[BaneTheBrawler]

this thread was already full of shit when i got here. that dangerousdave must have IBS or somethin.

[Indalecia]

Most small-boys captains will allow off base apartment to anyone with a chevron or Seamen that have at least 2 years.

[Teorem]

On-post family housing at Ft. Bragg was actually not that bad when my family lived there, although I have to admit always being jealous of all my friends who lived in Normandy. We had lots of family friends who lived in the barracks; they seemed fine with the living arrangement, though maybe a little bored, as they were always interested in doing something that gave them a reason to get out for the day.

As an Army brat, not joining (even if it ended up being only for a few years) or electing for ROTC is one of the few regrets I have in life.

[Minnich]

Barracks? haha. In the Air Force they are called dorms! Overseas, if you are E-4 and have been in 3 years you can move to on or off base (Korea being the exception). Stateside, it's E-4 and above, or 90% capacity in the dorms. I lived in England in the dorms for two years, and they were pretty nice. Two rooms shared a kitchen and a bathroom. No bills to pay except internet. You get the awesome AFN for TV. When stateside, I wouldn't live on base. Just take your housing allowance, and find something nice off base. Hell, even get a roommate and pocket some of that money.

As someone who has been in the Air Force for 6 years now, and spent most of that with a miserable fucking job I have one major piece of advice. Be patient and get a good job. You will do the whole ASVAB thing at MEPS and be told to pick like 10 AFSCs (Air Force Specialty Codes), which is a coding for each job. I was a Crew Chief on fighter jets for 5 years. I loved actually working on the jets and doing the job itself, but everything that comes with the job is just not worth it. Long hours, crappy supervision, and constant exercises and inspections will keep you working year round, with little time off. So, that being said, when you pick your AFSC, don't pick anything that starts with 2A (aircraft maintenance). Currently now a flight engineer/aerial gunner on the CV-22, and life is good again.

If you have any other questions in regards to the Air Force, let me know. I'll be more than happy to answer.

There are so many benefits to joining the military, and Air Force in particular. I've made a ton of money, I have a nice place to live, finished my college degree, and just bought a brand new car. If you can cope with deployments, and hard work, it's more than worth it.

[Minnich]

Sorry for the double, but just saw this.

Ahh alright thanks for the clarification, I was thinking about going into something like intelligence work or security/police depending on how I score.

No. Security Forces are some of the most miserable fucks I've met. Sure it sounds cool, and all, but all you'll do is drive around base for 12 hours at a time, or stand at the gate and check IDs for 12 hours at a time. Then you'll deploy for 6 months, and do something similar.

Intel on the other hand, go for it!