Joining the Military

[Phey]

I read a lot of misinformation in this thread regarding the Air Force. Yes the Air Force gets deployed just as much as the Army and Marines but for a shorter amount of time which is 6 months. Which they are also looking into changing again to be 8 months with extended tours being 12 months.

If you are really looking into not going overseas and not getting deployed there are very few career fields that allow for 0 Deployments and TDYs but you can get into a career field that has very few TDYs and Deployments. In my 4 years I was never deployed and went on 3 amazing TDYs to Germany, Spain and England. Deployments in my squadron/unit were around 5-10 opportunities a year which in most cases we were emailed of these and they were filled voluntarily within a few days.

Feel free to PM if you want anymore info on the Air Force.

[isladar]

From what I understand NG groups will vary based on location, especially with regards to Spec Ops; the IL National Guard Spec Ops specializes in South American missions, though of course in this environment the likelihood of being over-ridden and sent to the current warfronts is probably pretty high.

[Abandon]

Ah yeah, NG. They get sent out/activated QUITE often, so I would personally rather go Army and get it overwith if infantry is what you're leaning towards, heh

[sephir]

Military police in any branch is a different monster than the rest of your rates/ MOS, and follow their own rules to an extent due to what they are supposed to do.

As engineering goes, you do NOT need extensive training before, they will teach you everything you need to know for your jobs. If anything, you can use the credits that you get from going to school for your rate/MOS to go towards your degree.

Thats pretty sweet. Assuming its the same here as down there it would be pretty cool to at least ask about it. Although im really happy about my current program, to also be an engineer would be amazing. But then again, I wouldn't want to go to Afghanistan so I'd have to wait at least until 2011 for when we pull out from there.

[Minnich]

As someone in the Air Force, I can vouch for a lot of things people said but also add a few things.

How much you deploy and for how long depend strongly on your job and base. Some jobs will deploy every year or year and a half and some may never deploy. Some bases will go on a lot of TDY's, and some will only very rarely. The Chair Force side of the AF is pretty lax. The maintenance side is a lot of work and has long hours. The amenities on AF bases are indeed very nice though.

As far as the things you are looking for, I'd suggest the AF Reserves or Air National Guard. You really won't have many deployments, unless you work on cargo planes, and the TDY's are very limited and usually have to volunteer to get on them. If you choose your job wisely, you have a very good chance at getting exactly what you seem to be aiming for.

If you have any idea of what kind of job you may want to do in the Air Force and want more information on it, feel free to PM me with questions.

[Weltall]

Shut the fuck up. Just because you didn't have the testicular fortitude to consider it doesn't make it a bad choice for him. You military bashing faggots need to put up or shut up.

That being said, send me a PM, and I can talk with you in great lengths about what all the Navy has to offer. If you want to go to college, you can still do both, either by going to one of the Academies (Naval, Air Force or West Point), or by joining and using the funding that the military will give you in order to go to school.

As far as staying based here in the States, your best bet is Coast Guard. National Guard will have you hugging Iraqis in no time, period. Sure, you'll be a puddle pirate. Advancement with the Coasties is mostly the same as the Navy with few minor differences. Navy, depending on your job, you'll be lucky to see land, anywhere, for anything from 90 days to 9 months, and your sea rotation sucks. Most people is 5 at sea, 3 on land, although they're looking at changing it up. Be proud of the fact that you are thinking of going military. I think of it this way; I serve and protect these people's rights to be assholes.

Again, I stress, do not do it! Get your education quicker and your career started at a younger age. This will allow you to start investing quicker (401k / ROTH IRA / Etc); don't listen to the, "but I got $15,000 and no bills" crap either.

It does look good on a resume, if you don't go infantry; I was just looking through the resumes which passed through HR for a position we have, and a couple of the military ones stood out. Most of them were from the Navy and have engineer/tech stations.

You will likely end up an angry military kid like this guy above.

Think of it this way, you can be someone on here posting like Abandon about protecting the US citizen's rights, blah blah blah

or

You can be one of the assholes who are getting their education, making more money, surrounded by infinite amounts more of the opposite gender, having more fun, and possess a stronger chance of survival. Oh, and you get to see your family and friends more, especially during your youth.

Obvious decision is obvious.

[Cream Soda]

lol niggas gettin trolled on 2nd page

[Korietsu]

Again, I stress, do not do it! Get your education quicker and your career started at a younger age. This will allow you to start investing quicker (401k / ROTH IRA / Etc); don't listen to the, "but I got $15,000 and no bills" crap either.

It does look good on a resume, if you don't go infantry; I was just looking through the resumes which passed through HR for a position we have, and a couple of the military ones stood out. Most of them were from the Navy and have engineer/tech stations.

You will likely end up an angry military kid like this guy above.

Think of it this way, you can be someone on here posting like Abandon about protecting the US citizen's rights, blah blah blah

or

You can be one of the assholes who are getting their education, making more money, surrounded by infinite amounts more of the opposite gender, having more fun, and possess a stronger chance of survival. Oh, and you get to see your family and friends more, especially during your youth.

Obvious decision is obvious.

Let me know when the dude from the military takes your next job opening. If you enter as a reservist, which is what all people joining the military today should be doing, you're going to either be finishing your college and reaping the benefits of the GI Bill and/or Hazelwood act before your deploy, or you're going to go out, come back and enjoy your new car, your full college education, a good work ethic, background training, and whatever else is left of your bonus.

Man, two years of "real" work for 4 years of college + Car and a down payment on a house to get you going and settled in the world? Not a bad deal.

I'm sure you could be like me, eating loans, taking 17 hours of engineering classes, and working on classwork for 80 hours a week, and not having time for friends or family. I mean, I guess you could be a business major and not get a job, but hey, at least it's an easy ride through college right?

[Xno Kappa]

Dude, so I'm about 20 pounds overweight cuz of my huge cock. You think I canz join the military? I can do a few cock push-ups a day if you think that helps.

[Weltall]

Well, I work at the # 1 company in the world to start a career by BusinessWeek:

Deloitte & Touche Tops BusinessWeek's Annual List of 'Best Places to Launch a Career' | Reuters

And the #1 most desired company to work for by Time Magazine (Google ranked 3rd).

I have a nice place, just paid for a new BMW, still have money to invest with ease and/or have no worry about bills, and I didn't have to sign my life away for four years. I took college seriously when it came to grades, and I still was able to enjoy mass amounts of things listed in my above post without having to go shoot at, get shot at, be away from friends and family, or work in the hell that is the military system. I was also able to enjoy the fruits of women in numerous amounts throughout this period, which is enough of a reason to avoid it.

Oh, and my benefits and time off are through the roof. I have enough time off from now through next year paid for if I wanted, and it only keeps growing. So don't give me the "slave" business world crap, because it isn't true if you have a quality job.

All it takes is a little focus on weeknights and avoiding the Monday~Wednesday drinking nights in college to land a good job.

Edit - Oh, and his "men and women united to fight for what they believe in" is about 50% bullshit. A majority of the people I've known enter the military around my age group absolutely hated it when they got out, were beyond thrilled to have been out, and only entered in the first place due to poor highschool performance, hated school in general and knew college wasn't for them, or family influence pushed them in the direction.

[wipers]

I'll have to agree with Weltall you don't have to join the military to support your country. And speaking against the military is not necessarily a bad thing. The military goes out of their way to have you conform to their set of rules standards so you feel like you are "fighting for your country". Yes it is a good thing to defend your country but to bash people that chose not to fight for America is stupid.

[Stromgarde]

Good for you. Not all of us have everything handed to us. You went to school, didn't goof off, and it paid off for you in a big way. Congratulations on being successful at life?

The military can be an unpleasant experience for some, but they treated me well, and after serving 4 years, I have a new car, no debt, as well as a full ride to any public school that will take me. Just because you had the means to attend college straight out of high school and strike out into the world doesn't mean all of us immediately had that opportunity as well.

[Beckwin]

What is it that you do for a living? Can you honestly say that you're doing a service that benefits the welfare of others?

I teach.

[Beckwin]

Wow you've got some balls to say some dumb shit like that. I guess war is one dimensional and the only soldiers are the infantry? You stupid fuck, every man on one of those ships supports ground troops and provides mechanical support for the aircraft and the ships in some way. The Navy also provides huge amount for support for disaster victims. Man just because you don't support the war gives you no fucking right to think you're some how better than anyone of those who is fighting it.

He came with the testosterone put-up-or-shutup line; sorry there's nothing too exceptionally manly about sitting a fucking boat. If GIs wanna come with some trashy assaults on the masculinity of those who didn't sign up for W's war, I will trash them.

[Weltall]

Good for you. Not all of us have everything handed to us. You went to school, didn't goof off, and it paid off for you in a big way. Congratulations on being successful at life?

The military can be an unpleasant experience for some, but they treated me well, and after serving 4 years, I have a new car, no debt, as well as a full ride to any public school that will take me. Just because you had the means to attend college straight out of high school and strike out into the world doesn't mean all of us immediately had that opportunity as well.

If you did well in highschool, you would have had free or half-free ride to college. Also, I spent PLENTY of time partying. Any one who sucks at highschool just sucks in general; the shit is way too easy. I would make them incredibily more difficult if given the chance.

I have a car (likely a vastly more expensive one by far than the average person just out of the military), have college COMPLETE, no debt, and I got a 4 year jump on investment opportunities, credit building, and my career.

If I entered the military out of highschool, I would be 2 years into my college degree and just be starting my career in a few years.

Game, set, match.

[Weltall]

He came with the testosterone put-up-or-shutup line; sorry there's nothing too exceptionally manly about sitting a fucking boat. If GIs wanna come with some trashy assaults on the masculinity of those who didn't sign up for W's war, I will trash them.

You will do so rightfully and fully supported.

[Stromgarde]

If you did well in highschool, you would have had free or half-free ride to college. Also, I spent PLENTY of time partying. Any one who sucks at highschool just sucks in general; the shit is way too easy. I would make them incredibily more difficult if given the chance.

I have a car (likely a vastly more expensive one by far than the average person just out of the military), have college COMPLETE, no debt, and I got a 4 year jump on investment opportunities, credit building, and my career.

If I entered the military out of highschool, I would be 2 years into my college degree and just be starting my career in a few years.

Game, set, match.

I'm not debating whether going into college straight out of high school is better or not. It obviously is. However, you are grossly overstating the ease of which it is to obtain scholarships. In addition, while serving in the Air Force, you have the opportunity to get a regionally accredited associate's degree through the community college of the air force, which I was able to do.

[Dazd]

He came with the testosterone put-up-or-shutup line; sorry there's nothing too exceptionally manly about sitting a fucking boat. If GIs wanna come with some trashy assaults on the masculinity of those who didn't sign up for W's war, I will trash them.

Have you ever been on a deployment? Do you even know the purpose of the navy? Do you have any fucking clue what you're talking about when it comes to the military other than what you've seen on TV? He wasn't trashing anyone for not signing up for "W's war" not everyone who joins the military, believe it or not, is a war mongering dipshit who wants to go shoot some fucking towel heads. It doesn't have anything to do with masculinity either but if you're gonna sit here and talk shit about the military and what they do then someone is gonna call you out on it. Hate Bush, hate the war, but don't be a douchebag and sit around talking shit about people who serve their country in ways you don't even know about. The military does much more than fight "W's War."

@Welltall

I know plenty of people who got their bachelor's degrees in 4-5 years in the military, it's not as easy as just going to college but it's very possible to do so. Not very smart to talk like the military is useless and you need college to get a good job. It's pretty easy to get out with no college and get a job making 70-100k+ a year with the same benefits you have. If you take courses while you're that's just less you have to pay for later and more education on top of what you learn from your job and military schools so stop acting like you're so much better off just going to college.

[Beckwin]

Have you ever been on a deployment? Do you even know the purpose of the navy? Do you have any fucking clue what you're talking about when it comes to the military other than what you've seen on TV? He wasn't trashing anyone for not signing up for "W's war" not everyone who joins the military, believe it or not, is a war mongering dipshit who wants to go shoot some fucking towel heads. It doesn't have anything to do with masculinity either but if you're gonna sit here and talk shit about the military and what they do then someone is gonna call you out on it. Hate Bush, hate the war, but don't be a douchebag and sit around talking shit about people who serve their country in ways you don't even know about. The military does much more than fight "W's War."

I grew up a military brat; I know what the fucking navy does. I have no problem with discussion about the pros and cons of joining, but again, the stupid put-up-or-shut-up manliness bullshit needs to be left behind. We don't worship crab fishermen for having dangerous jobs. Don't cloud someone's head with hero worship and ridiculous ideas of manliness when making a very big decision for their life. Recall that the shit talking started when some angry sailor popped off at people suggesting the person would be better off not in the military.

[Foof]

I have a car (likely a vastly more expensive one by far than the average person just out of the military), have college COMPLETE, no debt, and I got a 4 year jump on investment opportunities, credit building, and my career.

If I entered the military out of highschool, I would be 2 years into my college degree and just be starting my career in a few years.

Not being stupid landed me a good MOS with the military and I'm about to leave for England for 3 years. I have next to 0 chance of deploying since I'm working at an NSA site and I'm pretty much guaranteed a 6 figure income after my term if I choose to go that route. This is without a degree and a 5 year investment.

I think the biggest part about me joining is finding something I enjoy. I was not a fan of college - went for 2 years, hated it and left. I get to meet people from every branch, see cool places, stay in shape and never have to worry about food/housing. I'm sure my situation is a rare case though, just like yours.