Military Goths (or other alt. people)
 

Just wondering if there are any current or former service members who are a little less than normal.

I'm currently an IS (IS3 in December. Huzzah!) in the US Navy, and I'm just wondering if there is anyone else out there. Obviously, it's an unpopular move for alternative folks to make, and requires some sacrifice in one's personal life do to the fact is dominates every aspect of your life, unlike many regular jobs.

So, anyone out there?

I'm not military but I do have a few friends stationed over at Langey. One of the nice things about being less than normal in the military is how accepted tattoos are, as long as they are able to be covered by your uniform nobody really gives a shit.

Wasn't Kontan in the military a while ago?

Not that I recall.

Air Force Vet
 

I did four years in the Air Force, from 2001 to 2005. I was stationed at Lackland, so I cut my goth clubbing teeth at Communion and the White Rabbit.

Ex-Army air paramedic.

Once upon a time, a chief once told me I made it to MA3 about a good 3 or 4 months after I earned it. Congrats to me for being good at shit I don't like.

LOL at military goths

I was mislead by the title of the thread. I thought you were referring to Rivetheads.

Lord W. You're thinking of Marines. (No. Wait a minute. Those are 'jarheads.' Sorry. My bad). blindNsect, LOL at people who LOL at military goths.

Yay we are all LOLing in harmony!

Rambozo the Clown.

I tried joining the Army back in '99, but I failed the medical exam due to a knee injury.

Definitely had nothing to do with your psych evaluation then?

Actually, I tried to go in for Marines when I turned 18. Special security forces, diplomatic security (AKA computer security), and they got far more interested in me AFTER seeing the psych evaluation that was done on me at 16. They wouldn't tell me exactly why they were getting so interested but knowing me and the likely results of my psych profile I decided they were up to getting me to be up to no good and withdrew.

I'll be joining the army in three years, I'm still wondering if I should educate to become weapon mechanic first though. I'd like to join the elite force or what ever its called (Jæger korpset) in denmark. But I'm almost sure I cant do that course I still got some astma :/

I almost failed my entrance physical, then I scored high enough on the ASVAB they let me in anyway. Apart from flying around in a 'chopper' for a few years, it was a bust. Wouldn't recommend it. (I was a flight medic [air paramedic]. The majority of flight medics, yours truly included, leave the military with lower extremity [knees-to-toes] injuries). Count yourself lucky.

You were an MA?

I guess, I'll forgive you. =P

Okay, so I guess the consensus is there really isn't anyone active duty here, except me.

I've been thinking of enlisting in the military (Navy or Air Force) after I get my AA degree and then going back to get a Bachelor's Degree after EAS.
@ DepthsOfSpace: What's Navy life like, what are working hours, what should be expected, etc.?

That is really dependent on what you end up doing in the Navy (the same goes for pretty much any branch of the Armed services). For instance if you are on most ships then you can expect to go out for six month deployments and then to be docked for six months (though this wont always be the case), if you are on a sub the you can expect three month deployments, and there are positions where you wouldn't actually go out to sea so you don't have deployments (it is rare that you wouldn't go out but one of Fred's friends went on one deployment in his 20 year Navy career), basically it depends on what the Navy needs from you. As for specific hours you are technically on call 24/7, if you are IT then there is a good chance of getting called in at really shitty hours, if you are an administrator then not so much.

Make certain you are absolutely sure before you go in, because once you are in, there is no out untill your contract is done. Failure to show up for military duty you have signed up for is punishable by law.

If you're in a relationship with somone who has never dealt with the military, make sure to talk it over carefully with them, because the changes are going to affect them just as much as they'll affect you. As soon as you sign that contract, you're a yo-yo, and the military's favorite trick is "around the world".

Now this is all assuming you're eligible to serve in the military, believe it or not most people arn't, it's not the "you're 18, you're in" steriotype you hear about on tv. Also if you're going to be in IT make sure you have a clean background because they are going to look through everything because most IT jobs require some level of security clearance.

And don't forget right now they can afford to be picky. For the first time since...well...since the draft most branches are actually filling their quotas. They will care about any criminal history, even minor things (other than basic traffic violations) can completely disqualify you from many positions.

If you don't really care about a specific branch then think about joining the Coast Guard, they haven't gotten quite the swell of applicants that the Navy and Air Force have gotten. I'm assuming that you are trying to avoid getting shipped to a combat zone if that isn't the case I would say go Army because they aren't making quotas and they do need people.

Don't forget National Guard. As far as I know, they aren't filling their quotas as quickly as active duty are. Then again, it's also not the same as active duty.

I had to tone down my image when I began my new job last year.
< child care worker.

Marine here, stationed in lovely 29 Palms