The Army

[Renatus]

Seeing as how this forum serves at times as an advice forum rather than a whining forum I must ask for help with this major life decision.

Well an hour ago I wraped up an interview with two recruitment staff sargents. I scored very high on the practic ASVAB test which means there are alot of options open to me. But underlying all of this is will I join the army, will I go on active duty or the resurve, and will I go through ROTC (the training course all officers must go through). Also if I were to join the army I would most likely be entering the signal corps (the tech guys of the army) which is safer than most of the other corps. There are soo many issues involved, and while my family has a long history of military service (ranging from hessian soldiers to my father and aunt who are both Lt. Colonels), I would like to get a wider range of opinions. I know gnet has people from all over ranging from people who have never served to American military personel to people from across the globe (including some countries where there is a required number of years of military service). There are soo many things to consider when you consider the fact that the pen I pick up would be the pen that defines the rest of my life.

Also just a note if I were to sign up I would have my hair made into a wig preferably somthing you would see the british noblility or parlament wearing.

[DepthsofSpace]

(Notice: this post is the ranting and raving of an anarchist. His opinions are biased and may feature hyperboles and other false analogies and is writing this because he has no idea what he might write answering your question and would like you to be forewarned.)

WARNING: When signing up for the military, screw w3hat ever you put down as 'preferred job options', you will go where they want you and where they want you right now is with a Colt 5.53mm automatic rifle on a street corner in Baghdad.

You're life will cease to be yours and they aim to remove any part of individuality in you. You are a slave to the State for four years, with orders to kill who they ask you too. When/if martial law is declared in the US, thanks to a terrorist strike (real or false flag), you may become an instrument of the oppression of your own country. Even if you are in the signal corps, will you relay orders of detention/termination of fellow citizens labeled dissidents?

If you wanted an yes/no answer, here it is...

NO

[Steppenwolf]

Think it slowly-carefully-twice ...
You may save one life by saying NO : Yours!
Think about all the whatifs ... Just think about all the whatifs ...

If I were you I wouldn't trust them so easily : Once you are in , you're just a piece for them ... You HAVE TO FOLLOW ORDERS , no matter if they are against your belief .

Again : Think it twice .

[Green.Lady]

DON'T DO IT! You could be throwing your life down the drain for nothing! Even if the army sounds appealing now, or you think you're serving Uncle Sam, when you're holding a gun in Iraq and being told to shoot to kill, it won't seem so fascinating.

I know I'm biased, as I'm Canadian and up here we don't support you guys' war with Iraq/Iran/whatever other country you don't like (or at least I've never heard or read of someone supporting it). However, war is war, and unless you truly believe that you are making a difference and fighting for the right thing, you shouldn't go (for example, I would've gladly fought in WWII, but not in your war). You don't have to follow in anyone's footsteps. You are your own person and you shouldn't let your father and aunt having high positions influence a decision that could lead to your death.

I see dead soldiers on TV, and deaths they caused, and I wouldn't want anyone to be in either position, killing or being killed. Maybe I'm a liberal pacifist. Maybe I don't see the whole picture. But what I'm certain of is that if you join the army you will be CHOOSING to risk dying and CHOOSING to perhaps have to KILL another human being, be they "evil" or an innocent civilian walking home from school. I read an article about a little girl who is missing an arm because of the US Army. More have been r aped, killed, orphaned.

But don't take my word for it.

[Valerius]

Army??? Army??! Join the Navy!

[Renatus]

Actualy to those of you who don't know how the system works according to the new contract you actualy have more options which allow you some flexibility in choosing where you'll end up (even the military can't break a legal contract). Also like I said before I have a great deal of connections in the military like my father and aunt who are both Lt. Colonels as well as all the officers that my father knows (including one who is being transfered to the Pentagon). Also If anything happened along the lines of Martial law along the lines your thinking of I doubt even the military would go along with such a thing I know I definately wouldn't go along with it.
Valerius you are definately one of the sources I'd be interested in hearing from I would appreciate it if you gave another inside view on the matter.

[bleedingheart344]

Originally Posted by Valerius

Army??? Army??! Join the Navy!

*Starts singing In The Navy* Anyways, I'd say just think it over. Do it because YOU want to do it, not because it's what people in your family have done.

[Valerius]

Here's the gist of it, basically. But you may know that you will be away from your friends and family for as much as four years once you join the navy, and if you're not prepared for that you may want to consider the reserves or just join the national guard.

If you make that choice to make the military your lifetime career, then hey, all props to you.

And yeah, like what bleedingheart said, think it over and make sure you're committed to what you are about to do.

[Godslayer Jillian]

Why do you want to join the army?

[HumanePain]

Pros and Cons:

Pros:
Lifetime health and retirement benefits.
Free education and training.
Free travel and the mind broadening experience that goes with it.
You get to shoot guns! (My personal fav!)

Cons:
You may have to kill someone.
You may be killed yourself. Painfully.
Or you may end up crippled for life, paralyzed, or psychologically scarred.
You may have nightmares the rest of your life.

In my humble opinion: The Con of possibly being killed overrides everything else, so skip it is my advice. To be fair: I have never served in the military. The Vietnam Draft ended 6 months before I turned 18.

[Edward Strange]

I remember when I was wee I found myself in the exact same situation.
Well.. Roughly anyway.

I was coming to the end of College and wanted to do something with my life, I had a head full of ideas and a friend who was dead set on joining the Army Musicians Corp (here in the UK, dig?). So after many hours of listening to him babble on about how wonderful it was and watching and reading recruitment material I had my heart set on being a Military Policeman.
It sounded ace! I got to be a lance corporal from the word go, I got to enforce the law, see the world, do some genuine good.

Or at least, so I thought. But after I while, sitting in my cozy, middle-class home I began to wonder if it was really all it was cracked up to be.
Well, that and constant nagging from mum.
Anyway, I watched the videos again and I realized it wasn't for me. Not only that, but I didn't think I could actually do it.
The idea of crawling around in the mud, fears of getting bullied for being different (not wishing to play to stereotypes but alot of recruits round these parts are a jarheaded lot), getting shot at, shooting people, being cold and wet and miserable, being hot and dry and miserable, questionable food, being away from home...

Don't get me wrong, it still sounds wonderful. The whole thought of adventure, and doing something worthwhile with my life sounded wonderful. It still does. I'm sure if you did join you could walk down the street with your head held high feeling 8 feet tall.
However. It's a grim business soldiering. I couldn't do it (I'd rather not get shot at, thankyou very much). Could you?

As someone said earlier, by not joining up, you are saving one life: Yours!
I didn't agree with the war on Iraq. And I didn't agree with the idea of being sent of to perhaps die for something I didn't believe in.
Which to me is a little unfair.

You get shouted at, screamed at, while I'm sure they are lovely really, soldiers are a rough bunch (they have to kill people you know), you have to do things you don't want to do, go places you don't want to go...

And on and on.
It is a -very- dirty business, no matter which part of the army you go into.
If you end up in Signals, that's great, it's reasonably nice and safe.
But are you prepared for what happens if you don't? Or if it isn't what you expect?

Some people live for it. Maybe you are one of these people, you won't know until you find out.
So find out! Join the cadets or something, get a feel for it. Try before you buy for goodness sakes. Or you might make a choice you regret for years and years.

What made me decide against it in the end was the realization that I wouldn't be very good at it, it probably wouldn't be what I imagined it would be like and there are things I would rather be doing with my life that involves less screaming gribbly death.

Which is why I'm a Police Sciences student today and I've never looked back since.
Think about it, yo?
And think about the Emergency Services too why not? If you want to help people, make the world a better place, do something worthwhile with your life and have a reasonably lower chance of getting blown up by irate bearded men, then maybe the police/fire/ambulance service is for -you!-
The shameless promoting will stop now.

[HellforgedX]

don't worry about a thing! Haven't you ever seen the movie "Stripes" starring Harold Raymis & Bill Murray? "There she was, just'a walkin' down the street..."

[Edward Strange]

I've got it!
Watch Full Metal Jacket and Jarhead, then make your mind up! ><

[Drake Dun]

The best I can do is to relate the experiences of a friend of mine who joined the army.

The good: It put him in excellent physical shape and increased his self confidence markedly.

The bad: They took over his life completely. Each time he was supposed to get out, they found some way to extend his service, until finally they were literally pulling shit like losing his papers behind filing cabinets and stuff to keep him in. He finally gave up on his original life plans and just let the army take over.

As far as money and so forth, it appears to be like any government job. Little freedom and unspectacular pay, but rock solid security.

Drake

[HellforgedX]

You could always be a water boy like Pauly Shore in the movie "In the Army Now."

[corrosive lust]

I wasn't an officer but I can tell you what I went through as enlisted. First off, if they don't have the job you want available at MEPS just walk away. No matter what they say, you're not in until you sign a contract and you're taking your oath and even then you can get out of a cruddy m.o.s. by disqualifying yourself for that position. But if you're satisfied with your job then you're next event is reception where they introduce you to basic drill & ceremony and you collect your TA-50 for basic.

Unlike "Full Metal Jacket" they can't hit you anymore and as I understand it now they have stress cards to flash at drill Sergeants so you don't go into an emotional breakdown (this didn't exist at Ft. Sill where I took basic). They can make you do p.t. until you pass out but for the most part it's all a big mind game.

When you're through with basic you're off to a.i.t. where the drill sergeants act tough but are just pissed that they don't get to act like REAL drill sergeants. If you flunk anything in a.i.t. to where they just can't accept you in your chosen m.o.s. then you get reclassified. Since almost every test is open book though you'd have to be a complete idiot not to pass. They mostly just teach you how to use the manuals.

At your permanent unit it's just like an ordinary job except you can't just quit and leave. It is a nine to five job with an hour and a half break for lunch but and hour's worth of p.t. at 6:30am. Exceptions being sergeant's time on Thursdays. My job was as a 14E (Patriot missile operator/maintainer) so the signal I saw there were 31R at the time. The downside to the job was it's boring and you're stuck with Korea, Ft. Bliss (which isn't that bad), and Germany (not likely to get). AR 71 (the guide for appearance among other things in the army) does not have a specific length for hair. It only says that it can not be faddish, must be groomed, and can not interfere with the wearing of headgear. You can dye it, it just has to be a natural color.

My entire time in the army I did not get get orders to murder and act in some fucked up Hollywood style stereotype, but then again I wasn't infantry. My job entailed watching a radar scope and defending our designated airspace. Most of the time it was only Missiles we would engage but we trained for air breating targets still. You are allowed a personallity in the army, you can tell how everyone in it bitches to no end. That's the Marines who brainwash you. If you want to know more ask someone who is in it. But what ever you do, do not rely on your recruiter to tell you anything. Not all of them are cool and most just want you in and that it so they can fill their quota.

[Renatus]

Yeah my father has said bad things about fort sill.

This Tuesday I took the asvap and scored a 90 out of 99 overall and over 120 in all job areas meaning I can do anything I want as long as a position is open . When we looked into the signal corps for me the full 25 series was open to me. The plan is that I'll be starting out as a 25 Uniform for a few years for the 20k signing bonus (not counting the college fund) and then later on transfer to 25 Bravo with a much smaller 3k signing bonus but better training in the field I want to work in once I leave the army. Though one thing my father has suggested is I have the skills to possibly make it to General if I go into the ROTC later on. I'll be shipping off on July 7th to Fort Benning GA for basic training then Fort Gordon for AIT. I'm thinking of transfering off to Fort Louis after I have served my required time in an assigned station. This Saturday i'll be getting my security clearance at either the level of Secret or Top Secret. Untill then I am making $1000 a month for advanced signup (though they won't give it to me untill I show up for basic training). This will provide a great deal of experience, not to mention the fact that it gives college credits and I'll be getting at least 73k in federal college funds (not to mention I could also get some federal funds for other reasons).

[HellforgedX]

Sounds pretty damn enticing, and all kidding aside, good luck and godspeed. As Lt. Dan said, "Don't do anything stupid, like gitcherself killed."

[drewsilla]

My husband had AIT in Fort Gordon. Augusta is a cool place, and since his AIT was so long me and our baby got to move there to be with him, even though we had to live off-post. After a while he got to move off and stay with us, which was awesome. His MOS was 35E at the time (they have redefined it, and now he's a 94 or 95E, I can't remember which). He was also ordnance, and not signal. His classes for his MOS were just as intense as any college course, so don't let anyone fool you into thinking you get to slide by. We got sent to Germany where we lived for 3 years. It was an experience I'll never forget! He got really lucky and got a fixed unit, which means he didn't get deployed. He would have liked to be, and would have in a second if they had let him.

I can't tell you how it is to be in the Army, but I can tell you that you can be in and still be yourself. I knew lots of goths and pagans that were in the military when my husband was active duty. All that yelling and other bullshit they do to you is to make you a better soldier and a better person. (You can go to clubs and do whatever on the weekends, too.)

Also, do lots of college courses while you are in. Where ever they post you should be an on-post college center where you can can find out what classes you can take. That way when you get out you can be that much ahead of the game.

Also, they will send you where they want to send you. They might tell you "Yeah, you get to pick where you want to go." You will write down your choices and they will more than likely get ignored, just to let you know. My husband chose 3 bases here in the States and specifically told them he didn't want overseas...so he got Mannheim, Germany for 3 years. We got to go with him, like I said it was unforgetable, but that is a hard time to do, being away from everything you know. Was tough, but I'm a tough cookie!

Just have a good time, learn as much as you can, get your ass off-post when you are able and see the world around you. If you do that then being in the Army will be worth more than gold to you. Good luck!!!

[Valerius]

Goodluck and Godspeed! I admire those willing to serve their nation, and I just hope that you serve yours well and with total commitment.