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For all of you that have been in the military

Our_Time_Is_NowOur_Time_Is_Now
edited June 2007 in Everything Else
I've been thinking about going into the Army National Guard. I'm meeting with my recruiter today to take some test. I was thinking the Guard because I can do it part time and I would be helping in my community. And the money for college isn't bad either. I just really am not wanting to be deployed. I don't think that I could really kill anyone else, even if it were to help my country. What branch do you suggest I go into?

Comments

  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    If you are not willing to be deployed don't join.
  • cosmicenemacosmicenema
    If you are not willing to be deployed don't join.
    Not in this country. Not now.

    Student loans are really not that bad.
  • AndrewAndrew
    Coast Guard?
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    edited June 2007
    Coast Guard gets deployed too.

    If you do decide to go in, there are plenty of jobs that do not require "killing" people.

    I was in the Ordnance branch of the US Army myself.
    Post edited by HMTKSteve on
  • cosmicenemacosmicenema
    Coast Guard?
    OK . . . maybe the Coast Guard. . . you could fight pirates and that would be cool. Especially if they kidnap you and convince you to become a pirate.
  • AprecheApreche
    Does the Civil Air Patrol count? I heard it is very difficult to get into the Coast Guard. Maybe you can join the Peace Corps. or something? I really wish I knew more about this.

    Personally, as long as the US is fighting an unjust war, I will not join. I also wouldn't join in a time of peace unless I really trusted the current government, so that I wouldn't risk being deployed to a war I didn't want to fight. However, if a real war suddenly broke out, say if the US were invaded, I would walk down the street and sign up today. At one time I thought about joining if I could get some sort of absolute guarantee that I would only ever have to do computer work, but that wasn't possible. For that, it is much better to go to a defense contractor, in which case you might as well just go to normal college and get a normal job.
  • AndrewAndrew
    I have a very strong swimming background (Competitive for 14 years, at the National level for 8). I've always thought that if I was to join the military, I would join Coast Guard/Navy as a rescue diver, you know, the guys that jump out of helicopters into the ocean.
  • Our_Time_Is_NowOur_Time_Is_Now
    I would love to go into the peace core but it is really hard to get into and they really only want people that have already gone to college. It is an unjust war. But there are good things that are happening because of the war also. Woman over there are starting to get rights. They can finally walk down a street without a man at their side. I'm kinda hoping that on this test that I'm going to take that I score high enough to choose my MOS. But if it gets to me being deployed, I'd just go into their nursing. Not something I really want to do cause I couldn't give people shots without freaking out. I would love to fight pirates. Go Ninjas!
  • AprecheApreche
    I have a very strong swimming background (Competitive for 14 years, at the National level for 8). I've always thought that if I was to join the military, I would join Coast Guard/Navy as a rescue diver, you know, the guys that jump out of helicopters into the ocean.
    The military has a need for so many different skill-sets. I think they would have a much easier time getting recruits if they allowed people to choose the way in which they will serve. If you had a choice to become a pilot, a navigator, a radar/radio/computer operator, a rescue diver, medic, etc. then many people would enlist for those positions specifically who otherwise would have avoided the service out of lack of desire to engage in combat. Of course, people who enlist for a specific position and aren't cut out for it will have to be discharged if they do not want to be reassigned. The whole thing might make a lot of unnecessary bureaucracy. Though, it's not like the military doesn't have enough of that already.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    Scott... When you enlist you pick your job.
  • Our_Time_Is_NowOur_Time_Is_Now
    It depends on how high you score on the test they give you what you can choose...
  • AndrewAndrew
    Do the Merchant Marines fall under the DoD?
  • JasonJason
    Go to the police academy.
  • AprecheApreche
    Scott... When you enlist you pick your job.
    Way way back in the day I asked a recruiter if I could join and be guaranteed to only ever have to work with computers. They said there was no guarantee, and I could always end up having to shoot people.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    Scott... When you enlist you pick your job.
    Way way back in the day I asked a recruiter if I could join and be guaranteed to only ever have to work with computers. They said there was no guarantee, and I could always end up having to shoot people.
    That is true because some enemies may infiltrate the rear echelon of your unit and break into your computer van, thus forcing you to defend yourself by killing them.
  • AndrewAndrew
    Right now I am actually trying to get a security clearance so I could get into the intelligence community and possibly work for the CIA as a computer specialist.
  • AprecheApreche

    That is true because some enemies may infiltrate the rear echelon of your unit and break into your computer van, thus forcing you to defend yourself by killing them.
    Yeah, vans are no good. Pentagon only please.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve

    That is true because some enemies may infiltrate the rear echelon of your unit and break into your computer van, thus forcing you to defend yourself by killing them.
    Yeah, vans are no good. Pentagon only please.
    Even people in the Pentagon eventually go in the field. It sounds like you want a civilian Defense Department job.
  • AprecheApreche

    Even people in the Pentagon eventually go in the field. It sounds like you want a civilian Defense Department job.
    Well, I think I'm good now. This was only way back in the day for purposes of getting free colleges and other benefits.
  • RymRym
    My stepdad and stepbrothers were all in the Coast Guard.  They enjoyed it, but the pay is low, the work is hard, and the hours are long.
  • cosmicenemacosmicenema
    edited June 2007
    My stepdad and stepbrothers were all in the Coast Guard. They enjoyed it, but the pay is low, the work is hard, and the hours are long.

    . . . but there are pirates. I have a 0% chance of running into pirates in my job. They should really have pirates on Coast Guard commercials.
    Post edited by Rym on
  • Our_Time_Is_NowOur_Time_Is_Now
    I'm sure they would recruit lots of ninjas. I wanna fight pirates! I could so kick Johnny Depp's arse!
  • KilarneyKilarney
    edited June 2007
    Believe it or not, about two months ago I seriously considered joining the National Guard at the age of 36. I wanted to go into the JAG Corps. It's one weekend a month and a possible deployment. The upside - the work can be incredibly interesting. And if you wind up in Iraq, you are literally watching history being made. (whether or not you agree with it.) Don't ask me why, but it really interested me. I'm always looking for an adventure.

    Here is the problem... They upped the enlistment requirements. For those that don't know, as a JAG officer, you enter as a Second Lieutenant. There is no basic training. All you do is go to school for four weeks to learn how to wear the uniform, salute etc. After that, you have to complete a course on military law. You used to be able to do this by correspondence. You had two years to finish it. Now, you have to attend the military law course in person. You also have to attend a completely new course that teaches you basic combat skills in case you are deployed. (Since Iraq is an urban/guerilla war, they want to make sure that everyone has a modicum of combat ability.) A four week commitment has turned into a 6 month commitment. And you may be deployed after that!

    This is where the Army isn't thinking... except for people right out of law school, I can assure you that you DON'T want to hire any lawyer that can afford to take 6 months off from their job. It's a very short-sighted policy. For me personally, I can't afford to take that time off and I would lose thousands of dollars. Call me crazy, but I don't think that volunteers should have to suffer financial hardship for their sacrifice. I was willing to make accommodations if I got deployed, but I sure as heck won't do that just for training.

    To get back to the original question.... the Air Force has the most comfortable accommodations of any military branch. When I was looking into the reserves, the Air Force was the branch that treated you the best. Other folks have confirmed this.

    So I recommend the Air Force.
    Post edited by Kilarney on
  • HungryJoeHungryJoe
    edited June 2007
    I recommend the Air Force.
    The Air Force is a good alternative to the military lifestyle.

    I was in Air Force ROTC for about nine weeks in college. I got out before I passed the point that I was obligated to stay. This was in the mid 80s, and the zoomies thought the best use of my skills would be as a missileer. Forget that. No way was I gonna sit for 12 hours a day in a missile silo at Minot.

    After law school, when I was practicing on my own, I considered Navy Reserve JAG. I was so motivated I was even willing to enter as a swab instead of an officer. It wouldn't have been so bad, as I could've mustered in as a Petty Officer 2nd Class. That's an E-5, the same pay grade as Sergeant in the Army or Marines and the same as a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force. I eventually decided against it because I could read the tea leaves about Iraq. Since I was working for myself, a long deployment would ruin my business.

    Carole and I have a couple of friends in the Army - Nancy is a Major (she went to law school with me) and Jay is a Colonel. Both of them work at the Pentagon. From what I hear from them, you WILL be deployed to Iraq if you join. Count on it.

    DO NOT believe anything a recruiter might tell you. If you play ball with Uncle Sam, he'll jam the bat up your ass.

    I agree with Jason. If you're motivated to help your community and you want a spiffy uniform, join the cops.
    Post edited by HungryJoe on
  • WallyBmanWallyBman
    If you get a high enough score on your AFQT you can pretty much pick your job. When I was looking at going in, it was the Air Force, and I was in college to get my Masters of Divinity, but looking to get out of college. I took the ASVAB a second time to see what I could join up as. After getting my scores, I realized that I could do pretty much anything I wanted that didn't require perfect vision or a commission. I was leaning towards either combat controller or para-rescue, both of which are like special forces for the Air Force. However, a motorcycle accident left me with eight pieces of titanium in my right wrist and hand, so no military service to me. So now I work for the U.S. Army in a civilian support role. The funny thing is, I get better pay than the guys flying my birds, and I get better benefits. If I want to go to war, I can transfer over to the middle east with my company and do the same job there that I do here, only at three times the pay.
  • ironzealotironzealot
    You can choose your own MOS if you're not an idiot, I scored 96 on my ASVAB and joined as 18X-ray (special forces). Fortunately I fucked up my knee before completing training, and thus was spared actually reaping the fruit of my foolish descision to join the military.

    I just wanted the respect of that patch on your shoulder.
  • Our_Time_Is_NowOur_Time_Is_Now
    It has been decided. I'm going into the guard in 6 months. My rents are gonna sign for me.
  • ZeehatZeehat
    Wait, do you actually want to go? If the choice primarily based on College funding, heavily consider the factor that they can call you to war, whenever they want.
  • Our_Time_Is_NowOur_Time_Is_Now
    Not just college funding. It's just got what I was looking for.
  • KilarneyKilarney
    Congratulations. From a financial/training perspective, it's hard to beat the National Guard. I know some people that have done very well thanks to the government.

    And let's face it... Congress isn't going to allow the troop levels we've seen for much longer. You may have picked a very good time to join. All of the bonuses, yet we're probably going to be winding down in Iraq sooner than later. Even if you do get deployed, your statistical chances of having anything happen to you are extremely slim.

    So once again... congratulations.
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