The military is a good option for a single person if you are adventurous. Remember you're signing a contract that you can't back out of so read, read, read... The recruiter ought to be your last point of information.
You mentioned you had training. You might get a larger signing bonus. They might send you to officer candidate school and make you an officer (better pay, better freedoms, better facilities). Make it clear that you are flexible and you'll have a better chance of finding a place in the military.
I had no military friends or military family to tell me about being in the military back when I was considering joining. Everything I heard was second, third and fourth handed. I had the library but did not utilize it very well. I went to see the recruiter, he liked what he saw and he sugar coated everything to get me to sign. Went to the MEPS center and they liked me too. Rather than sleep on it, I signed up for six years (Nuke program, Navy). Gee, my parents were surprised...
I was at a personal cross-roads and did not want to continue college at that time. Did not have alot of other options either except sweeping floors somewhere or flipping burgers. Was not in any trouble, never was.
My grandfather had served in WWII, my great-grandfather in WWI, and a distant relative was George Washington's blacksmith I'm told. Dunno if I believe that but it's interesting to repeat.
I wasn't a soldier or a Marine. I knew that. I talked to the Air Force and they didn't need anyone at the time. The Navy wanted me for the Nuke program though and I liked the idea of riding a big ship. I was SO naive. I believed everything they told me. They weren't BIG liars. Just little liars.
About 2 mins after I arrived at boot camp I was ready to go back home. Lucky for me I couldn't. Lucky for me I got to "grow up" and have quite an adventure. If you need to lose 20 lbs get started before boot camp. I didn't and they worked it off me. Was a tough way to go. It would have been even tougher at Army or Marine bootcamp.
I did very well in 'A' school but washed out in 'Power School'. Basically they just kept turning up the pressure in various ways until you washed out. I got the impression that they had many different ways to turn the pressure up and down. My grades weren't bad by college standards but they didn't meet the minimum which I think was a 2.5 GPA. It's been years but I think I had a 2.3 GPA. Not exactly a lost cause.
Actually I've been told by other guys that ought to know that the program probably needed to 'sacrifice' a few warm bodies to man posts around the world due to Desert Storm I. We were offered some choices but almost all of us (all of us?) that washed out that day wound up going to military police school at Lackland Air Force base. I was given choices and I chose a ship but the Navy sent me to MP school.
The day I washed out of Power School was the day the Pentagon bombed Baghdad the first time. I was scared. Had no idea where I was going after that... I wound up in Italy for three years (MP) and a ship after that (EM). Italy was amazing for me. The ship was interesting but I was counting down to civilian life by then (mind made up) so I didn't make it as good as I could have.
Then my enlistment was over. Where did the time go? I'm still rambling about it years later. Like everyone else I had decisions to make -do I reenlist?- and my choice was that I wanted to complete college, find a girl and start a family - - - as a civilian. Choices that I knew others could balance with the military but that I thought I could not. I was probably right. I've accomplished all that I wanted to and more: happily married, more college, great kids, degree in Engineering, mortgage, etc.
Looking back I am VERY glad I enlisted. VERY glad. I wouldn't be the same guy today. I hope my boys will do the same someday if it suits them. It gives you life lessons I don't think you could get anywhere else. If I fell into a time machine and went back 20 years I'd make all the same choices and strive to make my Navy time even better. Did I like every day? No. Did I like everything about the military lifestyle? No. Overall however I really benefited from the experience. If you'd like a peek into the Navy there is a series on PBS Online and Netflix called "Carrier". Watch it. 10 episodes and worth the time. There was a kid on there that sounded like me during those years.
What I discovered about myself during my Navy was that I wanted to be an engineer. I didn't (don't) want to fight directly. I'm very happy doing all sorts of engineering - design, manufacture and maintenance of machines and processes. I'm also a bit of a homebody these days - very content to hang around the house and spend time with my wife and kids when I'm off work. I enjoy traveling still but I like having a home to spend my time off at. I do still crave seeing the ships and the travel somedays. I suppose I'd be a great DoD contractor. A roof of my 'own' with my family there, with a day job someplace interesting. Relocating some place new every once in a while exploring the world one duty station at a time. I need to get away from work though when I'm done working.
In the military, I was single living on base or the ship everywhere but Naples. It was hard to get away from the military and still put my feet up. An apartment would have worked well except I was focused on saving money for college.
I was very different back then. I really enjoyed all the moving around. New places. New people. New challenges.
What I discovered too late was how to satisfy the Navy first and still be happy. I got tired of the Navy and hanging with the guys all the time about the time my Naples time was over and just in time for ship-duty where I got a much bigger dose of that.
I needed 'downtime' on the weekends to recharge. A few hours alone occasionally. Some place to put my feet up.
On the ship or on base I was always 'ship-shape' and 'Joe Navy' and hanging with the guys. If I tried to spend a Saturday on the ship there was a real chance I'd get 'volunteered' for duty of some sort. Chalk that up as the personality of our ship specifically. Our sister ship and those of friends there in VA were not the same. Our ship was very type-A during that period.
I would get off the ship and could play ball or workout or swim or go to bars or restaurants or bookstores or the mall or... Towards the end I was kind of burnt out on all of those things, I didn't want to have to go anywhere to kick back and I didn't want to risk spending Saturday tearing down equipment b/c somebody higher than me in the chain of command didn't like to waste their weekend duty days when they could have looked good for the Chief by tearing something down for inspection.
That is why I say an apartment would have suited me well. I wanted a place to kick back and read or watch TV (the channel I chose) or cookout or chat with friends or to take a girlfriend. Just like I had in Italy. Wasn't lazy, just needed a break on my weekend days off from the Navy. On the ship I couldn't do any of those things and to do those things out in town was expensive by my budget. What I probably needed was a girlfriend with an apartment.
Or rent one with a few guys to split the cost. I met a few too many girls near the bases mostly interested in getting their MRS. I was tired of the bar scene. Needed more civilian friends...
Anyhow what I figured out towards the end was how convenient a VW Westfalia or pop-up camper trailer would have been. A place to chill out that was mobile. Hop in, drive about 10 miles from the Navy to a campground and kick back with a brew, watch a game or movie on TV, cook some meat on the grille. When I've got to go back to the Navy Monday morn, pack it all up and park it on the pier next to the ship until liberty next.
All mine...
If you don't go the route of a van or camper, keep your kit small and mobile. Clothes, maybe a netbook, camera, TV card for your netbook, and something to write on. Something that fits in a sporty car you like to travel in. I owned a Mustang hatchback, a CR-X, an old style Beetle, and a VW Rabbit convertible back then depending on what year we're talking about. I liked to buy, repair and sell cars in my spare time. Made some spending money that way and I had variety. A great way to spend a weekend afternoon. Fun cars to drive long distances too. I could travel with my seabag for my military stuff and one duffle bag for all my civilian stuff and it all fit nicely in the smallest cars. I had a tiny TV, camera, a notebook to write in and a few books in my civilian bag. This was all pre-laptop.
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They also offer specialties, and I have an interest in surgery. The only problems is I would need 1-2 years to complete the science pre-reqs. They also require clinical patient experience. So, I have another follow up question. Lets say I enlisted, trained as a medic (this would give me patient and combat? experience), then after I met science pre-reqs, I request a LOA (do they generally grant these?). Is that looked down on? Thanks again!
