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When I first enlisted in the US Navy, I was guaranteed a specific field of jobs.
The top two choices of guarantees that I was presented with were Nuclear Power or submarine Advanced Electronics [AEF]. The toughest jobs pay the most money
Army enlistments, you can pick and get an exact job out of the 150+ MOS (Military Occupational Specialties)... If it is open, if you qualify for that MOS, you can get a contract in writing for that job. It's been that way since at least 1968.
You can change MOS's as a re-enlistment bonus.
Some MOS's offer cash bonuses up to $40,000 for qualified applicants...
(The above is all from memory and subject to change...)
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 01-17-2016 at 10:44 AM..
Last time I was told, the Army had discontinued Student Loan Repayment (SLRP) a couple years ago for OCS.
You don't have to see combat in order to get injured. You can be on the base and get hit with a rocket or mortar. It's not just a bullet that can kill you. If you have the attitude of "I don't want to see combat," then you don't belong in the military.
Officers do not receive bonuses.
Coming in at a higher rank is typically for doctors and lawyers.
Coming in at a higher rank is typically for doctors and lawyers.
Actually, it is quite common for Army applicants to enlist or obtain a higher rank before training, assuming everyone understands that pay grade E-1 is the entry baseline.
Eagle Scouts. 3 years participation in HS JROTC program. Refer a friend who meets certain criteria and enlists. Complete certain threshold of college credits. Complete the Future Soldier Training Program.
All of these activities lead to promotion before a person steps off the bus at Basic Training. None of these apply to officer promotions, and none of these will take you above pay grade E3.
4 year bachelor degree holders come in as Specialist (pay grade E-4) all the time. There are many enlistments where the person does not want to go OCS and simply starts their enlistment at pay grade E4.
The incentives for doctors, dentists, veterinarians, nurses include direct commission at higher rank (above second lieutenant), accession bonuses, and qualified student loan repayment. The Army has incredible flexibility in recruiting incentives for medical professionals..it is not unusual to see a silver-haired neurosurgeon come in at Lieutenant Colonel sitting in their basic course with 22 year old graduate nurses.
As wisely pronounced earlier: make sure it is written in your contract. For those who meet Future Soldier promotion incentives, make sure you see that in writing before you ship to training. All promotions are written orders--get a copy!
I would recommend Supply Corp or Intel in the Navy. You should be able to get OCS. I would not recommend Surface Line in the Navy since it's a real stressful job.
Air Forces does treat it's people better but seems to be on a deep decline with people and always kicking them out for rightsizing.
The Army is not bad with a lot of places to go here and overseas.
Military is not a bad career, unless you are getting shot at, and that pension does give you a degree of security.
If you already have your bachelors, you will be doing yourself a huge disservice by going in enlisted. You should be an officer, or nothing at all. College grads don't fare well as an enlisted soldier, sailor, marine, or airperson(seriously, what is the airforce going to use ). That degree you worked for means nothing once you put on that uniform. You will be saluting the same snot nosed academy FNG's as the rest of the high school educated enlisted. And while it didn't bother me one bit, the college grads resented it big time. Here you are, an E-5 for example, taking flack from some O-1 who isn't a day older than 22 years old. They already make 160 % of your pay.
Please take a look at the officer, and enlisted pay scales on-line. Talk to an officer recruiter, they are different from the regular recruiters.
If you already have your bachelors, you will be doing yourself a huge disservice by going in enlisted. You should be an officer, or nothing at all. College grads don't fare well as an enlisted soldier, sailor, marine, or airperson(seriously, what is the airforce going to use ). That degree you worked for means nothing once you put on that uniform. You will be saluting the same snot nosed academy FNG's as the rest of the high school educated enlisted. And while it didn't bother me one bit, the college grads resented it big time. Here you are, an E-5 for example, taking flack from some O-1 who isn't a day older than 22 years old. They already make 160 % of your pay.
Please take a look at the officer, and enlisted pay scales on-line. Talk to an officer recruiter, they are different from the regular recruiters.
Keep in mind that take-home pay is a completely different topic from Base-Pay. There is a lot more to pay then simply pay-grades.
I agree with going officer. Linguist sounds like a good field for you. But I think it was Navy women I talked to in Hawaii who had been enlisted for Chinese and Arabic. Neither one spoke any foreign language previously. There's a bizarre (to me) audio test given that identifies an aptitude for language.
But try Air Force first and see what they offer you. I'd steer clear of Army because all they do is field stuff. It's what they're about.
You can always finish your major after you're in. 20 years goes by fast. If it's what you want to do, you can do it.
I'm just trying to explore my options and be more open minded since I'm still young.
I'm in my late 20s, getting my masters in advertising but not sure if I want to do that anymore. I don't have kids and I'm not married and I don't really plan on it. I don't really know what to do with my life so I was thinking if I could lock myself to a 20 year contract or so, at least I'd have some benefits and savings by the time I'm middle aged. That'd be better than switching careers all the time and continuously starting in beginning level jobs.
If I were to join the military, what would my options be and what should I expect? I'm a woman so I don't think I would join the Navy. I don't want to go to combat either. I was thinking about the Air Force or the Army. I'm pretty fit physically. I lift weights and am stronger than most women. I speak, read, and write a foreign language but not fluently enough to translate legal documents. I have also thought about joining the CIA with my language skills but now I would obviously need to be better at it. I have also always wanted to travel a lot for work.
What are your thoughts? I'm pretty tough and I think I can handle it. I just want to make sure I'm not going to regret it or lose body parts.... I would also have about $50K in school debt. I have heard some people were able to get the military to pay it off but some people weren't able to do that. Just wondering how the people who got it paid off were able to do so? Also, what would a degree in advertising allow me to do in the military? :/ My undergrad degrees were Creative Writing and Philosophy...
The degree in advertising would probably be good for getting you into psychological operations. Check out the Army psychological operation unit.
The degree in advertising would probably be good for getting you into psychological operations. Check out the Army psychological operation unit.
What branch did you serve in?
How many years?
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