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People who enlist are well aware of the dangers. Many people love their country and w
Hate to break it to you, but many people never get TAP/Pell/financial aid. FYI TAP is ONLY in NYS. Private college is overrated? Seriously? Do you think if a person graduated from the University at Buffalo with a degree in architecture with a 4.0 they would be hired over a person who graduated from Cornell University with a degree in architecture with a 4.0? Highly doubtful! Oh and Buffalo does NOT have free tuition, fees, room, or board. Neither does Cornell. Cornell, however, gives out far more in financial aid than Buffalo. And a B- student would not even get into Cornell! You'd even have a hard time getting into Buffalo.
I mean private ivy ollege doesnt really matter in civil service/military.Ivys matter in private section Fortune 500 companies etc. Does army really care if person gets a Nursing degree from Community college or NYU..at least its accretited. And you dont have to go room and board just go to local public school. Many CS positions just say a "4 year degree" required major doesnt even matter. Good pay.
I mean private ivy ollege doesnt really matter in civil service/military.Ivys matter in private section Fortune 500 companies etc. Does army really care if person gets a Nursing degree from Community college or NYU..at least its accretited. And you dont have to go room and board just go to local public school. Many CS positions just say a "4 year degree" required major doesnt even matter. Good pay.
...okay. Then do that. As a group, we do not appear to care.
If you're trying to convince the group on this forum that your viewpoint is correct, you are probably in a fruitless quest.
I remember the pay was $573/month, food and housing all free. also got free college courses.
Not everyone gets PTSD because not all branches go to war - USAF - Avionics
I already had secret clearance and was hoping to get stationed at Nellis, where I may have seen what was in Area 51.
Disadvantages: being around chain smokers in an enclosed room. At age 19, I remember a guy who was only 30, all white hair, aged skin and looked 50, I knew I could not entertain a long career. However, the benefits of being a lifer (20 years+) is too attractive. I still have a VA loan and free VA healthcare at a good facility.
It's probably a great career if you don't end up in a combat zone. Quite a few people coming back from Iraq are having issues with PTSD.
This isn't an attack on combat veterans who really do have PTSD, I am a combat vet myself. But so many vets lie about it when they get out just to get a nice disability check. Very sad but very true. And with so many people doing it it makes all combat vets look like these crazy war vets. I rarely tell people about my combat experience because their whole demeanor often completely changes.
I'm enlisted and I make $75,000 a year. I don't believe I would have ever been this high of an earner without enlisting. I would have likely ended up in a job that pays less.
I have never paid a dime for college (working on a Master's degree). I joined at age 17, and have gotten my education while in. OP, why do you assume we don't go to college while enlisted?
I have never paid a dime for medical care (including braces and vision correction surgery).
Half my income is non-taxed.
I have a great deal of life insurance for myself and my family.
I still have an unused GI bill that will pay for one of my children to go to college, for free, with money for room and board included in the GI Bill. Does your employer pay for your child's college?
I have a retirement that I'll begin collecting at 38 years old, that I never contributed a penny to, and it's worth about $2,500,000 dollars if I live to be mid-80s, no accounting for inflation and COLA adjustments... and I never contributed a single cent. How does your retirement work?
I will get health insurance for the rest of my life.
I get free legal services, a free gym and pool on base, and discounted shopping.
I have an untold amount of extra benefits that are too numerous to describe.
I make more money than a single person I went to high school with, that I'm aware of anyway.
My husband is also enlisted. Together, we are in the top 10 percent of household incomes in the country, and we're barely in our 30s, and have had a very easy life. We each work just 35 hours a week!
I'm not following how this is a bad deal?
And people wonder if people in the military are overcompensated?? Is there any reason they don't make 25 or 30 years the requirement to get retirement?
Before someone points out that you can die .... What percentage for people are ever in combat? I know several people in for 20 who never picked up a rifle or were in any danger.
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