No good jobs available at these times/ Is time to enlist in the military even in your thirties? (college degree, career)

[Crew Chief]

Originally Posted by Greenlabs

Coast Guards is also a great branch and hear really good things about the Coasties.
Yes becoming is an officer is the best way to go!!!

Yeah, but enlisteds have more fun!

[ReturningWest]

If I was 30 and had a 4 year degree and no job I'd certainly look at the AF...but alas, I'm 58 and only technical certificates that get me nothing

[Greenlabs]

She is too old for enlistment for Air Force and Coast Guards.
No go for the other branches.

[NEOhioBound]

Originally Posted by texdav

Its the age limit like 32 unless you have a degree exemption in the services

For the Army the cutoff age is actually 42 if you don't have Active prior service (husband is an Army Recruiter)

[Woof Woof Woof!]

Gosh, hate to think this is how the U.S. Military is going to get all its new recruits.

[Submariner]

I did 20 years in the Navy.

I served with one guy [Les] who enlisted when he was 35, he stayed and finished 20 years, got his pension.

I enlisted at 18, served 6, got out and went to college, when my GI bill ran out I re-enlisted.

Sea duty gives you a lot of time to complete college courses. I was able to finish a Masters degree.

I bought income real estate at each duty station, and was able to build a decent portfolio.

The Navy pays far better than the other services, and really encourages sailors to budget their money.

Among other things, I took courses on Budgeting, Investing, and Tax-planning. The tax courses were the best, taught by IRS auditors and we were certified by them to do taxes.

They taught me to keep myself fully tax sheltered, and I have been tax exempt since 1983.

I also completed 6 years as a Federal Police Office and I completed the DOL's Journeyman program. So I have my badge and I can apply at any PD without a requirement to go through any local academy.

My experience navigating deep-draft vessels was enough to fulfill the USCG requirements for a Ship's Masters License.

I got my pension, and I retired at 42.

I could do LEO work, or I could Captain a merchant vessel.

Instead I bought a farm.





I would recommend the Navy.

[texdav]

If it for a career;remmebr that the p0oint always takes care fo the point.Being a scond LT' isn't that great a job and even if you have a degree;it had better be in a fied that the military wants. My briother had his CPA and endup in a boreing finance in a combat area going into the field on many occasions. He also had to be Lt of guard at times.

[Crew Chief]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

The Navy pays far better than the other services, and really encourages sailors to budget their money.

ALL of the services have the same basic pay. The Navy pays sailors that are at sea an extra pay allowance for serving aboard a ship. Just like the special pays that all of the services have; i.e. flight pay for the USN & USAF. Hazardous duty pay for all of the services. Dislocation allowance for all of the services. And so on. So none of the branches pay any better than the others. Your paycheck depends on what your job is, what capacity you are serving in, where you are serving and other factors. All of the services have programs that encourage their members to save and be thrifty. Forest Beekeeper, you're a great example of how to make the best of a military career, financially and educationally; congratulations!

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Crew Chief

ALL of the services have the same basic pay. The Navy pays sailors that are at sea an extra pay allowance for serving aboard a ship. Just like the special pays that all of the services have; i.e. flight pay for the USN & USAF. Hazardous duty pay for all of the services. Dislocation allowance for all of the services. And so on. All of the services have programs that encourage their members to save and be thrifty. Forest Beekeeper, you're a great example of how to make the best of a military career, financially and educationally!

Thanks chief;

It is my understanding that the Navy's SRB is the highest. It always was, I assume that it still is.

Every time you Re-Enlist they are offering a cash bonus in front of you with a cap of $90k. [it changes depending on what your rate / NEC is. If your job is hard and requires a lot of schooling, then your SRB is higher].

The Navy routinely sees tax-free service. It is common to service for decades where your salary is completely tax-free. I was tax-free from 1983 until I retired in 2001. The Army, AF, Marines will only see tax-free status while they are being shot at.

In my case, base pay was commonly 1/4 of my take home paycheck.

Just ask any navy recruiter how much the current SRB level is for a ET1 Nuclear Reactor Operator, buckle your seat belt, as it will take a few minutes for him to look it up, but then $90k will be his answer.

I was not a nuc, I only got $65k every 4 years when I re-upped.

During most of my career, when I was at sea I got:
BAQ,
COLA, VHA,
Sub pay,
Career sub pay,
Sea pay,
Career sea pay,
Sea pay kicker,
Female separation pay,
All in addition to base pay.

When I was in-port I got:
BAS,
BAQ,
COLA, VHA,
Sub pay,
Career sub pay,
in addition to base pay.

You are entirely correct to say that all services pay "an extra pay allowance for serving". But that implies it is a small stipend. We are talking here about tripling your paycheck.



At my last duty station, I was stationed in Naples making trips to Kosovo. Serving along side of Army, Air force and Marine personnel.

I was not getting haz-duty pay, I got: base pay, BAS, BAQ, COLA, VHA, Sub pay, and Career sub pay. And of course I was tax exempt.

At the time only the Navy and Marines were tax exempt in that location. The Army and AF had not gotten 'approval' for it.

In our family housing complex, our next door neighbors and often dinner guests were an Air Force family. He and I were both E6s, both at 18 years. We were both living in Naples, making trips into Kosovo. His pay was less than a third of my pay. The difference was not allotments, it was pay.

[HillScoggin]

I think that people either have grandiose ideas of what they should make or they do not know how to look for a job etc

Sometimes even with a college degree or two you have to take a lower paying job in the company you want to work for to "get your foot in the door".

I work for a state run facility. I have really good benefits. State retirement fully vested after just ten years. Holidays out the butt. Large vacation and sick leave etc

I have two degrees. But to get my foot in the door I took one of the lowest jobs they had...and part time. Within three months I was full time and in the area of expertise that my degrees are for and making almost three times per hour. I talked a friend into doing the same. She started out part time. Six months later she is a director of housing for the county making ten times what she was hired in for.

1 It gets you in the door
2 You make contacts
3 You show your abilities
4 It shows a willingness to work and do whatever it takes

This agency I work for hires people all the time. Even though it has great benefits etc these younger people (19-30) will hang around about four months and when they arent the boss already they leave. Some because they can make a couple dollars more per hour. But with hardly if any benefits. Makes no sense to me.