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The military "benefits" are really not that good. The healthcare system is based on Canada, but even worse. You pretty much get more Motrin and get pushed out the door. If you are sick, prepared to hear it from your chain of command, and you better be REALLY sick, because if your not, they will make you jump through hoops. There are no sick days in the military, so you need extreme documented proof.
You are on call 24 hours a day. So if some a$$hole commander feels like having a meeting on your day off, you are expected to come in uniform. If you are single and living in the dorms, they will make you do extra crap like pull weeds and plant flowers, even if its in the middle of the day, and you work night shift. So you will get married way too young, because the policies encourage that. Forget about being able to see your kid's functions, you will undoubtedly have to stay late, or come in early, or go to the 13 briefing about drinking and driving. Or you will be doing mandatory PT with some 19 year old who thinks everyone should be a marathon runner. Most of the time you are on 12 hour shifts, and lets not forgot the mandatory trips to the middle east every year and a half, your family, wife and kids will love those. Also yes, EVERYONE goes to Iraq, A-stan, or wherever, there is no getting out of it.
To me this is totally not worth maybe 1400 a month if you are lucky.
Wow, when did you serve? what branch? I recently retired from the Air Force in 2008 and I was in the sand only b/c I volunteered to go. Granted I can't knock your experiences b/c they are yours, but people should know that everyone will not have the same experiences. Some folks will go in (like me) and have a nice job and decent to good supervisors for most of their careers. There are others that will share your negative experiences.
Personally I think that they (the powers to be) plan it that way. Whenever the economy is in the dumps people rush to join. When the economy is good they (not including career folks) get out. Refuticians feed the military and the dumbocrats starve it
What's funny from my observation is that I am having fewer graduating seniors enlisting now as compared to five years ago. Many of them then went to the Marines. There's more at work than the economy.
It all starts with this...'Leave it to Beaver'....what do you see in that opening intro?...you see order, you see family, you see structure, you see stability...
The basis of what built this country, and set it apart from many others...
I guess you could say I'm a recruiter for American idealism. For preserving that which made America a place of envy for many around the world...
A America which has or had the largest middle class population in the history of the planet...a America where dreams could be fulfilled...an America of Law and order....I'm a recruiter for all that...
And I think service in the military provides a great basis for all of the above...for without structure and compliance and unity...the country, any country, will fall apart...
For without shared vision and goals, the country, any country will fall apart...
And again...I think the military is a great basis for all of that...
I miss the days of the 'Duke'...when it was ok to be Patriotic...when we as a nation felt like a true family...inspite our differences, I sometimes feel we were closer as a nation back then, than we are now...
I grew up admiring men like John Wayne...and watching all those other WW2 films...as a kid, it gave me a since of safety of knowing that we were 'all together'...knowing that the 'men' would take care of us...
And I would like to preserve that...and again..I feel the military is a great basis for that.
When I look out into society now...what I see is everyone scattering...doing their own thing...and drifting apart...
I believe in a strong middle class, working familiies, happy homes...good jobs, summer vacations...
And I think the military plays a large role in that...it was the GI bill and the VA loans that allowed a lot of the vets to get homes after WW2...
I love the military for that...
When I watch those old WW2 films...and see men flying in those old B-52 bombers...at 50,000 ft...freezing to death...so focused on the mission...so selflishly willing to give of their lives....
It's that kind of dicipline and structure that allowed America to prosper so....
Without that, we will decintigrate....
So ye, I guess I'm a recruiter of American idealism...
And I think the military is a basis for all of that...
I'm not saying I propigate war, cause I don't...what I do propigate is order, structure and unity...a sense of family...a sense of we're all in this together.
And the military teaches you all of that...and once out...those values learned in the service carry over into real life and it's those values that help keep America strong...
I'm not sure what your likes or dislikes are...but if you want to stay in till retirement, don't choose a physically demanding job like infaltry...choose a billet you can age with gracefully...like a chaplins assistant or book keeper...or radar interpitor or air traffic controller....
Anyways, keep us informed...
Thanks for the advice time and space. I've already met with recruiters, and I'm torn between AF and Army. Being female, I can't do any combat jobs, so I'm looking trying to pick jobs from different catergories I think I'll love. Unfortunately that won't matter if I don't score well on my ASVAB. Scored 74 on my practice, but I'm really worried about the science because that's the other area I need to score well on. Have about ten job choices for each branch and have been studying like crazy.
The first reason I looked into the AF was because I come from a long line of Airmen on my dad's side. Thier faces were aglow when I told them what I wanted to do. Rumored to be easier, better housing, better food etc. Honestly, I'm not looking for an easy ride, but I have been comparing barracks. After living alone 9 years, its going to be a lil rough I'm sure basic is going to be challenging in any branch, and I'm trying to replicate some of the exercises from the confidence course in the Army. The biggest con of it, is thier delayed enlistment is about 9 months and they will not reserve a job until basic. With high enlistment, and few job choices, I'm afraid of being stuck in a job that isn't "me." Also if they do keep pushing up the ship dates, I won't qualify, as I have to ship before I'm 28.
I wasn't very sold on the Army until I met the recruiter. (Please remember the only military info I knew was hearsay) Of all the people I met with, he spent the most time with me, immediately replies with any questions I have, and just makes me comfortable. The AF recruiter hasn't gotten back to me since I told him I still hadn't made up my mind. Even though there's an ASVAB testing site 5 minutes from me, he's agreed to drive me over an hour to take it at another site so I don't have to miss work even though he knows I might not choose the Army. Ok, enough about my awesome recruiter. Army interests me because I should only have to wait 4-6 months to basic, and they will guaruntee your job before you ship.
Should I be looking into other things besides jobs? I understand they are very different branches, and have been living on their sites, and blogs for a month now. I'm 100% sure I am enlisting, I'm just still sitting on that fence. Hoping once my ASVAB scores come back, and my AF recruiter answers my questions, I'll be able to make a decision!
Thanks for the advice time and space. I've already met with recruiters, and I'm torn between AF and Army. Being female, I can't do any combat jobs, so I'm looking trying to pick jobs from different catergories I think I'll love. Unfortunately that won't matter if I don't score well on my ASVAB. Scored 74 on my practice, but I'm really worried about the science because that's the other area I need to score well on. Have about ten job choices for each branch and have been studying like crazy.
The first reason I looked into the AF was because I come from a long line of Airmen on my dad's side. Thier faces were aglow when I told them what I wanted to do. Rumored to be easier, better housing, better food etc. Honestly, I'm not looking for an easy ride, but I have been comparing barracks. After living alone 9 years, its going to be a lil rough I'm sure basic is going to be challenging in any branch, and I'm trying to replicate some of the exercises from the confidence course in the Army. The biggest con of it, is thier delayed enlistment is about 9 months and they will not reserve a job until basic. With high enlistment, and few job choices, I'm afraid of being stuck in a job that isn't "me." Also if they do keep pushing up the ship dates, I won't qualify, as I have to ship before I'm 28.
I wasn't very sold on the Army until I met the recruiter. (Please remember the only military info I knew was hearsay) Of all the people I met with, he spent the most time with me, immediately replies with any questions I have, and just makes me comfortable. The AF recruiter hasn't gotten back to me since I told him I still hadn't made up my mind. Even though there's an ASVAB testing site 5 minutes from me, he's agreed to drive me over an hour to take it at another site so I don't have to miss work even though he knows I might not choose the Army. Ok, enough about my awesome recruiter. Army interests me because I should only have to wait 4-6 months to basic, and they will guaruntee your job before you ship.
Should I be looking into other things besides jobs? I understand they are very different branches, and have been living on their sites, and blogs for a month now. I'm 100% sure I am enlisting, I'm just still sitting on that fence. Hoping once my ASVAB scores come back, and my AF recruiter answers my questions, I'll be able to make a decision!
I honor and salute you for enlisting...or even if you don't...I still honor and salute you for considering it...
Here's some more advice from me...think long term...think billet...what will you be happy doing 10 years from now...
And often on those tests...they may show that you have a apptitude towards mechanics or engineering or this or that...
Never mind all that...just do what makes you happy...pick a job or billet that you could see yourself doing, and loving, even without pay...
If you what you love, and what comes natural...the success and promotions will follow...cause you'll just be good at it and you will excell...or is it accell?
Air-Force and Army use to be one in the same...just as Navy and Marines use to be one in the same...
In the Air-force, you'll more likely be doing supportive roles or admin...or jobs supporting the jets...load master, air-traffic control, ect ect...
You'll always be clean...and assigned to a base..either domestically or over seas...
In the army...you may be living in a tent, out in the field, for weeks on end...at 19 that may be exciting...but at 30...I don't know...
As far as being alone...and then suddenly being around people...you will love it...life is about relationships...you will meet some wonderful people from various backgrounds...they will become like family to you, and you to them...and you will make friends that will be there for you for the rest of your life...
Please...whatever you do, all I ask is that you keep me informed....And I'll be here to support you any which way I can...
I even have a passport...so if stationed over seas...maybe I could come visit someday....
But I'm sure you will do just fine once in...I'm proud of you...stand tall...
And again...I salute you...
I miss the days of the 'Duke'...when it was ok to be Patriotic...when we as a nation felt like a true family...inspite our differences, I sometimes feel we were closer as a nation back then, than we are now...
I grew up admiring men like John Wayne...and watching all those other WW2 films...as a kid, it gave me a since of safety of knowing that we were 'all together'...knowing that the 'men' would take care of us...
When I watch those old WW2 films...and see men flying in those old B-52 bombers...at 50,000 ft...freezing to death...so focused on the mission...so selflishly willing to give of their lives....
....
Time and Space:
I am speaking to you as an admirer of the military and a student of history. I think about how America was during WWII and see my father and four of my uncles who went abroad to fight. One uncle didn't make it back. They were African American, and during that war, the military was rabidly racist and segregated. A country that was fighting Nazism was practicing apartheid in its own ranks. As much as I admire my family and the citizen soldiers who fought in that war, I can honestly say that I would not have fought in WWII. So when I see those World War II films with John Wayne and the more recent ones, I watch with interest, but I know that the reality is much more nasty than what we see on the screen.
Wouldn't a WWII person have been drafted, and having no choice?
My father finished high school at 16 (1942) and was drafted at 18, got to Europe four days after D-Day and was a replacement troop (Ardennes). As a Jew, he was pleased to be in the European side of things.
When people talk about joining up for specific jobs now, is it so precise? I mean, don't you accept whatever assignment you get? I don't think there's a contract, that is, "I'm only joining if I can do ___." Or am I misunderstanding?
Wouldn't a WWII person have been drafted, and having no choice?
After Pearl Harbor, many African Americans tried to sign up and were turned away. I would have gotten the hint.
Only after heavy losses later in the conflict were African Americans welcomed into the military - into segregated units getting the worst jobs and conditions.
Quote:
My father finished high school at 16 (1942) and was drafted at 18, got to Europe four days after D-Day and was a replacement troop (Ardennes). As a Jew, he was pleased to be in the European side of things. When people talk about joining up for specific jobs now, is it so precise? I mean, don't you accept whatever assignment you get? I don't think there's a contract, that is, "I'm only joining if I can do ___." Or am I misunderstanding?
I think what happens is that sometimes people are promised certain things and then these things don't happen after they've signed up.
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The military teaches structure, order and dicipline...the things that keep a nation together and strong...
I'm sure basic is going to be challenging in any branch, and I'm trying to replicate some of the exercises from the confidence course in the Army. The biggest con of it, is thier delayed enlistment is about 9 months and they will not reserve a job until basic. With high enlistment, and few job choices, I'm afraid of being stuck in a job that isn't "me." Also if they do keep pushing up the ship dates, I won't qualify, as I have to ship before I'm 28.
