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My brother (born when I was in college so much younger than me) wanted the same thing. He wasn't interested in many of his subjects unless it involved JROTC. He is 6'4 and muscular and did very well with the program. I was scared when he followed through and was stationed in Afghanistan, but had no control over his decision to go. He is doing wonderfully and has turned out to be a wonderful young man and soldier. Of course I want all our troops to come home but I feel safer knowing my brother is doing what he loves, so bravely and proudly.
There is also a program on Netflix titled "Foyle's War." It's about a detective solving crimes in the backdrop of WWII. One episode that still sticks in my mind is in Season 3, episode 2 ("Enemy Fire") which takes place in a hospital. It's pretty graphic, but it definitely shows the "unglamorous" side of the war and what many soldiers and their medical teams deal with when they come back injured.
I would also suggest that your son visit some of the veteran's programs in your area, if possible. There is always a shortage of volunteers, it seems. The recruiters don't talk about that side of things and recruits need to know the realities of the situation. It may not change his mind, but he will be walking in with both eyes open.
He's in Junior ROTC. That's not ROTC, not by a long shot.
As to accomplishing: go see a recruiter.
He may end up an infantryman, and posted to Ft. Bliss for 4 years working in the motor pool, doing occasional NTC rotations and exercises or something. He can't dictate 'front lines', especially when we are rapidly pulling out of Afghanistan, and the life of an enlisted infantryman can be mind-numbing and annoying during peacetime. It totally depends on the unit he is assigned to.
It's not exceptionally hard to go from enlisted to officer and can, in fact, be a good way to do it. It's helpful when you're an officer to know exactly what you're doing when you blithely toss around orders (I went E to O). He simply has to finish the enlistment (honorably), apply for schools his final year, enroll in, get over the (fairly minor) hurdle of not being in the academic mindset while enlisted, and use the GI Bill to pay for most or all of it.
So if he goes enlisted first he will have to put in four years before switching?
My brother (born when I was in college so much younger than me) wanted the same thing. He wasn't interested in many of his subjects unless it involved JROTC. He is 6'4 and muscular and did very well with the program. I was scared when he followed through and was stationed in Afghanistan, but had no control over his decision to go. He is doing wonderfully and has turned out to be a wonderful young man and soldier. Of course I want all our troops to come home but I feel safer knowing my brother is doing what he loves, so bravely and proudly.
There is also a program on Netflix titled "Foyle's War." It's about a detective solving crimes in the backdrop of WWII. One episode that still sticks in my mind is in Season 3, episode 2 ("Enemy Fire") which takes place in a hospital. It's pretty graphic, but it definitely shows the "unglamorous" side of the war and what many soldiers and their medical teams deal with when they come back injured.
I would also suggest that your son visit some of the veteran's programs in your area, if possible. There is always a shortage of volunteers, it seems. The recruiters don't talk about that side of things and recruits need to know the realities of the situation. It may not change his mind, but he will be walking in with both eyes open.
All the best to your family.
Thank you,
I'm not concerned at all about him joining the military, I wish I had when I was of age, I am happy he wants to serve his country. I just want to make sure I set him up for success. I know that Officers can go fight on the "front lines" as well, I am thinking personally (not my decision of course) I would love for him to go a school like the Citadel, get a good education and go through O school. But if he doesn't want that, I'm not going to force him to do so.
I'm not concerned at all about him joining the military, I wish I had when I was of age, I am happy he wants to serve his country. I just want to make sure I set him up for success. I know that Officers can go fight on the "front lines" as well, I am thinking personally (not my decision of course) I would love for him to go a school like the Citadel, get a good education and go through O school. But if he doesn't want that, I'm not going to force him to do so.
Just make sure he understands that the percentage is very small of Soldiers that start out as enlisted and later earn a commission. Not impossible but the percentage isn't very high as there are limited billets and it is very competitive for those billets.
I'm not concerned at all about him joining the military, I wish I had when I was of age, I am happy he wants to serve his country. I just want to make sure I set him up for success. I know that Officers can go fight on the "front lines" as well, I am thinking personally (not my decision of course) I would love for him to go a school like the Citadel, get a good education and go through O school. But if he doesn't want that, I'm not going to force him to do so.
Ah, that makes sense. If I could do it all over again I would have just gone in after high school. I wasted too much money and time going to a 4 year university. I learned something and it probably helped make me a well-rounded person, but I had a scholarship to study medicine with the US Army and my parents wouldn't sign for me.
I'm glad to hear that you are supportive of his decision and helping him figure out the best game plan. It might help to get some study guides for the ASVAB and prepare him for test. There are more options available depending on his test scores. I would still follow through on talking to veterans because they can tell him what they did and what they would do differently. I don't know what's currently available relative to money for school but it's worth looking into.
I would still follow through on talking to veterans because they can tell him what they did and what they would do differently.
Have to be careful talking to veterans as most of what veterans know from their time in the service isn't the same these days. Lots of kids come in thinking they know what they want only to find out that things are completely different now and not happy with what they end up getting offered.
It is always good to have someone to discuss options with but I'd caution anyone about getting the "real scoop" from a veteran that isn't familiar with what is currently going on.
Have to be careful talking to veterans as most of what veterans know from their time in the service isn't the same these days. Lots of kids come in thinking they know what they want only to find out that things are completely different now and not happy with what they end up getting offered.
It is always good to have someone to discuss options with but I'd caution anyone about getting the "real scoop" from a veteran that isn't familiar with what is currently going on.
Why wouldn't a soldier coming back from Iraq and/or Afghanistan not know what's going on?
Why wouldn't a soldier coming back from Iraq and/or Afghanistan not know what's going on?
Because what was "going on" when they joined isn't necessarily what is "going on" today. Some of the worst applicants I dealt with were the ones that knew it all (yet actually knew nothing current) because they talked to their uncle, dad, grandpa, cousin, friend at work, etc. that was a veteran and told them "how things were".
Normally kids that are joining are concerned with the enlistment process, picking a job, dealing with MEPS, bootcamp, school, etc., and is the information they are seeking from veterans. This information changes often, as can be seen in this forum with old timers giving out information that is dated and not current.
Hell, I retired two years ago and much has changed since then. I have a son on active duty and some of the stuff he tells me he's doing now wasn't what we were doing two years ago when I was on active duty.
I spent my last 14 years in the Navy in the leadership of Navy Recruiting Command and stuff changed so fast that one day I would do something that I had done the day before only to be told "that changed yesterday, the directive will be released today". The change would take place quicker than they could publish the paper directing the change to take place.
Because what was "going on" when they joined isn't necessarily what is "going on" today. Some of the worst applicants I dealt with were the ones that knew it all (yet actually knew nothing current) because they talked to their uncle, dad, grandpa, cousin, friend at work, etc. that was a veteran and told them "how things were".
Normally kids that are joining are concerned with the enlistment process, picking a job, dealing with MEPS, bootcamp, school, etc., and is the information they are seeking from veterans. This information changes often, as can be seen in this forum with old timers giving out information that is dated and not current.
Hell, I retired two years ago and much has changed since then. I have a son on active duty and some of the stuff he tells me he's doing now wasn't what we were doing two years ago when I was on active duty.
Thanks for clarifying this. My recommendation was more concerned with talking to people who are currently enlisted and coming back for whatever reason. They would have information about conditions and their experiences overseas.
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