any military ATOTers?

[Fenixgoon]

hey all, im a junior in HS and im taking a look at what i can do after HS. college is quite the obvious. i am very interested in the military though and was looking into the officer training things (probably army). i talked to one of my friend's parents who is currently in the navy and he gave me a good overview of enlisting and going to college. right now, i think i'd do an active enlist and take night/weekend college classes. i was wondering if any of you would be able to provide insight on your military experience i would be most grateful.

thanks!

 

[Kalvin00]

Did you mean to make only one thread?

 

[FoBoT]

USN 1986-1996

i finished my degree going to night school while on shore duty, you can take some classes while on sea duty, but it takes extreme discipline

while on active duty you can use the Tuition Assistance Program to pay for a good chunk of your school, after you get out there is the GI Bill if you pay your share into it (details probably have changed since i was in)

i highly recommend it, not to say its all fun. i hated sea duty, but i don't regret my time in the service. it was a good way to get started in life, for me

good luck!


Go Navy!

 

[Pastfinder]

I commission in the Air Force on May 8, 2004, VE-Day. I head to Sheppard Air Force Base, in Wichita Falls, TX after that.

 

[OIKOS]

yeah... i am the sniper..... commandos?

 

[Pastfinder]

Whoa there...

 

[Fenixgoon]

yeah i accidentally clicked post somehow *doh!*
so far i think im going to enlist then take night/weekend classes, it sounds like a great way to get a job and go to school. it'll be rough though hehe. i want to major in a nuclear/materials engineering.

what was your degree in FoBot?

thanks again everyone!

 

[datalink7]

I am currently in the ROTC program.

I would highly reccomend it.

 

[TallBill]

i left the rotc program.. and enlisted. right now im in the process of switching to active duty from reserves because i want to go career. and i plan on getting my degree while active and probably going officer. my bro-in-law is e-6 and a recruiter. feel free to ask me any questions. between me and my bro-in-law we can answer pretty much any army question.

 

[Kadarin]

I was almost a military ATOTer.. I joined the Army as a PFC in May of last year, but discovered during the Basic Training process that I have a bone spur in my left heel, and cannot run for long distances without suffering from extreme pain. Fellow ATOTer Pliablemoose has the same problem (though he's not military, I think).. So I was discharged (general discharge, neither honorable nor dishonorable, given the lack of time I was in) in late July, and now I am back in the networking industry. Go figure; strange how life works.



I have a great appreciation for those who choose to serve; I met some great people while I was at Ft. Benning.

 

[datalink7]

Originally posted by: TallBill
i left the rotc program.. and enlisted. right now im in the process of switching to active duty from reserves because i want to go career. and i plan on getting my degree while active and probably going officer. my bro-in-law is e-6 and a recruiter. feel free to ask me any questions. between me and my bro-in-law we can answer pretty much any army question.

Why did you quit the ROTC program?

 

[TallBill]

I left the program so that i could enlist I'd rather work on a degree separatly and go to OCS. Rotc has a bad rep.. possibly for a reason. I'd rather work with enlisted first as enlisted.

 

[datalink7]

Originally posted by: TallBill
I left the program so that i could enlist I'd rather work on a degree separatly and go to OCS. Rotc has a bad rep.. possibly for a reason. I'd rather work with enlisted first as enlisted.

What bad rep have you heard?

Maybe I don't know because I am in a good ROTC program... we score in the top 20% every year.

 

[datalink7]

Besides, what about this?

 

[sillymofo]

If you would ever listen to any online advice, I think you should listen to this one. Get your 4 yrs BS, and sign up as a PILOT, a fighter pilot, if you have the qualifications. Other than that, be an intelligence officer, anything else, IMO, is not worth it.

If you will (I mean should) find out that you don't like the military that much, you can go and fly commercial jets after your obligated tour of duty, such hard works. I even know some pilots what went and fly for countries that purchased US jets, but don't have qualified pilots to fly them; they're making a whole lot of mulahs.

EDIT: Whatever you chose to do, DO NOT go in as an enlisted.

 

[TallBill]

Not necessarily a bad rep. I dont know how to explain it. I'd just rather be enlisted first. Possibly a more rounded officer?

 

[datalink7]

Originally posted by: cr4zymofo
If you would ever listen to any online advice, I think you should listen to this one. Get your 4 yrs BS, and sign up as a PILOT, a fighter pilot, if you have the qualifications. Other than that, be an intelligence officer, anything else, IMO, is not worth it.

If you will (I mean should) find out that you don't like the military that much, you can go and fly commercial jets after your obligated tour of duty, such hard works. I even know some pilots what went and fly for countries that purchased US jets, but don't have qualified pilots to fly them; they're making a whole lot of mulahs.

I'm planning to go Aviation in the Army. I'm sure there are plenty of civilian jobs flying helicopters.

Though I could fly cargo planes instead and make a lot flying commerical flights... but helicopters sound like more fun.

 

[TallBill]

screw making money or job training. i'm in the army for "other" reasons

 

[Armitage]

4 years in the Air Force, commisioned out of ROTC @ VaTech

To the guy that reccomended intel career field ... WHY?
I've known guys in intel, had to work with them quite a bit. Seemed boring as hell, and the guys doing it agreed. But then, I wasn't ery close to operations either.

Whatever you do, stay far away from aquisition career fields. If you're an engineer, don't bother, unless you are going in for other reasons, as TallBill suggests.

 

[datalink7]

Originally posted by: TallBill
screw making money or job training. i'm in the army for "other" reasons

Hey, me too (I don't even get a scholarship for ROTC (and no it's not because I have bad grades)), but extra pay is never bad

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: ergeorge
4 years in the Air Force, commisioned out of ROTC @ VaTech

To the guy that reccomended intel career field ... WHY?
I've known guys in intel, had to work with them quite a bit. Seemed boring as hell, and the guys doing it agreed. But then, I wasn't ery close to operations either.

Whatever you do, stay far away from aquisition career fields. If you're an engineer, don't bother, unless you are going in for other reasons, as TallBill suggests.

Active duty Air Force at Kadena AB, Japan. If you have specific questions, PM or email me (or post here, but I may not see them).

I've talked to people in all career fields who hate their jobs and/or find them boring. Depends on if you like your job, where and what you are doing, and your overall attitude.

As for the ROTC comment up above, maybe that holds true in the Army, but I haven't found that in the Air Force. I'm a ROTC guy as well, though through a different program than most at the Virginia Military Institute ('94 grad, prior to women entering). Regardless, who gives a damn what your commissioning source is -- if you're a good (or bad) officer, the commissioning source has no bearing whatsoever.

As for prior enlisted experience making a better officer, I am far from convinced that that's the case. Again, I've met good and bad officers with prior enlisted experience, and while it can be a good perspective in being a leader having once been "there", it can also make one a bad officer if one continues to act like an enlisted. I work with both types currently.

 

[allisolm]

i think i'd do an active enlist and take night/weekend college classes.

Just remember that (unless things have changed a LOT since my husband was in the Army) your class schedule takes a back seat to the needs of the Army. They don't let you out of guard duty because you have a class. They don't cancel that two-week training in another state because you're in school. They don't stop your deployment to Iraq because you're in the middle of a semester. Taking night/weekend classes to get a degree isn't always as easy as you plan it to be. Just something to think about.

My husband served 20+ years in the Army after an ROTC commission. He earned his master's degree while on active duty and it was hard work fitting his class schedule into the Army schedule. From the distaff side I highly recommend the officer life but have never experienced enlisted.

 

[MacBaine]

Purdue Army ROTC

 

[Frdm51472]

As crazy as this sounds, I would recommend you enlist as an 11 series, which is the Infantry MOS series in the Army if you are serious about being an officer. It is much easier to get an application for OCS approved from the infantry field than it is from other fields, because Infantry officers are usually in short supply. When I went through they were grabbing the top grads from OSUT and offering us OCS without any college degree. I had already planned out my career and decided against it, although many nights sitting in a cold foxhole I regretted it, overall I liked the enlisted side much much more.

 

[T2T III]

USAF - Active duty, 1982-86
ANG - '86 - '89.

I got my degree after I got out of the military. For me, I would be away from the base for 4 days at a time and made night schools nearly impossible. However, I think your plan seems good - stay focused and on track. You'll do well.