Discussion: Joining the US Army

[AnimeKnight]

Originally posted by: piasabird
EOD Explosive Ordinance Disposal can be exciting if you want to get a bang out of life, but the training is like 6 months long and a lot of studying. You get to practice taking nuclear bombs apart.

not to mention very high washout rate. if you do get washout you will be reassign to a different job that army wants you in. But if you make it, its difinitely an awesome experience plus you get to play with lil robots

another place to ask questions is go to military.com and go to community. They have a discussion board there where you can find out more about each services.

 

[brandonbull]

I would suggest joining the Navy or Air Force.

If you like running around in the desert and catching bullets, I would then suggest the Army or Marines. Don't let these tough guys fool you. They want to call the Air Force or Navy a bunch of pansies but ask those ground pounders how often they get 3 hots and a cot everyday.

 

[DeadByDawn]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B

Originally posted by: FelixDeKat

Originally posted by: Fmr12B

People, well, the Army accepts the lowest forms of life, and lemme tell you, it is complete culture shock as I was a west coast native and did not relaize people from the Deep South or those from West Virginia were as backwards as they were.

Your post would have been fine without that. Your time sucked because the people thought you were a judgemental assmunch who thought his sh|t didnt stink, walking around acting like a know it all.

Their service was a valuable as yours.

My time didn't totally suck. I was tired of dealing with ignorant assholes who could not lead by being a respectable human being. Instead I had power hungry leaders who gave a rats ass about anything but their ego. Dealing with my platoon Sgt who had a 5th grade education from Alabama and join in 1978 meant I was dealing with a racist dickhead. According to others he had flunked out of DI school.

I watched my peers blow every ounce of cash they had onm beer & strippers by the 10th of each month. They came to me routinely and tried and bum cash for haircuts. I watched these guys have their cars repo'd, watched em get Beavis & Butthead tattoos, watched 8 of em bang one whore in 1 night. Watched em beat their wives, get chased by the MP's for their rabid dogs being off the leash.

Look, I'm not gonna act all high & mighty, and I might have my kinks and issues, but these group of soldiers were the most pathetic group of people I have ever met in my life.

There is no chance in hell these guys had a valuable service, they did their time but few of them were productive.

I was in with soldiers that acted they same as you describe. But what do you expect when you have a large group of 18-22 year olds turned loose with $, alcohol, and women. Same chit happens in college. Most of the guys that were wreckless in their personal lives on the weekends were the same mofo's that you could count on to save you a$$ in the stuff. I was proud to serve with them.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: dorky82
heres what they offered me
$20,000 cash for joining bonus
place to live and food and work 4 days a week for around $3000 month.
is this true?

$20k - probably right
live and food - correct
4 days/week - I doubt it, usually 5
$3k/month - true, depending on where you are at. In middle of nowhere, Wisconsin, I get something like $2100/month (pre-tax) on E-3 grade with BSA, BHA, etc.

 

[Illusions89]

Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf

Originally posted by: dorky82
heres what they offered me
$20,000 cash for joining bonus
place to live and food and work 4 days a week for around $3000 month.
is this true?

$20k - probably right
live and food - correct
4 days/week - I doubt it, usually 5
$3k/month - true, depending on where you are at. In middle of nowhere, Wisconsin, I get something like $2100/month (pre-tax) on E-3 grade with BSA, BHA, etc.

Nice !

I dont know if i would join though.....Its up to you man.....My Friend just left for bootcamp...they sent him to georgia.....Im sure it could be alot of fun but then again you could get killed by some crazies......Its a hard decision

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: dorky82
I'm in process of joining army too.
I have 90+ credit hours and they told me I can get into IT field with benefits.

BTW when do you get to sign to join army?
After physical? or basic training?
my friend told me not to sign everything they give.

I want to go oversea to station at korea(thats my country)
my local recuiter told me I prolly can but I dont trust them.

Hahaha, that's a bunch of horsecrap, don't believe a word they tell you. They're desperate for warm bodies in iraq, i tell ya.

 

[Trente]

I'm an Israeli and as you may know, serving in the Israeli army is a compulsory. Such an experience has a certain contribution to the process of molding your personality and could give you a new, different perspective of life; but to tell you the truth if it hadn't been compulsory, I don't think I would have enlisted. Unless you are confused and have no idea what you want to do with yourself after finishing high-school, I suggest you go to college and get yourself a degree. a soldier's life are tough.

 

[kogase]

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE
you didnt ask at the right place

a lot of the ppl here would run up to canada if they were forced to serve.

not all, but a lot.

it can be very good, and very "fun" if you really want to do it.

Er, how would you know?

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Originally posted by: jlbenedict

Originally posted by: Fmr12B

Originally posted by: FelixDeKat

Originally posted by: Fmr12B

People, well, the Army accepts the lowest forms of life, and lemme tell you, it is complete culture shock as I was a west coast native and did not relaize people from the Deep South or those from West Virginia were as backwards as they were.

Your post would have been fine without that. Your time sucked because the people thought you were a judgemental assmunch who thought his sh|t didnt stink, walking around acting like a know it all.

Their service was a valuable as yours.

My time didn't totally suck. I was tired of dealing with ignorant assholes who could not lead by being a respectable human being. Instead I had power hungry leaders who gave a rats ass about anything but their ego. Dealing with my platoon Sgt who had a 5th grade education from Alabama and join in 1978 meant I was dealing with a racist dickhead. According to others he had flunked out of DI school.

I watched my peers blow every ounce of cash they had onm beer & strippers by the 10th of each month. They came to me routinely and tried and bum cash for haircuts. I watched these guys have their cars repo'd, watched em get Beavis & Butthead tattoos, watched 8 of em bang one whore in 1 night. Watched em beat their wives, get chased by the MP's for their rabid dogs being off the leash.

Look, I'm not gonna act all high & mighty, and I might have my kinks and issues, but these group of soldiers were the most pathetic group of people I have ever met in my life.

There is no chance in hell these guys had a valuable service, they did their time but few of them were productive.

If 8 soldiers "running a train" on one barracks whore constitutes you calling them a "pathetic group of people".. what does that make you, since you did mention you watched them

Not a barracks whore, this a paid prostitute at the local red-light spa. Watched, well no. I was invited along, declined and got the full update at the next mornings PT formation.

 

[blue1friday2]

Just remember that this experience will change you for the rest of your life, whether that is a good or a bad thing... I guess you can't really know. Obviously there are some veterans here and this might tick them off but... the job of the military is to kill people. That's what they do. They protect some people too, maybe. But they kill people. Life is not a video game and this decision is so serious.
In some ways I've wrestled with it myself. My SO wants to join and I have tried to be supportive. But in the end, I feel the way I feel about it and I don't like it and that's not going to change.
It is your decision and only your's. But I think asking for advice means that you are taking this decision seriously and that's good. Good Luck!

 

[Sentinel]

Have to be in the right state of mind, imho which a 17 year old is not. Wait a year, decide if that really is for you. There is always jobs or different tech or professional degree paths.

 

[mjh]

Have you considered joining the Coast Guard? At the local Coast Guard base, the enlisted guys seem to have it pretty good.

Originally posted by: AnimeKnight
If you play your cards right, by the time you separate from military you should have a lot of money saved up. Not to mention you either will have your degree or almost finish with your degree. You could just use your GI Bill to finish up your degree.

Sadly, most people don't play their cards right. It is even worse when they enlist planning on going to college but never get around to it.

 

[theknight571]

One of my co-workers decided to join the Marines.

I worked with him for 3 years, and I know he'd been here for at least 3 years prior to me joining the group.

I also know (or assume) he was making good money at the time.

It made little sence to those of us that worked with him.

He said it's just something he always wanted to do, but had gotten "sucked" into the corporate world before he had time to think it over.

Last I talked to him he was though Basic/etc. and was off to flight school (I believe that's what he said. I know he wanted to be a pilot).

He doesn't regret it...but to my knowledge he hasn't been deployed anywhere yet either.

Personally I support/respect anyone who decides to join the Military espically since it's all volunteers. I don't hold the administrations policies against the troops trying to carry them out.

During high school, I considered joining, I was even offered an appointment to Annapolis (my dad's boss at the time was a retired admiral who had friends there ), but decided against it.... sometimes I regret it...but not too often.

 

[MorbidSteve]

Well, first off, lets keep this thread on the right discussion: Me joining the US Army, and related info. I'm sorry if you think that the AF is better, but that's not what were talking about here. We're speaking of the US Army...

Now, back to my discussion. As I've told a few of you via PMs, my only concern right now is my weight. According to Army.mil (US Army website), it says I have to be 20#s less than I am, and that's a bit challenging for me. But otherwise it looks like I'm in for going to the US Army. I think that I'll enjoy it, and possibly make a career with it.

From what I've heard, also, is that when I'm not working my 6-5 or whatever schedule, it's my time. Is this true? For instance, can I have a computer (BTW my MOS would probably be Computer/Automation System Repairer) and go online and the such (i.e. stay on these forums)?? If I could (and yes I understand that I won't be able to when I'm deployed) that would be the best!

As far as the risks I'd be taking, (all of them that I know of) I understand and am willing to take the chance(s). If you have any other things that I should know, please say it!

I've been speaking with some people in PMs, and I really appreciate their time.

Thanks everyone!

Steve

 

[dorky82]

good luck.
Going to talk to local recuiter for more info.
If all go well I should be doing physical exam this friday.
But seems my local recuiter is telling some lie to me.
Only reason I'm joining army is to station at my country(korea)
if I cant, I'm going to look into airforce.

 

[magomago]

Good luck if you try...but I would say go to college. You mentioned earlier that you aren't guaranteed a job out of college...well you aren't guaranteed a job doing ANYTHING. I was recruited actively (btw that military ASVAB test is an absolute joke) and ended up turning it down for college. While I don't think I would have joined the army anyways because of my distaste for war, my college experience has brought about a radical change in who I am.

I don't think one or the other naturally causes you to change. You can develop, mature, learn and question about yourself just as much in both enviornments. It is up to the PERSON to pursue that. To the guy who posted about the jack offs he met in the military, I beleive that. But I also see similar things here in college.

But the breaker is the eviornment...me as a person I feel it is a much better choice to avoid the enviorment of the army by choosing a college. True college depends on the size~ small colleges will be more like highschool, you can have suburban college, or colleges in the middle of the city. But it sure beats the hell out of an enviornment when guns, gernades, and other military weapons are the norm...you have questionable leaders who have to put on a charade as if they are the greatest bad arses in the world...and it gives that peace of mind that yout job isn't killing others, or assiting others by making their jobs (kill others) less of a "pain"

Whatever you choose good luck, and don't automatically rule out that the army will give you that job and is everything for you...you sound like the undergrad running to grad school to avoid the job market

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Originally posted by: MorbidSteve
Well, first off, lets keep this thread on the right discussion: Me joining the US Army, and related info. I'm sorry if you think that the AF is better, but that's not what were talking about here. We're speaking of the US Army...

Now, back to my discussion. As I've told a few of you via PMs, my only concern right now is my weight. According to Army.mil (US Army website), it says I have to be 20#s less than I am, and that's a bit challenging for me. But otherwise it looks like I'm in for going to the US Army. I think that I'll enjoy it, and possibly make a career with it.

From what I've heard, also, is that when I'm not working my 6-5 or whatever schedule, it's my time. Is this true? For instance, can I have a computer (BTW my MOS would probably be Computer/Automation System Repairer) and go online and the such (i.e. stay on these forums)?? If I could (and yes I understand that I won't be able to when I'm deployed) that would be the best!

As far as the risks I'd be taking, (all of them that I know of) I understand and am willing to take the chance(s). If you have any other things that I should know, please say it!

I've been speaking with some people in PMs, and I really appreciate their time.

Thanks everyone!

Steve

Yes, the time is yours from approx: 5:30am - 5:30pm. Sometimes you work weekends, sometimes you work all night.

They will generally give you notice when your work hours will change. I had morning PT at 5:30am, others have it at 6am or later.

Remembver your time doesnt start until you graduate AIT and Basic. While in AIT and basic, they own your ass 24/7. No privleages.

Once you graduate you can own a computer, surf the net, own a car. All that good-stuff. Just like a normal job but with a lot of rules.

I suggest you get in shape before you begin. I was in pretty damn good physical shape as I was a varsity sports athlete while in HS and did X country, Track, and wrestling and still had my ass handed to me on many of the physical excercise regimens. Plus the DI's make fun of the fat kids like no other.

 

[TallBill]

I second that you should shape it up before joining. The Army has been a hell of an experience for myself. People that never join the military will never understand.

Most recruiters dont lie. Some do, but they have no incentive to lie if you are intent on joining.

Basic/AIT will be some rough times, but nothing as tough as what you'll experience on a deployment.

 

[AnimeKnight]

Originally posted by: TallBill
Most recruiters dont lie. Some do, but they have no incentive to lie if you are intent on joining.

That's a Lie

Most recruiters do lie. They have quotas that they have to meet. They don't meet that quota , they don't get a good review on their report and then they don't get promote as fast.

 

[SupaDupaPan]

IIRC, I believe the $20k is also TAXABLE, and you receive about $10k upon completion of BCT/AIT. After that they give you the money in payments. It is true, they tell you you'll get about $3k a month ... that is TOTAL if you're counting your benefits and all. At least, that's true if you're an unmarried enlisted private. Now if you're a married enlisted private ... you get that extra BAH/BAS or what not which is an "average" of how much housing costs are in your area that is tax-free to pay for where your spouse resides. You will also get a separation pay while you're in training and away from your spouse. However, once you're stationed, and say you live on base with your wife, say byebye to that BAH/BAS; but if you're living off base, they'll still give you that set averaged amount to pay for rent.

 

[bmacd]

OP,

Aside from all the comments that were put out and our emails offline, the one thing I'll say is that I wish I had enlisted sooner. I was 22 when I signed, and wish I had signed at the age of 17. With that said, if you enlist during a time of war (now), expect a deployment regardless of whatever branch you set yourself on.

Hooah brother!

-=bmacd=-

 

[MorbidSteve]

A deployment is expected, and I accept that. That is the main concern that is brought up in a lot of conversations, and that is what the military is for..

Steve

 

[Feldenak]

If you are interested, you can PM your email address and I'll send it on to my little brother. He's a platoon leader with 1st Infantry.

 

[shadow9d9]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i recommend military service to all, it is a good way to start your life and end it

Fixed.

 

[dorky82]

just talked to my army recuiter and told me only 20% goes to war.
and its all depend on your skill and knowledge.
he told me army will test me in physical and talk to you about jobs u qualify for.
he said he was in army for 6 years an his boss was in for 13 and never went to war.
I looked on to army payroll and when I start, I'll be E-3.
Only $1500 month(tax free) but all bills paid(home food insurance)
So its not that bad(officer gets 40% more)
I wanted to be an officer but I need citizenship card.

Anybody know when I really SIGN to be an army?
after physical? basic training? job training?