POLL: Military (officer), yes, or no?

[platinumike]

OP, Im considering the same. Im in college now, and have less than 1 year left before i transfer to a University. I've always had a desire to join the Military, I was initially going to join before college, but decided not to. My degree is finance and as I get deeper into my education I feel like my degree is more of a hobby, something that strongly interests me. Not something I really have a passion to do. Im a very physically active person, run cross country,swim,workout,etc. and Army Special Forces is what I've always had a urge to do as a kid. I was considering joining the Army ROTC once i transfer. The pay doesnt really matter to me all that much. However, other times i start thinking that after college I should just find a job, live the civilian life and just tell myself the SF thing was just a childhood fantasy.

 

[bGIveNs33]

www.airforceots.com

That is the sight you want to visit. I have heard that the airforce isn't accepting "non-technical" degrees, but I'm not real sure where I heard that.

I got my A.A. degree and decided to enlist to help pay for the rest of school. I ship off in ~6 months. To all those saying the military is full of "stupid" people, you obviously haven't tried to join lately. The airforce is getting extremely hard to get into these days. And on top of that is an extremely offensive thing to say, which leads me to believe you don't respect or are gratefull for what they do.

OP, the final reason I decided to join(this is enlisted, i considered officer but was running out of school money), was talking to a large number of enlisted/retired military people. Everytime I saw someone with a hat/bumper sticker or ANYTHING I would go up and talk to them(old wwII vets love to talk). To this day, I haven't found anyone to look me in the eye and say, "it was a mistake to join". And 90% of them said it was the best thing ever to happen to them. And you can't just look at base pay for officers, they get a housing allowance, a food allowance and other misc. money for different things. Have you thought about what type of job you want? Have you looked into taking the AFOQT?

another good site is usmilitary.about.com

good luck!

 

[jemcam]

YGPM

 

[CaptnKirk]

Originally posted by: Jehovah

I really appreciate your input here; but obviously there are some downsides - what would you say they are compared to, say working in a corporate environment in the private sector?

It takes a while to work up through the filters of a corporate environment, but what I have seen in my work
is that just out of the service O1 - O3's, since they already have experience working and leading teams/groups
can start as Supervisors or lower level Managers. O4's & up can walk into a civilian job as upper level Managers or Directors.
This is especially true in Defense work, where I have seen Majors retire, assume the retirement rank of Lt. Colonel,
take a week off and return to the equivalent job on the civilian side of the job as a Sysyem Manager working with the same
people they were in the service side with for a $ 50K pay raise over thier military pay,
and they are collecting Military retirement as well.

Some Pentagon Staffers have hired directly into VP levels for Defense Contractors, within time limitations of departure from service.
Sometimes there's a wait of a year or two, depending of how close the parties are to type of work and contracts.

 

[JLGatsby]

Originally posted by: CaptnKirk
CID - Criminal Investigation Division. Some of those 'Aliens' are rather 'spacey', are they not ?
It's an organization where rank is not displayed, Black suit and tie, Glock on hip.

Don't consider it a 'Hype' - facts are facts, he want's to do it, & I'm supportive.
His Mom's not overly thrilled, typical of a mother though.

Because they don't wear a visible badge, that compares them the "men in black?" ROTFLMAO!!!!

I honestly do believe you when you imply that it's an exciting job, but to compare it to an unknown secret government agency whose agent's identities are erased and who fight space aliens, is insane.

Glock? I doubt the US government would give it's personnel an Austrian made pistol.

Maybe a highly secretive CIA agent could be compared to the men in black, but if you're allowed to "tell me about" your son's job, he's nothing comparable to men in black.

However, that does not make him or his job less. He obviously fights crime, which I consider to be one of the most noble professions out there.

But you seriously should get a job for the military writing their advertising compaigns. Your creativity would get plenty of new recruits. LMAO

 

[CaptnKirk]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: CaptnKirk
CID - Criminal Investigation Division. Some of those 'Aliens' are rather 'spacey', are they not ?
It's an organization where rank is not displayed, Black suit and tie, Glock on hip.

Don't consider it a 'Hype' - facts are facts, he want's to do it, & I'm supportive.
His Mom's not overly thrilled, typical of a mother though.

Because they don't wear a visible badge, that compares them the "men in black?" ROTFLMAO!!!!

I honestly do believe you when you imply that it's an exciting job, but to compare it to an unknown secret government agency whose agent's identities are erased and who fight space aliens, is insane.

Glock? I doubt the US government would give it's personnel an Austrian made pistol.

Maybe a highly secretive CIA agent could be compared to the men in black, but if you're allowed to "tell me about" your son's job, he's nothing comparable to men in black.

However, that does not make him or his job less. He obviously fights crime, which I consider to be one of the most noble professions out there.

But you seriously should get a job for the military writing their advertising compaigns. Your creativity would get plenty of new recruits. LMAO

For your information - Military Special Investigators were referred to as 'Men in Black' long before a movie was made about alien agents.

In 1964 - the Air Force's OSI (Office of Special Investigation) was referred to as the Men in Black, within the Air Force.
Army CDI the same way - plainclothes, no display of rank.
The Treasury Department - the Agents that provide Executive Personel for Security for the President and VP
are still the 'Men in Black', only now it's like trying to communicate with a space alien when Dubya's around.

As I said - he's on a 'Fast Track' - he's not there yet, but is on assignment to a security force 'Somewhere in Iraq' -
I think I know approximately where, but much is undefined. When he returns he may be able to tell me some things, but not too much.

 

[nissan720]

If it is not the career choice you want to make for 20 yrs then I would not go down that road.

If you want to put in your 20 and get retirement then it is a very good idea to do this, the retirement benifits are great.
If you just want an interesting job working with them then I would just get a job with whoever they contract with and try that out. Also with a contractor it is alot easier to say "I hate this job have a nice day".

 

[FoBoT]

yes, join NOW!

go kill some commies and terrorists

 

[imported_Tick]

To all those who say that the airforce is a great, how do you stand taking orders day in and day out? How do you stand all the rules? How do you deal with all the direct supervision? How do you deal with having a boss for not only your job, but also your personal life? How do you deal with restricted first amendment rights? How do you deal with not being able to directly criticize your government? How do you deal with not being able to talk openly about your job, in many cases?

 

[DJFuji]

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: jadinolf
Go for it!

Aim High.

I think they dropped the "Aim High" a while back for "Cross Over into the Blue" The services change thier slogans every few years.

The Navy is now "Accelerate your life" and the Army is "Be an Army of one"

Marines however still have the same recruiting slogan they've had since like WWII
"The Few. The Proud. The Marines." I guess they don't want to mess with perfection 😉

DAMN RIGHT.

Originally posted by: Tick
To all those who say that the airforce is a great, how do you stand taking orders day in and day out? How do you stand all the rules? How do you deal with all the direct supervision? How do you deal with having a boss for not only your job, but also your personal life? How do you deal with restricted first amendment rights? How do you deal with not being able to directly criticize your government? How do you deal with not being able to talk openly about your job, in many cases?

I was never in the USAF (obviously) but the military is not for everyone. You have a lot more individuality than most people think when they think about the military. Sure taking orders sucks sometimes, and the rules can get retarded. But it isnt THAT different in the civilian sector.

Let's turn the tables a bit. How do you stand working at a place where you know you can be fired at any moment? How can you stand working alongside people who would turn their back on you at the drop of a hat, much less take a bullet for you? How do you deal with going through life and wondering if you've ever made a difference in the world, ever commited yourself to a noble cause, ever done something just?

Originally posted by: Jehovah
Okay, I'm seriously considering joining the Air Force...

OP, consider the following points:

* Statistically, you will initially make more money in the military than going off into the private sector with a 4 year degree. Within the first few years you'll be making the civilian equivalent of > 50k.

* You will develop traits and assets in the military that will help you throughout your entire life. You will also have an instant connection to all military personnel

* You will live with the satisfaction that you have served your country, that you have served for a noble cause.

* The majority of the military is not stupid. The majority is uneducated ...when compared to the average college grad. Half of all millionaires in the country are equally as uneducated.

But since I'm aiming for intelligence in the Air Force (as opposed, say, to the Marines) as an officer, I'm hoping to sidestep that as much as possible.

* Doesnt matter what branch, division, time period, or unit you're with. You will invariable end up working for both great and poor leaders. Comes with the territory. I'm sure every other branch has just as many retards as the USMC. There's no escaping it.

* 4 years of active duty will fly by. Take advantage of it and go to school and get your masters/MBA while the govt is paying for it. You get out of the military what you put into it. I got a college degree, 60k for an MBA, and a six figure job from the Marine Corps. Other people got a nice stereo and a job at mcdonalds when they got out.

* You'll likely spend the majority of your time behind a desk as a USAF Intel Officer so don't expect to be firing rifles and going on patrol all the time. (if ever).

*I've never heard of a 6-year O-6. Expect to hit no higher than about O-3 your first term.

 

[xaeniac]

Go for it!

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: Tick
To all those who say that the airforce is a great, how do you stand taking orders day in and day out? How do you stand all the rules? How do you deal with all the direct supervision? How do you deal with having a boss for not only your job, but also your personal life? How do you deal with restricted first amendment rights? How do you deal with not being able to directly criticize your government? How do you deal with not being able to talk openly about your job, in many cases?

Of course you served, so you would know all of these things.

 

[AndrewR]

Ok, first off, PM me if you want some honest answers to your questions, particularly about your intended career field. I won't post some information in this thread, but I'll do so in a PM if you want. I'm an active duty Air Force officer currently stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. Recently returned from three years in Japan and heading to Iraq next month. There are a few other active and separated Air Force folks on AT as well as numerous others from the different services. Rely on those opinions and not on some of the tripe posted here.

First and foremost, I would suspect it's the young kids who are either still in school or have only just started working who are blathering on and on about the importance of salary. With any sort of life experience behind you, you realize that money is not the most important aspect of any job. If you hate a high paying job, you will be miserable (ask a lawyer friend of mine). If you love a low paying job, you will likely be exceptionally happy.

Sure, you can be deployed, but the amount of danger really isn't all that great in the Air Force, depending on your career field (cops and special ops are obviously exposed to more than finance officers, for instance). I am actually very excited about deploying to Baghdad. I can finally get some "ground truth" about what's going on with my own two eyes, and I can make a positive contribution to the effort over there. I get the chance to participate in something historic, and I will be doing a service for this nation of ours. I had none of those opportunities when I worked in the corporate legal department of a major hotel company.

As for the "taking orders" and having limitations on your personal life, I took orders in the corporate world, and the chain of command was less rigid or visible but with the same effect. Senior officers (or supervisors or whatever) don't walk around yelling, "I order you to clean the toilet with your toothbrush!" You receive directives just as you would in any large organization. Sure, you can't grow your hair out and ride your Segway around with your iPod on 24/7, but if you have that much maturing to do, few professional jobs are open to you, anyway.

Is it all good? Of course not. The military has its fair share of morons, and some of them have risen to positions of command, by some stroke of luck. I met some fairly idiotic senior managers in my civilian jobs also. There are also nonsensical rules and regulations, and certain things can be done very inefficiently. If someone can find a corporation that doesn't fit that statement, I'd really love to hear it.

I always find it amusing that some people will extol the virtues of civilian life when they have only worked in the military, and others will critisize military life never having seen it firsthand. I know of one person just recently who separated from the Air Force for the supposed "good life" on the civilian side, and he's now wishing he had stayed on active duty. Oops.

Look at it this way: Anyone can be a civilian but not everyone is cut out for the military. 😉

Of course you served, so you would know all of these things.

A wise man, that Tall Bill.

 

[imported_Tick]

To DJFuji, since selecting the apropriate part of a multiquote is hard, you seem to fail to understand that I also have no loyalty, acknowledge that I can be fired at anytime, as it's part of real life, turn my own back on other people at the drop of a hat, would never take a bullet for someone, and would never expect someone to take one for me, know I will never make a difference in the world, and accept that, as almost no one in the military does actually either, and realize that their are many far nobler causes than the military. If I want to do something noble, I will give my time/money to charity. Further, if I can't be fired, that means any idiot coworkers can't be fired either. Further, I can quit a job if I don't like the rules. I can't quite the military. I would never do something that I couldn't back out of. I can get a divorce, I can find a new job, I can move, I can up and leave, but I can't quite the military.

 

[imported_Tick]

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: Tick
To all those who say that the airforce is a great, how do you stand taking orders day in and day out? How do you stand all the rules? How do you deal with all the direct supervision? How do you deal with having a boss for not only your job, but also your personal life? How do you deal with restricted first amendment rights? How do you deal with not being able to directly criticize your government? How do you deal with not being able to talk openly about your job, in many cases?

Of course you served, so you would know all of these things.

Your point?

 

[DJFuji]

Originally posted by: Tick
To DJFuji, since selecting the apropriate part of a multiquote is hard, you seem to fail to understand that I also have no loyalty, acknowledge that I can be fired at anytime, as it's part of real life, turn my own back on other people at the drop of a hat, would never take a bullet for someone, and would never expect someone to take one for me, know I will never make a difference in the world, and accept that, as almost no one in the military does actually either, and realize that their are many far nobler causes than the military. If I want to do something noble, I will give my time/money to charity. Further, if I can't be fired, that means any idiot coworkers can't be fired either. Further, I can quit a job if I don't like the rules. I can't quite the military. I would never do something that I couldn't back out of. I can get a divorce, I can find a new job, I can move, I can up and leave, but I can't quite the military.

Then I'm glad you dont want to join the military becaus frankly, the military doesnt want you. Good luck finding an employer who does. When you turn 18, anyway.

 

[judasmachine]

you mean "intelligence" officer...

 

[CoolTech]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: virtueixi
If this post doesn't show you guys that he is just a troll then you are just as retarded as he is.

Yeah, everyone who disagrees with you is a "troll." I'm tired of excessive troll accusations.

rofl.:disgust:

 

[DJFuji]

Originally posted by: AndrewR
Ok, first off, PM me if you want some honest answers to your questions, particularly about your intended career field. I won't post some information in this thread, but I'll do so in a PM if you want. I'm an active duty Air Force officer currently stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. Recently returned from three years in Japan and heading to Iraq next month. There are a few other active and separated Air Force folks on AT as well as numerous others from the different services. Rely on those opinions and not on some of the tripe posted here.

First and foremost, I would suspect it's the young kids who are either still in school or have only just started working who are blathering on and on about the importance of salary. With any sort of life experience behind you, you realize that money is not the most important aspect of any job. If you hate a high paying job, you will be miserable (ask a lawyer friend of mine). If you love a low paying job, you will likely be exceptionally happy.

Sure, you can be deployed, but the amount of danger really isn't all that great in the Air Force, depending on your career field (cops and special ops are obviously exposed to more than finance officers, for instance). I am actually very excited about deploying to Baghdad. I can finally get some "ground truth" about what's going on with my own two eyes, and I can make a positive contribution to the effort over there. I get the chance to participate in something historic, and I will be doing a service for this nation of ours. I had none of those opportunities when I worked in the corporate legal department of a major hotel company.

As for the "taking orders" and having limitations on your personal life, I took orders in the corporate world, and the chain of command was less rigid or visible but with the same effect. Senior officers (or supervisors or whatever) don't walk around yelling, "I order you to clean the toilet with your toothbrush!" You receive directives just as you would in any large organization. Sure, you can't grow your hair out and ride your Segway around with your iPod on 24/7, but if you have that much maturing to do, few professional jobs are open to you, anyway.

Is it all good? Of course not. The military has its fair share of morons, and some of them have risen to positions of command, by some stroke of luck. I met some fairly idiotic senior managers in my civilian jobs also. There are also nonsensical rules and regulations, and certain things can be done very inefficiently. If someone can find a corporation that doesn't fit that statement, I'd really love to hear it.

I always find it amusing that some people will extol the virtues of civilian life when they have only worked in the military, and others will critisize military life never having seen it firsthand. I know of one person just recently who separated from the Air Force for the supposed "good life" on the civilian side, and he's now wishing he had stayed on active duty. Oops.

Look at it this way: Anyone can be a civilian but not everyone is cut out for the military. 😉

Of course you served, so you would know all of these things.

A wise man, that Tall Bill.

Well said, sir.

 

[KillerCharlie]

I've been considering going to OTS to become and Air Force officer as well. Intelligent people go civilian?! I'm an aerospace engineering student at the top of my class at a major (top 20) engineering university. I can literally work for whatever company I want. However, I believe there is more to life than money.

 

[Schadenfreude]

Well, unfortunately, I talked with an online advisor today, and it seems that because of my background (BA in Philosophy), they would most likely not be interested. 🙁 I got to talking with some of the forum members here by phone/PM, and it seems that the next logical step to take, if I'm serious about this, is to enquire about it in person to a recruiting officer.

 

[oslama]

try the CIA

 

[DJFuji]

Sorry to hear that, Jehovah. A lot of people think the military will take anyone with a pulse. But every year it gets more and more competitive, especially in the officer ranks. I've heard people compare getting into the office ranks to getting hired at a major corporation. There's a formal interview process, pre screening, etc.

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: oslama
try the CIA

Despite the pithy nature of this post, this is a good idea. With your language skills, they might be interested. Check out their website for various job descriptions. You could also look into the DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency, if you weren't aware).

Just a thought (haven't ignored the PM, will respond tonight).

 

[Davegod75]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86

Originally posted by: JLGatsby
The military pays very little and is a lot of work. Unless you have the passion to do it, I would not recommend it. The military is for those with a passion for that sort of stuff, which I respect. But if you're only looking for a career, it's not a good choice. Forget the pension after 20 years, you are paying for that yourself for all the years of hard work and little pay. You can make more in the private sector in after the pension.

Psst...

O-3 @ 3 (lower grade pay and low # of years) years makes $3,823.20/mo or $45,878.40/ year. Not bad for 3 years of service, not a lot of $, but definatly not paying very little...

O-6 @ 6 years = 5,805.90/mo or $69,670.80/year.

Also, this is base pay, it can go higher.

that is not even including your housing allowance.. So, since, most private sector employees spend a nice chunk of change on the rent/mortage so your actual salary is way more than that considering all the benefits.