Considering joining the US military

[Orodoth]

My suggestion is to get a job that HELPS the world by making a POSITIVE change for America and the rest of the world. The US military does neither.

Did we forget about Haiti and Japan already? Both were relief efforts that the US military was heavily involved in.

Granted, these two examples are NOT all encompassing, but you also can't deny that they were done for the greater good. And they are not, by any means, the only two examples of a humanitarian effort...

What about all the job and technical skills people walk away with after only a 4 year tour with the military? Instead of being some grass smoking, occupy wall street, patchoulie scented hippy and living for free off of the very establishment that they condemn?

We can go back and forth, point and counter point all day, and it will get us nowhere. But to say that nothing is productive about the military, and that no good comes of it, is blatantly wrong. However, please do not mistake me for saying that the military is some perfect and golden god-like society. It has its fair share of bad apples at the top, and throughout the ranks. But average Joe in the ranks, is just following orders, and trying to do what he perceives to be the right thing.

Tl;DR? tough.. there is no short answer.

[Deldavala]

Hmms reading alot of posts here about bad payments. Well as a Norwegian, just staying in service in Norway i had about 45k Euro each year+bonus for when you have to sleep in the forest/mountain.

I also earned about 130k Euro for 8months in Afghanistan. Should be mentioned that i was a Second lieutenant, Signal battalion engineer.

[Kalyyn]

Yeah you won't get rich thats for sure,

I don't know, my parents both seem to have found a way to make a pretty substantial income off the airforce.

Maybe they're making some under-the-table deals I don't know about >.>

---------- Post added 2012-02-06 at 04:38 PM ----------

Joining the US military in this day and age is pretty unreal.

The military is led by rich people who exploit the poor and stupid in or to help the rich (i'm sure people will start talking about "freedom" and things like that after this).

Any truly important military action will be taken by an extremely small, skilled team (not you and the rest of middle america). Standing armies in other countries are about imperialism, not making the world safer.

My suggestion is to get a job that HELPS the world by making a POSITIVE change for America and the rest of the world. The US military does neither.

Wow, you've totally enlightened me about how evil our armed forces are! I guess the American military has never done anything good...
Oh wait

[Jackmoves]

I don't know, my parents both seem to have found a way to make a pretty substantial income off the airforce.

Maybe they're making some under-the-table deals I don't know about >.>

If you are in for the long run I'm sure you can make good bank, I meant more short contracts though.

Hmms reading alot of posts here about bad payments. Well as a Norwegian, just staying in service in Norway i had about 45k Euro each year+bonus for when you have to sleep in the forest/mountain.

Norway is more expensive though it evens out I think, we had those "field pays" as well ontop of monthly wages. Around 1000(140$) sek per day+night in the field. But that is really different from unit to unit how many days you spend out in the field on exercises.

[Clevername]

Joining the US military in this day and age is pretty unreal.

The military is led by rich people who exploit the poor and stupid in or to help the rich (i'm sure people will start talking about "freedom" and things like that after this).

Any truly important military action will be taken by an extremely small, skilled team (not you and the rest of middle america). Standing armies in other countries are about imperialism, not making the world safer.

My suggestion is to get a job that HELPS the world by making a POSITIVE change for America and the rest of the world. The US military does neither.

While everyone is entitled to their own opinion if everyone simply limited themselves to do jobs that "make a POSITIVE change for American and the rest of the world" we'd probably eliminate about 80 percent of the jobs in America....

[Deldavala]

If you are in for the long run I'm sure you can make good bank, I meant more short contracts though.




Norway is more expensive though it evens out I think, we had those "field pays" as well ontop of monthly wages. Around 1000(140$) sek per day+night in the field. But that is really different from unit to unit how many days you spend out in the field on exercises.

Well if you see average education time and compares the army to a normal College education, most of the army jobs in Norway will pay up more than the college ones.

[tozarr]

Disclaimer: This is based on my service in the NAVY, of which I was discharged for a medical condition.

Joining the US Military isn't a decision to be taken lightly, and you should see if you can talk to anyone you know who has been in your branch of the military within the past ten years. Military policies change often and without warning, so anything your grandfather or father(unless currently serving) can tell you is probably well out of date. DO NOT TAKE WHAT A RECRUITER SAYS AT FACE VALUE.

If you have the opportunity to go in as an officer, go in as an officer. The pay rates are better, the conditions are better. Even if you don't go in as an officer, try to join as an E-3(or the equivalent in your branch). Joining as an E-3 shaves 18 months off your advancement, and can be easily done in many different ways.

I don't know if the same is true for other branches, but in the Navy, you cannot join as an NCO. Your recruiter may be lying to you. The only guaranteed NCO rate in the Navy is Nuclear Engineering, which includes two additional years of schooling. Even in that rate, you join as an E-3 and are only promoted to E-4 after you complete a portion of your schooling.

Do NOT, under any circumstances, take what a recruiter tells you at face value. The recruiting system is broken. Recruiters have to meet a quota each month, and will go to great lengths to meet said quota. Almost nothing the recruiter told me when I signed up was true. If you think the treatment you receive from a recruiter is normal in military life, THINK AGAIN. They are paid to bend over backwards to be nice to you. However, when you leave the Delayed Entry Program, do not expect anything of them. My recruiter assured my parents he would call them to let them know how I was doing, and correspond with me regularly, but this was not the case. After I left for boot camp, I never heard from him again.

As for fitness, it pays off to be fit before entering boot camp. You don't have to meet all the requirements right away(contrary to what your recruiter tells you), but it is a good idea. It will help you greatly, both with your rank in boot camp, and your actual experience in boot camp.

READ YOUR CONTRACT. If a promise has been made to you, make sure you get it in writing. Anything that's not in your contract WILL NOT HAPPEN.

YOU ARE NOT GUARANTEED A SPECIFIC JOB. This is something the recruiter will lie to you about time and time again. Remember that recruiting is a mandatory assignment, proving that you are not guaranteed a specific job.



Lastly, if you do decide to join the military, I salute you. I have nothing but respect for the US Military for answering the call of duty and protecting our nation. I disagree with many of the conflicts our military is currently involved in, but our armed forces have made it possible for our country to be free. Any soldier, airman, marine, or seaman has made a commendable decision by joining.

[Jackmoves]

Well if you see average education time and compares the army to a normal College education, most of the army jobs in Norway will pay up more than the college ones.

I guess the swedish armed forces are just cheapskates :P
I'm not 100% sure what you earn as an officer but it's nowhere near the money you got paid. I think the starting wages for a specialist officer is around 18.000-20.000 Sek. Not counting overtime+"field pay" though, no idea what the sallery is for someone who's gone through full officers school(3 years), specialists have to study for 1,5 years I think, I don't really remember exactly, might be closer to 2 years.

[Reeve]

I just checked the height/weight requirements for the US military because of this thread. Right now, I'm 6'5" (77 inches) and 245 pounds. That puts me at 9 lbs. heavier than the maximum weight allowed to join the Marine Corps (which has the most liberal requirements of the services), which surprised the hell out of me. I mean I'm not super skinny, but nor am I fat. It's especially surprising after hearing people talk about the chubby dudes that are currently in the armed forces.

This is all academic anyway, since I have no intention of joining the military. There were times in my life I considered it seriously, but I'm 28 now and past the point where I'm interested in doing that sort of thing.

[Clevername]

I just checked the height/weight requirements for the US military because of this thread. Right now, I'm 6'5" (77 inches) and 245 pounds. That puts me at 9 lbs. heavier than the maximum weight allowed to join the Marine Corps (which has the most liberal requirements of the services), which surprised the hell out of me. I mean I'm not super skinny, but nor am I fat. It's especially surprising after hearing people talk about the chubby dudes that are currently in the armed forces.

This is all academic anyway, since I have no intention of joining the military. There were times in my life I considered it seriously, but I'm 28 now and past the point where I'm interested in doing that sort of thing.

getting in is one thing, staying in is completely different. Once guys figure out in the first year that the military isn't for them they get a case of the 'fuck-it's' and just give up.

[Vorenos]

my one piece of advice is that when talking to a recruiter, they will tell you the sky is the limit and it is all gravy, but if they promise you some kind of job when you are done with basic training, make sure to get it in writing...

[Inkwell384]

I know someone thats joining the US Airforce to be a bomb techican??

Problem is I don't think their going to take him cause he has Hep C and he
has a drug addiction problem with Zanex and Dope I find it hard for him to be accepted am I right??

I found a paper that was with him and he was 3 days ago at a Rehab.. yet he lied to me and said the train
broke down at the city.. Then when u was at my friend house the other friend look at me his name is matt he saids
he just said to me he doesn't do drugs yets he doing right now. Am like I know.. Sounds me this is going to be
a brief stunt and be rejected.. the person am talking about has family issues, emotional problem he said he join
the military to get away from this mess?

What's your guys take on this??

[Razeo]

Im considering joining the army or the air force but i have a few questions:

1- Am I required to be in top physical shape before joining? (I am not fat, im actually pretty skinny but in the state that i am now i would consider myself pretty weak, my body does have some potential but i havent tried working out even once.)
2- Does Myopia disqualify me from joining either of them?
3- If i choose active duty how likely is it that i will get sent to the middle east?

Ok take it from me, I just got out of a 6 yr enlistment with the AF on May 2011. So if you ever need any further advice don't hestiate to send me a PM but as for your current questions I'll give you the low down:

1- You don't have to look like a GQ model to join the armed forces, however it does help to be prepared. As for myself I was already fit when I joined, but I still kept a strict regimen while I was in DEP (Delay Entry Program.) by making sure I could do atleast 60 situps and pushups in a minute and could run 1.5 miles in less than 10 minutes.

2- Not that I know, you do get tested for your eyesight once you get to MEPS but I'd be surprised if you got turned down for Myopia. Just don't have Asthma and Flat feet and you'll be fine.

3- Don't know about Army, but as for Air Force if you have an Administrative job like working at the Hospital or processing IDs then the likelihood of you being deployed is low. However, if you get a job that requires you to be on the flight-line everyday like Aircraft Maintenance, Air Transportation (what I did), Loadmaster (Aircrew), Security Forces. Then you'll be seeing sand quite alot. As for me, I enlisted on Sep 05 and deployed 4x until I got injured on duty while deployed (brain surgery) on July 09. After that, I couldn't deploy anymore even if I wanted to (being deployed is good money! )

---------- Post added 2012-03-25 at 09:35 PM ----------

I don't know, my parents both seem to have found a way to make a pretty substantial income off the airforce.

Maybe they're making some under-the-table deals I don't know about >.>

---------- Post added 2012-02-06 at 04:38 PM ----------



Wow, you've totally enlightened me about how evil our armed forces are! I guess the American military has never done anything good...
Oh wait

Thanks for posting that vid, honestly made me shed a tear

[stabetha]

Joining the US military in this day and age is pretty unreal.

The military is led by rich people who exploit the poor and stupid in or to help the rich (i'm sure people will start talking about "freedom" and things like that after this).

Any truly important military action will be taken by an extremely small, skilled team (not you and the rest of middle america). Standing armies in other countries are about imperialism, not making the world safer.

My suggestion is to get a job that HELPS the world by making a POSITIVE change for America and the rest of the world. The US military does neither.

It's because of the military you can even make ludicrous post like that on the internet.Your Welcome!!

O.T.-
1. if your not in shape your recruiter will help you get in shape
2. as been said as long as your vision is corrected with glasses, they even give you a snazzy pair of "portholes" otherwise know as bcg's (birth control glasses) lol
3. being deployed depends on several things like marital status, and what job you chose.

[Razeo]

@OP:

I also forgot to mention that once you get the lists as to what jobs you qualify for and pick the one you want. Be damn well sure that that's the one you end up getting regardless of how long you have to wait (DEP is basically the phase as to when you wait for a slot for that particular job you choose to open up.) Don't let the recruiter sweet talk you into getting another job to get you in asap.