Joining the Military...

[Ken785]

i found this...

http://www.tv-links.co.uk/listings/9/6966

its a documentary with ex-military personal who expose the lies the recruiter tells you and tells you how it really is in the military.

 

[Mr.Positive]

Think hard before you sign your life over. Once you sign, you are the military's property. You will not have choices anymore. You will be owned.

That being said, it might not be a bad thing, but a good thing. I'm sure boot camp has a way of "making a man" out of you, will toughen you up.

However, joining the military now means, for the most part, going to Iraq.

I knew a guy that came back, and he came back a different person. It's not like the movies.

Also, there's police and fire departments that are "para" military orgs, give you the comeraderie, service to the community, etc. Something to look into. I've had experience with both, and would definitely recommend it.

 

[Ken785]

I recently finished my 4 year degree. I'm still flirting with the idea...especially now since i have the chance of being an Officer. The economy being the way the it is, Army seems like a good deal. Since i have a degree now i can go in basic training and get paid $1827.60 as E-4 rank and then and then when i finish OCS i get paid $2,655.30 a month at O-1 rank....which really isn't too bad Id really like to hear from aymnbird and sinistar since they have been in there. Hopefully they will see this if they still post on here.

I have done my research and right now im really leaning towards it. Sure im scared of the unknown but excited at the same time. I have a friend that is in the Army reserves National Guard and he says it really made him become more of a man than he ever could have grown on his own.

Being an Officer, i would assume the job is not nearly as bad as a regular soldier. It gives me the chance to be in a leadership position. I know its going to suck at times and being away from family is really hard but i feel i need to make a change in my life and to do something different and the military has some great benefits, especially since i plan on continuing school to get my masters degree which they will help pay for.

I know a lot of you guys are wondering...why is Ken posting up this crap for us....if he's serious about joining then JOIN!!....the reason being really is just moral support....everyone has their opinions and i appreciate each and every one of them.

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

I recently finished my 4 year degree. I'm still flirting with the idea...especially now since i have the chance of being an Officer. The economy being the way the it is, Army seems like a good deal. Since i have a degree now i can go in basic training and get paid $1827.60 as E-4 rank and then and then when i finish OCS i get paid $2,655.30 a month at O-1 rank....which really isn't too bad Id really like to hear from aymnbird and sinistar since they have been in there. Hopefully they will see this if they still post on here.

I have done my research and right now im really leaning towards it. Sure im scared of the unknown but excited at the same time. I have a friend that is in the Army reserves National Guard and he says it really made him become more of a man than he ever could have grown on his own.

Being an Officer, i would assume the job is not nearly as bad as a regular soldier. It gives me the chance to be in a leadership position. I know its going to suck at times and being away from family is really hard but i feel i need to make a change in my life and to do something different and the military has some great benefits, especially since i plan on continuing school to get my masters degree which they will help pay for.

I know a lot of you guys are wondering...why is Ken posting up this crap for us....if he's serious about joining then JOIN!!....the reason being really is just moral support....everyone has their opinions and i appreciate each and every one of them.

If you want to be a leader of men you'll enlist, join a line company, and be a grunt.

If you want to manage men and play politics then become an officer.
The life of the officer is better but comfort don't earn respect.

 

[virginat40]

recruiters lie regularly and have so power driven, I thought about it and I told one if I fail basic training I'll burn an American flag, he screamed an threw me out at the joke. it was a frickin joke.

no joke to me, I went home and shredded my flag and threw the bits away

 

[Wiesman44]

For all you that are American, its pretty sad how you bash our military. Yah, its not perfect. All agencies have their faults. If you want to serve your country, there's no better way to go. If you are worried about the military having their way with you, then its not for you.

I know many people that are in the military, or came out of it, and it definitely makes you a man and a better person. Hell, i wish I joined the military instead of going straight to college.

 

[MikeYikes122]

The education benefits are the best they've ever been for veterans. If you ever decide you want to go back to school for an additional degree or even advanced studies, the government will pay for every penny.

Google "GI Bill" and read all about it.

I've been considering the Air Force or Navy because I want to go to grad school, but don't want to pay out the ass for schooling. My undergrad grades are good, but not good enough to get any sort of grant from a school. The military route really does seem to be a good option.

 

[Dust 2 Dust]

I almost joined the military out of high school. i took the ASVAB and even had a recruiter come to my home, but I ultimately backed out of it.

If you go in make sure you join for the right reason which is WANTING TO BECOME A SOLDIER. The primary purpose of the military is to fight and win wars. If you join the ground forces there's a high probability that you will be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan. EVERY one of my friends who has joined the active duty Army or Marines has had to serve in either Iraq or Afghanistan. A buddy of mine just shipped out last month for a 2nd tour in Iraq (2 full years in Iraq). Are you prepared to spend 2-3 years of your life in Iraq/Afghanistan? If not, then don't join.

 

[virginat41]

The education benefits are the best they've ever been for veterans. If you ever decide you want to go back to school for an additional degree or even advanced studies, the government will pay for every penny.

Google "GI Bill" and read all about it.

I've been considering the Air Force or Navy because I want to go to grad school, but don't want to pay out the ass for schooling. My undergrad grades are good, but not good enough to get any sort of grant from a school. The military route really does seem to be a good option.

illegals are smarter then stupiddummy military members

 

[Julian]

Join the military. That **** is honorable bro. The Marines are nothing to joke about. If you go, go infantry all the way brah. Its the alpha style. Im going AF personally. But if I dnt get a job I want in the AF im going Marine Corps infantry.

Fukk the taliban Ill gladly go and do my duty and rain some hot led on the scum that terrorizes afghanistan.

Btw anyone who has a bad word to say about the military and its honorable members (not all are, lets be real here) deserves a beheading.


Btw a recruiter will rarely LIE to you. With the numbers of people trying to enlist these days the military can afford to be selective of its applicants. They know that all the real info is right here on the net for anyone to research, they aren't going to tell you some BS. Yeah they're going to portray it in its best light but they wont make promises they cant uphold. Real talk. you got questions I got answers hit me up fellow recruits.

My plan is join the AF do some alpha ****, go to school and start a business and start CEO'ing.

 

[Ken785]

Join the military. That **** is honorable bro. The Marines are nothing to joke about. If you go, go infantry all the way brah. Its the alpha style. Im going AF personally. But if I dnt get a job I want in the AF im going Marine Corps infantry.

Fukk the taliban Ill gladly go and do my duty and rain some hot led on the scum that terrorizes afghanistan.

Btw anyone who has a bad word to say about the military and its honorable members (not all are, lets be real here) deserves a beheading.


Btw a recruiter will rarely LIE to you. With the numbers of people trying to enlist these days the military can afford to be selective of its applicants. They know that all the real info is right here on the net for anyone to research, they aren't going to tell you some BS. Yeah they're going to portray it in its best light but they wont make promises they cant uphold. Real talk. you got questions I got answers hit me up fellow recruits.

My plan is join the AF do some alpha ****, go to school and start a business and start CEO'ing.

Whoa bro...youre hardcore...

 

[piranha45]

troll somewhere else.

 

[Ken785]

Talk to my Army recruiter...taking the practice ASVAB tomorrow (I should I say later today)...Im hoping to get a good enough score on the real one to apply to become an Officer. Wish me luck.

 

[Hidden-Hand]

Only join if you honestly have a good reason to join. Otherwise you'll hate it. And remember this is not 'fun and games', its 'real' combat and you can get FUBR and killed in an instant, even if its just by some rookie sniper or a IED. Not to mention the combat stress issues you'll probably face when your tour/duty is over...And please dont go out for spec ops unless you have a really good reason, are in excellent physical condition and have adept self motivational skills because you will DOR or get the boot otherwise. You'd be suprised to know the washout rate for these things-Army Special Forces is like 80%, Navy SEALs is like 75% (I am watching a DVD about BUD/S class 234..guys are dropping like flys an not putting out), Rangers is about 50%, and Pararesue drop out rate is around 90%. Some other spec units but idk about them..but at any rate whatever branch you join you better join for the 'right' reasons and when you get there put out 100% everyday. (I'm a military guy myself)

 

[Pie in the Sky]

I served 6 years in the Navy as enlisted. I was very miserable at times when I was in, but in hindsight, I would say it was a very positive experience overall. It definitely changed my view of myself for the better and my view on life in general. I got to do a lot of cool stuff most people will never do in their lives and will only ever see on TV.

My best piece of advice for you is to go in as an officer. Stop talking to enlisted recruiters. They recruit enlisted, not officers. They don't really care if you make it into OCS while you are enlisted or not. They are trying to use OCS to bait you into enlisting as if it is easy to get into once you are in as enlisted. I can tell you from experience that is not. It is extremely competitive once you are in and you have a much smaller chance of becoming an officer. The difference between enlisted and officer is night and day. You get treated 10x better as an officer plus you make more money and are put into a leadership position right off the bat.

As far as pay goes, you are only looking at the base pay scales which can be very misleading. For instance, I got out an E-5. Base scale is $2,334.90 a month which comes out to $28k a year. The thing you are missing though, is you get several other allowances on top of your base pay such as allowance for housing, hazardous duty pay, etc. As a result, I was making about $53,000/year as an E-5 when I got out. As an officer with similar time in service, you would be making twice that. The military pays well, but you also make many sacrifices. I hope you go through with it. The military needs committed folks.

 

[AAAgent]

i feel you man. I almost enlisted in the marines my freshman year of college after my first semester. I ended not because of my recruiter trying to blackmail my family secretly. I was basically accepted into intelligence, i scored high enoguh on the asvab test and all they needed was a background check on my parents and i. I was thinking that it would be a great time to go to the marines because 1- i was hating school and didn't think it was for me especially nursing. 2- i was functioning properly because of a death in a family and a recent break-up. 3. i thought it was a great way to get some skills and money while my mind recouperated during the 4 years. In the end my mom would not consent to the background check. My recruiter tried to convince me just to ship off to bootcamp and that once my family saw what a changed person i was they would definately be willing to consent this time around. I asked him what would happen if my parents didn't consent and i couldn't go to intel. He told me they would probably send me to where they needed me the most at the time. what they needed most at that time was infantry so im almost positive my parents would murder me before they let me go into infantry.

It's been 4 full years later and i have a BS in Business Administration. I'm starting my own business but i still find myself wondering if i could have made honor grad in the marines. I could do 30 pullups, run a mile in 5 minutes and do a whole bunch of pushups. I used to out work my rotc room mates back in college.

 

[Pie in the Sky]

In the end my mom would not consent to the background check. My recruiter tried to convince me just to ship off to bootcamp and that once my family saw what a changed person i was they would definately be willing to consent this time around. I asked him what would happen if my parents didn't consent and i couldn't go to intel. He told me they would probably send me to where they needed me the most at the time. what they needed most at that time was infantry so im almost positive my parents would murder me before they let me go into infantry.

:crackup: EXACTLY! All those recruiters love to bait and switch. They don't give a damn what you do in the military as long as they get you to enlist and make their quota for the month. In your case they tried to get you to do something you did not really want to do with the dubious promise of being able to switch later. Same thing with Ken. They are trying to tell him he can go through OCS once he is already enlisted which is difficult to do since you are competing with every other enlisted person with a degree, all of which have vastly more experience than him.

BTW, how much do you weigh AAAagent? Like 140 lbs? 5 min mile is impressive, as well as 30 pull ups.

 

[Ken785]

:crackup: EXACTLY! All those recruiters love to bait and switch. They don't give a damn what you do in the military as long as they get you to enlist and make their quota for the month. In your case they tried to get you to do something you did not really want to do with the dubious promise of being able to switch later. Same thing with Ken. They are trying to tell him he can go through OCS once he is already enlisted which is difficult to do since you are competing with every other enlisted person with a degree, all of which have vastly more experience than him.

BTW, how much do you weigh AAAagent? Like 140 lbs? 5 min mile is impressive, as well as 30 pull ups.

Actually my recruiter recommended that I enlist for 1 year first because if I go in as a new Officer with no experience as an enlistee...I wont get much respect.

I told him I wanted to try anyway so i have to get at last a GT score of 110 on the ASVAB. He said I could drop the application right away...I dont know if I have to enlist first though...probably not.

 

[Unbridled_Phoenix]

I love my Marine Corps, but it's easy now, because I'm not in it anymore.

The recruiters are full of sh!t. Make a great effort to independently study what you are getting yourself into. I was supposed to be an Artilleryman, ended up driving AAVs, 52-ton tracked post-Vietnam rust buckets that are supposed to be amphibious. But 911 happened while I was at basic training, changed the picture real fast.

I recently saw the movie "Jarhead", and rolled the whole time. That is a quintessential depiction of life in the modern Corps if I ever saw one.

 

[Pie in the Sky]

Actually my recruiter recommended that I enlist for 1 year first because if I go in as a new Officer with no experience as an enlistee...I wont get much respect.

You aren't going to get much respect either way as a junior officer. If you are really that concerned about something like that, I will tell you this. A good officer, that people actually respect, is one that respects the judgment and experience of the people below him. He lets people do their job. A good officer also has a clue what is going on without having to meddle and micromanage. Bad officers are condescending and do not trust their own people. They also generally lack any serious social skills and people often make fun of them behind their backs.

I am telling you, go straight officer. Don't listen to any of that working man pride BS about being enlisted. Don't get me wrong, there are some quality, top notch enlisted folks, but the fact that you have completed a bachelor's degree already separates you from those people and tells me you have much more potential than them. Not that it is very difficult to earn a degree, but it does take some degree of dedication and self-motivation. Live up to your potential, not below it.