Choosing which military branch to join.

Live forum: http://forum.freeipodguide.com/viewtopic.php?t=40905

ilanbg

08-06-2006 19:10:45

I am quickly realizing that to afford college, and to give me something to do after it, I will join some sort of military branch.

I'm beginning my research now for that. What sort of criteria would discern one branch from the other? Which typically have high/low fatality rates? Which provide the best scholarships? Which do what? What qualities are best applied to which branch?

Other than the obvious things, like that being in the Navy most likely means I'll spend time on a ship, what ought I know before making a [tentative] decision?

Yes, I can research each and every branch, but if anyone here has any experience or knowledge and would share it, I'd appreciate it.

johnjimjones

08-06-2006 19:15:23

For me, I would do whatever you like the most. I really like flying so I would have easily went for the Air Force to be a helicopter pilot, but they require long flights and such and I don't have great vision and I can't stand glasses.

dmorris68

08-06-2006 19:20:17

If you're a techie and/or are primarily interested in a "soft" position with lots of time for educational opportunies, I recommend Air Force.

I'm an Army vet myself, and depending on your MOS and what type of unit you're assigned to, it can either be easy or really really hard. That said I wouldn't give anything for my 5 years of active duty, it was a defining moment in my life. I wouldn't have met my wife, and wouldn't have had my eyes opened to many things in this world that people who haven't experienced combat and deployments to hardship locales could ever understand and appreciate.

My point being, you'll be a better person afterward, no matter which branch you join. Given our current military situation, you're liable to be deployed way out east no matter which branch you choose, unless maybe the Coast Guard.

Depending on your job, Navy will quite likely have you on a ship/sub for 6-9 months per year. That's something I couldn't handle personally. Then again the cavalry unit I spent 3 years in was deployed to the field for 9 months out of the year, so it wasn't much different. At least I had my feet on the ground and could cover a helluva lot more territory in that time, though. )

redman12

08-06-2006 19:24:00

<< As you can see on my AVATAR, I would pick Air force or Navy which I'd like to do when I go to college. Aeronautical Engineering would be my tought choice though shock On top my my Air force avatar is actually a "AirForce research laboratory" that gives it away.

ilanbg

08-06-2006 19:32:30

[quote992952fa1b="dmorris68"]If you're a techie and/or are primarily interested in a "soft" position with lots of time for educational opportunies, I recommend Air Force.[/quote992952fa1b]

I'm definitely interested in field work; I want to be holding/manning a gun/weapon where the action is. I'd love to be a sniper, actually; would the Marines or Army or something be a good choice, then?

[quote992952fa1b]My point being, you'll be a better person afterward, no matter which branch you join.[/quote992952fa1b]
Or the shell-shock will make me bitter and disconnected from the world. wink
[quote992952fa1b] Given our current military situation, you're liable to be deployed way out east no matter which branch you choose, unless maybe the Coast Guard. [/quote992952fa1b]

I would not be joining until four years from now. I don't know where we'll be, politically, by then.

freedesktoppc

08-06-2006 19:35:40

join the israeli army, they could use another good jew.

ilanbg

08-06-2006 19:38:09

Hah, since my dad is Jewish I don't think I'm technically Jewish. Plus, I don't think I'm going to learn Hebrew (although their army is fucking boss).

Basically, I want to spend a few years in the army, but I don't want to dedicate my life to it or do anything that would prevent me from finding other employment afterwards.

Godrockdj

08-06-2006 19:39:02

NAVY[/size547aedf6aa][/color547aedf6aa]

tylerc

08-06-2006 19:41:49

Some guy came into work once and tried to recruit me for the army.

Tholek

08-06-2006 19:43:06

I once heard that if you want to be a pilot in the air force, you should learn to fly as a civvie before joining up, because you most likely won't end up in a cockpit otherwise.

Is that true, and if so, does that mean you ought to have firearm experience prior to joining the Army/Marines with the intention of being a sharpshooter?

I always wondered about that...

RocLaFamilia

08-06-2006 19:49:00

my friends dad was in the military for many years, and he said for you to be in the airforce you need to have prefect or above prefect vision without glasses/contacts...also you need to be VERY smart to be in the Air Force and be a piliot...

dmorris68

08-06-2006 19:52:09

Sniper is hard as hell to make, whether Army or Marines. Being a sniper is a helluva lot more than just being a good shot, which is of course also a pre-requisite. It's a hard duty to say the least, plus it's 99% boredom/1% adreneline rush. It takes a special kind of person to make it as a sniper, much like it takes a special kind of person to make it as any of the SpecOps branches.

If you want to fly combat helicopters, you want Army or Marines. Air Force and Navy don't fly combat choppers. I kick myself for not going to WO flight school when I joined. About 2/3 of my basic training platoon were flight recruits, leaving for Ft. Rucker after Basic. Years later I was in Gulf War I, and after the ground war, was standing in a chow line in King Khalid Military City, Saudi Ariabia, where we were packing up to go home. This Chief Warrant Officer comes over and says "Don't I know you?" I didn't recognize him and said "no sir, I don't think so." He then asked where I did my Basic. It was then I recognized him -- we had gone through BT together. He was flying Blackhawks, and he told me of several other guys I knew who were flying OH-58's, Cobra's, and Apache's. And here I was stuck in an Armored Cavalry line unit. Envious was not the word, my man.

If you're not too tall or too short, have good eyesight, and nerves of steel, chopper flying is where it's at.

KameksCurse

08-06-2006 20:00:47

I have actually been in 3 branches of the military so far, so I can give you a little idea.

My favorite was the Coast Guard. I was a boatswain's mate. Basically I got to work on small boats doing search as rescue, although as an EMT I got to go on helicopter search and rescue, too. It was really a rewarding job and I think i may switch back eventually. My brother is still in the Coast Guard and he loves it.
advantages great bases, usually near a beach or coast; less likely to go somewhere you will get shot; you get to help people; you qualify for the same benefits as the Dept of Defense, but you are Homeland Security (i.e. GI bill for college, medical care, etc)
disadvantages small service, so promotion may be slow; fewer job choices; you may still get shot chasing down drug dealers

I went into the Army next. I didn't stay there long, but it was okay.
advantages many choices for a career field; quicker promotion than CG; great opportunity to live overseas - see the world!; you will be able to shoot guns (since you mentioned that you wanted to do that)
disadvantages you are very likely to be selected to go to a nice sandy place where you WILL get shot at; much more uptight about rules than the Coast Guard was

Now I am in the Air Force. It is a pretty good branch.
advantages less likely to be on the front lines - our planes fly in from further away, drop the bombs, and go back home; lots of great career choices; AF bases are often nicer than the Army's or Navy's
disadvantages well, this is the only branch so far where I was actually sent into a combat zone and shot at (I was sent to support a joint operation), so there's no guarantee

Now, if your goal is to shoot guns, I'd say be a marine. Those guys are tough. When I was in a combat zone, it was the marines I wanted watching my back.

J4320

08-06-2006 20:12:02

Damn I never knew there were so many veterans on here.

redman12

08-06-2006 20:28:53

[quote11fc367cdc="tylerc"]Some guy came into work once and tried to recruit me for the army.[/quote11fc367cdc]

Wow, you don't wanna do that if you wanna live longer. You know Iraq war still going you might get sent as well if you do join.

tylerc

08-06-2006 20:36:00

I don't want to join the army anyway, my parents are paying for my college so and I have no desire to so there is no reason for me to.

ilanbg

08-06-2006 20:43:12

[quote5e5ba3a302="KameksCurse"]Now, if your goal is to shoot guns, I'd say be a marine. Those guys are tough. When I was in a combat zone, it was the marines I wanted watching my back.[/quote5e5ba3a302]

I don't want to shoot guns per se, I just want to be where the action is; if I join the Air Force, I want to be flying the jets, not flagging them down; if I join the Army, I want to be out in the field, not sitting at a computer somewhere.

This is all good info to get started with, thanks all.

hairyferry

08-06-2006 21:12:10

don't do it man, ever heard of basic training? It sucks, trust me I know. There is no way to get out of it and if you take off running away then you're in deep trouble. Get a job at a college or something being a janitor or something like that. Most colleges if you work for them you get free tuition.

Stroid

08-06-2006 21:13:15

[quoteb8a3fb59d2="ilanbg"]
I'm definitely interested in field work; I want to be holding/manning a gun/weapon where the action is. I'd love to be a sniper, actually; would the Marines or Army or something be a good choice, then?
[/quoteb8a3fb59d2]
One of my really good friends is a short range scout sniper for the marine core and he loves it. He had to do 3 tours in Iraq and that really fucked him up in the head but i will say the marine core made him a better person it really put some structure in his life. Whatever branch you choose wont be a bad thing but i wouldnt automatically choose to go to the military just because of school money you can get that without going to the military.

ilanbg

08-06-2006 21:24:13

I'm sure I can get by without joining the military, and it's not like I'm signing up now; it's just an option I'm looking into.

cwncool

08-06-2006 21:25:24

i think the military would be very rewarding. i have some thoughts, but I don't know what I want to be in it.... btw- hey stroid!

Ironfreak

08-06-2006 21:31:13

Join the Navy that has almost zero fatality because we kick ass on the seas and you get to travel the world and go to countries with erughhmmmm no drinking age hehe. Go to Navy Website they offer very good scholarship plans. If you were to ask someone in the navy if u should do theyd say it did nothin but good 4 me.

syriandoode

08-06-2006 21:39:05

i know a guy whos cousin is a fucking delta sniper and he was talking about his training and they do the craziest stuff, he had to sit in a perch waiting for a target for 72 hours straight awake and they had this other exercise where they weighed him down in a pool and he had to walk across it back and forth with only 30 seconds between laps to breath until he blacked out

hairyferry

08-06-2006 21:42:37

It's a great idea to join until you've been in there. It's easy for someone who hasn't been through basic and been in the military to say to join.

ajasax

08-06-2006 22:48:08

That's funny. I just finished watching Jarhead. About marine snipers. I don't know much about military branches, but if I were choosing, I would definitely pick AF since I've always wanted to be an airline pilot, and most commercial airline pilots fly for the military first.

syriandoode

08-06-2006 23:12:17

[quote4ce0b755b8="ajasax"]That's funny. I just finished watching Jarhead. About marine snipers. I don't know much about military branches, but if I were choosing, I would definitely pick AF since I've always wanted to be an airline pilot, and most commercial airline pilots fly for the military first.[/quote4ce0b755b8]

that movie was wierd

the most action was when that idiot got killed during the training exercise

JJPRO11

08-06-2006 23:15:13

[quote083e3d33ca="dmorris68"]Sniper is hard as hell to make, whether Army or Marines. Being a sniper is a helluva lot more than just being a good shot, which is of course also a pre-requisite. It's a hard duty to say the least, plus it's 99% boredom/1% adreneline rush. It takes a special kind of person to make it as a sniper, much like it takes a special kind of person to make it as any of the SpecOps branches.

If you want to fly combat helicopters, you want Army or Marines. Air Force and Navy don't fly combat choppers. I kick myself for not going to WO flight school when I joined. About 2/3 of my basic training platoon were flight recruits, leaving for Ft. Rucker after Basic. Years later I was in Gulf War I, and after the ground war, was standing in a chow line in King Khalid Military City, Saudi Ariabia, where we were packing up to go home. This Chief Warrant Officer comes over and says "Don't I know you?" I didn't recognize him and said "no sir, I don't think so." He then asked where I did my Basic. It was then I recognized him -- we had gone through BT together. He was flying Blackhawks, and he told me of several other guys I knew who were flying OH-58's, Cobra's, and Apache's. And here I was stuck in an Armored Cavalry line unit. Envious was not the word, my man.

If you're not too tall or too short, have good eyesight, and nerves of steel, chopper flying is where it's at.[/quote083e3d33ca]

i havent had any military experience.. but from watching numerous documentaries on snipers, that isnt a job you just choose to do. to be able to lay in one spot for 2 and 3 days at a time in any weather, moving maybe a total distance of a foot, is just unbelievable.. you just dont go out and shoot bad guys and shit like the movies.. snipers are used for surveillance and spying as well. its hard enough being a sniper for the police and SWAT.. you just dont sign up and become a sniper.. you have to make it mentally and physically. it would be pretty damn cool to say you were a sniper in the military, because its a very high achievement.

mneipert

08-06-2006 23:45:04

do whatever it takes not to join the armed forces. I'm not some hippie peace mofo, just i think it would blow nuts. but then again, what would i know? i never joined

JordanE

09-06-2006 00:11:21

[quote4af6a130b6="ilanbg"]Basically, I want to spend a few years in the [b4af6a130b6]army[/b4af6a130b6], but I don't want to dedicate my life to it or do anything that would prevent me from finding other employment afterwards.[/quote4af6a130b6]

You kind of answerd your own question.

Baiscally if you want lots of action go marine. Your posts contradict themselves. You want lots of action and combat. But also want to be in a branch with low fatality rates. I'd say go for the army.

And for all current and formal military. Thank you.

hairyferry

09-06-2006 00:14:13

or if you want to cry yourself to sleep every night join any of them.

KameksCurse

09-06-2006 03:16:26

[quoted5e17422f8="hairyferry"]don't do it man, ever heard of basic training? It sucks, trust me I know. There is no way to get out of it and if you take off running away then you're in deep trouble. Get a job at a college or something being a janitor or something like that. Most colleges if you work for them you get free tuition.[/quoted5e17422f8]
Yes, basic training is hard. I've done basic training for the Coast Guard, the Army, and the Air Force. The Army was certainly the hardest. Basic training is meant to get people who never do anything but sit around and watch TV or play video games into good physical condition. Believe me, there are times in the military when you need to be in good shape. I run almost every day about 6 miles to stay in shape. It helps if you get into shape before you go to basic training.

However, if you are lazy, don't join the military. There are times when you will need to work hard to get the job done. If you do drugs, don't join the military. When I'm in a combat zone, I don't want the guy next to me to be too stoned to watch my back. If you don't like people telling you what to do, don't join the military. If I'm in charge of a unit, I don't want my troops to disobey my orders and screw up the mission. And if you can't put the good of others over your own personal gain, don't join. The last thing we need is someone who runs away from combat rather than helping their buddies.

The military is definitely not for everybody. There are troops that I have had to counsel not to re-enlist because they are not a good fit for the military. It doesn't meet their needs and they don't meet our needs. If you don't know if the military is right for you, try JROTC. You get to experience a little of the military lifestyle without joining up or going off to war.

iamzim

09-06-2006 04:59:35

If you really want to join the military to pay for college, why not try to get some ROTC scholarships. It would seem that you've got a lot of time to look into it! if you can get a good ROTC scholarship, they'll pay for your college, and PAY YOU while you are in college! (yes, you get a stipend). Personally, I did not do it, i just took out a crapload of loans which i'm now paying off to the tune of about 60k. But, if you want your school paid for, what better way than to get your degree first, then go into the military as an officer?

ltsmash2

09-06-2006 05:06:07

If you are qualified and have the time to apply, consider a military academy. I went through the Naval academy. You don't have to pay for it and you are commissioned as an officer once done. Once your contract is up, a whole bunch of possibilities open up for jobs if you decide not to stay in the military.

ghondi

09-06-2006 05:20:25

[quote243264e70c="hairyferry"]don't do it man, ever heard of basic training? It sucks, trust me I know. [b243264e70c]There is no way to get out of it[/b243264e70c] and if you take off running away then you're in deep trouble. Get a job at a college or something being a janitor or something like that. Most colleges if you work for them you get free tuition.[/quote243264e70c]

Not completley true.
If you piss your bed three times in a row(3 nights in a row) in the Marines, you get booted...forgot if you get a dis-honorable discharge though...

liOne of my buddies is in Japan right now....he is waiting for deployment to Iraqistan or w/e that shit hole is....so while waiting, all he does is drink...same with like most the others over there, lol.....another buddy of mine is also waiting deployment, but he is in north carolina or south...I forget....I havent spoke with the one in the US since he left after leave from boot camp...the other one I talk to online once in a whileli

dmorris68

09-06-2006 06:55:15

[quoted02c2b0a3a="hairyferry"]It's a great idea to join until you've been in there. It's easy for someone who hasn't been through basic and been in the military to say to join.[/quoted02c2b0a3a]
And that's where you'd be sadly mistaken.

As I said, I've been in the military, to include combat deployment. I don't reget a second of it, nor do any of my military buddies. I recommend it to almost everybody who asks.

As KC said, the military isn't for everybody, and you sound like one of those people. If you have a problem with authority, or with discpline, or with putting your team above yourself, then you'll have a hard time in the military. On the other hand, I've seen a lot of people join the military with that atttitude, and be broken of it. Which I consider a good thing.

I have 3 kids who spent the early parts of their lives around the world with me. I have always wished they'd join the military. The one I least expect to do that, my oldest daughter, not only did it but she joined the Marine Corps. You have never seen a prouder father than I when I watched her march onto the parade field at Parris Island on graduation day.

And to those suggesting ROTC or Military Academy, that's great if you're the officer type, but I have two caveats first, being an officer is not all that it's cracked up to be. I honestly would rather be enlisted. I had a friend when I was stationed at Ft. Bliss, TX who was an officer in the reserves and decided to resign his commission and enlist active duty. He was much happier. The other caveat is that upon graduation from college/academy, you have an 8 year committment to the military that you can't get out of. Only then can you resign your commission and HOPE they accept it -- they don't have to. They can also recall officers who have resigned or retired, at any time, should they so desire.

Stroid

09-06-2006 08:41:05

[quote673412efdc="cwncool"]i think the military would be very rewarding. i have some thoughts, but I don't know what I want to be in it.... btw- hey stroid![/quote673412efdc] whats going on dude!

Brutus

09-06-2006 09:11:21

I was in the Navy for 9 years. If you are assigned to a ship you can expect to do a deplyment every 18 months. These deployments last 6 months, at least they did when I was in. The longest I spent out to sea at one time was 103 days. During my last years the most time I spent underway on a deployment was 40 days.

You hit a lot of ports. For example on one deployment I went to Hong Kong, Phillipines, Australia, Karachi, Hawaii, Singapore and Thailand. Each visit was about 5 - 10 days.

Do not think that the Navy is a safe option. You have to contend with missile strikes, mines and depending on your job you may be sent ashore to help the land war. I was an Air Intercept Controller and I was sent to support the ground war in Gulf War I.

If you are assigned to a ship you will also have to stand 'duty days'. This means that when you are in port over seas you will either have 4 or 5 section duty. This means that every 4th or 5th day you have to stay on the ship for 24 hours. In your home port duty days change from ship to ship. When I was in it was 5 section duty, but I have heard that on most ships they have changed to 10 or 20 section duty.

While on a ship they have college instructors on board while you are underway, so if you have time you can take classes. Of course when I got to my first class after boot camp and training I worked 8 on 8 off. Yes you work 7 days a week. My first deployment was 103 days straight of work. You get use to it.

You talk about being a pilot in the Air Force. Not going to happen unless you go to college first. The Army use to have a "High School to Flight School" program, still kicking myself for not doing it.

FreeOffersNow

09-06-2006 10:17:31

I almost joined the Army ROTC program at Syracuse University when I was finished with high school...but I decided against Syracuse...which pretty much was the only ROTC program I was looking into. I got a lot of flak from my uncle (Marine - Veteran), as well as my cousin (Air Force - Master Sargent)...but my father, uncle and grandfather were all in the Army...so I wanted to carry on the tradition. Nonetheless, like I said, I decided against the military...and now my generation is the first in our family not to join the military (

I'm not going to sit here and lie, though. Given our current situation in the middle east...I often wonder what it would have been like...or if I'd even be alive.

Vector

09-06-2006 10:56:19

Maybe its just me but usually when people want to join the military they already know what branch they want to go to, either that or they don't really want to go. I don't know, gl with that!

Brutus

09-06-2006 11:08:54

[quote47e8fb79d3="Vector"]Maybe its just me but usually when people want to join the military they already know what branch they want to go to, either that or they don't really want to go. I don't know, gl with that![/quote47e8fb79d3]

Not true. I picked the branch that could get me in the quickest.

benner410

09-06-2006 11:39:49

I really wanna be a marine sniper... I and mentally and physically tough. I could lay in one spot for a couple days if I had to. One shot one kill baby!

twista

09-06-2006 12:32:35

just to let you know you will never be flying jets in the airforce unless you go to the Air Force Academy. 99.9 % of pilots are from there and being as you would be enlisted they would not let you fly. that said if you can get into the AFA then go but it is very tough to get in.

theysayjump

09-06-2006 12:48:31

[quotedecd23d7ee="benner410"]I really wanna be a marine sniper... I and mentally and physically tough. I could lay in one spot for a couple days if I had to. One shot one kill baby![/quotedecd23d7ee]

A couple of days really isn't that long for a sniper.

benner410

09-06-2006 13:13:23

[quote41b8c89471="theysayjump"][quote41b8c89471="benner410"]I really wanna be a marine sniper... I and mentally and physically tough. I could lay in one spot for a couple days if I had to. One shot one kill baby![/quote41b8c89471]

A couple of days really isn't that long for a sniper.[/quote41b8c89471]

when i say a couple days... i mean 4 or 5

theysayjump

09-06-2006 13:16:47

Oh ok, well yeah, 4 or 5 isn't much either. Try 83.

benner410

09-06-2006 13:22:54

[quotef9f834a29c="theysayjump"]Oh ok, well yeah, 4 or 5 isn't much either. Try 83.[/quotef9f834a29c]

Dude lol..... 83 days laying on ur stomach looking through your scope? Thats BS. At most 20 days....

RocLaFamilia

09-06-2006 13:46:35

i cant really belive that...83 days of no movement is impossible, you cant survive...you would have no muscle

kwesi1

09-06-2006 14:16:29

join the Army,you could become an Army Ranger. anyways, thats what I'd like to be if I joined up.

ilanbg

09-06-2006 16:16:13

[quoteba838fae86="JordanE"][quoteba838fae86="ilanbg"]Basically, I want to spend a few years in the [bba838fae86]army[/bba838fae86], but I don't want to dedicate my life to it or do anything that would prevent me from finding other employment afterwards.[/quoteba838fae86]

You kind of answerd your own question.

Baiscally if you want lots of action go marine. Your posts contradict themselves. You want lots of action and combat. But also want to be in a branch with low fatality rates. I'd say go for the army.

And for all current and formal military. Thank you.[/quoteba838fae86]

Ok, change the bold to 'military.'

Also, I didn't say I wanted to join the one with the lowest fatalities; in fact, I don't. I just wanted to know what kind of fatalities each branch had.

I'm pretty sure I've ruled out Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force, based on my lack of interest in ships or planes.

Ironfreak

09-06-2006 16:57:40

if ur in marines or army it dont mean u have to be in armed forces u can get a paid college 4 being a janitor in the recruiting building or u could be a cook.

dmorris68

09-06-2006 17:55:18

[quoteb00d49eee8="Ironfreak"]if ur in marines or army it dont mean u have to be in armed forces u can get a paid college 4 being a janitor in the recruiting building or u could be a cook.[/quoteb00d49eee8]
Everybody in the military is in the armed forces. It doesn't matter the job. And if you're in the Marines or Army, you're trained as an infantry grunt first and foremost. They'll put you where they want you. When my unit was on the front lines in Gulf War I we had cooks right there with us, in the combat support trains about a half-click behind us while we were engaging enemy. They helped drive fuel trucks and ferry whatever supplies were needed on the front lines. They had DPICM dropped on them just like we did. Truth is, there is no such thing as a "safe" job in the Armed Forces. Just different degrees of risk. ;)

And there is no "janitor" job in the military -- that's what privates are for. ;) You don't get to pick a "recruiting station" job either.

syriandoode

09-06-2006 18:03:05

[quote014d3b60f4="kwesi1"]join the Army,you could become an Army Ranger. anyways, thats what I'd like to be if I joined up.[/quote014d3b60f4]

that takes awhile though first you gotta join the army, then the airbourne, then pass Ranger School

dmorris68

09-06-2006 18:18:39

[quote5a0cf3aa03="syriandoode"][quote5a0cf3aa03="kwesi1"]join the Army,you could become an Army Ranger. anyways, thats what I'd like to be if I joined up.[/quote5a0cf3aa03]

that takes awhile though first you gotta join the army, then the airbourne, then pass Ranger School[/quote5a0cf3aa03]
Yes, Ranger School -- like Sniper School and all other SpecOps Schools -- happens after you've been in awhile and done a lot of preliminary training. Unless you get Ranger (or whatever) in your enlistment contract, you won't just go because you want to. You have to be recommended, and/or you have to convince your commanding officer to send you.

When I graduated BT and AIT, I was assigned to 5/7 ADA in Ft. Bliss, TX (a Patriot Missile Battallion, the very first one in fact). It was a brand new unit and wasn't even active yet -- they were still staffing up and building their TO&E. During the downtime I begged my 1stSgt and CO to let me go to Airborne school. They wouldn't do it. When you're assigned to a permanent unit and they send you away TDY to school like that, they not only have to "pay" for it out of their training budget, but they cannot replace you either. So they find themselves short-handed, and depending on your position in the unit structure, that may be unacceptable. If the school you wish to attend doesn't benefit the unit -- and frankly a Patriot unit doesn't need Airborne-qualified personnel -- then it doesn't make good sense for a CO to send you.

The only way to guarantee yourself a spot in a school like that is to negotiate it into your contract. Once you've signed on the line and sworn the oath, they'll use you where THEY need you, not where YOU want. So be sure of what you want before signing up, and then get it in writing.

ilanbg

09-06-2006 18:27:00

[quote64954a2e67="dmorris68"]So be sure of what you want before signing up, and then get it in writing.[/quote64954a2e67]
How is that done? What would be included?

dmorris68

09-06-2006 19:03:50

[quote9cde2042e3="ilanbg"][quote9cde2042e3="dmorris68"]So be sure of what you want before signing up, and then get it in writing.[/quote9cde2042e3]
How is that done? What would be included?[/quote9cde2042e3]
When join, you work with a recruiter and sign a contract. This contract states the terms of your enlistment how long you'll be active duty, what your chosen MOS will be, extra perks like signing bonuses, and any other concessions they agree to in order to get you to signup. It's like negotiating any other contract -- if you don't get it in writing, then it doesn't matter what the recruiter TELLS you will happen. Recruiters are trained to LIE to you. The only thing that they must abide by is what is written in your contract.

How much leverage you have when it comes to negotiating the terms of your contract depends on a lot of factors, including your school grades, test scores (ASVAB), if you have any college, what MOS you want to be, their current quotas and demands for the MOS, etc. If you choose a field that is in high demand, you'll get a lot more than somebody wanting to do something they already have a lot of. The MOS'es you can choose are also determined by your scores and certain other criteria, like physical restrictions (height, eyesight, etc.) and security clearance requirements.

All of these factors come into play when negotiating an enlistment contract. It's actually a quite complicated process to do correctly, and most young recruits who don't know any better will wind up just signing up with nothing, believing everything the recruiter tells them, and letting the military do with them whatever it pleases.

Brutus

10-06-2006 10:14:06

Even if you do get it in writing, if they need you in a certain job bad enough they will put you there, no matter what you signed up to do.