Thinking about making a career out of the armed forces... suggestions?

Erik

Erik

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Location
Wilmington, NC
so... i don't know the the hell i'm going to do with my life... i figure i can't afford to turn college into a life-long career so i might as well do something worth a damn.....



i thought about the coast guard when i was in high school b/c i like boating and i had quite a few relatives, from what i'm told, serve life-long careers with the USCG......


well then i decided i liked boats and the water, but only when it was warm and sunny so i ditched that idea...

now i'm thinking about the navy.... i have a history of electronics and communications stuff, but i'm rusty.... the navy, as well as all armed forces, seem to have a home for anyone interested in communications and such, but for some reason i thought the navy would be a good choice... or mayben my dad just tricked me into thinking this.... damn him....


so i'm looking for advice from total strangers.... wtf.... :poop:

if you have any experience in the armed forces speak up... i'd like to make it a career or stay in long enough to enjoy the benefits and get the training needed to move onto a career once i get out in however many years....

i haven't talked to any recruiters but i think i may go visit some this weekend to find out about pay, enlistment bonuses, etc..... if you know anything about those areas feel free to educate me :)

-Erik <---- wants to kick ass, take names, and get paid to see the world :alien:
 
first piece of advice....avoid recruiters till you decide where you want to go. then....when its time...dont believe a word they say!

If you like living for 6 months at a time with 1500 other men inside a floating sardine can then the navy is definatley for you....

how ever, if your not gay i might suggest the marine corps. still a dept of the navy (the mens dept) still get to spend some time around boats here and there. Get the see the world....one footstep at a time. Shorter combat time, though the fighting will be heavier than the army.

Not that fond of the army. lotta combat training not enough combat. too many humanitarian missions. Dont get me wrong...not trying to stir anything up...just seems like the army guys get stuck digging ditches and laying telephone wire instead of gettin in there and doin what really needs to be done.

If combat isnt your thing then go with the coastguard. several freinds who joined outta high school and absolutly love it. All of them plan to make careers out of it.
 
I give you one piece of advice......the same advice given by Master Sargent Art Lilley (1972-2007).....
"Don't join and arm of the military unless you are prepared to face combat.....because you will!"

That said, all services need elec. techs.....my bro-in-law (USAF) says they eat better and normally have a better place to sleep.


Matt
 
yeah, i didnt mean to mislead anyone....coast guard doesnt promise no combat! there has been some shipped over to the desert! and then there are altercations with smugglers and cubano immigrants.
 
i had not really considered the air force much, mainly because i don't know anyone who has ever been in the air force.... much like i didn't heavily consider the army since i don't really know anyone who served in that branch....

i know a couple guys who retured from the navy and said they loved it.... i know a few guys in the coast guard who seem to love it... and of the guys i know in the military they all seem to enjoy it as well...... the thing is i "heard" the USCG is tough to get into... not sure if i'd make it..... i'm a pretty big pussy when it comes to cold water/shrinkage.... i only like water when it's 70+ :) i don't mind close quarters so living in a sardine can with 1499 homo's wouldn't bother me too bad i don't THINK, but if they areally are homo's i might need to bring some protection :shit:

all joking aside, i don't want to be hands-on with combat... but i woudln't mind being in the middle of it from a technical aspect.... just not a -kill-whitey- aspect i suppose....

-Erik
 
1978-1984 USS Coontz-DDG-40! Saw 37 countries in 6years and had a blast! But forget about seeing family during Holidays. I missed all 6 X-masses and much more but it was worth it. Plus I got great training.... anyone wanna know about how to hunt Subs just let me know!
 
Green ford said:
1978-1984 USS Coontz-DDG-40! Saw 37 countries in 6years and had a blast! But forget about seeing family during Holidays. I missed all 6 X-masses and much more but it was worth it. Plus I got great training.... anyone wanna know about how to hunt Subs just let me know!
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if you were a recruiter you would have me sold..... no more having to buy presents for holidays.... lots of traveling..... yea.... sounds great! but pardon my ignorance.... C.G. or Navy? i don't understand all the boat names and abreviations..... never been around this stuff.... ever....

mudonthetires10 said:
I guess this rules out the Marines then, huh? lol
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i don't really want to be limited to land... i think that's my main reason for not just driving 20 minutes up the road and enlisting in the marines.... i think i'd be happier on the water.....
 
that sounds exciting :)


their is a navy recruiter in wilmington... might go pay them a visit friday or saturday.....

-Erik <--- hopes to do "something" by the first of the year
 
Friend's son is USCG. He says it's they best, because of the food...his CG station has "chefs", not "cooks".

BTW,
Army = officers send enlisted into combat
Air Force = enlisted sends officers into combat

:)
 
FWIW, the Marine Corps was fine for me, lots of traveling for free. I was on every continent, with the exception of South America, Australia and Antartica.
 
I wasn't in any branch, my son is in the ANG, that said, from what I learned, saw, and heard. Air Force.
Any questions, Larry Smith of this board just retired from there. If I were a young man, I think it's where I would want to go
 
no degree..... 4 years on and off in community college..... got great grades in math, all my electronics courses, communications stuff, etc.... but i can't stand history and i gave up every time i signed up after a few weeks..... english was a strong subject for me until i hit all that shakespeare stuff which might as well have been spanish to me b/c i couldn't grasp it so i never finished my 4th english course.... and science.... yikes.... i liked chemistry but i did horrible in it....

i guess you could say i went to community college to take classes that interested me... and once they were all done and over with i started taking those pesky core classes and wasn't quite motivated enough to finish... not to mention i couldn't afford to NOT work full time in order to support my habits (aka MY HEEP, and socializing with friends at the bars)

-Erik <---- likes the officer pay much better than the enlistment pay, DOH!
 
You might want to consider the difference in your starting placement if you have that college degree first...
 
1989-1995 USS Trepang SSN-674 Fast Attack Nuclear Sub

Had a "Blast" so to speak...Excellent Duty, No Shortage of Travel, Superb Training, Wouldn't trade the experience for the world...not for the faint of heart or great on maintaining a family relationship....you are generally gone more than you're home....But for a single man, definitely worth checking into.

To all other Veterans out there...my hats off to ya as well !!!

:beer: Carry ON !!!
 
From someone who spent several years in the army, and worked with the navy several times..

Go into the air force. it's a quality of life thing..
 
Army- great place to start, no other service touches their school availability and individual qualifications as a whole. They have Warrant Officers that fly choppers, which you could easily slide into if your aren't faqd medically.

USAF-Highly underated service, they usually live high on the hog anywhere they go. They also have some very elite Spec Ops guys (PJ's, Combat controllers).

Navy- You are gonna get screwed if you join the Navy, I don't care what anyone says. They do have top notch aviation jobs though, and it's the only place to get submarine training.

USMC- If you are joining to deal with near constant BS, safety programs out the ying yang, crappy living/working environments, being treated like a adolescent until you prove yourself then this is where you need to go. I would not recommend the Corps if you are joining for "experience" or education benefits, join the Corps if you want to become a Marine.

USCG-Another underated service, every Coastie I have met has been a top notch person. They have an amazing aviation program, great duty stations (where else can you get paid to live in places like Kodiak AK, Astoria OR, the Great lakes). I would recommend this service, be the man and become a rescue swimmer, or a flight mech.


My thoughts on the service is, don't join and do something you can do in the civilian sector. Join to do something different, challenging and fun. My .02
 
You really need to decide what you want out of it. I wanted to be a ParaTrooper, And there is no place better to do that than the 82nd AirBorne Division in Ft. Bragg. I'm currently trying to decide if i want to re-enlist, and take the NCO carreer path, re-enlist then go OCS and become an officer, or get the hell out. I'm in the desert longer and more often than I'm home, which isn't gonna change anytime soon.

I've thought about getting out, and then going into the Coast Guard, but if i got stationed somewhere not warm and sunny, I'd be miserable the whole time. Cold-OK, wet-OK, cold and wet--HELL NO.

Even though you haven't graduated yet, if you have enough credit hours, you can still become an officer through OCS. For the Army I believe it's 90 hrs. Don't know if it's different for other branches.

WHatever you do, don't bother with reserves or national guard. Lately they are gone longer than 'fulltime' soldiers. 6months to train up, followed by 12-15 month deployment, followed by 90 days redeployment, then you finnally go back to regular drill routine. Thats 24 months away from home!!!
 
Had an uncle who retired from the coast guard and a good friend who was a rescue swimmer in the coast guard. He's been through seal school when he was in the navy and he went through special forces. He now does government contracts making tools and such for the military. Talk to him if you want since he served in those and see what he has to say about them. Also Joe Darlington is currently in the air force stationed in Goldsboro. Talk to him and see what he has to say about it. Come to think of it Erik Talk to R/T on the Zuwharrie board. He's in the coast guard and electronics are his deal.
 
I have family in almost every branch and I was in the Marines. It depends if you want to be really in it or not. Each one of the Branches has the reserves and there is the
army and air national guard. These 2 are much like the reserve with the 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks a year but there is alot of State usage with them that the reserve is strictly federal controled. If you are wanting education then Marines is not the way to go. you go there to get out anger issues and learn to not take crap from anyone. Air force is really easy and tons of opertunity to learn, but thats about it (hope you like alot of reading). Army and Navy seem to be the ones that learn cool stuff and see cool stuff. There is alot of requirements in all these branches to be an officer along with a 4 year college degree. Like said before avoid the recruiters for now. They are much like pushy used car sales men. The best thing to do is talk to people in the branch and the field you are interested. Send a letter or email to the bases of interest some are willing to give you a tour and let you see 1st hand what it is like and not the distorted pic the recruiters show. Hope it helps. Thats is all. Semper Fi
 
Erik said:
no degree..... 4 years on and off in community college..... got great grades in math, all my electronics courses, communications stuff, etc.... but i can't stand history and i gave up every time i signed up after a few weeks..... english was a strong subject for me until i hit all that shakespeare stuff which might as well have been spanish to me b/c i couldn't grasp it so i never finished my 4th english course.... and science.... yikes.... i liked chemistry but i did horrible in it....
i guess you could say i went to community college to take classes that interested me... and once they were all done and over with i started taking those pesky core classes and wasn't quite motivated enough to finish... not to mention i couldn't afford to NOT work full time in order to support my habits (aka MY HEEP, and socializing with friends at the bars)
-Erik <---- likes the officer pay much better than the enlistment pay, DOH!
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ever thought about going joining a branch and going to a university with a ROTC program? My brother is in the Army National Guard and a full time student here at NCSU. He will graduated as a commissioned officer which means in a sense that people that have been in since high school for years will have to Salute him. His college is paid for and he makes money thru the National Guard, after he finishes college he will have to serve any where from 6 to 9 years.
 
metz2501 said:
He will graduated as a commissioned officer which means in a sense that people that have been in since high school for years will have to Salute him.
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But that never meant we would really listen to whatever in the hell his butter-bar ass had to say. Nothing worse than a Lieutenant who thinks they know anything.

The 5 things to watch out for in the Army:

A Captain who says "Ya know, I've been thinking..."
A Lieutenant who says "It's been my experience that.."
A Warrant Officer who says "Hey, Watch this shit!"
A NCO who says "I need a volunteer"
And finally, a Crewchief who says "Don't worry about it.. I got that covered"

2 guesses what my job was :huggy:
 
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