Thinking about joining the military....

[JDawg1536]

Heres my situation-Im 20, just dropped all my classes at the JC, have crappy credit, hate school, got kicked out of my house, might lose my liscense, and have no idea what I want to do in life. I went to the Air Force recruiter and it seems like they have a lot to offer. For the next 4 years I would have free room, free food, and not have any expenses at all. Since Im so confused about things myself I was wondering what you guys think about my situation. And if anyone who has been in the Air Force could tell me how it was.

[wildman536]

well man you just have to take a look at yourself and figure out if you are going to succeed in It. yeah the Military looks like the easy way out but let me tell you from experience--- theres alot more to It than just Free Stuff (nothing in the Military is Free)
youll still have to put in effort and Work hard for what you get. (only difference is they tell you where to be and when to be there) whereas now you can choose for yourself.

Could you handle that?

[SwoleCat]

Not w/a ten foot pole, but to each his own!

~SC~

[cpt steele]

well man you just have to take a look at yourself and figure out if you are going to succeed in It. yeah the Military looks like the easy way out but let me tell you from experience--- theres alot more to It than just Free Stuff (nothing in the Military is Free)
youll still have to put in effort and Work hard for what you get. (only difference is they tell you where to be and when to be there) whereas now you can choose for yourself.

Could you handle that?

On top of this the af may not take you if you have a criminal record (I dont know about your driving problem) You also have to understand that the Military will not fix your credit you will have tothat yourself. I went in the Marines when I graduated highschool and was almost done by your age, so its difficult to relate. You have been out of school a couple years and already have some life habbitts that you will need to break. I think its a something you should look into with a clear mind and what exactly your expectations are. I think everyone should atleast go through basic training after highschool just to put your head in the game.

[hockeybabe2]

If that is what you want that is great but it doesn`t help you out of the other things that you are in. It is a tough road to take. Then they own you for the next 4 yrs then.HB2 PS good luck!

[co2boi]

There's no way I would go into the military, but I'm certainly glad there are people that will. I think it's a pretty big commitment and you shouldn't consider such a thing just because you've hit a slump in life. You gotta remember the butterfly effect..what you decide now will put the rest of your life in motion. There is no silver bullet bro.

[symatech]

If you are going into the military my advice is this, find a job in the military (in any branch) that is related to something in civilian life that you may want to do. Or at least something you're interested in. For example, if you like working with computers find a job in the military that deals with computers. If you like to work on cars and things become a mechanic in the military etc etc. The military will train you very well and it is a free 4 year hands on education. When you get out, you will be ahead of your game. If you choose somehting like -armored cavalry- well, there's really no place for that in the civilian life (not to dis tank crews...) but Im sure you see what I'm getting at.

There are loads of opportunities in the armed service. The only price you pay is your personal freedom, for 4 years or so. Like HB2 said, they own you.

[Commando_Barbi]

I've been in the Navy for 19 years....I joined when I was 17. I grew up in a ****ty little town in Oregon with parents that could be the poster children for DISFUNCTIONAL! I joined to get some life experience and to have a roof over my head and 3 squares...which the Navy gave me. Do they have a certain level of control over me???? Of course they do. But your mindset determines how you let that effect you. When I walk out the door of my office at the end of the day, I am free to do anything I want, as long as I don't break the law. No...I can't use drugs (not that I'd want to) and no I can't engage in certain lifestyle choices (no orgies for me **** it!!) BUT the Navy paid for my AA degree....soon my BA and at the ripe old age of 38 I will be retiring and drawing a nice pension that will pay my mortgage. Right now....uncle Sam is paying my mortgage. Also thanks to Uncle Sam I've seen places in the world I never thought I would as a girl from small town NO WHERE.

I have seen many come and go over the last 19 years. In my job now....every day I see kids that come in and fight against the machine. If you set your mind right and realize that you are entering a new world where if you don't do what you are told, you will suffer the consequences....you will be fine. I can promise you that as you progress in the ranks.......it gets better. Do they own you?? On paper and in theory. BUT....you own your heart, mind and soul.

I can answer your questions if you have any. Beware of one thing. When you join and start getting that pay, there's a tendancy of young military guys to go nuts, buy cars they can't afford, people start handing you credit cards left and right, etc. Keep your head about you or your bad credit will get WORSE!

You can do a lot with your life in 4 years. Joining can give you a new persepctive and help you mature. There is a lot available to you in the military.....but you have to have the initiative to take it.

[Commando_Barbi]

That is good advice. While the Special Forces stuff is "cool" and exciting...it doesn't give you much to pull on in the civilian world.

If you are going into the military my advice is this, find a job in the military (in any branch) that is related to something in civilian life that you may want to do. Or at least something you're interested in. For example, if you like working with computers find a job in the military that deals with computers. If you like to work on cars and things become a mechanic in the military etc etc. The military will train you very well and it is a free 4 year hands on education. When you get out, you will be ahead of your game. If you choose somehting like -armored cavalry- well, there's really no place for that in the civilian life (not to dis tank crews...) but Im sure you see what I'm getting at.

There are loads of opportunities in the armed service. The only price you pay is your personal freedom, for 4 years or so. Like HB2 said, they own you.

[hung-solo]

That is good advice. While the Special Forces stuff is "cool" and exciting...it doesn't give you much to pull on in the civilian world.

well unless you want to be swat, u.s. marshal or etc... but you need a 4 year degree to help..

[Clint Torres]

That is good advice. While the Special Forces stuff is "cool" and exciting...it doesn't give you much to pull on in the civilian world.

Actually, if you become a specialist like a Ranger, SEAL, etc. you will have good job opportunities, but you may have to work overseas. Most of the private contractors working as security for individuals and companies in Iraq are former special ops guys and they do make good money. There is a high demand for skilled warriors, a demand that will be around for awhile. I would have joined the Army if I had not gotten a football schoalarship out of high school. No way in hell I could do it now, I'm too old and set in my ways. If you do enlist, then I wish you luck and we will appreciate your service.

[Commando_Barbi]

Well if that's what you want to do for the rest of your life great. I happen to have many friends in the Teams and the last thing they want to do after they retire is continue in that way of life. It's hard on your body, hard on your personal life, and hard to spend all that cash if you are DEAD.

[Butch]

Man, I wish I were your age...I would love to have joined the Marines...had i known we would be in the situation we are in now...I would have definitley joined...for some reason I want to help and I would love to be over ther eright now fighting for something I believe in....and to be in Special Forces would be a dream come true....I am 28 now....and i am still thinking of joining as a reservists...then maybe I would be sent over there....but I have a feeling I am too old for them...I am reading a book now called "Generation Kill"....I highly recommend you get this book....it is unbelievable...

Good luck man....if you do go through this then youa re doing our country a good deed!

[rambo]

Heres my situation-Im 20, just dropped all my classes at the JC, have crappy credit, hate school, got kicked out of my house, might lose my liscense, and have no idea what I want to do in life. I went to the Air Force recruiter and it seems like they have a lot to offer. For the next 4 years I would have free room, free food, and not have any expenses at all. Since Im so confused about things myself I was wondering what you guys think about my situation. And if anyone who has been in the Air Force could tell me how it was.

Hey bro,

If that's what it take you to get your life in order, then by all means, more power to you. Many of my friends felt they had no direction coming out of high school, and they joined up. Most of them don't regret it, because they see more and more of their peers ****ing up or in prison. Just don't forget that when you're in, you're in. If you join for all the wrong reasons, just like with any endeavor, chances are good that it won't work out the way you want it to. It could be great for you. Just make sure you're ready for the commitment and all the other **** that comes along with it, like your honorable duty to our country.

*Shoutout to our US Military AR members here*

[decadbal]

cant tell u much about the airforce, bc the closest i got was jumpin out of c130s... i can tell u bout the army, the special forces stuff, its all good stuff, and great to tell ppl and be proud of, unless your gonna be a cop, or something pertainin to law enforcement, then you cant do nada with a combat MOS, if u want into law enforcement then def go into something hispeed, i was in the 2nd ranger batt, and every application for law enforcement i filled out, i was accepted into simply bc i was a ranger, US marshalls, NC and Ga state patrol and i finally settled on Cobb CO. PD. without any prob with the PT, and most of the instructors were xarmy, so you are always a step ahead of other ppl who arnt.. the bad side of the military is having to put up with stupid ppl over you, and not being a ble to to jackshiit about it, not getin alot of sleep, and the simple fact that alot of ppl today dont respect service. given our military is stretched out right now, youd prolly get deployed, being deployed in the AF is about like campin out in college, you guys dont do much, have AC and so on, but ill tell u, The AF is alot like the navy in the simple fact that alot of military ppl dont respect it, so that issue always comes up to. gibill is something to get. most supplements arnt allowed to be used, creatine and so on, u cant test positive for, prohormones, and alot of other crap u cant take, and you get tested bout oncea month, and anythig u get hurt.. so the idea of using aas or that sorta thing is completely out, bc if caught u will go to leavenworth. i was in the same boat, failed my first sem of college and dropped out and joine the army, and am glad everyday since then i did, it made me not be as lazy..lol have abetter attitdude and apprechiate everything i have now, and knowing the things i hvae i earned. some of my best memories are from the army, even being deployed to afgan, i have great memores and some bros ill think about and love the rest of my life. good luck

[Tock]

I enlisted in the USAF when I was 19, and it was a great experience for me . . . of course, the US wasn't in a war, but if you're gonna enlist in any of the services during a war, the USAF is the way to go.

You won't ever forget your first 24 hours in Basic Training. They are not polite. They yell a lot, and a lot of their attention will be focused on you. It'll be rough, but not so much that 95% of everybody makes it through ok. And when you finally make it through, you'll know that if you can handle that crap, you can handle anything.

They'll put you through an obstacle course, but it's not difficult. Some guys slip into a pool of mud while swinging across on ropes, you probably won't want to do that (fall in). The food is pretty good, it's free, but in Basic Training they'll want you to "swallow first and chew later." I hate to rush, and they gave us something like 10 minutes to "get in, eat, and get out." Ugh.
If you are not accustomed to addressing your boss as "Sir," you will be. One piece of advice--plan on ALWAYS beginning every phrase with, "Sir," and if your sargent asks you a question that requires an affirmative answer, you better plan on responding with "Sir! Yes Sir!" Oh, and don't shuffle your feet when you walk--that drives TI's (Training Instructors) nuts, and they won't be shy letting you know about it.

I used to watch a lot of those old Adam-12 shows in the 1970's so I signed up for the military police. They asked for volunteers for K9, so I signed up to train dogs ("Dog School," they called it), and after that they picked me and some other folks for an experimental program training small dogs for sniffing bombs and narcotics. That was the best job I've ever had . . . lots of fun. I still miss my dog, too . . .

But what you'll want to do is pick a job with skills that will carry over to civilian life. You could be an MP for 4 years then get a job as a cop in Baltimore or Bumfutt Georgia or where ever. Or sign up to be an airplane mechanic or truck mechanic or electronics technician or dental technician or shop clerk and learn to run a store of your own, or video production, or have them train you to be a registered nurse, or chaplain's assistant, or cook, or whatever. If you're real good with puzzles, you could get into cryptology, where they decode messages & etc.
Ya, you'll definitely want to pick something with civilian use, so that rules out working with bombs unless you want to go work for Yassir Arafat later . . .
They'll probably give you a few aptitude tests to see what you're good at. The ones they gave me tested for aptitude in math, mechanical, and two other areas I don't recall. If you haven't a clue as to what you want to do, you should be able to take the tests and let them figure out where you'd do best. Ya--when I enlisted, they let you pick either your career, or your location. You could choose to be a phone technician and then they'd figure out where to send you (North Dakota or Hawaii), or you could choose to go to England or Japan or Germany, and they'd figure out what jobs they could have you do there.

My only regret is that they kicked me out after 2 years for being gay. I probably would have made it my career, but oh well.
And that being said, prepare yourself for life in an unthinking bureaucracy. Life is by rigid rules and regulations, with much pleasure taken in finding creative ways to get around those rules. You'll encounter some of the most stupid, ignorant, hopelessly foolish people in the military, and sometimes you'll have 'em for supervisors.
Ya, one time there was a stray dog on base that had taken up residence in the crawl space under a building. No one could get the dog out, so they called the Base Police. The 3rd in command there (some goofy captain) tried to have the supervisor over the K9 section bring a police dog out to attack this stray . . . eventually, the base veterinarian talked the captain out of this craziness.
And you'll find crime and injustice . . . Just before I got to one AFB in Texas, the Chief of the Base Police was running a scam with the night shift cops. After a big scandal and investigation, it turns out the night shift MP supervisor had the night shift MPs breaking into the Officer's Club and other buildings on base, and stealing stuff. Typewriters, boxes of food, booze, etc. and they'd give 'em to the supervisor, who'd fence 'em off base, and share the $$$ with the Chief. Well, the guys at the bottom got 5 years in the Federal prison, the night shift supervisor faked insanity and was hospitalized in the base hospital until his enlistment ended, then he got out and went free, and all they did to the Cheif was move him to another base. Ya, this group of bad guys was known as "The Brotherhood Of The Mountain."
My advice . . . don't get involved in other people's stupidity, especially if you're at the bottom of the organization.

But you'll run into a much bigger % of cool guys, drinking buds, gym buds, etc. and if you keep the BS in its proper perspective, you'll have a great time, learn a lot, and come out much better prepared in 4 years to take on the world.

Ya, go for it.

Good luck,

--Tock

[Tock]

Oh ya, one more thing . . .

The USAF has the best living conditions by far, and the best food. On the other hand, rank is tougher to get than the Army or Marines, but then again, it's harder to lose.

If you really like camping, living outside, you'll like the Army. If you hate bugs crawling all over you, go for the USAF or Navy.

Geez, the first time I saw the common latrine the poor Army guys had to use -- about 50 commodes lined up in 4 rows without dividers or anything -- I knew I had picked the right branch of the military for me.

---------

And regardless of what branch you join, take lots of pictures, keep 'em somewhere, you'll be glad you did. Oh ya, can't have too many pix.
--Tock

[rocco78]

I would say the AF is the best division of military, but I still wouldn't do it for all the money in the world.

That being said, one of my business partners is a Retired AF General, and he is one of the greatest people I've met. I just have different priorities.

Good Luck to you, what ever you decide to do.

[workdude]

Joining the military is not something to take lightly. It is a life style commitment. It's a great place out of school to grow up and get started in life. If you want a direction and get your life strightened out I say go for it. If your doing it just because you think it's cool don't bother. Just my advise. If you have questions about the marines would be happy to answer them.

[MASStermind]

Military is looking for you.... a dysfunctional kid with nothing going for him and very few options. They need you to go die for them for no reason.

Heres a solution..
ask your self these questions

Why am i losing my license? What did I do thats really stupid.
Why am I getting kicked out my house by my family, what did I do thats really stupid?
Why does my credit suck? Was I irresponsible in my spending?
Why do I hate school? Is there a better option for you right now than school? If you have a way of making lots of money starting your own business or some other means of income then yes school is not for you.

Think long and hard what you did to screw up in life so bad and how you could have avoided those and what different choices you could have made. Then try to go on with your life making better decisions.

Also ask yourself finally why do I want to join the military? If its just for free room and board you might as well get on welfare and goto a hostel, you got less chance of getting your face blown off in there.

[Fat Guy]

Wow All you guys have some great advice, I especially liked yours Commando Barbie and Tock. Well I joined when I was young, dumb, and full of, well you know the rest, and the best advice I can give is Fvck the military… To be honest go get a college degree and find a decent job… All I can remember about my military experience is doing things I did not want to do, working for idiots I did not want to work for and being in places I did not want to be…. Who the fvck wants to go to Iraq anyways…My military experience can be summed up by going outside and sitting in the mud, sand, sludge, on a hot or cold or rainy day, not getting enough sleep and being yelled at by people who I am pretty sure they had sex with their sister at one point and time in their lives. I realized really fast that I was definitely an independent thinker and I was not going to fit in to military culture at any point. I ultimately understood why Forest Gump made a great soldier. So I did my 4 years, got the fvck out, and collected my college money. I will not lie and tell you it was all great because truth be known I hated every minute of it and could not wait to ETS (get out). I would not recommend the military to anyone because I firmly believe it is, being used a political tool and there are too many young men loosing their lives over some bullsh*t (Vietnam, Iraq, Granada, Somalia, ect…). My mom once said that the military is sending young men to fight old men’s wars.