US Army

[Snoopy47]

Originally Posted by cactusbass

Wondering about "working for the army"...will be going to grad school for psychology and was interested in opportunities to work with vets and/or active duty military. Would someone doing this job be considered "in the army" and be issued a uniform, have to complete basic training, etc.? Would I still be subject to the health reqs.?

Thanks for any info.

When I was being presented jobs to choose as a Reservist there were a number of psychology assistant enlisted positions in the San Jose area.

Yep, you would be in the army, and expected to meet the fitness standards, and range qualifications. I'm in an support unit as well, and no one really seems to care much about fitness and range. Yes we do it, and we pass, but it's not like we are Airborn, or Infantry where we are all trying to get a perfect fitness score and all get expert markman badges. The bar is set pretty low I think.

[cactusbass]

I am in pretty poor shape....so your telling me you think that a MFT or Phd clinician goes through basic??

[11b_vet]

Originally Posted by cactusbass

I am in pretty poor shape....so your telling me you think that a MFT or Phd clinician goes through basic??

not if you are a dod civilian.

[the_hammer]

you should be in shape in the first place. nobody should let themselves go so bad. start your workout today

[Uriah02]

Originally Posted by 11b_vet

not if you are a dod civilian.

I wouldn't count on getting in on that action. There is already a hiring freeze with the Air Force, Army, and Navy for civilians. I think most will be happy to keep your job the way things are going.

[11b_vet]

there are a ton of jobs for health professionals.

[proclone1]

Originally Posted by Snoopy47

I saw a great documentary on the FFL.

They don’t care who you are or where you come from. You will absolutely see combat. You will be expendable meat fodder for exerting French foreign interests. You will speak and understand French very well.

You are given a French identity when you enter, and you can keep it if you decide to when your contract is up. You truly can become a new person (at great cost).

You can fly there right now on a US Passport, enter the recruiting office and sign up, and be enlisted faster than a US Army recruiter can return your phone call.

Why the hell someone would want to join the FFL after serving in a US branch (who didn’t get kicked out) is beyond me.

I actually read a lot of books on the FFL, and to me it seemed like A) it's a terribly boring profession and B) those that actually see combat were rare, of they were the best of the Legion who were selected for the combat "MOS"'s. And in fact, many of the americans who join were former US Army/USMC.

Furthermore, I had heard that in the mid 2000's, being accepted for recruitment was actually not an easy thing to do, and they were pretty damn selective with their physical fitness entry exam. This might have been just for the eastern-euro's who had whip bodies but kindgarten education levels.

They don't just take anyone anymore. If you're on interpol for some crazy reason, you're out. If you're casey anthony or something and widely known to be on the lam in the US, you're out. Basically, they have discretion when deciding whether to take in criminals based on your history, but it's definitely no longer true (or ever really true) that they took in rapists/murderers. They DO care about your criminal/medical/psych history.

Crazy fact: for the siege of Dien Bien Phu where they were parachuting guys in on the head of a pin to reinforce their doomed base, something like 60-80% of the legionnaires there were former Wehrmacht & Waffen SS.

There's really only a slim chance of romanticism involved, if you read (I believe it's) Simon Murray's account, he had like the dream, best-possible experience a person could have in the Legion, with combat, a few close calls, the algerian arabian nights, french sex-crazed mistresses, non-crazy comrades who turned out to be his lifelong best friends, etc. The one-in-a-million guys like him who wrote about their experience have really put the FFL up on a pedestal that reality will really not be able to deliver.

Check out home-made youtube videos of the legionnaires, and you'll see that it's basically abject boredom with very, very few of the perks of serving in a modern armed forces. To put it another way, if you are born in America, have lived in america, you'll probably be disappointed by the FFL. If you were born in mongolia or siberia, got the **** beat out of you by your family every day and were forced to sleep in the outhouse, then yeah the FFL could probably be a better change of pace for you and you should go for it. About the best thing going for the FFL for americans is being able to wear the Kepi Blanc. (oh and damn how I'd love to have a civilian FAMAS)

[mister0523]

I haven't seen anyone update this recently but I'll ask my questions anyway.

I'm considering military. Currently I'm too old (28) for Air Force and Coast Guard. The navy has a wait list miles long and the Army is an attractive alternative.

I have my BS in criminal justice but I have a low GPA. Any idea what the requisites are for OCS? I'm interested in anything along intel, MP or corpsman. Officer would be my first choice but I'm not opposed to enlisting first and earning it that route. Any advice?

[Recon-01]

Scouts out !!!

[proclone1]

Originally Posted by mister0523

I haven't seen anyone update this recently but I'll ask my questions anyway.

I'm considering military. Currently I'm too old (28) for Air Force and Coast Guard. The navy has a wait list miles long and the Army is an attractive alternative.

I have my BS in criminal justice but I have a low GPA. Any idea what the requisites are for OCS? I'm interested in anything along intel, MP or corpsman. Officer would be my first choice but I'm not opposed to enlisting first and earning it that route. Any advice?

Too old for Air force at 28??? Just for OCS? and do you have a source?

Also, is Zorrm's Recruiting tour finished? He hasn't checked into this thread in awhile.

[mister0523]

Originally Posted by proclone1

Too old for Air force at 28??? Just for OCS? and do you have a source?

Also, is Zorrm's Recruiting tour finished? He hasn't checked into this thread in awhile.

Yeah. Unfortunately you have to be in basic on or before your 28th birthday That's from the recruiter.

[demi]

i dont have any questions or anything just puttin this out there,on here, my mid senior year i enlisted in the marines i was all amped up and ready for it nearing graduation times i decided back out of the marine corps DEP to join in the army, not that i trying to bash any on branch in the service.to me my decision is solid and the best i got everything i wanted and more and i ship out to basic Jan30th. i am going to be a combat medic(68W-healthcare specialist). i already know i am going to enjoy my time in the military no matter what happens

[Airborne82_325]

I'm trying to get back in. Recruiters are telling me that the only slots open for me are 18X and some Stryker Mechanic MOS. I was thinking of just going the 18 route, but I just want to get back in as Infantry. How in the F can Infantry be full? Maybe they should start making basic training harder and get rid of those cell phones they're allowing kids to have at benning.

[JOEKILLA]

I believe 18X is Infantry with the SF option, most likely in OSUT. Going by your screen name, it will be a breeze all the way until the end of jump school for you. Then it is up to your head on how far you can go. I wish I had that opportunity to get back in but hey, GOOD LUCK brother.

Originally Posted by Airborne82_325

I'm trying to get back in. Recruiters are telling me that the only slots open for me are 18X and some Stryker Mechanic MOS. I was thinking of just going the 18 route, but I just want to get back in as Infantry. How in the F can Infantry be full? Maybe they should start making basic training harder and get rid of those cell phones they're allowing kids to have at benning.

[Airborne82_325]

Originally Posted by JOEKILLA

I believe 18X is Infantry with the SF option, most likely in OSUT. Going by your screen name, it will be a breeze all the way until the end of jump school for you. Then it is up to your head on how far you can go. I wish I had that opportunity to get back in but hey, GOOD LUCK brother.

I spent 4 years in the 82nd. No jump school for this guy! But I'd just go back to Benning for SOPC Then back up to Bragg for selection. Recruiters said if I washed out of selection i'd be back in the 82nd again. Just want to skip the SF process and just get back to 11b. Have you heard of any guys recently (within the last 12 months) that are prior service going back into the Infantry?

And also, how long have you been out? I hear it's not hard, unless you've passed your 2 Years of already being ETS'd. Then you have to get your Medical Eval all done again. Bunch of B.S, but i'm sure you could make it happen!

[JOEKILLA]

Originally Posted by Airborne82_325

I spent 4 years in the 82nd. No jump school for this guy! But I'd just go back to Benning for SOPC Then back up to Bragg for selection. Recruiters said if I washed out of selection i'd be back in the 82nd again. Just want to skip the SF process and just get back to 11b. Have you heard of any guys recently (within the last 12 months) that are prior service going back into the Infantry?

And also, how long have you been out? I hear it's not hard, unless you've passed your 2 Years of already being ETS'd. Then you have to get your Medical Eval all done again. Bunch of B.S, but i'm sure you could make it happen!

Been out since 1991 on a med discharge. I tried to get back in 2001 but no go because of my disability. Got me a family instead but there is not a day that I don't miss it.

[njineermike]

I washed MEPS in 1985 due to asthma, and now that it's gone, I'm 3 years too old. Ienvy those of you that managed to get in. Thank you all for your service.

[Beagle]

Just my little 2 cent about recruiting.

When I joined a few years ago the recruiter was all about oh the army is great etc.....but the VAST majority of service member only do 1 tour. Then when I got back from Iraq, did 2 weeks helping out a recruiter but what could I tell them only about life in the army.

IMO recruiters should be focusing on why having military experience will help out a person in life. Have people that were former military (successful businessman/lawyers etc....tell them how the military helped them out and not some guy that just got back from Iraq.

Me? The army was great, yeah that 15 months in Iraq sucked but looking back it went by pretty quick. Then got to use the $72k (depending on your City BAH rate)Post 9/11 GI BILL then used my experience to get a job making close to six figures with no college degree. Working full time and going to school at night.

So my advice think about your life as a whole and what you want to do.