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[SigP510]

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[brando]

Me personally, I don't think you should join the military with the express goal of learning a skill for civilian life. You should just to do things you won't be able to do in civilian life. The most important skills that were useful after I got out weren't necessarily MOS-related but were things any professional soldier should learn, mostly related to taking initiative, attention to detail, confidence and leadership skills.

The first couple of civilian jobs I had I really stood out in a positive way, not because I was necessarily proficient at my job, but because I wasn't a slacker like everyone else. The military had honed me into a responsible individual, one who didn't wait around to be told what to do, who had the confidence to learn the difficult stuff, could follow through on tasks and showed up on time. I was amazed how that simple stuff was lacking in most folks around me.

There are some jobs that have directly transferable skills - medical being a premium one that makes the individual highly sought after. But I wouldn't worry too much about that stuff. If his goal is to be a generator repairman but wants to jump out of airplanes for a few years first, then by all means he should consider enlisting as a generator repairman. If he wants to be a pilot, there's a career path for that too. But if he really wants to be an infantryman and thinks he won't learn anything valuable in civilian life, he's mistaken.

Besides, there's also that incredibly valuable GI Bill too

[BoogNasty]

A lot of MOS's can get you qualified to take the civilian equivalent exams, i.e... to be a FAA certified Airframes and Powereplant (A&P) Mechanic, you have to have so many hours of experience to even qualify to take the test, and the military will defiantly give that amount of hours.

The biggest part of setting your self up for getting out is using the recourses you have available.

[1CavScout]

I got my commercial helicopter license in part because of flight hours I got while in the Army. I was already a licensed pilot when I went in, so all my left seat time in the Army counted as copilot time according to the FAA. It saved me a lot of money when getting my commercial ticket, but I never used it much.

I went into LE when I got out, so my MOS did not specifically apply to my civilian career. Having Military experience helped out a lot though IMO. If I had to do it over again I might do something different, but it all worked out OK for me.

[PyroFox79]

Me personally, I don't think you should join the military with the express goal of learning a skill for civilian life. You should just to do things you won't be able to do in civilian life. The most important skills that were useful after I got out weren't necessarily MOS-related but were things any professional soldier should learn, mostly related to taking initiative, attention to detail, confidence and leadership skills.

The first couple of civilian jobs I had I really stood out in a positive way, not because I was necessarily proficient at my job, but because I wasn't a slacker like everyone else. The military had honed me into a responsible individual, one who didn't wait around to be told what to do, who had the confidence to learn the difficult stuff, could follow through on tasks and showed up on time. I was amazed how that simple stuff was lacking in most folks around me.

There are some jobs that have directly transferable skills - medical being a premium one that makes the individual highly sought after. But I wouldn't worry too much about that stuff. If his goal is to be a generator repairman but wants to jump out of airplanes for a few years first, then by all means he should consider enlisting as a generator repairman. If he wants to be a pilot, there's a career path for that too. But if he really wants to be an infantryman and thinks he won't learn anything valuable in civilian life, he's mistaken.

Besides, there's also that incredibly valuable GI Bill too

I agree. The military allows you to learn valuable skills but also there's alot of **** you get to do that you could other wise. I got to work on guns because thats kinda what i really wanted to do at the time. I also had the opportunity to do other cool stuff like go on ranges about every time they were held by my unit and i shot a ungodly amount of ammo for free. I also was able to be part of the EFV program, that was ultimately cancelled, but it was fun working on it and improvements to the AAV.

Never once did I think that I would fix guns for the rest of my life, I did it because I was young and I liked working with my hands. If I could do it over again id probably go Infantry or LAVs but I got to play grunt in Iraq so that kinda counts.

[sonofeugene]

I was going to be drafted and since that almost certainly meant slogging through the jungles of Nam with an M16, I joined and picked my MOS when I joined. As long as I didn't screw up with my MOS training, I was pretty much guanteed to do the work I was trained for. I chose dental technician. I really didn't know what it was but I was always told I was good with my hands when I was young and should be a dentist. So, I graduated from the Army's dental tech school in San Antonio with the highest GPA in the history of the school and I think that's what got me stationed just outside of Denver at an Army hospital. Sweet duty. Spent my entire time there as the full bird in charge of the clinic liked me. Afterwards it was a no-brainier to do the same thing as a civilian. Worked at it for more than 10 years after that before switching careers.

'Worked for me but not every MOS is going to convert to civilian life as easily.

[19K]

i was a tanker, did it because i wanted to do something memorable. i once told someone "are you going to tell MY stories to your grandchildren when your old? or are you going to tell the truth and say you were a paper boy?"

im currently a full time student trying to get into law enforcement or teaching

[MRX9989]

This question comes up a lot in the National Guard.

Some skills transfer better than others into the civilian world. However, leadership is leadership. As an NCO you have (or should have) both power and responsibility and will often be tested and vetted far better than your average civilian first line leader. And even lower enlisted are often responsible for a large amount of expensive equipment.

Most veterans don't sell themselves very well on the civilian job market. It's key to demonstrate capability and competence without resorting to jargon or acronyms.

[Mr.Caketown]

68W = Civilian EMT-B maybe RN/CNA if you have other certs

[pitbull30]

Many here have already hit the nail on the head.

Another thing to possibly look at is travel opportunities for the branch/job you take. Ive been to places many people will never see. Some I didnt care much for but many were very cool to see.

I also had friends who went to places I wish I would have been sent. I still regret not taking one job I was offered overseas.

Just one more thing to think about if that interests him.

Anything computer related will translate well.

[jmsenk]

I get annoyed at times when I hear people - especially those in the service, say that the Infantry doesn't prepare you for anything in the civilian world. Being 11 series, on multiple levels, taught me tons.

It teaches you to fight, to never give up, to deal with *******s on a daily basis, and to be a bad ***. You kick in doors and shoot bad guys in the face. You walk into a room and know you own it. You find your objective and you destroy it. You fight on to the Ranger objective, though you be the lone survivor. You're an alpha male in an entire pack of alpha males. \

When you become a leader (sooner than you would think, and a lot sooner than in a lot of other MOS's) you learn empathy, you learn discipline, you learn leadership vs management - and there is a difference... something that a lot of senior NCO's or officers in support jobs don't really get. A lot of them might learn narrow skill sets, but they also might as well be working a civilian job.

In the Infantry you learn that mistakes cost lives, but that no plan is ever perfect. You learn that execution is everything, and that only results matter - not effort. You learn to take risks. You learn to enjoy it. You know how to learn from your mistakes, and you're not afraid to make them (even though, as stated above, they do cost lives)

You learn to be a barrel chested, square jawed, American freedom fighter. When you trade in your body armor for a suit, you never really take off that uniform. You use your GI Bill (I got an MBA with mine) and you get an education, but you still walk into that board room and own it. You take your place in a row of cubicles in ANY job, knowing that you're the best that there is, and that you will crush anything that stands in your way, because you're an Infantryman, and that is what you do.

Office politics? F*** that. Do your job. Be the best at it and no one can ignore you.

Being an MP you can be a cop. Being logistics you can work in a warehouse for Amazon. Being medical corps, you can go take two years of classes just to ride in an ambulance, and maybe go to medical school later. If you're Infantry, you can literally do anything. You lead men into battle. You've briefed an OPORD for a raid on the back of an MRE - a powerpoint presentation for the CEO is nothing compared to that.

I was, am, and will always be, Infantry. I wear a suit to work in a field that I never imagined I would enter, but kick I @ss on a daily basis, because that's what they teach you at the Benning school for boys.

Conan! What is best in life?

To crush your competitors, to see their stock prices fall before you, and to hear the lamentations of their shareholders.

I am the Infantry. Follow Me.