Thinking about enlisting? PM me for some things you need to know...

[Snoopy47]

Yea, same happened to me, but we managed to finish BCT and were only 1 week into AIT (so it really didn't get started).

[RickD427]

One of the most important things to keep in mind about enlisting is that military service is not a "job." It's a life. It's gonna pretty much consume you for the period you're in. I've got a lot of heartburn with recruiters that describe it as "job" and make comparisons with civilian occupations. The sad truth is that I had to process a lot of admin discharges for folks that came in with that misunderstanding.

Honest recruiters are worth their weight in gold. Having a well-prepared candidate helps everyone out beyond belief.

If a recruiter asks you to select an "MOS", run like hell and find a different recruiter. That question should set off every danger alarm possible. If your recruiter asks you to select a "rating", then you're well ahead of the game.

Don't select a rating that begins with the letter "A"

The military needs folks who serve only an initial enlistment and then move on just as much as it needs "lifers." Don't be bashful about not wanting to make a long commitment until you've been in for awhile.

[chris]

The military is becoming more "woke" every day. Please pass that along to those that pm you.

Yes I have served.

I see this and it is disgusting and it's from the top and mean Chief of Staff top to the SMA as well.

It's sad to see what the US Army is becoming all in the name of equity and wokeness.

I'm still serving 33 years this year.

[AregularGuy]

If there are any questions about the AMEDD (medical) side of the Army/reserves feel free to ask me. One point about the blended retirement, for those that are not sure they want to do the full 20, or not guaranteed to get 20 in due to age, at least you get a little something contributed from the Gov toward retirement.

[sigstroker]

One of the most important things to keep in mind about enlisting is that military service is not a "job." It's a life. It's gonna pretty much consume you for the period you're in. I've got a lot of heartburn with recruiters that describe it as "job" and make comparisons with civilian occupations. The sad truth is that I had to process a lot of admin discharges for folks that came in with that misunderstanding.

Honest recruiters are worth their weight in gold. Having a well-prepared candidate helps everyone out beyond belief.

If a recruiter asks you to select an "MOS", run like hell and find a different recruiter. That question should set off every danger alarm possible. If your recruiter asks you to select a "rating", then you're well ahead of the game.

Don't select a rating that begins with the letter "A"

The military needs folks who serve only an initial enlistment and then move on just as much as it needs "lifers." Don't be bashful about not wanting to make a long commitment until you've been in for awhile.

I would think most would-be recruits already have a choice of job in mind when they walk in. I know I did during the brief period that I considered joining.

Back in the day they would look at your ASVAB scores and sort of tell you which jobs you had a shot at. They don't do that any more?

[Snoopy47]

Don't select a rating that begins with the letter "A"

I think you're talking Navy talk there.

Everything starts with a Number. Most of those MOS's with "A" in it are officer designations.

[Snoopy47]

Back in the day they would look at your ASVAB scores and sort of tell you which jobs you had a shot at. They don't do that any more?

That's how it generally is now, but you could still be the smartest light bulb in the room, and the jobs might not be there, and your still flipping burgers with a degree as an E4.

I think the jobs you need to look out for are those with the highest signing bonuses. They are either really hard to get qualified for, and you risk failing out of AIT and getting reassigned by the needs of the Army, or they jobs suck an no one wants to do them (sewage tech for example).

[RickD427]

I would think most would-be recruits already have a choice of job in mind when they walk in. I know I did during the brief period that I considered joining.

Back in the day they would look at your ASVAB scores and sort of tell you which jobs you had a shot at. They don't do that any more?

The ASVAB score is a major thing. Your ASVAB scores will open, and close, a lot of career choices. But in simple terms, your ASVAB score, judgement, and how you use crayons will determine how you fare in the service. It goes kinda like this:

If you do good on the ASVAB, and have good judgment - Navy

If you do really good on the ASVAB and have good judgement - Coast Guard

If you have bad ASVAB scores, or bad judgment (and you draw with crayons) - Army

If you have bad ASVAB scores, or bad judgment (and you eat the crayons) - Marine Corps

If you have really good ASVAB scores, and really bad judgment - Air Force

[Supersapper]

One of the most important things to keep in mind about enlisting is that military service is not a "job." It's a life. It's gonna pretty much consume you for the period you're in. I've got a lot of heartburn with recruiters that describe it as "job" and make comparisons with civilian occupations. The sad truth is that I had to process a lot of admin discharges for folks that came in with that misunderstanding.

Honest recruiters are worth their weight in gold. Having a well-prepared candidate helps everyone out beyond belief.

If a recruiter asks you to select an "MOS", run like hell and find a different recruiter. That question should set off every danger alarm possible. If your recruiter asks you to select a "rating", then you're well ahead of the game.

Don't select a rating that begins with the letter "A"

The military needs folks who serve only an initial enlistment and then move on just as much as it needs "lifers." Don't be bashful about not wanting to make a long commitment until you've been in for awhile.

If a recruiter asks you MOS or rating, it's a flag. Ratings are Navy, MOS are Army and Marines. A good recruiter will have the sit down with recruits and tell them what they can and can't do based on ASVAB. Of course things can change with time, and you can still take the ASVAB later to improve line scores, but the recruiter should be working with what they have, NOT what they think.

Agreed on it being a life vs a job. Also agreed not not being afraid to say no. Recruiters are paid to spend time figuring out who is and isn't ready. If you don't feel you're ready to commit to what amounts to a lifestyle change, then don't.

This applies ESP to active folks coming into the ARNG/USAR because it is also a lifestyle change.

[sigstroker]

The ASVAB score is a major thing. Your ASVAB scores will open, and close, a lot of career choices. But in simple terms, your ASVAB score, judgement, and how you use crayons will determine how you fare in the service. It goes kinda like this:

If you do good on the ASVAB, and have good judgment - Navy

If you do really good on the ASVAB and have good judgement - Coast Guard

If you have bad ASVAB scores, or bad judgment (and you draw with crayons) - Army

If you have bad ASVAB scores, or bad judgment (and you eat the crayons) - Marine Corps

If you have really good ASVAB scores, and really bad judgment - Air Force

Ha! I had smoked the ASVAB, and just watched a tv show on how great it was to be an "engineer" (not really an engineer, but more like a technician) on a nuke sub because of all the money you'd make after you got out. So I talked to a recruiter, and he figured the book-learnin part wouldn't be a problem because of my ASVAB scores, but the determining factor would be the psychological evaluations. Made sense to me. The bad part is if I washed out of that job, there wasn't really anything else I wanted to do in the Navy. Hell, I couldn't even swim! This was peacetime, so there wasn't a lot of adventure aspect either.

[SnWnMe]

Joining the military isn't all adventure and travel. 99% of the time you're doing stuff you didn't sign up for.

Everything is very clean and organized because you and your fellows are always cleaning and stacking them.

Citizenship (or lack thereof) matters in job assignments.

Chances are you won't be a SEAL/PJ/Delta/"Green Beret"/operator of any kind so get that out of your head.

Whatever job you get, you do that to the best of your ability and you will succeed. A cook, a mechanic and an infantryman of the same paygrades, assigned to the same theater, all get paid the same. The SSG POG wields just as much positional authority as the SSG Ranger. Both can bite your head off if you screw up.

We don't care how good you are with guns/engines/tools/trades. You will learn to shoot/fix/use/apply them OUR way.

If you can show up on time, in the right uniform and do what you're told everyday you can stay for 20 years and do ok for the rest of your life.

Retired Navy SCPO (E-8 but don't call me that). My voice still carries from years of needing to be heard throughout a hangar bay or a pier ("Hey shipmate!" stops many Sailors on their tracks)

[Oxnard_Montalvo]

That's how it generally is now, but you could still be the smartest light bulb in the room, and the jobs might not be there, and your still flipping burgers with a degree as an E4.

I think the jobs you need to look out for are those with the highest signing bonuses. They are either really hard to get qualified for, and you risk failing out of AIT and getting reassigned by the needs of the Army, or they jobs suck an no one wants to do them (sewage tech for example).

About that 'needs of the military thing'. Circa 1975, Millington Tn, Navy aviation school command, there was a AT3 [Aviation Electronics Tech, E4] who failed out of the advanced program [aka 'rent a crow'] and was sent to Japan for his failure and even kept his crow. Yup, we couldn't figure out how being sent to Japan was 'bad' after being constantly threatened with 'the most horrible duty possible' if we failed out of our particular school. Sure there was absolutely a possibility of being sent to the fleet as a non designated airman, virtually assuring duty on the roof of a carrier as an AB [the AB's {Aviation Boatswain's Mate} get treated like absolute dogs] but the guy smiling all the way to Japan kinda undermined all of the threats...

[Snoopy47]

but the guy smiling all the way to Japan kinda undermined all of the threats...

Well, there are a few POS's that I've crossed in the Army. One in basic training, he got caught with a cell phone and decided to just quite rather than take his punishment.

Anyway, he was laughing and hollering at us running up and down the stairs playing army games while it was in his bunk sequestered in hold over area waiting to be discharged. But the Drill SGT's were right. The fastest way out is through.

He wasn't mouthing off at all the day we all dressed up fancy in our blues for graduation and onto our MOS schools, and his *** was still stuck there waiting to get out.

[norcalAF]

I observed that the reserves is not for the young looking to get a footing in life.

1) You don't vest any education benefits until you are put on deployments and active duty.
2) Yes, there is $4500 a year in tuition assistance, but you can get that working at McDonald's and Starbucks too.
3) There will be conflicts that can derail younger soldiers with work and school. These conflicts come at the last minute and many times at the end of it a soldier will get spun up for a deployment, put off school, quit a seasonal job and then have the deployment canceled.

Active duty is the way to go. Even at worst, if it sucks, and is nothing you wanted your initial enlistment is not a huge time investment in your life. Then you walk away with the ability to basically get through a bachelor program.

Reserves, well, you are on the hook for 8 years, which is 1/3 of an entire career. By time you figure out the conflicts you still have 6 years left.

I'm not saying you can't have a 1 weekend a month 2 weeks a year experience in the Reserves. I'm saying it's not guaranteed, and if that's what you need and your life doesn't fit in a high OPTEMPO reserve unit you can be in a world of hurt.

But, if you just do 3 ish years Active you come out with the GI Bill, and a better ability to assess what the military has to offer you longer term.

You can spend all 8 years in the reserves and still not have vested any GI Bill or VA Benefits, and all you come out of it in the end is an 8 year part time job that constantly derailed your attempts to attend college, and now your nearly 30.

yep, the only way I would recommend going into the reserves is if its into a miltech or ART position. Otherwise, do a 4 year stint as Active Duty, get your GI Bill, your feet wet, and some job skills if you decide it's not for you.

I did 7 years Active Duty Air Force and went into the reserves and to school. I'm at 14 years now with a degree, and a decent job, and plenty of retirement points, just need good years. The health insurance for reserves is awesome as well. $250 a month for my family (two dependents) covers pretty much anything ie my wife's C-section was $85 out of pocket, my tonsillectomy was less than that.

[norcalAF]

About that 'needs of the military thing'. Circa 1975, Millington Tn, Navy aviation school command, there was a AT3 [Aviation Electronics Tech, E4] who failed out of the advanced program [aka 'rent a crow'] and was sent to Japan for his failure and even kept his crow. Yup, we couldn't figure out how being sent to Japan was 'bad' after being constantly threatened with 'the most horrible duty possible' if we failed out of our particular school. Sure there was absolutely a possibility of being sent to the fleet as a non designated airman, virtually assuring duty on the roof of a carrier as an AB [the AB's {Aviation Boatswain's Mate} get treated like absolute dogs] but the guy smiling all the way to Japan kinda undermined all of the threats...

My career field has one of the shortest medical tech schools (4A1 Medical Logistics) so we had all sorts of other tech school wash outs go through our course. In my active duty unit there were 4 dudes at one time that washed out of PJ school for various reasons. 1 worked his butt off and went back to PJ school and made it second time around.