gone.

[NoahH]

College is a cakewalk compared to anything you will do as a grunt in either branch, especially considering the current global political climate. Finish college no matter how bad it "sucks" now, because if you go infantry you will learn what "this ******* sucks" really means.

[Fjold]

Depends. If you get qual'd on a language, go air assault, go airborne, etc. etc., you get a little more pay than a desk jockey.

Oh pay. I thought that he was talking about medical/dental care, insurance etc.

[GillaFunk]

College is a cakewalk compared to anything you will do as a grunt in either branch, especially considering the current global political climate. Finish college no matter how bad it "sucks" now, because if you go infantry you will learn what "this ******* sucks" really means.

+1

I did 2 years as a Marine Grunt (infantry) and 3 years as an embassy guard. I had to extend my enlistment to do the embassy stuff, and later had it extended for me by Bin Laden ). My grunt unit was retarded and it SUCKED often. If you want to see about the closest thing to reality in the modern Marine Corps, go rent the entire "Generation Kill" series from HBO. THAT was what I remember about the Marines; the highs and the lows.

Dont get me wrong, the skills and things I learned about myself were amazing and made me the man I am today. The killers I served with were some of the most wonderful and amazingly fooked up (in a kind of way) bunch of men I have ever met. I dont regret going in at all and the comradeship and bond I developed with some are ties that I still use today, even after being out for nearly 7 years.

I'm now nearly 30, in my last semester of college and from the skills I learned from my time in the Marines have made college a joke to me.

Picking your MOS (job) is something each person has to do themselves. Something that gives you job skills should you elect to get out would be good, but......you have to do something that you think you will enjoy, as you will not be able to change jobs (as least not in the Marines).

Joining the military for 4 years is a commitment that is made and it will change you for the rest of your life. Doing 20...was not something I could see myself doing then, or now. If its something you think you might want to do, and you SERIOUSLY want to make that commitment to yourself and your country, do it. Do it while your young and immature, cause once you get older and after you have a degree...you might have a different idea about what service is, and how the politicians use you.

But feck, it WAS A DAMMED GOOD TIME. and I dont regret a fookn' thing about anything I did then

[strangerdude]

Just out of curiosity, where will you be taking your EMT courses? I too will be taking my EMT certification courses starting in February.

[ChrisO]

I'm not just doing it because I think college sucks, I have always wanted to do it. I just happen to realize that college is not for me, I was going to go for a bachelors and now I am just going to finish my associates isntead of a bachelors. I will be starting next semester courses in Delta college and I must volunteer so many hours as well. This semester I'm getting a couple general ed classes out of the way and doing some welding . I'm down here in Nor Cal I think the majority of the class time will not be here at the college but hands on training like I said you must volunteer so many hours in the program, I should have more specific info after my meeting with my counselor when this semester starts up.

[ChrisO]

Any of you guys in the National Guard? I was doing some reading on that as well. Main concern is being deployed and putting my schooling on the back burner but it doesn't seem like such a bad idea.

[thebloodsonthewall]

Any of you guys in the National Guard? I was doing some reading on that as well. Main concern is being deployed and putting my schooling on the back burner but it doesn't seem like such a bad idea.

I would not go National Guard. From my understanding (I am still in training) when you are active and you go to your unit, you can go to the ed center and they get you all set-up. The army pays a certain amount a year for your college and you can take classes while you are deployed. Then, when you get out you get the G.I. Bill.

[Army GI]

If you plan on taking an EMT cert, why don't you look into being a combat medic or a corpsman? I don't know about the Navy, but in the Army if you are EMT certified when you get to AIT, you get to skip the first 10 weeks of a 16 week AIT. I'm a medic so if you have any questions about that, let me know.

[MrSlippyFist]

Any of you guys in the National Guard? I was doing some reading on that as well. Main concern is being deployed and putting my schooling on the back burner but it doesn't seem like such a bad idea.

I was NG and I recommend it. I spent more than 5 years active duty, I volunteered for everything that came my way and had a blast.

[ChrisO]

If you plan on taking an EMT cert, why don't you look into being a combat medic or a corpsman? I don't know about the Navy, but in the Army if you are EMT certified when you get to AIT, you get to skip the first 10 weeks of a 16 week AIT. I'm a medic so if you have any questions about that, let me know.

A buddy who is a navy corpsman also said the same thing basically. This is definitely a option. I'm thinking for now while I'm going to school I can join the guard. Like I said my only concern is being deployed before I finish school.

[ChrisO]

I am also wondering what life is like while not deployed as say infantry/calvary scout, and military police. As to what you do on base? I really like the idea of being a MP and it would be cool while not deployed to patrol base and what not if thats a option. I would also love to one day if I make a career out of it go to sniper school wich I know would be close to impossible unless on SRT or something as a MP.

[Scoutout]

pt, equipment maintenance, guard duty, train, other tasks as assigned. Generally, you'll be free in the evening. Days start early.

[GillaFunk]

....and by the time yer done with the day, all you want to do is drink with yer buddies and bull-chit about how command is retarded. Class and homework is the least on your mind. Living in the barracks is just like living in a frat house or dorm, except you have more rules to obey and less women (and no, they cant 'sleep over', and yes you have to live in the barracks until your a certain rank).

[Army GI]

A buddy who is a navy corpsman also said the same thing basically. This is definitely a option. I'm thinking for now while I'm going to school I can join the guard. Like I said my only concern is being deployed before I finish school.

Great man, go for it! And while you're there, you might want to look into ROTC. They have something called the simultaneous membership program (SMP) which means you can do Guard and ROTC at the same time. When you graduate you will be commissioned.

As far as being deployed before you finish your degree, I understand the concern. When I first started out, I was a little anxious about that too. But the fact of the matter is that if your in the Guard and your country calls you up, you are there to do your duty. You are a soldier 24/7. IMHO, someone willing to sacrifice their home life to serve should warrant high respect.

[ChrisO]

I know I'm going to join it's just on deciding when, After graduation or enlist in the guard before so I can do my time in the guard and continue on in school. My buddy a recruiter for the army said I should wait if I'm worried about finishing school because he says and I quote "The guard? Not weekend warriors anymore, Some of the meanest greenest hooah MotherF****** I have seen in the sand box and I was damn glad to have em on my side" He was refering to a NG infantry unit he served with as well as a some combat engineers over there in bahgdad awhile back he said theres more NG than Marines over there.