Anyone in the Military?

[DFG 5OH]

I'll be graduating high school this spring, and need to figure out what i'm gonig to do with my life. I've been contemplating a military career, i would love to be in the navy, go out on submerines. I talked to a navy guy, he said they'd pay for my college, then for every year i was in college i had to serve a year, but i could go to colelge to learn something, that i could do in the navy, and when i get out go to work, and make some good money.

Anyone in the military? How do you like it...ect?

 

[Blackened302]

i'm not in the military, but my cousin is/was. he served his time in iraq and was told he was going to get his college taken care of. he just got back at the beginning of this summer--4 years later, and surprise, no $$ for college. he's pretty upset about it--they backed out on the money and he's 4 years behind on his education. he's older than i am and i'm about to finish when he's about to start. from the horse's mouth.

 

[DFG 5OH]

weird...

 

[bimmertech]

i'm not in the military, but my cousin is/was. he served his time in iraq and was told he was going to get his college taken care of. he just got back at the beginning of this summer--4 years later, and surprise, no $$ for college. he's pretty upset about it--they backed out on the money and he's 4 years behind on his education. he's older than i am and i'm about to finish when he's about to start. from the horse's mouth.

sorry to hear that your cousin is having problems. i was in the air force for four years and had no problem receiving my GI bill. maybe your cousin did not put in the required $1200 the first year. the military has alot of fine print and procedures, it is up to you to work the system. your cousin did not.

as far as what to do, that is a personal choice. i would do it again, i still would get out after four years also. imo the air force is the way to go.

 

[SeventyMach1]

I am in the military. E-5 with 5 years. The college deal that your cousin got screwed on sounds kind of weird. If there is a contract (& there is) ..... and in that contract he is given college benefits ...... they HAVE to give them to him! No way around it. I was a recruiter for a year & I'm now serving on a Mobile Recruiting Team in NC. I'm not gonna try to recruit you, lol, but I can let ya' know about the military & will be straight up with you.

The way to go is National Guard or Reserves. Why? Because you'll get BETTER college benefits .... and ..... you'll actually have time to USE them (because you are serving part time). I know here in the Army National Guard .... we offer Montgomery G.I. Bill, Montgomery G.I. Kicker, Federal Tuition Assistance, State Tuition Assistance, and all this on top of a Sign-On Bonus!

Why would you sign a contract for .... say .... 4 years of Active duty to start with? You won't really have time to go to school until you get out of the contract. Also, you don't know what it will be like to you. You may like it as a daily lifestyle. You may not. It's best to start with a Guard or Reserve component because you kind of "get your feet in the water" so to speak. It will let you know what the military is like .... and whether or not you want to do it full time or not. All this while paying for your college. They payed for mine. All the extra $$ left over for school funds that I did not use ..... I pocketed! I was actually paid to go to school. Also, all training that you will do will transfer over to college credits. Something to think about .....

 

[Blackened302]

yeah, it's a pretty soar topic for my cousin, so i don't really ask about how they gave him the run-around on it. guy's not wired the same anymore.

 

[SeventyMach1]

guy's not wired the same anymore.

Marine Corp.? Just a guess .....

 

[LoudToy958]

I am been in the Submarine fleet for 4 years now, and just re-enlisted for another 4. I love it. Its a lot of hard work, but after the first two years, you start making pretty good money, and begin to see the light. I am deffinetly a lifer. Its not for everyone, but I would not trade the Sub fleet for anything. I am currently on the USS Ohio, and with all the school I got in the Navy, I only had to serve two credit hours at a local college to get an associates degree. Not to mention, I have not even tapped into my GI bill yet. Once you are on Shore duty, you get most of your school paid for as long as you maintain a passing grade. All I had to pay for were books. Navy College paid for the rest. Can't beat that.

Like I said, make sure you know what you are getting into. Its not like Full Metal Jacket, not even close, but the begging is not easy. Like I said though, four years in, and I can't wait for the next four. Best decision of my life. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Blackened302]

Marine Corp.? Just a guess .....

yes sir, exactly right. he used to be a real joker. this last time i saw him, he left his truck on outside the bar, and me being a joker, too, i moved it and parked in the back. it was all fun and games until he grabbed my by the shirt... i raised my hand, you know, to sock him, but then i realized something was off.

 

[My95.0L]

sorry to hear that your cousin is having problems. i was in the air force for four years and had no problem receiving my GI bill. maybe your cousin did not put in the required $1200 the first year. the military has alot of fine print and procedures, it is up to you to work the system. your cousin did not.

as far as what to do, that is a personal choice. i would do it again, i still would get out after four years also. imo the air force is the way to go.

Ditto for me.

 

[xr8d302]

I'm in the military....but I don't count.

 

[loudpedal99]

I'm active duty AF. I totally agree with going Guard or Reserve first, to see if you like it. You have to keep in mind that it's a whole lifestyle, not just a job. I have 4yrs in, with another 2 to go, and I'm hoping the time flies by. . .

SeventyMach1 is right about not having time to do college while your active duty. I joined mainly for schooling, but between various deployments, exercises, etc, I haven't been able to do anything but a few computer classes. I have a few friends that had to drop classes for the same reasons.

Also, if you decide to sign, make sure you know what job you want to do, and come in with a guaranteed job. Otherwise they'll just give you a general catagory, and you won't know what your actual job is until later on in basic training.

 

[WhiteStallionGT]

You could go to VT and be in the ROTC program. It's tough, but once you graduate, you become an officer.

 

[xr8d302]

Don't become an officer.

 

[super302]

be a navy seal

 

[1994Vib.RedGT]

I would try for an ROTC scholarship. If you are awarded the scholarship you have a full ride for college, and upon graduation you start out as an officer already. I was going to do Army ROTC, I even had the offer for it, but I got a medical DQ because of back problems so now im not sure what im going to do, but if you go military, do the rotc route.

 

[broken_joke]

well i was in the marines for 5 years. it was just not for me so i got out. but some people just love it and devote their life to it. if i could have done it all over again i would have went reserve. if you like the reseves i think you can request to go active. i was the same way in 99 i had no clue what to do or anything, bounced around in some different jobs then just joined. choose wisely which branch you think you might like.

 

[blksn955.o]

Sorry to ask this in some one elses topic but.

I just grad. college and just got my first "real" type job (work for Citigroup). I have been kicking around the idea of joining the armed forces...for awhile.

1. does the "pay for college" still work if your already done??? I only owe like 17-22k total (have over 155credits, a year shy of 4 friggan degree's). Not too bad.

2. what is the age cut off for joining??? I was being recruted(sp?) for years after high school and even now, was being sought for the "Mill. Intel." .

3. with a degree already how does that work..officer...basic...ect.

 

[SeventyMach1]

Sorry to ask this in some one elses topic but.

I just grad. college and just got my first "real" type job (work for Citigroup). I have been kicking around the idea of joining the armed forces...for awhile.

1. does the "pay for college" still work if your already done??? I only owe like 17-22k total (have over 155credits, a year shy of 4 friggan degree's). Not too bad.

2. what is the age cut off for joining??? I was being recruted(sp?) for years after high school and even now, was being sought for the "Mill. Intel." .

3. with a degree already how does that work..officer...basic...ect.

1.) You can serve part time in the Army National Guard & get that paid. Maybe not all of it, but most. Maybe they'll pay ALL. I know my friend owed $16.5K when he joined & they paid every penny. It's the "Student Loan Re-payment Program". I am no longer a "station recruiter", so I don't exactly know the figures anymore.... especially since it will vary between states (Guard is state & federal missioned).

2.) For us, to join, you must be 17-39 years old to join.

3.) With the degree, you can join & become an officer easily. You would come in automatically as an E-4 with your degree. Once you complete your IADT (initial active duty training), you can go to OCS (officer candidate school). There are a few different options on this; choose according to your schedule. You will get paid as an E-6 the whole time you're in school (which will not exceed 8 weeks). Once you complete that school, you'll recieve your comission as an officer & make the big $$. Easy as that.

We also have a C.A.S.P. (civilian acquired skills program). Whatever skills you can prove you have in the civilian world, will carry over to the service & can "exempt" you from schools or training that relate to whatever job you want to do.

 

[xr8d302]

1.) You can serve part time in the Army National Guard & get that paid. Maybe not all of it, but most. Maybe they'll pay ALL. I know my friend owed $16.5K when he joined & they paid every penny. It's the "Student Loan Re-payment Program". I am no longer a "station recruiter", so I don't exactly know the figures anymore.... especially since it will vary between states (Guard is state & federal missioned).

2.) For us, to join, you must be 17-39 years old to join.

3.) With the degree, you can join & become an officer easily. You would come in automatically as an E-4 with your degree. Once you complete your IADT (initial active duty training), you can go to OCS (officer candidate school). There are a few different options on this; choose according to your schedule. You will get paid as an E-6 the whole time you're in school (which will not exceed 8 weeks). Once you complete that school, you'll recieve your comission as an officer & make the big $$. Easy as that.

We also have a C.A.S.P. (civilian acquired skills program). Whatever skills you can prove you have in the civilian world, will carry over to the service & can "exempt" you from schools or training that relate to whatever job you want to do.

No point at all to this, just like to see how similar our armies are. We've got the C.A.S.P as well up here, as well as incentives for applicants such as direct officer entries for people with college and university degrees (pertaining to the given trades). We've also got signing bonuses that go with our C.A.S.P. Is that the same with you guys? For example, if i'd been in a communications business for 8 years now, then join the Canadian Forces Signals Corps, if they were to see me as a skilled entry, I would have to do basic, but then would immediately assume the rank of Corporal, along with $20 thousand dollars for a signing bonus. It's not always this way, but for the past few years, we've really been trying to "up" our numbers, so our recruiting campaign has been working tooth and nail

What I don't like, is that our age limits span much wider, and I don't think that helps anything. 16-55 to join. I've actually instructed a 52 year old man that, 10 years prior, worked as one of my dad's men in the coal mines. How do you tell that guy what to do??? He's spent double the time on earth, and he's spent that entire difference working under my family....that's got to be a bad feeling. So, despite regulations, I didn't really treat him like a student at all...it was more of a moral thing.

Annnnnnyway, I went off topic