Thinking about joining the US army

Alright, here's a question to any of veterans on this forum: If you're going to join the army mostly becasue you want to have that on your resume, what branch would it make the most sense to join? Even if I do decide to join, I'll have to wait afew years anyway so I have pleney of time to research this on my own, I just wanted to ask some one with some experience...

Thank you:2thumbsup:

And before you ask, no, I haven't been brainwashed by 'Americas Army'. And no, I don't take advice from strangers on the internet seriously.

tHE USMC:2thumbsup:

I'm toying with the idea of joining the TA as a medic. Get fit, learn to kill people... :thumbsup:

~:smoking:

Oh, spare yourself the hassle. Why bother with all that boring research? Just go *cough* here, fill in the paperwork and off you go! :yes:
Shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Be sure to sign it! :sweatdrop:

If you are doing if for your resume then who do you wish to be employed by after the military?

Some skill sets will be tradeable others will not.

Light infantry probably will get you a security guard role.

Transport airplane pilot will get you a commericial airline pilot role.

Navy seaman... probably an airline steward role. ~;)

Will the time in the military help you get the skills and experience that will help you in your future role. I assume an officer with a degree and relevant experience will get far more benefit as will an enlisted man with trade skills (electrician etc).

Might as well plan out your finial destination before you decide on a path that may not give you the leverage you want to achieve it.

If you're bright enough, join the Navy as an officer and go for their nuke program. You could basically name your own salary after that.

I have been in the Marine Corps for nearly seven years.

If you are looking to serve in a branch primarily for a resume builder (which is perfectly legitimate and was part of choice too), consider the following:

(1) Do you care at all about actually serving your country, or is it just a job?

(2) What MOS, or job, do you want in the military?

(3) What job will you seek when you leave the service?

(4) Does tradition, pride, history, and respect matter to you?

(5) What are your feelings towards combat? Seek it, indifferent, or avoid it?


The branch of service you choose should depend mostly on your answers to these questions.

(1) If you truly care about serving your country, then service in any branch is honorable. If serving your country matters nothing to you, then join the air force simply because you will sacrifice the least and gain the most in creature comforts. In terms of ease of service, second to this would be the Navy (unless you are a corpsman serving with Marines), followed by the Army, and lastly the Marine Corps. The reasoning is primarily one of application and budget. The AF kills from the Air and has a monster budget. The Marines are the tip of the spear and face the most complex assignments with the least amount of money (they actually don't get their own budget; Marines get the Navy's leftovers). A bigger budget means top commanders have more money with which to provide services and quality of life to those serving. I have been on all manner of bases and I can say that this is certainly true.

(2) Although the service will guarantee your training in a given field, that does not necessarily mean you will always work in that field. Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines are all frequently tasked with doing duties they did not "sign up for". I know of a Marine supply unit that ended up doing MP work in Iraq for their entire tour. So, be forewarned, if you go into the Army or Marines, your chances for combat duty goes way up no matter what your job is.

(3) You need to pick a service job that closely mirrors the civilian counterpart. Keep in mind the above and remember that some services do not have jobs that other services do have.

(4) If you want to be respected, then your choice of branch should be obvious. Across the board, Marines in general recieve more kudos then other branches. Ronald Reagan said of Marines: "Some people live their whole lives wondering if they have made a difference; Marines don't have that problem." The Navy has their seals, the Army their rangers, and the AF their rescue guys: Each deserves respect but if you want respect by proxy- The Marines.

(5) Do you want to fight? If you do, but you don't want to join an "elite" unit, then join the Marines. You will be surrounded by individuals of superior character and ability. You army folks can argue with me all day on this, but the fact remains- we demand more physically, demand more in marksmanship, and demand moe in character then any other branch. The one and only reason to do this is survivability. Do you want to be surrounded by guys who are looking for a challenge? Or do you want to be surrounded by people who joined a branch that they thought would be "easier"?


Finally, and most importantly, remember that you are mandated by law to serve for a period of EIGHT YEARS. It is called inactive reserve, or the indivisual ready reserve. Even if you only serve in the army for 2 years, you may still be called back up to active service up to that eight year mark!

My neighbor was in the army for four years. He got out and joined the border patrol. He was out for three years and then he got recalled so he could serve in Iraq. He was there for a year and just got home 2 months ago.

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Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat

Oh, spare yourself the hassle. Why bother with all that boring research? Just go *cough* here, fill in the paperwork and off you go! :yes:
Shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Be sure to sign it! :sweatdrop:

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$1178.10 (Jan '06) starting pay for a US recruit.

$1269 (2003 dollars) for the Legion

30 days leave US

45 days leave FFL

3 squares and a rack for either - free clothing (must like camo patterns)

Training that rich people pay 10's of thousands of dollars for: free.

For the Legion, must travel to France to join, on your nickel. 1700 recruiting stations in US.

Looks like it adds up to fashion, food, language and geography preferences.

Just kidding.

DA's analysis is right for US forces. It's all about what you want.

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Originally Posted by Divinus Arma

My neighbor was in the army for four years. He got out and joined the border patrol. He was out for three years and then he got recalled so he could serve in Iraq. He was there for a year and just got home 2 months ago.

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I'd feel more comfortable if I could be certain that guarding Iraq's border was the more dangerous of the two assignments....

'Goose:

Serve (D.A.'s guidelines for where/how are good points). If you do not, as I didn't, you will always regret it.

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Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh

Serve (D.A.'s guidelines for where/how are good points). If you do not, as I didn't, you will always regret it.

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That's a great point. I know many who regret they never served. It has been truly rewarding, and although I will leave the service soon, I regret nothing.

I owe everything to my service:

My home, my resume, my education, my future, and especially parts of my character. The military may not give you character- but it will bring out what is naturally in you. I never knew what a rough-n-tumble SOB I really was. I learned all about the load that I can carry and survive. That's why I can put in (edit)78 hour work weeks while going to graduate school full time!


And the best part: I had so much damn fun!

wait there are only 52 weeks in the year!!!!:furious3: :inquisitive:

Hours, you.

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Originally Posted by Mongoose

Alright, here's a question to any of veterans on this forum: If you're going to join the army mostly becasue you want to have that on your resume, what branch would it make the most sense to join? Even if I do decide to join, I'll have to wait afew years anyway so I have pleney of time to research this on my own, I just wanted to ask some one with some experience...

Thank you:2thumbsup:

And before you ask, no, I haven't been brainwashed by 'Americas Army'. And no, I don't take advice from strangers on the internet seriously.

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There is some good advice alreadly given by others. The only thing I would add, is that if you want the military service on your resume - officer ranks tend to have more recognition in the civilan sector then enlisted. It really isn't fair to the men and women who serve as enlisted, its just the way it is though.

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Originally Posted by Redleg

There is some good advice alreadly given by others. The only thing I would add, is that if you want the military service on your resume - officer ranks tend to have more recognition in the civilan sector then enlisted. It really isn't fair to the men and women who serve as enlisted, its just the way it is though.

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That is true depending on what you want to do. The officer ranks groom some of america's top notch management and provides an excellent foundation for this. I would only recommend that you go enlisted FIRST, even after having earned your bachelors.

Too many officers have contempt for the men without knowing the first thing about soldiering, leadership be example, or mutual respect. Being enlisted first- and make it to sergeant before moving up- really gives you the foundation for direct leadership that you need to work with the troops in the future.

The best officers I have ever worked for were Sergeants first. The worst officer I have ever known was a PFC with a bachelor's degree who applied and earned a ticket into OCS. That bastard hated NCOs as a private, and never learned the importance of directive leadership. As a result, he treated his NCOs like crap and babied the non-rates. He was a Major in the Marine Corps and the biggest douche I have ever met. Hated by all and respected by none.

Second worst are all the staright out of college officers. Bunch of pansy 22 yr old kids trying to direct 10 year NCOs like they were punk kids. What a crock.

You know, our services should REQUIRE enlisted service first. How can one lead without knowing how to follow?

Either way, for the most part Redleg is totally correct.

Air Force, get a good security clearance, get out, make lots of money working as a contractor for the government. The best move I ever made...:idea2:

Ask yourself, do you want to risk your life(and your health) for a country and a people?

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Originally Posted by Divinus Arma

That is true depending on what you want to do. The officer ranks groom some of america's top notch management and provides an excellent foundation for this. I would only recommend that you go enlisted FIRST, even after having earned your bachelors.

Too many officers have contempt for the men without knowing the first thing about soldiering, leadership be example, or mutual respect. Being enlisted first- and make it to sergeant before moving up- really gives you the foundation for direct leadership that you need to work with the troops in the future.

The best officers I have ever worked for were Sergeants first. The worst officer I have ever known was a PFC with a bachelor's degree who applied and earned a ticket into OCS. That bastard hated NCOs as a private, and never learned the importance of directive leadership. As a result, he treated his NCOs like crap and babied the non-rates. He was a Major in the Marine Corps and the biggest douche I have ever met. Hated by all and respected by none.

Second worst are all the staright out of college officers. Bunch of pansy 22 yr old kids trying to direct 10 year NCOs like they were punk kids. What a crock.

You know, our services should REQUIRE enlisted service first. How can one lead without knowing how to follow?

Either way, for the most part Redleg is totally correct.

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Seen all types of officers, Divinus Arma, both that were prior enlisted, straight out of the academy, or straight out of college, all have thier postive types, and all have thier negative types.

A good officer knows that respect and hard work is a two way communication between the officer and the enlisted soldier. A good officer listens to his NCO's to reach a decision, and accepts responsiblity for his decision verus passing the buck. A good officer does not ride on the shoulders of his men, but is helping them in the trenches of the job.

If an officer is unwilling to listen to his soldiers - how can he expect them to listen to him.

Leading men in the military is a tough job, but one that I cherish to my dying day. I learned more in my first year in the military then I did in 16 years of schooling.

Edit: A good officer transitions into management or supervision without to much difficultity because they have learned how to communicate and lead, verus other management scenerios. This is why most successful junior military officers have no problem finding civilian employment once they leave the military. I can personally vouch that a successful military career will often enable one to find the civilian job that they want with ease.

Done it twice now.

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Originally Posted by Byzantine Prince

Ask yourself, do you want to risk your life(and your health) for a country and a people?

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What is life worth if your unwilling to risk it for what you believe?

My life is worth more than other people's.

Man someone thinks there shit dont stink.....The sig is so true :mellow:

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Originally Posted by Byzantine Prince

My life is worth more than other people's.

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That's a dodge to the question.

What is life worth if your unwilling to risk it for what you believe?

Everyone's life is of equal importance.

Be it the poor peasant in Mexico desiring a better life in the United States, who risks his life to journey to the north in search of that goal or even yours sitting in a comfortable spot in a free western nation that values your life as much as it values the lives of all other citizens of that nation.

Edit: Actually I value that poor peon who comes to the United States legally or illegally to improve his live more then I value the pompous ass that you just made of yourself with that statement.

I value those lives as much as I value my own.

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Originally Posted by Redleg

Everyone's life is of equal importance.

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HAHAHAHAHAHA! I am so above you mang. :laugh4:

PS: See if you can spot the blatant hypocrisy in your post.

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Originally Posted by Byzantine Prince

HAHAHAHAHAHA! I am so above you mang. :laugh4:

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I doubt that very much.

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PS: See if you can spot the blatant hypocrisy in your post.

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Your confusing personal belief with something else.

Other then the pompass ass comment direct at yourself - no hypocrisy is present.

how are you above him? Do you think shooting up philosphy books of old dead white men from the 19th century makes you smart? Well if it helps you sleep at night knowing you are so above everyone else

Redleg, if you can't see the hypocricy in your posts then it is not politically correct for me to insult you anymore.

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Originally Posted by strike for the south

how are you above him? Do you think shooting up philosphy books of old dead white men from the 19th century makes you smart? Well if it helps you sleep at night knowing you are so above everyone else

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As for you... do you prefer NOT reading philosophy, or do you prefer reading philosophy written by live black men? I don't know what you are saying at all. :dizzy2:

Heredatery ignorance always amuses me, even if I have to take some shots. Well done guys. :smile:

It just depends on what you like. Personally, if your looking for a career in medicine, the Navy has the most credibility and best training. If you want to get down and dirty go for the USMC, if you want a little mixture of both the Army is good option, or if you really don't feel like doing anything at all join the Airforce! (JK).

I was going to go into the military about a year back, and I backed out of it after I had gone through MEPS (partly due to a shoulder injury and partly due to my recruiter telling me I could do one thing, and the MEPS officer telling me I couldn't) I wanted to go into Airborne as a Combat Medic, but because of my shoulder injury they said I couldn't even be infantry (and my recruiter was telling me all the time that I could do it even though he was fully aware of my shoulder). I was just sick of the all the BS at that point, and I opted to go to college instead:laugh4:

In the Navy, you can sail the seven seas...

.....In the Navy, yes you can put your mind at ease.

If you want to be a true bad@ss, join the air force and become a red beret. They're pararescue; when everyone else screws up, it's their job to go in and save the day. They bandage the mess-ups and kill anyone who gets in the way.:balloon2:

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Originally Posted by DA

Too many officers have contempt for the men without knowing the first thing about soldiering, leadership be example, or mutual respect. Being enlisted first- and make it to sergeant before moving up- really gives you the foundation for direct leadership that you need to work with the troops in the future.

The best officers I have ever worked for were Sergeants first. The worst officer I have ever known was a PFC with a bachelor's degree who applied and earned a ticket into OCS. That bastard hated NCOs as a private, and never learned the importance of directive leadership. As a result, he treated his NCOs like crap and babied the non-rates. He was a Major in the Marine Corps and the biggest douche I have ever met. Hated by all and respected by none.

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Do you have a special officer training school in the US, cos I'm sure that officer cadets in GB go through a sort of "Officer Skills Class" which teaches them how to be a proper officer. I get what you mean by saying Coming up through the ranks will give you more leadership experience, but (I dont know what it's like over there) that would be an Astronomical task for a British Soldier to do, is it the same way across the pond?

I'm getting a bit confused with this American system...
Do you have to join as a regular soldier before becoming an officer? Or can you just join as an officer?

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Originally Posted by Byzantine Prince

Redleg, if you can't see the hypocricy in your posts then it is not politically correct for me to insult you anymore.

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In other words there is no hypocricy in the post. Tsk Tsk. It seems your a racist and your assuming others are to.

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As for you... do you prefer NOT reading philosophy, or do you prefer reading philosophy written by live black men? I don't know what you are saying at all. :dizzy2:

Heredatery ignorance always amuses me, even if I have to take some shots. Well done guys. :smile:

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It seems your ignorance is far greater then Strikes.

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Originally Posted by Ianofsmeg16

Do you have a special officer training school in the US, cos I'm sure that officer cadets in GB go through a sort of "Officer Skills Class" which teaches them how to be a proper officer. I get what you mean by saying Coming up through the ranks will give you more leadership experience, but (I dont know what it's like over there) that would be an Astronomical task for a British Soldier to do, is it the same way across the pond?

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There are three service schools. West Point for the Army, Air Force Acdememy in CO, and Annoplis (SP) for the Navy with a Marine commission being an option there.

ROTC in most colleges, and several private schools that are structured toward the military - One of the better known is VMI (Virgina Military Institute)

Once commissioned the individual is sent to the Military School for his military occupation skill. For Instance I was a Field Artillery Officer. I went to the following military courses for additional training while in the Military.


As a LT
Field Artillery Basic Course - 19 Weeks
NBC Officer - 2 Weeks
Special Weapons - 1 Week

As a CPT
Field Artillery Officer Advance Course - 16 weeks
Muliple Rocket Cadre Course - 4 Weeks
Combined Arms Course - 8 weeks

As you progress in the Army - additional courses will be required.

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Originally Posted by Duke Malcolm

I'm getting a bit confused with this American system...
Do you have to join as a regular soldier before becoming an officer? Or can you just join as an officer?

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You can do both.

If you have a college degree and enlist - one can apply for OCS

If you have an associates degree and enlist - one can apply for OCS, and once commissioned the officer will be given 2 years leave to finish his degree. I believe this program has been done away with though.

One can enlist, leave the military, go to college, get a degree, (while in school take ROTC) take a commission and return as an officer if selected for Active Duty. If not the individual has a Reserve Commission for the National Guard and Reserve System.

One can go to a military academy and get a commission.

One can go to college, join ROTC, recieve a commission upon graduation, and go into the military as an officer without ever having serve in the military prior to the commission.

THere are even other ways to become an officer. Direct commissions are sometimes offered to speciality skills when the military is criticaly short of the requirements in those areas. Usually these are medical officers.

On a different note, don't forget that you will not have all of the freedoms you enjoy as a civilian. As an illustration, here are the 213 Things Skippy Can't Do in This Man's Army.

What you guys do know about doctors? Can a resident in surgery with a H1 visa join the army?

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Originally Posted by Harald Den BlåToth

What you guys do know about doctors? Can a resident in surgery with a H1 visa join the army?

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Not sure about the particulars of the visa stuff, but with the schooling alone I'm fairly certain you could go in as a Captain, which isn't too shabby.

There are also "Battlefield Commissions"
http://www.johnlmoore.com/battlefeild.htm
They used to be covered by AR 600-14, but that's an old memory, and probably inaccurate by now. I haven't heard of any being issued since 'Nam, except during war games.

I (as a Staff Sergeant, battlefield commissioned to Captain) once commanded a company for 3 days during a field exercise where we simulated losing our entire command group to a nerve-agent attack. Lot's o'Fun. No extra pay, though. :laugh4:

Military Doctors have their own separate set of acquisition, training & promotion rules. Proletariat can probably shed more light on that. Citizenship might be an issue - but I've been doctored by some guys with pretty thick European, Middle-Eastern, and Asian accents, so I'm guessing some provision must exist for non-citizen Doc's to join the US military.

All(well, almost all) of the above posts have been very helpfull, especially DA's. Thanks again.

I guess it would make the sense to try to get into WestPoint, and then enlist as an officer, right?

Well, I'm off to read up on this...:book:

For West Point (or the other academies), slip a fiver to your local congressman. http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0004608.html

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Originally Posted by Redleg

You can do both.

If you have a college degree and enlist - one can apply for OCS

If you have an associates degree and enlist - one can apply for OCS, and once commissioned the officer will be given 2 years leave to finish his degree. I believe this program has been done away with though.

One can enlist, leave the military, go to college, get a degree, (while in school take ROTC) take a commission and return as an officer if selected for Active Duty. If not the individual has a Reserve Commission for the National Guard and Reserve System.

One can go to a military academy and get a commission.

One can go to college, join ROTC, recieve a commission upon graduation, and go into the military as an officer without ever having serve in the military prior to the commission.

THere are even other ways to become an officer. Direct commissions are sometimes offered to speciality skills when the military is criticaly short of the requirements in those areas. Usually these are medical officers.

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Wow, thats really interesting, over hear (UK) you have to go to Sandhurst for a year to be an Army Officer. Even Regimental Sergant Majors have to.

Old joke:

Two Second Lieutenants enter the mens room. Both do their 'business', one washes his hands, the other combs his hair. First guy:

"At West Point, they taught us to wash after using the batroom", he sniffed.

Other guy: "In OCS, they taught us to not pee on our hands."

There is some rivalry in the Army Officer Corps between West Pointers, ROTC's & OCSers. Statistically, West Pointers get promoted sooner, and advance higher (although GEN Tommy Franks was an OCSer, so it's not always true).

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Originally Posted by Mongoose

All(well, almost all) of the above posts have been very helpfull, especially DA's. Thanks again.

I guess it would make the sense to try to get into WestPoint, and then enlist as an officer, right?

Well, I'm off to read up on this...:book:

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Wait, how old are you Mongoose?

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Originally Posted by Mongoose

All(well, almost all) of the above posts have been very helpfull, especially DA's. Thanks again.

I guess it would make the sense to try to get into WestPoint, and then enlist as an officer, right?

Well, I'm off to read up on this...:book:

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You don't enlist as an officer. Becoming an officer consists of several selection process depending upon which method you attempt.

For instance if you are selected to attend West Point. You get to sign a piece of paper that states you will give service to the nation as a commissioned officer for 8 years. The conditions to be set by the government. Often for West Pointers its 5 years active duty, 3 years in the Reserves.

But it isn't an enlistment contract per say. However make sure you read the fine print, failing West Point incurs a penalty where the individual must complete a period of enlistment time.

West Point graduates are always selected for Active Duty (for the most part) . I have heard of a few instances where selected individuals are only given a Reserve Commission, but the circumstances are usually unique. West Point Officers have a higher ability of getting the Army skill (branch) of their choice.

Same thing goes for ROTC scholarships. However the difference here is that there is a selection process not only for branch but for Active Duty or Reserve only. So if your wanting active duty its a little harder, all depending upon what is happening in the miltary when you go before the boards.

Its not that hard to get active duty with an ROTC commission but its not 100% guarnteed.

Another Military Joke

"A Army Man is hiding in a bunker with bullets wizzing past his head, he looks over to see his fallen comrade and mumbles "The Army Sucks".
Meanwhile a Marine is storming a beach, Machine Gun Firing All Around him, and he's crouched behind a tiny boulder and mumbles "The Marines Suck".
At the same time a Navy Ensign is working hard trying to keep his ship from sinking as it is continually shelled and he mumbles "The Navy Sucks".
At the End of the day an Airforce Pilot makes a safe landing, gets in his car, and drives to his hotel, when he turns on the tv he finds out that it doesn't have cable and he screams "WHAT NO CABLE! MAN THE AIRFORCE SUCKS!"

Well, if you would like to make the military a career, then I guess going through Anapolis or West Point is pretty much as good as it gets. You won't get the experience of being a troop, but I think that 4 years of military college makes up for that...


I'm sure you guys remember me tossing the ball around on taking a commission in the Corps. Maybe I'll still hit up the army for a reserve commission since the Corps doen't have such a thing untl after you do 6 years active as an officer...

Redleg, you went OCS?

Whether you decide to join the military or not just remember you may be doing something comepletely different from what you imagined you'll be doing. When I enlisted as a Marine Infantryman I thought I'd be in Iraq by now, instead I'm at Bangor, WA where I'll probably be for the next two years.

The most important thing to remember is that in any branch of any service there is a chance of combat. So if you're not willing to risk your neck, and there is nothing wrong with that, then you need to think about whether doing this at all is a good idea.

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Originally Posted by Redleg

You don't enlist as an officer. Becoming an officer consists of several selection process depending upon which method you attempt.

For instance if you are selected to attend West Point. You get to sign a piece of paper that states you will give service to the nation as a commissioned officer for 8 years. The conditions to be set by the government. Often for West Pointers its 5 years active duty, 3 years in the Reserves.

But it isn't an enlistment contract per say. However make sure you read the fine print, failing West Point incurs a penalty where the individual must complete a period of enlistment time.

West Point graduates are always selected for Active Duty (for the most part) . I have heard of a few instances where selected individuals are only given a Reserve Commission, but the circumstances are usually unique. West Point Officers have a higher ability of getting the Army skill (branch) of their choice.

Same thing goes for ROTC scholarships. However the difference here is that there is a selection process not only for branch but for Active Duty or Reserve only. So if your wanting active duty its a little harder, all depending upon what is happening in the miltary when you go before the boards.

Its not that hard to get active duty with an ROTC commission but its not 100% guarnteed.

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So, succesfully graduating from a millatery academy is helpful, but not a gurrante that you will become an officer? How do the requirements in the Navy and AirForce vary from the Marines and the ArmedForces?

Is there any good source of information for the various paths in the army, so I can stop pestering people here?

USarmy.com wasn't very helpful.

edit: closer inspection reveals that US army .com does have the information I was looking for...

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Originally Posted by Divinus Arma

Well, if you would like to make the military a career, then I guess going through Anapolis or West Point is pretty much as good as it gets. You won't get the experience of being a troop, but I think that 4 years of military college makes up for that...


I'm sure you guys remember me tossing the ball around on taking a commission in the Corps. Maybe I'll still hit up the army for a reserve commission since the Corps doen't have such a thing untl after you do 6 years active as an officer...

Redleg, you went OCS?

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ROTC - after a stint in the National Guard as a 13E. 2 years as a 13E then I signed up for ROTC and entered the SMP program.

However I have served with about every type of officer that there is. Personally I think those that were enlisted for 2-4 years, get out to go to college and go thru ROTC are the better officers overall. So my line of thinking is not that far from yours in that regard. However I would say most of the OCS commissioned officers have a better relationship with the soldiers then others on the average.

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Originally Posted by Proletariat

If you're bright enough, join the Navy as an officer and go for their nuke program. You could basically name your own salary after that.

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Nuke program? Elaborate for Kaiser. :2thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Mongoose

So, succesfully graduating from a millatery academy is helpful, but not a gurrante that you will become an officer?

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I might of mislead you there. Graduation form the service academy is a guarntee commissioned unless you fall within a unique catergory.

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How do the requirements in the Navy and AirForce vary from the Marines and the ArmedForces?

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Every service is different, just like several of the branches in the Army have different requirements. You have to know what you want, plan for it, and hope during the selection process you get exactly what you want. (This is for the Army, the other Branches might work the same way, but I don't think so.)

I applied for the Air Force Academy back when I was in High School, was the 4th in presedence for the appointment from the Senator's office, but the two above me got selected. And I went to a school that was known for getting indivduals into the service academies out of high school.

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Is there any good source of information for the various paths in the army, so I can stop pestering people here?

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Depends on what you want. What fields are you interested in. Most of the Military Schools have websights. I can help to steer you to the Post (Army Base) that might have that information. But I need to understand your general wants. Try the Personal Command webpage which whould be linked to the Army.com site.

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edit: closer inspection reveals that US army .com does have the information I was looking for...

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Good - try the links on the site also - it should steer you to the Officer portion of PERSCOM also.

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Originally Posted by Kaiser of Arabia

Nuke program? Elaborate for Kaiser. :2thumbsup:

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A lot of the navy's ships use Nuclear Power for its main power generation. The training you get on them normally has a direct cross-over into civilian sector.

I knew a guy that went into the Navy's nuclear power program for just the reason Prol mentioned, however I lost track of him after I went into the Army. So I don't know if it was a successful transition or not.

Special Weapons is a different catergory, not much use in the civilian sector for that knowledge.

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Originally Posted by Redleg

A lot of the navy's ships use Nuclear Power for its main power generation. The training you get on them normally has a direct cross-over into civilian sector.

I knew a guy that went into the Navy's nuclear power program for just the reason Prol mentioned, however I lost track of him after I went into the Army. So I don't know if it was a successful transition or not.

Special Weapons is a different catergory, not much use in the civilian sector for that knowledge.

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So just working with nuclear power?

I think I'll leave my ambitions on AF ROTC.

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Originally Posted by Redleg

Special Weapons is a different catergory, not much use in the civilian sector for that knowledge.

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For the nuke stuff I was thinking of, I don't think the private sector cares so much about what you were doing specifically. Just the fact that you got that sort of clearance and responsibility qualifies you for some incredibly decent jobs with salaries well past the $100k mark. Anyway, that's the impression I got from my friend's Mom who does head-hunting for high level corporate execs.

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Originally Posted by Proletariat

For the nuke stuff I was thinking of, I don't think the private sector cares so much about what you were doing specifically. Just the fact that you got that sort of clearance and responsibility qualifies you for some incredibly decent jobs with salaries well past the $100k mark. Anyway, that's the impression I got from my friend's Mom who does head-hunting for high level corporate execs.

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Its more then just the security clearance I think. I had a fairily decent one myself, because of Special Weapons. The responsiblities and training that goes along with being a Nuclear Power rated officer is beyond what just the security clearance will get you.

But yes the responsiblities and tasks that officer have to do, make for competive qualifications beyond the average civilian background.

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I might of mislead you there. Graduation form the service academy is a guarntee commissioned unless you fall within a unique catergory

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Alright. I think I undertstand now.

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Every service is different, just like several of the branches in the Army have different requirements. You have to know what you want, plan for it, and hope during the selection process you get exactly what you want. (This is for the Army, the other Branches might work the same way, but I don't think so.)



I applied for the Air Force Academy back when I was in High School, was the 4th in presedence for the appointment from the Senator's office, but the two above me got selected. And I went to a school that was known for getting indivduals into the service academies out of high school.

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I think I'll probably join the Navy or the Airforce, since thoses branches seem more relevant towards a non-millatary career afterwards.

I'd imagine that it would be harder then joining the Army though, since the they seem to be having a recruiting problem... or maybe I'm reading into "Americas Army" alittle too much.

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Depends on what you want. What fields are you interested in. Most of the Military Schools have websights. I can help to steer you to the Post (Army Base) that might have that information. But I need to understand your general wants. Try the Personal Command webpage which whould be linked to the Army.com site.

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I will, thank you. Also, I looked at Westpoint.com...I have another question, when you join West point or another millatary academy, do have to join the army, or can you join any specific branch? Are the acedmies for the Air
Force and the Navy different?

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Good - try the links on the site also - it should steer you to the Officer portion of PERSCOM also.

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I'll do that...

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Originally Posted by Redleg

Its more then just the security clearance I think.

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That's where the money is. I should have used my education benifits when I was in (I've got my GI bill but haven't used it yet) so that's my advise to any that enlist or get commisioned. But I must say there is serious bank with the security clearance. The greatest thing about the military is simply the experience. You'll meet folks from all walks of life and will have a good time if you choose to do so. yes, there are some miserable people in the services but most will be your family and greatest friends you'll ever have.
The Air Force is the way to go. Yes I'm biased, but I think out of the services, the quality of life and the type of jobs within are just head and shoulders above all the others.

How hard is it to get into airborne or "air assault"?

You can get Airborne in your contract before you ship. It's a pretty easy school, if you stay injury free. Alotta long, slow runs (5 milesish, iirc) and you have to do five jumps to graduate. I think it's only about two weeks long.

Air Assault is supposedly tougher and I'm not sure if you can get it in your contract. I guess you could get Fort Campbell in your contract for your first duty assignment and then it would be more or less gauranteed. I hear their physical training is a lot tougher than Airborne.

The GI Bill, By the way, is absolutely awesome. I underwent an accelerated college program, so I had to take on some student loans, but all in all my education is pretty much paid for. My Associates came at no out of pocket cost, My Bachelors is where I picked up the first of my student loans, and I am back to no cost with my MBA. All of that and I'll still have another $11k to put towards the PhD. So far, being active duty alone has gotten me $13,500 in college paid for just in TA in addition to the almost $40,000 of the GI Bill. The total cost of my full civilian education to PhD is around $90,000. The military will have paid for $53,500 of it by the time I'm done. Hopefully, I can get into another public service job that pays tuition before I start the PhD and they can pay for even more of it!



Joining the Military:

Best... decision... evar. :2thumbsup:

The French Foreign Legion has such appeal from its name. Too bad that you'll never win a fight in your life after you decide to join.