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  1. #1
    RIP Tosa, my trolling end now Senior Member Devastatin Dave's Avatar
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    Default Re: Military Service ( I need USArmy men)

    6 weeks, United States Air Force "boot camp"!!! As we say in the great Chair Force...

    Simply Fi!!!
    RIP Tosa

  2. #2
    Member Member KafirChobee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Military Service ( I need USArmy men)

    Don't get caught up in the hype!

    Weigh your options, find the course of study with the best opportunity (to be applied after you return to civilian life) and go with it.

    Marines always get teary eyed reminiscing about boot, and sloggying thru the muck. Don't buy into the crap that their more elite than a soldier - they just have bigger heads. It's all that propagandic Semper Fi (always faithful) soup that was poured down their gullet in training. Good troops, but no better trained than the general infantry - and not nearly as well equpped (Navy likes to keep them poor). Their primary tactic remains "Hey diddle diddle straight up the middle".

    J/K, btw. Stirs the pot.
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  3. #3
    Praefectus Fabrum Senior Member Anime BlackJack Champion, Flash Poker Champion, Word Up Champion, Shape Game Champion, Snake Shooter Champion, Fishwater Challenge Champion, Rocket Racer MX Champion, Jukebox Hero Champion, My House Is Bigger Than Your House Champion, Funky Pong Champion, Cutie Quake Champion, Fling The Cow Champion, Tiger Punch Champion, Virus Champion, Solitaire Champion, Worm Race Champion, Rope Walker Champion, Penguin Pass Champion, Skate Park Champion, Watch Out Champion, Lawn Pac Champion, Weapons Of Mass Destruction Champion, Skate Boarder Champion, Lane Bowling Champion, Bugz Champion, Makai Grand Prix 2 Champion, White Van Man Champion, Parachute Panic Champion, BlackJack Champion, Stans Ski Jumping Champion, Smaugs Treasure Champion, Sofa Longjump Champion Seamus Fermanagh's Avatar
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    Default Re: Military Service ( I need USArmy men)

    I've known marines all of my life and I have always been impressed. I have respect for all of our uniformed personnel.

    To those of you serving or who have served, thank you.

    To those of you who will serve in the future, thank you too.

    To the thread originator -- do it. I never served (happenstance and distraction mostly) -- I now regret it.


    Side Note:

    As with all services, a marine officer may be commissioned upon graduation from one of our nation's military academies.


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  4. #4
    Yesdachi swallowed by Jaguar! Member yesdachi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Military Service ( I need USArmy men)

    Which branch would be best for short term? And for long term (career)?

    It seems that Marines have a longer commitment (4 yrs) it wouldn’t make much sense go that direction if one was just going to go back into the “real world” afterwards.

    I would imagine that the air force would be the safest/least likely to get killed in but are there as many advancement opportunities?
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  5. #5
    Feeding the Peanut Gallery Senior Member Redleg's Avatar
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    Default Re: Military Service ( I need USArmy men)

    Quote Originally Posted by yesdachi
    Which branch would be best for short term? And for long term (career)?
    Depends on what you want to do. Each Military Service has different skills that need filled. From individuals that do the simple grunt work - be it able seamen, infantry, or whatever they have in the airforce.

    Pick a job that you want to do - and ask the Recruiter to explain the promotion scheme for that MOS. Some MOS's stop at lower ranks and transfer to a new one - others maintain the same throughout their career.

    Officer Ranks work the same way in that aspect. Personally I am partial to my old Branch in the Army - Field Artillery. But other branches do better on the promotion cycle then the heavy bottom - light top that is Artillery, Infantry, Armor, and Engineer.

    It seems that Marines have a longer commitment (4 yrs) it wouldn’t make much sense go that direction if one was just going to go back into the “real world” afterwards.
    Read the contract carefully - a lot of the enlistment contracts in the Army while it is for a 2 year active duty committment - have a individual ready reserve commentment on them also.

    I would imagine that the air force would be the safest/least likely to get killed in but are there as many advancement opportunities?
    You would have to ask DD on that - however in the Army in 2000 it was possible to get promoted to SPC/E-4 within 24 to 36 monthes. I promoted a PFC to SPC when I was a commander at 23 monthes - but the average during my 18 monthes in command was about 28-39 monthes from Enlistment date. The fastest I saw a 13B get promoted to SGT/E-5 was 38 monthes.
    O well, seems like 'some' people decide to ruin a perfectly valid threat. Nice going guys... doc bean

  6. #6
    RIP Tosa, my trolling end now Senior Member Devastatin Dave's Avatar
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    Default Re: Military Service ( I need USArmy men)

    Well with the Air Force you can get a guranteed job (don't let the recuiter tell you otherwise). I did 10 years, within that time I re-enlisted once so I didn't have to worry about innactive reserve (this is where you serve 4 to 6 years active, then have 4 to 6 years of innactive duty with the possibility to get called back up, which rarely happens BTW). I was a computer operator and now I'm making good money basically doing now what i did then. It all depends on what you want. Some people will tell you not to go into the Army or Marines because you'll only be a infantry guy or whatever. That's not true, there are thousands of other jobs in all the Branches that you can transfer your experience into the civilian world. Military service just helps you focus a little more on your life while providing a service for your country. I'm biased, so I'll tell you to go Air Force. It was a great time with good people. Regardless of the branch of service you choose, you will love it, atleast once boot camp is over.

    If you have specific questions, fire away, there are plenty of grizzled old vets in here that can provide good answers...
    RIP Tosa

  7. #7
    Yesdachi swallowed by Jaguar! Member yesdachi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Military Service ( I need USArmy men)

    I don’t want to mislead anyone; I have no intention in joining the military. I’m too old now but in HS I considered it before I injured my knee (hyper extended it playing football ). However it is a topic I have been curious about and the info might help Shottie with a decision. So, keep it coming, I’m a sponge!
    Peace in Europe will never stay, because I play Medieval II Total War every day. ~YesDachi

  8. #8
    "'elp! I'm bein' repressed!" Senior Member Aenlic's Avatar
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    Default Re: Military Service ( I need USArmy men)

    On the subject of faster promotions, the Navy has special rules for what it considers critical ratings. The two which I know were critical ratings were nuclear power and crypto, it may be different ratings now. If you agree to a critical rating assignment in the Navy, many of them have 6 year enlistments. This is because you'll spend so much time in training. In nuc power, for example, you'll be in training for almost two years, sometimes more. In exchange for the long enlistment (it's actually a 4 year enlistment with a 2 year extension), time in grade requirments are for the most part waived. Critical ratings make E-3 on the day they finish basic training. They make E-4 when they finish A school (which can take from 4-9 months or so), you'll have access to your first E-5 test sometime before you've been in 24 months, and if you score high enough on it, then you'll have made E-5 before you've been in 24 months. It's not uncommon for critical ratings to make E-8 and sometimes E-9 before they've been in 10 years. I knew a couple of master chiefs (E-9's) who had only been in 11 years. I also knew a couple of senior chiefs who went the WO route and became warrant officers at 10 years, and a couple who went from E-8 to OCS and moved up to O-2 immediately upon graduation. It's all what you make of the opportunity in a critical rating.

    I suspect that critical ratings work somewhat the same way in the other branches, though perhaps not exactly the same. And re-enlistment bonuses for critical ratings can be very lucrative. When I was in 25 years ago, the re-up bonus for my job was $25,000, and if you did it on the right day, because of the 4+2 initial enlistment, you only extended your time another 2 for a total of 8. $25K was a lotof bread for a young guy back then. I'm not sure what it is now.
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  9. #9
    Slapshooter Senior Member el_slapper's Avatar
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    Default Re : Military Service ( I need USArmy men)

    About joining US armed forces : wait until the Iraki mess is over, take care of your health

    About what to join : cover your ass & take info on what can be done AFTER with the path you'll have chosen. Full-life careers are scarce, better prepare the after.

    About what branch to join : don't listen them. Everyone will tell you its branch is the best one. Was the same in franch army(was conscripted, didn't like it, but some did). We "Chasseurs Alpins" were told we were kickass. Same for Paras. Same for Marine infantry(who depends upon the army in France, but otherwise has same missions than US marines). Same for "fusillers-commandos"(air force's infantry, trained towards short but tough battles). And so on.....

    About bayonets : I'm pretty sure in Iraq in 2003, a guy from Guatemala(or maybe Panama?), short on ammo, did charge alone with its bayonet in hand before getting slaughtered. He managed to make the ambushers flee. Nice job, man! .
    War is not about who is right, only about who is left

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  10. #10

    Default Re: Military Service ( I need USArmy men)

    Quote Originally Posted by KafirChobee
    Don't get caught up in the hype!

    Weigh your options, find the course of study with the best opportunity (to be applied after you return to civilian life) and go with it.

    Marines always get teary eyed reminiscing about boot, and sloggying thru the muck. Don't buy into the crap that their more elite than a soldier - they just have bigger heads. It's all that propagandic Semper Fi (always faithful) soup that was poured down their gullet in training. Good troops, but no better trained than the general infantry - and not nearly as well equpped (Navy likes to keep them poor). Their primary tactic remains "Hey diddle diddle straight up the middle".

    J/K, btw. Stirs the pot.

    Another jealous non-Marine.

    Ever hear a Marine say these things?

    As for your comments on tactical idiocy and brainwashing, I will allow the history and everyman percpetion of the Marine Corps to speak for itself.
    "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." -Einstein

    Quote Originally Posted by Pannonian View Post
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  11. #11

    Default Re: Military Service ( I need USArmy men)

    To re-answer the question:

    You have to decide what it is that you want and what is important first.

    Do an honest self-assessment and see where your desires lay and understand what "it means to be you".

    Each branch is different and has its advantages. The truth is, the Marine Corps is the elite of the branches, but that also means discipline is harder, training is harder, and failure is less acceptable. Yes, you will have a rougher time as a young person in the Marine Corps. And I think no one doubts any of this.

    If you want to relax and not feel much like you are in the military, than join the air force. If you want to travel without seeing the hard times like Marines, then join the Navy.

    I do not recommend joining the Army unless you have a long family history of it. The army does have many options for training, but you can find a similar program in any of the other branches.


    If you have ANY desire to join the Marines, then do not join another service. You will seriously regret it. I have know many from other branhces who "wish they went in the Marine Corps". Marines are looked at as more prestigious and there is a valid reason for this. Imagine if the Coast Guard just starting saying that they were more badass than the Marines! They would get laughed at. Same thing with the army. The only thing the army can do is squabble about their own "best of" troops like rangers and berets.

    I hope this helped.
    "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." -Einstein

    Quote Originally Posted by Pannonian View Post
    The Backroom is the Crackroom.

  12. #12
    "'elp! I'm bein' repressed!" Senior Member Aenlic's Avatar
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    Default Re: Military Service ( I need USArmy men)

    Quote Originally Posted by Divinus Arma
    Marines are looked at as more prestigious and there is a valid reason for this.
    Unless you're in the Navy, in which case you'll look at Marines as passengers.

    Unless you're in the sub fleet, in which case you'll look at the Marines as unfortunate passengers on a floating target.
    "Dee dee dee!" - Annoymous (the "differently challenged" and much funnier twin of Anonymous)

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