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I am starting to explore the idea of joining one of the branches of the armed forces. I am interested in possibly getting a career with one of the intelligence agencies possibly as an analyst or other position, or possibly a law enforcement agency such as the FBI. Is military experience valuable for joining one of these organizations? I am 26, and have a bachelor's degree in history so I know that gives me some extra options as far as how I would join.
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Nov 14, 2013 22:32
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There is an exceedingly high chance this would be the biggest mistake of your life. A-You have a degree. That qualifies you to be a commissioned officer. These are the guys that make more money and occasionally tell recent high school graduates what to do. A few years down the road, they even get to make decisions with some independence. However, you're looking to join the military at the worst possible time to actually get selected to be an officer. Iraq is done, Afghanistan is almost done. The military is downsizing...the AF and Navy have been for several years. You're going to be competing against people with 4.0s, grad degrees, more relevant degrees (I'm not knocking history), etc. We're talking a hundred applicants per slot. B-The relevant experience you're looking for is more likely to be found in the enlisted ranks, however. You'll be making poo poo for pay and be told what to do by people who finished high school AFTER you finished college. Think long and hard about that. C-You're going to sign away everything you know right now. If you're single, you're going to live in dorms for the next few years. If you're married, expect to be away from home a lot. Etc. This is all assuming you get the job you want. D-There's plenty more which others will chime in with, but seriously, if this is just to pad your resume a bit, you're going to loving hate your life for the next several years.
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Nov 15, 2013 03:06
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If your goal is to join the FBI try to join the FBI. You may not get it on the first time, but it's better to get shut down a time or two than to postpone it for 4-8 years of bullshit.
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Nov 15, 2013 03:10
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Yeah, any minor leg up military service might get you isn't worth the suffering. And take into account that you might think that "oh, yeah, I know it will suck", and we'll assume that you do know what it's like. What you might not have taken into account is that you could get hurt that would gently caress you up for your ideal job. You might end up with your knees hosed up, or your back. Hell, there's the small possibility that you get shot. Or like me, you could be riding along in the back of an LMTV (because that's where enlisted scum ride) and the fuckhead driving wants to go all Tokyo Drift and you end up brain damaged. Totally not worth it.
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Nov 15, 2013 05:38
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Thanks guys, that is actually pretty sobering but logical points you make that seem pretty obvious now that I see someone else writing them down like that.
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Nov 15, 2013 07:54
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Bulkiest Toaster posted:Thanks guys, that is actually pretty sobering but logical points you make that seem pretty obvious now that I see someone else writing them down like that. Looking back on it, the guys above have it completely right. I enlisted in the USMC halfway through college because I was being stupid, and fortunately got shuffled into an NROTC program. Had I actually gotten through boot and been enlisted, it had the possibility to completely gently caress my life up; limited valuable experience depending on the assignment, little to no actual work skills, etc. For anyone thinking of joining the military to achieve a seperate, non-military career goal; think of the military as a last option. I'm not knocking the military for being a bad option, but it definitely doesn't provide the experiences most people expect.
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Nov 15, 2013 17:12
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Sacrilage posted:Looking back on it, the guys above have it completely right. I enlisted in the USMC halfway through college because I was being stupid, and fortunately got shuffled into an NROTC program. For me, it wasn't about job experience or career building. I enlisted at 19 because I wanted to be in the Infantry and blow stuff up. It wasn't patriotic(9/11 hadn't happened yet), it was just to go do it. I did a three year enlistment, went to Afghanistan and then got out. I went to college after I had gotten my fill of fighting. It was a life experience more than anything else and that is something you shouldn't ignore if you feel the pull. It helped me develop as a person. Only after school was done did I come back in because it was a career choice. I'm still not sure I am going to stay in, but I'm happy with my decision.
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Nov 15, 2013 17:21
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Yep, and that's pretty much the perfect reason to join. For me, it gave me time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and get some serious direction. To that end, it proved invaluable.
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Nov 15, 2013 17:43
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Bulkiest Toaster posted:
You're literally past me. Don't do it dude, don't do it. There have been so many times when I have to just stand there either at parade rest, or the front leaning rest, while either a 23 year old High School dropout E-5 yells at me for something that was out of my control, or a 35 year old High School dropout career E-5 yells at me for something that was absolutely his fault. If I had enlisted at 18 or 19, I probably would have a different view on it. But there's a world of difference between a man who is barely a man, and one about to begin his late twenties. Yes, I am sure the military is great for personal development if it's your first time living away from mother and father, but it's not like you don't get any personal development outside of the military (I would argue that you get more opportunities to ~find yourself~ in college than as a junior enlistee).
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Nov 15, 2013 19:37
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lovely26 posted:
Yeah some recruiters might feed you some bullshit but I left for 6 of my 9 DEP months. My recruiter was pretty cool and I was super easy for him to take care of. I just sent an update to my recruiter that I was alive here and there. Should be fine
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Nov 17, 2013 19:08
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I got a 42 and I'm wanting to join the Air Force. What jobs would I be able to do? Would I be able to join?
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Nov 18, 2013 15:40
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numbs posted:I got a 42 and I'm wanting to join the Air Force. What jobs would I be able to do? Would I be able to join? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg8gNFHlifg&t=3s
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Nov 18, 2013 15:44
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I'm 24 still in college, I'm about 1 year away from an engineering degree but am basically coming to the realization I just don't want to be an engineer. I got something like 77 or 80 when I took the test for the Airforce 2 years ago. Would I be able to use that test? (I could probably do better now anyways) Also, I almost enlisted 2 years ago but said "gently caress that" when my recruiter flipped the script on me and claimed I had wanted a mechanical job when I had told him several times I didn't want a mechanical job. I wanted to do something like Air Traffic Control. Will the AF still take me if I try to enlist again? Should I just get a degree in English or some other easy mode poo poo and go for officer training after?
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Nov 18, 2013 18:08
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SnoochtotheNooch posted:I'm 24 still in college, I'm about 1 year away from an engineering degree but am basically coming to the realization I just don't want to be an engineer. I got something like 77 or 80 when I took the test for the Airforce 2 years ago. Suck it up and finish your degree. Seriously. Even if you don't like it right now.
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Nov 18, 2013 18:13
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SnoochtotheNooch posted:I'm 24 still in college, I'm about 1 year away from an engineering degree but am basically coming to the realization I just don't want to be an engineer. I got something like 77 or 80 when I took the test for the Airforce 2 years ago. yes, yes theyll give u that personal satisfaction u desire go for it and become a brother n arms....
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Nov 18, 2013 18:15
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INFANTRY INFANTRY INFANTRY
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Nov 18, 2013 18:28
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SnoochtotheNooch posted:I'm 24 still in college, I'm about 1 year away from an engineering degree but am basically coming to the realization I just don't want to be an engineer. I got something like 77 or 80 when I took the test for the Airforce 2 years ago. Jesus Christ. A-The AF is downsizing. I assume that's your ASVAB score (there's a different test for officer wannabes). There's no reason you can't enlist, but your recruiter is going to do the same thing. Because he can. For every person he actually sends to Lackland, he can ignore a dozen others. If you don't play into his plan according to his rules, expect to be ignored and/or hosed over for the next several years of your life. You are a number. If you aren't the number he wants, gently caress you. B-Officer training is exponentially worse about the same things. You're competing against hundreds of people for each position and most of them will have "non easy mode" degrees and stupid-high GPAs. Your 5-6 year English degree is not going to compare well to the stack of engineering 3.9s. C-Even if all this went according to your plan, you're in the loving military. You'll have handed off much of your personal freedom and almost all of your ability to make your own decisions. For the next 4-8 years. And you won't even be well paid for it. D-Although I'm shaking my head in disbelief, be glad you asked your question here rather than actually talking to a recruiter about it.
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Nov 18, 2013 18:43
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Godholio posted:C-Even if all this went according to your plan, you're in the loving military. You'll have handed off much of your personal freedom and almost all of your ability to make your own decisions. For the next 4-8 years. And you won't even be well paid for it. I have no plan haha. Basically I'm having an early mid life crisis and panicking on what the gently caress I'm going to do. But I agree it would be foolish to try throw myself into that. Thanks
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Nov 18, 2013 18:57
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SnoochtotheNooch posted:I have no plan haha. Basically I'm having an early mid life crisis and panicking on what the gently caress I'm going to do. But I agree it would be foolish to try throw myself into that. Thanks We should keep a running total on the number of people we prevent from enlisting. Then, I can wake up in the morning, see that number and feel a little better about myself.
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Nov 18, 2013 19:30
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Cloudy McPouty posted:We should keep a running total on the number of people we prevent from enlisting. Then, I can wake up in the morning, see that number and feel a little better about myself. You know what they say... "If you can't be a good example, be a horrible warning." I think there are enough cautionary tales in this thread.
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Nov 20, 2013 01:03
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Let's put it this way, half the people here LEFT the military to BECOME engineers. Think about that.
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Nov 21, 2013 03:11
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gleep gloop posted:Let's put it this way, half the people here LEFT the military to BECOME engineers. Think about that. You WANT to become an Engineer. You really do, suck it up and get it done. Then get that job and make the bank. The Army is not the way to have fun or make money...
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Nov 21, 2013 04:43
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Just read a psydude post, now close you eyes and imagine that ginger smug gently caress being able to basically own you. Now open ur eyes and slam your head against a desk if you still think the army is a cool idea
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Nov 21, 2013 04:44
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And if still doesn't seem THAT bad, remember that it's getting worse. A lot worse. Very, very quickly. We've got dudes who have stuck it out for 12, 13, 14 years, and they are jumping ship as soon as possible it's gotten that bad. Think about that.
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Nov 21, 2013 04:55
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not caring here posted:And if still doesn't seem THAT bad, remember that it's getting worse. A lot worse. Very, very quickly. My wife watches kids for an Army major, she is doing exactly this after 16-17 years. The army wanted to send her to Afghanistan literally the day after her newborn son is old enough for them to be able to. So there's that.
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Nov 21, 2013 19:50
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Well, I went to MEPS last week, killed the DLAB, got Crypto Linguist, and signed that sweet, sweet line. I'll be in DEP till the end of March, unless my officer package is picked up.
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Nov 26, 2013 19:31
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lovely26 posted:Well, I went to MEPS last week, killed the DLAB, got Crypto Linguist, and signed that sweet, sweet line. I'll be in DEP till the end of March, unless my officer package is picked up. Go read the DLI thread from start to finish, please.
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Nov 26, 2013 20:23
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lovely26 posted:Long, drawn out, bureaucratic bs mostly Enjoy the next five years of your life
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Nov 26, 2013 21:16
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Alright, so I'm considering joining the Navy. I'm a HS graduate and can't afford college, lost my job, had my next job fall through due to downsizing and am probably going to end up homeless by February with no real family that I can turn to. I'm also generally filled with all kinds of honest to god patriotism and I have a knack for mechanical equipment on top of all the stuff my grandfather and father taught me regarding aviation (both of them worked on aircraft on carriers) I'd appreciate if any Navy goons could weigh in on if it's smart to join right now given my current situation. Most of my family either retired or are in other branches so it's hard to get a good feel for how things are right now.
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Nov 26, 2013 22:31
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ArbitraryTA posted:can't afford college If this is the only reason you can't go to college, enlisting in military is not the right choice. Seriously, study your rear end off for 2-3 weeks, and ace the SAT, turn in your college/ROTC applications (by 31 JAN) if you want to go military. If you end up enlisting, you'll just spend 5 years hating life, realize you SHOULD have gone to college anyway, and end up back at college without the benefit of bragging about being a Naval Officer (which civilian companies appreciate). If you tell me you scored a 900 on the SAT (on the 1600 scale), then I would STILL think long and hard about enlisting; the Navy is not in the habit of letting you do what you want; you run the very real risk of not getting anything close to what you want. Sacrilage fucked around with this message at 00:53 on Nov 27, 2013 |
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Nov 27, 2013 00:49
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ROTC isn't free unless you get a scholarship, and this day and age there are more applicants than dollars to go around. Not disagreeing, but the GI Bill is one of the few reasons for enlisting that isn't completely poo poo.
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Nov 27, 2013 01:12
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Sacrilage posted:If this is the only reason you can't go to college, enlisting in military is not the right choice. Seriously, study your rear end off for 2-3 weeks, and ace the SAT, turn in your college/ROTC applications (by 31 JAN) if you want to go military. If you end up enlisting, you'll just spend 5 years hating life, realize you SHOULD have gone to college anyway, and end up back at college without the benefit of bragging about being a Naval Officer (which civilian companies appreciate). If you tell me you scored a 900 on the SAT (on the 1600 scale), then I would STILL think long and hard about enlisting; the Navy is not in the habit of letting you do what you want; you run the very real risk of not getting anything close to what you want. I don't want to go to college I was just marking it as not being an option so that it wasn't suggested. I'd prefer to learn a trade, since so far all attempts at securing an apprenticeship for electrical or mechanical work have been met with straight stonewalling, but trade school also costs money that I do not have. The main "wanting to enlist" thing is I'd really like to not be homeless. I've tried to make a go of it civilian sector but nobody's hiring anyone without experience. Doesn't help I live in a college town so there's no shortage of better qualified applicants to the jobs around here.
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Nov 27, 2013 01:48
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I went to MEPS in the tail-end of May and went through my physical almost entirely successfully, except for one thing - couldn't keep my heart rate down when they were measuring it (I'm a shy goony goon, military is definitely the life for me ), so when they were done, they sent me to measure it someplace else. About three months and some cardiologist appointments later just to be sure, I brought all the documents certifying the normalcy of my heart as well as the readings MEPS wanted to my recruiter. As you can imagine, that was three months ago and I'm starting to worry a bit. The recruiter fellow said it would take about 2-3 weeks to get processed, which is the most concerning part about it. There was the shutdown and everything during this, which did slow things down quite a bit, but the recruiter hasn't been very responsive, replying only once over the three months, and saying that it should be any day now about a month ago. Are these times somewhat normal when it comes to MEPS processing times? Is there something I can do / someone I can call? One other thing I was worried about is whether or not this qualifies as requesting for a waiver, but it shouldn't be - there isn't anything wrong with me and I'm certifying to that, as opposed to me asking them to let me in while there is.
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Nov 27, 2013 02:15
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HellishWhiskers posted:I went to MEPS in the tail-end of May and went through my physical almost entirely successfully, except for one thing - couldn't keep my heart rate down when they were measuring it (I'm a shy goony goon, military is definitely the life for me There is a real good chance they're never going to get to it. The military is in a drawdown and if if new troops cost a penny more than they expect they probably wont be beating down your door to get you.
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Nov 27, 2013 02:30
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Can we move this thread to E/N because people asking for advice on joining the military always post the saddest vignettes of life imaginable.
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Nov 27, 2013 04:23
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ArbitraryTA posted:I don't want to go to college I was just marking it as not being an option so that it wasn't suggested. I'd prefer to learn a trade, since so far all attempts at securing an apprenticeship for electrical or mechanical work have been met with straight stonewalling, but trade school also costs money that I do not have. I'm going to do a 180 from the normal "Don't Ever Enlist" and say go for it, but don't sign anything without asking. gently caress Loans. 4-5 years enlisted and you can get your poo poo straight if you aren't dumb and then use the sweet sweet GI bill. I actually enjoyed my junior enlisted years pretty heavily in Hawaii.
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Nov 27, 2013 06:31
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ArbitraryTA posted:Alright, so I'm considering joining the Navy. I'm a HS graduate and can't afford college, lost my job, had my next job fall through due to downsizing and am probably going to end up homeless by February with no real family that I can turn to. Railroads are hiring. Being a new hire conductor probably sucks as bad as being in the military but you'll get paid more and can quit at any time.
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Nov 27, 2013 09:20
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MassivelyBuckNegro posted:Railroads are hiring. Being a new hire conductor probably sucks as bad as being in the military but you'll get paid more and can quit at any time. But you won't get the GI Bill. I'm already in, but I'd seriously join now just for the GI Bill. Not to mention the lack of homelessness that the military provides. But Arbitrary, go see a recruiter NOW. It can take a while to get in.
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Nov 27, 2013 09:25
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poopkitty posted:But you won't get the GI Bill. I'm already in, but I'd seriously join now just for the GI Bill. Not to mention the lack of homelessness that the military provides. I don't particularly care what he does. Just observing that there are more options than 'homeless' and 'the military'.
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Nov 27, 2013 09:27
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MassivelyBuckNegro posted:I don't particularly care what he does. Just observing that there are more options than 'homeless' and 'the military'. Also lots of companies love getting employees more education and there are options for having an employer for your schooling depending who you sign on with.
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Nov 27, 2013 21:09
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