MEGA - Thinking about joining the military.

[Hektic]

-Most people who join the USMC and Navy join to go to college. Most of the get out so that they can go to college. We are busy as bees here people. So do the right thing, get an education, and then join as an officer.

That's pretty much what I've heard from people. They serve their four years in marines and then go to college. From what I know, people usually don't go into the marines as a career, just a service, earn some money, and get out.

 

[Jimmy the Gun]

fuck killing people and risking your life for some money.

just grow pot!

 

[Kyle]

^ which is relatively easy to do.

also LEGAL if you have a valid Rx in CA at least.

 

[Hektic]

Grow some pot and risk getting your ass filled with jizz in prison, good alternative.

 

[Jimmy the Gun]

^naw, move to mendecino (sp?) county and do like kyle said.
you can have 200 sq ft of canopy and getting a pot scrip in cali is EASY.

or get a house with a basement, seel a room, supplement it with co2, and don't tell a single fuckin soul about it...

 

[dbighead2]

thanks you guys for driving my thread over the side of a bridge.

If I cant get a scholorship (hopefully I can, I'm getting set to take the SAT and ACT in october..wish me luck) the military will hopefully be able to help me with that.

But I thought you could only go to college while serving? Once you leave the military the financial aid thing would be gone?

 

[dbighead2]

for the two guys in the airforce, why do you guys hate it so much?

 

[Christian Soldier]

Re: Re: Airforce or Navy? (experienced individuals help please!)

Why? So you too can become a drug-warrior and protect the interests of the rich?

Cops do a lot more good for society then busting you ravers with candy.

Good luck Dr Greenthumb.

 

[Hektic]

Go through the news websites or watch some CNN. They have the Air Force transporting supplies in Iraq in convoys on the ground because civilian truck drivers are getting kidnapped. So don't think that you have a 100% chance of not seeing combat in the Air Force.

 

[tranceaddict420]

Air Force.
No 6 month deployments.
No having to live on base or on a ship as an E-4 (unless you are very unlucky)
People in the airforce genereorlly(SP) treat their people better.
Oh what Net said was totally right.
Btw, I'm an airforce brat, coast guard vet/wife.

 

[Hypnotik1]

It's my personal opinion that if drgreenthumb wants to be a police officer and not a manager, he should stick with enlisted. I don't have anything against officers, but most of them in do nothing but push paperwork... especially so in the Air Force.

Talk to the right recruiter and with a 4 year degree you can enlist as an E-3 or 4 (paygrades are (E)nlisted 1-10) instead of a buck private. I don't know if you can get E-4 from the Air Force, because E4 in the AF is a sergeant... in the Army it would be Specialist, and I knew several people that went to Basic Training as E-4/Specialists.

To answer ur question Web......(im in the AF) The highest he can come in w/ a 4 yr degree is an E-3......Or he can to OTS (officer training school)

E-4 is not an NCO (sergeant) But on average ity akes about 4 - 6 yrs to makie E-5.......

One thing though u need to realize about the AF right now......Is that we are under 'force shaping'.....

Force shaping is simply down sizing the AF.......The reason for this is b/c the entire military is only alloted 'x' amount of servicemen......The army and marines are in dire need of troops........The NAvy and AF especially need to make room for more Army and MArine guys.......

So as of the last year the AF has cut all bonuses......And most career fields are pretty tight........

Also i noticed u want to be a cop........Please listen to me on this one!!! DO NOT BECOME A COP IN THE MILITARY!!! It sux ass........You work extremely long hours to do noithing but sit on ur ass and guard a plane......Ask any cop in the AF if they could cross train, they would do it w/o hesitation.....

I could write alot more but i gotta get going.......Just wanted to give u a lil info about the AF...

 

[Hypnotik1]

If you join and become an MP, be prepared for A LOT of time standing at the front gate checking ids and waving people in. My friend that is an MP in the AF has also got to go through some pretty cool training though. When he was stationed in Vegas, he got to do various training exercises and schools with the DOE and other government agencies. Mind you, the chances you will ever get to use any of these skills while an MP are slim to nil.

It aint all that cool.......Seriosuly...

Also, do you want to be the equivalent of a beat cop or an investigator? If you join the AF, they have an MOS (can't remember the title off hand) that does investigative work and counter-intelligence. I think it would be a little more high speed (I use high speed lightly when referring to AF) then being a regular MP would. I do know that the investigator positions are some of the most highly coveted spots in the AF.

What u are referring to is called OSI (officers of special investigations, basically the AF's FBI)

 

[dbighead2]

Update

Ok, I took the ASVAB a few weeks ago and scored an 82. I decided that the Marine Corp wasn't the best choice for me, so I am deciding to persue a career in the Army instead. I decided I should do something in the MI field, so right now I'm looking at a 96B (Intel Analyst).

I am going up to MEPS soon to see if they have any positions available. I was wanting to see if I could get into Airborne School, so hopefully I will be able to do that also.


Thanks for all the help guys/gals.

 

[Web]

If you are going to shoot for Intel, you might have to make quite a few trips to the MEPS before they have a slot for you... but they don't tell you that you are free to wait as long as you want to pick a job, most enlistment terms allow you choice of MOS. Back in 1992 when I enlisted, I delayed my processing date by over a month (different reasons, but same results).

 

[dbighead2]

actually i just got back, and I got the job (but I need a TOP SECRET security clearance)

MEPS is insane, I know my Social Security number better than I know myself, and I can write my full name so fast the paper catches on fire.

I have never signed/initialed that many papers in my life!

I go to Ft. Leonardwood for Basic and some Ft. in Arizonia (the crazy spelled one on the south side of the state.)

I am now in the DEP and ship out when I graduate. Wish me luck.

I'll need it with that damn security clearance

 

[Web]

Dude, security clearnace checks are pretty simple... as long as you don't have an arrest record or convictions, you should be ok... unless they end up interviewing someone who doesn't have a high opinion of you... or anyone that knows your drug history. I was no angel, but most people had no idea what I was up to when I was a kid... but I'd admitted to underage drinking and experimenting with drugs when I enlisted, it did not hurt my security check at all (I had to have a TS too). They don't tell you this but if you have a job requirment for high level clearnace, as soon as you enter basic training you are set up with a Secret level clearance. Right off the bat.

On the signature thing, let me give you a nickels worth of free advice... start shortening your signature RIGHT NOW. By the time I got out, my signature was basically nothing but my initials with some wavy lines in-between and people told me I wrote like a doctor.

The base you are talking about... I bet it's pronounced WAH-choo-Kah, right?

 

[dbighead2]

hahahaha man you've got me laughing about the signature thing. You're exactly right though. I actually tried to spell out every single letter of my full name and it takes forever (I can barely spell my middle name in cursive since I've never had to practice it before). But the guy that was counciling me up there did what you said...his signature was his initals with squiggly lines in the middle basically.

From now on, I'm doing that...thanks for the tip man!

About the clearence, I didnt admit to the drug use since I was scared it would get me in trouble, or the fact that I've had counciling in the past for behavioral problems in school. (I used to get suspended from school for disrupting class and stuff like that (nothing serious) )

But I did admit to the fact that i got into alot of trouble, and the lady said she'd get me a waiver for it, so hopefully I'm good with that.

and thats the Ft. I cant pronounce it for shit! I'm pretty sure you were trained there too for AIT?


Again thanks for the help man. From one hopefully soon to be soldier to another.

 

[dbighead2]

Sorry for bugging you man, but who would you recommend to use for references?

I am scared to use friends, since most of them look like mad drug users and they told me I couldnt use any of my military friends, since "their address could change at any time." As she put it. And that would make the process even longer.

 

[Web]

For referances, think of people who are a little more stable than your friends... do you have any friends that are "older"? What about teachers that you get along with or had a good teacher/student relationship with? C'mon, there's gotta be one! Other kids you may have worked with at a summer job or something... As for the military friends... they are the military, they should be able to find people! That's why a lot of people that move around yearly keep the same cell phone numbers.

As for Whachuka, I've never been there... just heard it SO much it's one of the weird one's I never forgot.

 

[dbighead2]

yeah man thats what I wanted to tell her (but didnt because I thought it would sound rude) It's the MILITARY they can find anyone!

I asked her about using my principal (to show how much I've changed since he first met me) she said that she doubted that I actually "knew" him. And she said that most school people really don't like to be bothered to answer questions. Which I think is stupid, since basically what they're doing is probably the same thing as having a teacher fill out a "recommendation" for college.

As for teachers....she said the same thing.

I could probably use a few of my friends parents, since they are well established and know me fairly well.

actually the Ft. is spelled.. Huachuca...but its pronounced the way you spelled it...weird name if you ask me lol

but thanks for your help, I'll keep you updated. I've got a few weeks to get the information, so I should be good.