i'm in Air Force I wont say dont do it but, think about it seriously. Its not bad, but there is a lot of bs (more so then a normal job).

 

For those of you who say " Don't do it" can you add as to why you should not join. It would be nice to hear the pros and cons and will help buck make a better decision.

 

yeah the military has alot of BS..but every job has some type of BS. if you aint doing nothing good in your life, then military might be a good option. i mean seriously, u dont have to worry bout losing your job, medical or any of that. i am thankful for everything the air force has done for me. alot of people in the military like to think its dumb and they have dumb **** to do and want to get out. then they end up where they left off. moving back in with mom and dad. thats kinda stupid.


seriously be late for 3 week times in a week and see if u still have your job? in the air force, you wont lose your job. simple as that.


i cant be that guy 28 years old working in a mall selling cell phones, or making 12 bucks an hour. that wont get u nowhere.

 

true...they treat you like crap...If i had a chance to do it all over again i would of definately NOT do it. The only way Ill join the military again is if i get done with college and have a hard time finding a job. That way I can at least be a 2LT (with a college degree). I would also find the easiest most comfortable branch to join (Air Force). No offense air force guys...I like your branch. It just get tired living in the field doing bull **** work all day.

As for giving young buck a reason not to join, well...people should only join if they are interested in joining. I joined because i wanted to see how military life was like. Dont ever join a career just for the money...you'll find that its never worth it (especially if you join the military for the money). The military is great for people looking for adventure, people who want to serve their country and for other reasons that escape my mind at the momment.

I went through so much bs that I say dont join...but that doesnt mean that other people didnt had a great time. Everybody's experience is different.

 

Been in the Marines for 5 years now and still love it. Im on Embassy Guard duty now, and nothing beats this job. Nothing!

 

to the OP, join the military. i would join the air force and do something in the medical field. then, go back home on leave and see the same people doin the same stuff.


i feel bad when i go home and i see the same 20-28 year old dude working in the movies buttering my popcorn making 6 bucks an hour. alot of people dog the military when they fail to realize they are better off now than when they first joined. i know i have for sure.

 

keep the info rolling guys any storys or things that u guys did out there

 

Im in the Navy, been in for 4 years now.. about to re-up for another 4, Not a bad job.. I work on f-18s Im a Mech, engine/fuel system work, for those that dont know. I came in an e-1, and in 3 years I have made it to e-5. After e-4 pay is good, and if you get to live off base, you get housing money which helps out too.. This aint for everyone, but it works for me. I am only 24, but I have a 2006 yukon, and my 2002 TA, and I am not broke either, so money wize, like any job, as long as you are good with your cash, and dont mind the structure of the military, then you will be g2g.. I can get out after I am 40, get retirement, get health benifits for life, and while your in, if your motivated to do so, you can get a degree for nothing while your in, and then use your GI bill to get one after your out, or maybe go to SAM or UTI.. thats kinda my plan.. but like everyone else that aint nay saying rightnow.. It is really up to you, and if you can make the sacrafices that come with the job, but like everything else is life, its what you make of it.

Sorry, but my little brother is kinda in the same boat as you, so this is a subject kinda near and dear to me rightnow..

Hope it helps

 

All ill say is , Have been in Army for 9 yrs, been deployed 7 times out of the 9, watched my daughters grow up via webcam and and phone, been home for 2 birthdays out of 9. But its what i felt i needed to do so my childen could have the things i could not growing up. I regret some of my choices of coming in the military and others i do not, All i can say is be true to yourself and the choice u make and you will nvr go wrong.

 

marine for a little over 3 years, sgt, i like my pay. it'll suck when you first start out, but once you get past your first year, it gets better because you start to get promoted, you don't have to deal with the same kind of BS that junior people do (although your responsibilities will grow with each promotion). it's not for everyone, but it will surely pay your bills if you can manage money, and you get good cash when you deploy.

and on the subject of getting paid, i had a ssgt tell me once when we were in a pre-deployment class: yeah this sucks, but there's not many places where you can sit around all day and get paid, just to listen to someone yap.

sometimes i hate life more than ever, other times it's nice that i will always get a constant check, and it's usually the same amount, give or take a few dollars. making a decision on what you'd want to do in the military would make it easier to decide if and what you want to join.

 

Well said. Exactly why I got out, but I'm in the national guard now, which is a ****** joke.

 

If your broke and don't have a job, what do you have to lose? I've been in 6 years and have done a lot of ****. Your experience will depend on what job you sign up for and what unit you end up assigned to. It's possible to do 4 years without going anywhere or doing anything.

 

i hear ya on that!!! to the OP, if u got kids, yeah its gonna be tough being away. but you know what, your trying to provide your kids with the best quality of life. just remember, your family has medical benefits. in civilian u got to pay for prescriptions, and if your kids are sick take time off which = less hours at work which = less pay. the military is a good thing as u wont lose any pay.

and im security forces by the way which is military police in the air force. but no doubt i would do something in the medical field.


honestly, the military is f*cking easy. just go to work and do what your suppose to do. simple as that.

 

with the economy the way it is a guaranteed paycheck is pretty nice, id go air force if i could get back in

 

I joined the Navy last Feb and am about to make E-4. Im also going to say not join but think long and hard before you commit to this **** because you arent getting out just because you want to. Ive been stranded in Great Lakes, Illinois for the last year bored out of my mind but Ive been making money this whole time and Im about to get transferred to San Diego to enjoy the sunshine. Life could be so much worse for a 20 year old with no degree and only 2 years of work experience.

 

If you are interested in police work you should look into explorer programs in your area. It will give you an idea of what you will be getting into and a lot of good contacts if you decide to do it.

Ryph

 

i got out in 2002.. it was a .. lets say, mutual decision between myself and the AF at the time. hehe. had a ***** supervisor who fucked me over, but that's neither here nor there. i was in for nearly 10 years, loved it other than that supervisor. had a few issues while in, but was looking to get those turned around. you deal with BS in the military, but even from what iv'e seen on 'the outside' you deal with the same *****..

i was doing programming, database and system testing for the AWACS e3 radar. easy job, relatively speaking. don't have a degree, but making decent money on the outside now. but that's jut a matter of knowing what's around you. i've thought about going back in, i miss it alot and the comradery, i can't spell that word. i still talk to many of the guys that i knew then. if my back wasn't screwed up and my being on percocet, i'd probably look to get back in, cept i like being home too much also.

think about it.. get into the med field if you can if you do go in, and definitely the AF.

if you have any questions about my time or anything, please feel free to msg me.

 

Im in the marine corps. I love what i do (t58 mech)... Unfortunately for me, im in an unpromotable mos, sux to see all the guys you came in with pick up rank again and again, while i still stay the same rank... Not because im a shitbag but because the corps says it... Mos has been closed for the past year... Sux but im going to re-enlist soon...

 

I was in the ARMY for 3 years (straight out of high school at 17) i was a combat engineer. for one of those years i did a tour in iraq i chose a combat job and don't regret it one bit, like was said by another member you leave home, can't wait to get back to your friends and family only to realize nobody has grown up yet and everybody is stuck on being in their hometown. got out because i wanted to go to school.

GI bill was nice but i was used to making a bigger paycheck joined the air force reserves to pick up extra income now i am a crew-chief on a kc-10 and love i mean absolutely love my part time job with the air force they PAY me to travel the world can you believe that? it's not like the marines and army where they pay you to visit the sand boxes lol (no **** talking just being pretty realistic) i mean i get to go to hawaii, guam, japan, england, and some really nice parts in the us vegas being one of them lol, you can see now why i love my job. on the active side of things here in travis afb man those air men get treated sooo well it's not even funny, i am jealous of how well they are treated compared to my army brethren. by the way when you travel out of state or country you get per diem which is extra pay per day. if i could do it all over again i would join active duty air force right after the army (i would never give up the memories or what i went through in the army) and stay in for 20+ years i love it that much. the active duty crewchiefs fly all the time they have dedicated flying crewchiefs and let me tell you those guys make really good money and get to see the world over and over (it takes them a while because they have to get promoted and have a certain skill level before they become flying crewchiefs) and if you go active and deploy it's only for 4 months in my career field its hard work but i know guys i went through tech school with, that have deployed and are volunteering to deploy again they love their jobs as well. truly the best morale i have been around in my military career. if you have any questions about the air force you can pm me or ask them on here so others can get info as well.

 

There is alot of things to think about before joining its not just do or dont join the MILITARY every branch is different in alot of ways and inside those branches the different jobs can be a worls apart. I just got out of the Army after 6 years, 28 months of which spent in Iraq. i was an 11B (Infantry) and in doing that the difference from say the infantry to medical feild is like a completely different Army and im not joking... then it comes time to go on leave and your flying home and while traveling through Balad you see the Air force and Navy have there own seperate living place with a freaking Subway massage parlor and all that jazz so as i stated it can be completely different world. i got out for alot of reasons 1 being the things i just stated how can you tell me that im an E-6 living in an abandoned building getting shot at and blown up but this Navy or Air Force E-6 or even Army Finance E-6 is getting the same pay as me??? really? that part of the job is garbage literally. The Army has also made a steady transformation over the last couple years its standards are steadily decreasing over time because as the war wages on it drives away alot of good soldiers officers and NCOs you see alot of guys staying in just to get by because what the hell else are they going to do with there life??? then other guys who are hard workers get out because they are tired of the BS and want to move on and do something more.. years ago those same good guys would have stayed in but too many deployments and too much crap is driving them out. let me make so me points below maybe it will help some

Military

+++++++++++++++
1. Job security for the most part you will have a steady pay check and health care so long as you play the game and stay out of trouble even then you can still get into a pretty good amount of trouble and still stay in (ive seen some screwed up things guys have done and still allowed to stay in)

2.Provide you with a place to live, you will always have somewhere to live and so will your family

3. Comradery (or however you spell it) you will make pretty close bonds to guys over time as you live to gether eat together and dependin on what branch or MOS you joing possibly bleed together its a good feeling to know someone has your back


- - - - - - - - - - - - -
1.Someone telling you what to do... i know alot of people think thats just a problem with authority but its not ive never had a problem with someone telling me what to do what i had a problem with in the army was someone who was completely retarded telling me what to do and there was nothing i could do about it because they were my superior... its gargage and the crap that always made me almost loose my mind

2. The pay on the other end of the spectrum yes its steady but come on really? ok so i was a SSG out of FT. Wainwright Ak so i got some pretty fat pay i was making while in Iraq about 2800 every two weeks and had only been in the army like 5 years so pay was decent but at the same time you have to take a look at the hours you put in. in the Infantry i was putting in a minumum of 14-16 hours of total patroling a day most people think ok thats work time... no thats not counting the prep time and time spent after mission also and how many missions you have to stay out longer than planned

3. Deployments, i know air force and navy along with marines do shorter deployments but the army does 12 months possibly 16 if you get the shaft and get extended it sucks and out of that you only get to come home for 2 weeks of it which is not nearly enough you can ask anyone i wont even go into the other aspects of being deployed because alot of that is pretty harsh opinion which im sure some wont agree with

4. The BS! how do you like getting a phone call or knock on your door at 3AM because someone got a DUI and everyone has to come in for accountability and an *** chewing? i never liked it at all and the BS like that just gets worse and worse the more rank you get you become literally completely responsible for your soldiers decicions. this BS bullet expands quite alot i could go for days... another for the BS is if your in charge how do you feel about having to completely take care of soldiers? and i do mean completely ive had soldier married with children that were so jacked up that i controlled every aspect of there life i was paying there bills with them because they wouldent and making sure they were cleaning there house because he and his wife wouldent etc... the only thing i wasnt doing was screwing his wife and beating his kids thats about it

5. Biggest of them all and im sure it will grab some people who disagree as i stated before i was an 11B SSG i was on the streets of Iraq every day with the people trying to help them and trying catch the bad ones and heres my opinion... fighting in a BS war for a bunch of people who care nothing about you whether you live or die and no matter how much you put in knowing that this part of the world has been this way for thousands of years and no matter how many times the white men have tried to change it into a better place it simply stays the same... the middle east is a lost cause it will always be the way it is. the war in Iraq and the stan has been a waste of good men and womens life and the single biggest contributing factor to our countrys debt and why were all talking about a steady pay check and the economy. our country bleeds money giving and giving to these worthless people and we gain nothing from it and the whole reason we got into the whole thing is because " osama is in afghanistan" and "sadam has weapons of mass destruction" yeah ok... that went pretty well pretty much why we got involved was so bush, Chenney and all there friends could get filthy rich and steal America blind

So in total i listed a few more points on why not to join than to join but thats all just my opinion. i got tired of being a part of a stupid pointless war that was causing my friends and soldiers to get hurt and killed (including myself being hurt) and in the end there will be nothing to show for it.. in 15-20 years it will be just another conflict that goest down in the history books but its chapter will be far smaller than vietnams even. dont get me wrong i love america and if WW3 broke out tomorrow and there was a legit reason to join the army again because our nation was under attack and needed soldiers there would be nothing that could keep me home no matter how many kids i had i would be there and proudly give my life for our country... but not for this

end rant