Well I've been doing a lot of thinking of what Im gonna do with my life. I never really thought about what I wanted to do when I grew up in high school, I was to busy partying or hanging out with friends. Right now Im in an aerospace welding class, but I'm not sure its what I wanna do for the rest of my life. My mom told me I should join a military branch because I could do some welding in it and get some benefits or what not. I've been doing some research and found out the army and navy have some welding schools, but I also found that you can be a machinest in the Marines, and thats more along the lines of what I'd like to do, they do some metal work and welding, and I really dont want to join the navy. I've looked into it a little bit. I figured I might go into this, then when I get out come back home and get a job in aerospace welding.

I know my mom won't want me joining the marines because she'd think I'd get sent straight to Iraq to get shot at, which is fine by me because Im sick of being stuck in this boring town going no were, and I wouldnt mind doing something for my country. I just wouldnt want to join if she didnt want me to, call me a mommas boy if you want I'll just tell her "Hoo Rah im getting out of here"! She'll want me to go into ROTC before I do anything military, but im not sure about that. Its a class you take so you go in as an officer or something like that.

I've been looking into what kind of exercises I'll have to do to get somewhat ready for marine boot camp, mostly running, which isnt good cause I've only been a weight room type of person from highschool, so bench pressing, curls, pull ups, crunches, military press, leg press, leg curls and what-not will be fine, I'll just have to start running a lot. Sure wont be Kansas anymore Toto getting yelled at for 13 weeks, but oh well.

Anyone else been in the Army or Marines? and what was it like, how tough was it and were you scared the day before you left for boot camp? Was it better for you as a person or turn you into a better person? Im just wondering what it was like to be in the armed forces for 4 years, since alls I've seen for 18 years is this boring town. My buddy is going to a recruiter cause he wants to join the air force reserves, and he said the marine recruiter was in the same building, so I might go with him to see the recruiter. I'm gonna do a lot more research about this online, prolly for the best.

 

StrokerDeezel here on FTE is a Navy recruiter. I'll send him this link. He's a good guy and can answer some of your questions.

I'm not and never have been in the military. I have several friends who are though and all of them love it and they've been taken care of very well. I think it's an excellent career choice and can really help you out down the road in terms of education and job training.

 

Well I dont have a criminal record...somehow. Well besides dumb stuff I did when I was in middle school, me and a few of my buddies decieded to go bird hunting with BB guns, and failed to see a house behind the small tree the birds were in...but thats when I was like 13 years old, prolly wont matter. Havent got cought doing any other dumb stuff. No medical problems or anything and Im not allergic to anything. I'm 6' 195, I've lost weight, and when I start running miles on a regular basis in my spare time, which I have a lot of, will probobly loose more weight. I'm not obesse or anything.

My buddy that wants to go to the recruiter actually was gonna join the Navy, he was gonna do some fire fighting thing, but he failed the, I think its "ASVAB" test, from which I understand is the easiest test known to man. Now he wants to join the air force reserves.

I'm kinda upset that you dont get to pick your job though, you cant like offer to be in a certain one or anything?

 

First off, I'll vouch for Dusten too- good guy

This is getting to be a familiar theme around here. I'm not going to advise for or against, but a couple of things I've learned in the past few weeks.

There is an ASVAB study guide available (local bookstores should carry it. Buy it and bury yourself in it. It's not just a matter of passing the ASVAB- the higher the score, the more job opportunities are open to you. The ASVAB score will also determine what branches of the service you'd be eligible for. I believe there's also a pre-ASVAB you can take.

Take Community College courses. Some should be available through your local HS. My son had his diploma and almost a year of CC course credits behind him when he enlisted. The difference is (recruiters correct me, please) your status when you enlist... and the Montgomery/GI Bill $$$'s available to you. Nick picked up an extra $34,000 (!) because of those college credits, for a total of $67,800. That ain't small change, Add a $20,000 signing bonus and you're almost talking real money.

Finally, there are a lot of service people on these boards that are very supportive and helpful- and I am deeply grateful to each and every one of them.

Good luck to you, whatever you choose.

 

You have some choice, but no guarantee of what it is going to be. The asvab is by no means the easiest test in the world, while it isnt diffificult, it is a very good judge of you level of intelligence. You are within height weight standards. Your criminal record, be it juvenile or adult will be looked at, so dont hold anything back. Max weight for 72" is 196, and if you are over weight, you will most likely be with in body fat standards. Polarbear is right, the higher the score the more jobs available. College credits = more money as a sign on bonus.

 

I am glad to see people like you who actually believe in fighting for their country. I joined the Army as an Infantry officer and I'm currently serving as a platoon leader for a CAV Scout platoon. The Army has been very good to me and I personally love it. There is alot of opportunities out there within the military so look at all of your options carefully. The signing bonuses these days are quite unbelievable for new recruits which is a great plus. The best approach is to go in the military with the attitude that you want to serve your country. The "whats in it for me" crowd tend to have the wrong attitude right from the start, which can hinder their performance later. The best soldiers I have ever met are the ones who do it for God and Country. Serving your country is a very honorable proffesion and I hope you find the right branch/specialty thats right for you.

Good Luck.

 

Yeah the sign on bonuses are pretty big, but thats the least of why I want to join, thats just a plus, something on the side. I'm just ready to get out of here and do something you know, tired of the same old same old. And the thought of men out there getting shot at and shooting others, and going thru crap I cant imagine, thousands of miles from a place called home...so I can sit around this town being useless, has got me thinking a lot. Its time for me to grow up

This whole joining the military thing is probobly the best and most productive thinking I've ever done. I hope it all goes well, my biggest concern is my mom actually, I know she wont want me going into the army or the marines. She'll want me going into some kind of reserve "1 weekend a month" deal. I dont see that happening.

 

JUST to let you know that is what is going to happen if you join any branch i just got back from iraq and the recruiters are trying to make deals to get you to join if you dont want to go to iraq then dont join now if you do want to go then be my guest the iraqies are getting smarter they figured out how to defeat our bullet proof trucks

 

Forsaken, remember punctuation. Makes it easier to follow your baseless rant.

Schmid, the best decision I ever made was joining the military (Air Force). I grew up a lot, got an education, and a skill to use once I got out. Personally I'd have a hard time joining the Marines, or Army right now. With situations around the world guess what the "needs of service" are.

You can get a guaranteed job in both the Air Force and Navy. Just be sure to pick your job wisely to ensure marketability once your enlistment is up. Not a whole lot of demand for bomb loaders in the civilian world (no offense to the bomb loaders out there ).

Good luck with a difficult decision. I'm sure you will do well with whatever choice you make.

 

Your on the right track with your thought process. Joining the military is a commitment.

My grandpa is a WWII vet, was in the navy for seven years, was on the USS Nevada in Pear Harbor. Man, does he have the stories to tell. My dad was in the army, went to Vietnam in '68-'69. He has stories, but he doesn't tell them all that much. But, through all the crap they went through, they still think that serving your country is one of the best things you can do. Their reasoning is always the same, "I've been out there, and you don't know how good we got it over here." We have something in this country worth fighting for that alot of other countries don't, freedom.

You have my support

 

I spent some time in the Army and the Marines and there are many, many good things I could say about the experience and the rewards I received. That said, if you asked if I would do it over again ..... NOT A CHANCE. Some personality types really fit well into a regimented lifestyle while others don't. I enjoyed the technical training I received and the camaraderie of my buds, but I hated being told what I would wear, what I would eat and when, where I would live, what job(s) I would do, what hours I would keep ..... the list goes on. In other words, I was not in control of my life during that time. I understand why just about everybody I knew could tell you exactly how many days were left in their enlistment and why very few re-uped. If you decide to go, then give it your best and enjoy the good parts as best as you can, but give the decision a lot of thought. Good luck.
Dono

 

ive taken the asvab once, and that test was a joke. However if your score determines where youll be in the service then id studdy really hard. Im sure things are alot different from when my dad was in the marines, but so far as boot camp he said they never really lifted weights. He said they did a lot of running, pull ups, push ups, and especially that one workout that i always forget the name of where from a standing position you drop straight down to your hands, thrust your legs out, bring them in and stand back up real quick. Keep in mind though my dads 50 now and he was in the marines when he was like 20 or something.
oh yea, dont take ROTC man, we gave those kids hell in high school haha

 

That exercise was called the "squat thrust". I hated the pullups after running 50 yards in combat boots.
Dono

 

If you are going to school to be an aerospace welder, consider the Air Force. Like the Navy, they guarantee jobs before you join. However, right now they are downsizing, so you might have better luck in the Navy. I was an aircraft mechanic for 10 years, and didn't particularly care for it. However, the welders work inside, and have a little better life, so you might not mind it. I got out to go to ROTC because of that. Like others have said, the military treats you well overall. I just wanted a different job. One thing you might consider is the guard or reserve to ease into the mentality and see if you like it. Then you could go active duty later if you wanted.

 

I just retired from 21 years in the Air Force on November 1st. My time in the Air Force was both the best and worst times of my life. But, having said that, the best times outweigh the worst times by a large margin. I know I'm biased but I will recommend the Air Force over the other branches and would place the Navy as my second choice. I have family members who have served in all branches and there are good points and bad points about all of them. If you have a chance to get some college in or join ROTC (at college, not HS) go for it. Normally everyone starts with no stripes (each stripe is a pay raise and increase in responsibility), a year of college gets you one stripe and two years gets you two stripes from the day you complete Basic. ROTC is a scholarship program, officers need a Bachelor's degree and ROTC will pay for it if you commit to serving in which ever branch sponsored you for (I think) four years after graduation. Wish someone would have told me that when I was 18. Officers make lots more money but have much more responsibility. Anyway, I have spent a year or more in 4 different countries and have visited at least eight more, YMMV. The chance to travel and see a variety of cultures was one of the biggest pluses of my career. Most jobs in the AIr Force are technical in some way and provide good background for employment in the civilian world. Having just went through my first civilian job search, right now I would recommend trying for Information Technology or somthing technical in the medical fields (both needing good ASVAB scores) as being the hottest jobs if you only serve one enlistment. One last note, being self diciplined is the key to success. Do what you have been trained to do the way you have been trained to do it and avoid situations where peer pressure can lead you down the wrong road. We just had to kick out a young man who was a great radio technicain because of drinking under age. Peer pressure lead him to make that mistake when he only had 2 months until his 21st birthday. Now he has thrown a promising career out the window and hurt his chances of getting a good civilian job. The more mature you show yourself to be, the more opportunities for growth will come your way. Sorry for the long windedness. Good luck in whatever you choose to do.