Military Options

[ky_horsetrainer]

I have been considering joining our armed forces for the last year and have finally decided its time for me to make that step. I am currently looking into the Marines and Army and comparing the two. I know many of you all are currently in the armed forces or are veterans. I would really appreciate your suggestions, along with the pros and cons of both branches. I can see the pride in being a Marine as being the best of the best, but I would start out as an E-1 as if I just the Army I would start as an E-3, so I am told. Btw I am looking at the job of Combat Engineer if possible.

[keith meador]

whatever branch you join, take full advantage of any education benefit offered. that said, what will being a combat engineer do for you after your end of service? in todays changing world, if i had it to do over again, i would opt for a job in the military that has a useful demand in the civilian market.

[ky_horsetrainer]

The education benefits are one of the big reason behind joining. I really need the college assistance and as for considering combat engineer, I was doing so because I already have a knowledge for both heavy equipment, construction, and carpentry...but as you said I should try for a job that will ready me for life after service, which I really am not sure of yet. I have kind of considered taking mechanical engineering seeing that’s the type of company my dad owns and I could take it over someday, but at the same time it really doesn’t interest me at the time being...I am more into a physical line of work and that’s where excavation would suit me. Hence combat engineer.

[RutNBuck]

Semper Fi Do or Die..

Go Marine..!!!

[grouser68]

I am both...............former Marine Corps Infantry, current Ky. Guard Combat Engineer.Proud of both! If you want college now, join the Guard they pay for college.Engineer units are in Madisonville,Ashland,Prestonsburg,Olive Hill, Cynthiana, Hazard, and Jackson. You should really choose the branch thats serves your needs best, and in return, the armed forces will get another good man. Any questions, just ask!


Semper Fi/Essayons

[Xi Bowhunter]

I commend you for joining the military, we need all of you boys we can get at a time like this.

[11-87shooter]

whatever branch you join, take full advantage of any education benefit offered. that said, what will being a combat engineer do for you after your end of service? in todays changing world, if i had it to do over again, i would opt for a job in the military that has a useful demand in the civilian market.

Exactly what Keith has said. I have been in the Army for 16 years. As for a job, I took Tanks (nice ride, safe, and fun to shoot). That being said it doesnt qualify me for nothing in a few years when i retire, lol. If you do it right and get the right schools while in there is some real good money to be made working with the military when your time is up. Right now I am a
1SG for a CAV scout basic training unit. Also you get $4500 a year for tuition assisstance while you are in. online college is easy to do and i am enjoying it right now. I took the GI Bill when i joined but i doubt i will probably use it when i get out, im almost done now.

If you have any questions give me a holler, also buckweather (he is a member on here also) is also a 1SG with me and he can give you some insight in the Infantry side of the house.(i figure why carry a weapon, when your weapon can carry you).

[aceoky]

FWIW, while you're at it don't forget to look at the US Navy...... ;)

Good skills for when you get out ......VERY good training, our son-in-law is working on becoming a Navy Officer, (he had a 4.0 GPA in a local college before he joined.......so I'd guess he made an "informed decision" ) :)

[beaver396]

From my what i have been told by my friends in the army, the Air force seems to get all the good stuff, such as A/C, nice beds and all that type of stuff if that matters to you.

[Duster]

Don't overlook the Air force. When I was in it was more like a 9 to 5 job. The training was more on the tech side in most fields and they do have engineers also. And less likely to be sent someplace to be shot at. And BTW the basic training was a heck of a lot shorter then the other branches at 6 weeks.

[GSP]

I talked to a guy this week that is 20 yr Air Force. His advice, go Air Force, they don't go in until the AC, PX and bowling alleys are in place!:)

[drakeshooter]

FWIW, while you're at it don't forget to look at the US Navy...... ;)

Good skills for when you get out ......VERY good training, our son-in-law is working on becoming a Navy Officer, (he had a 4.0 GPA in a local college before he joined.......so I'd guess he made an "informed decision" ) :)

As a Navy veteran, you should be aware of the pros and cons.

Pros:

The typical sailor doesn't haven't to worry about weapons training in boot camp...just folding your clothes the right way and mopping the head (bathroom for grunts and jarheads). You aren't really trained to fight, just do your part to care of the ship that does the fighting for you. The food is always hot and fresh. You don't sleep on the ground. You get to have a mustache. There aren't any IEDs on the ocean. You get to travel to many different ports and meet many different kinds of girls. Women love sailors!

Cons:

The bad part is that when you are "underway", you work 18 hour days, 7 days a week. The ship doesn't take off because it is Saturday. They run out of fresh milk and eggs after a couple of weeks and then you have two weeks of powdered milk and eggs before resupply. The bunks are stacked three high and 50 men might sleep in an area 1500 square feet...if one man stinks or gets, um, a certain kind of lice, um, you all get to smell it or catch it.:mad: Enemy ships in wartime try to sink your ship and it is typically a long way from land.:eek: A lot of male family members of women hate sailors.;)

If I had it to do over again, I'd probably join the Air Force....or maybe the Texas Air National Guard like W did and never have to worry about getting shot at.....:rolleyes:

[naturalelite]

No idea on which branch to join but thank you in advance for the hard work and time you are fixing to put forth to make sure I am safe.

[WBBP]

If you like getting your hands dirty, sleeping on the ground or on 64 tons of steel, cold showers, cold food, lot's of BS, great experiences, great friends and shooting at the enemy at 45 MPH at nearly 2 miles (maybe further), I would opt for the Army and either tanks or combat engineers (less shooting).

Either would allow you to get down and dirty. IMO, a tank is a pretty safe place to be (comparitvely) in combat, plus it has awesome firepower to defend you.

If you like sharing your bed with several men, join the Navy. If you like a 9-5 job, join the AF.

If you re not sure, joing the NG. The KY Guard has plenty of units to pick from all over the state.

Good luck.

[PhilpotHunter]

If you like getting your hands dirty, sleeping on the ground or on 64 tons of steel, cold showers, cold food, lot's of BS, great experiences, great friends and shooting at the enemy at 45 MPH at nearly 2 miles (maybe further), I would opt for the Army and either tanks or combat engineers (less shooting).

Either would allow you to get down and dirty. IMO, a tank is a pretty safe place to be (comparitvely) in combat, plus it has awesome firepower to defend you.

If you like sharing your bed with several men, join the Navy. If you like a 9-5 job, join the AF.

If you re not sure, joing the NG. The KY Guard has plenty of units to pick from all over the state.

Good luck.

And if you want to be the best, and part of a brothership that very few people can claim membership to, join the Marine Corp. My two brothers and I were all in the Marines, and I have a brother-in-law that is currently serving in Iraq on his third tour as a Combat engineer. I say go where the pride and training are the best, the Marine Corp.

If you have any questions let me know, shoot me a PM. i would be glad to help out any way I can.

[eddiejohn4]

As a marine you can guess what I would say. Besides that go for an education.:)

Once a marine always a marine

Semper Fi

[BearsBud]

From my what i have been told by my friends in the army, the Air force seems to get all the good stuff, such as A/C, nice beds and all that type of stuff if that matters to you.


Don't believe everything you are told about the fine life in the Air Force. I spent a very long month in Egypt while in the Air Force, sleeping in a tent, square wood toilet seats, cold showers and MRE's. BUT, I would not have chosen another branch. There are also many great assignments and jobs, my middle son, after many hours of brow beating to go AF joined the Army. He spent the next several years saying "I should have joined the AF". Kids, they never listen. Whichever branch you decide on, you have and will have much to be proud of. While the branches argue amoungst themselves during peace time, when it comes to a fight we are all of one family. Best of luck to you.

[Pugs]

The education benefits are one of the big reason behind joining. I really need the college assistance and as for considering combat engineer, I was doing so because I already have a knowledge for both heavy equipment, construction, and carpentry...but as you said I should try for a job that will ready me for life after service, which I really am not sure of yet. I have kind of considered taking mechanical engineering seeing that’s the type of company my dad owns and I could take it over someday, but at the same time it really doesn’t interest me at the time being...I am more into a physical line of work and that’s where excavation would suit me. Hence combat engineer.

With that experience and wanting continue it don't forget the Navy Seebees! Every trade you can imagine and CE work as well.

Hard to go really wrong with any of the branches. You'll get the same education benefits from everyone. There's a good chance in this day and age that you'll end up deployed some place in the GWOT. Frankly deployment is good. I feel sorry for the folks that joined the service and never saw anything but an Air Force base in North Dakota. In my twenty years in Naval Aviation I saw all 50 states and 47 foreign countries and every continent except Antartica.

[harpp]

As a retired Army recruiter just let me say check with all the services. See what you can get guaranteed in your contract before you sign the paper work. Check for additional options that each branch can provide i.e. College fund, bonus, station of choice, student loan repayment if you already have any student loans. Just don't let any recruiters try to push you into something you don't want to do. If you have any questions shoot me a pm. Also don't know if it applies to you but different branches have different requirements regarding law violations, drug use, medical issues, and weight standards. So just because one says you can't go doesn't mean you can't join the others.

[grouser68]

All the benefits for the different branches are not the same! Marines just started giving bonus', I don't know the amount. As for education, the NG has federal and state benefits, the benefits vary from state to state. Just do your homework, and try to find a serviceman to go see the recruiter with you, a subject matter expert will know what questions to ask.

[MsgMills]

I wasn't going to reply to the tread: But I just couldn't hold back any longer...

I served 20 plus years in the Army and retired... I served in the Infantry and the last 12 years in the Quartermaster Field ( Supply )....

I was told as well as everyone else that the education is there for everyone to get if and when you get the time off to do it...

Well from first hand experience thee wasn't anytime to do it...

Up at 4:30 am, off to the Barracks to get my men up and ready for PT ( Physical Training )...After about an 1 1/2 hours of PT and making sure the Barracks is Spit shined to perfection. It was off to some type of training or to the Motor pool. Maybe get off of duty by 5:00 pm or most times by as late as 7:00 pm. This was routine 5 to 6 days a week, no time for a family life or college education....

Field training sometimes for as many as 20 days or more at a time and come back in and then go out again for another 15 days... Cold, hot, sweaty, and hungry most of the time...

Too much hurry up and wait as well...

Taking order's from (NEW) 2nd Lt's fresh out of Officer's Training School, who might have 90 days of total service time and you might have 2 years or more of service, who they think they know everything there is about the Military that they learned in those 90 days... Just because they got a College degree they think they know more than a person who doesn't have a degree. ( A lot of BS to put up with in the Military , and I mean a lot )

Also, when I was in, the system worked like this...If you join and are assigned to say Fort Campbell, Ky. with the 101st. and then it's time to be stationed overseas for a tour after say 18 months at Campbell. The area of assignment for Fort Campbell is Korea. So you would go to Korea for 2 years. After the 2 years you would go back to Fort Campbell, Ky. after a period of time you would go back to Korea again and vice versus each time. The only way to get out of this tour rotation is to go to say Fort Polk, LA., you would go from Ft. Polk to Illesheim, Germany for 18 months if single or up to 3 years if married. Then back to Ft. Polk, LA. get my drift on how the Army works as far as seeing the world now. But now you could wind up serving time in Iraq and then back to Ft. Campbell, and then back to Iraq...

But you know that was the mess you sign up for in the Army...

Now the Combat Engineers are probably not far from this type of duty as well, in MHO....

Got to ask yourself, do I want to do this full time or part time and get the benefits the Military has to offer as far as education benefits go. If this is the life you want 365 days a year for as many as you want to serve then go ahead and join full time. But if you don't want to do this sort of thing day in and day out then only join the Reserve Forces...Only thing is you will probably be mobilized to Iraq or somewhere else during your service time.

So you see, I got plenty of Knowledge about the Army and the way it works...So think long and hard before you join any service and talk to a lot of former members of each branch.

The Recruiter is going to tell you the truth about the Military in general, but they aren't going to tell you a lot of the negatives about it, cause they have a mission / goal to get people in the service, cause if they don't recruit people, they will be transfered out to some place else and a new Recruiter will take their place...It's all about head count to the Recruiter's and Yes it's true...

I've got two son's and believe me, I will do everything in my power to persuade them into ( NOT ) joining the Army, my brother-in-law served in the Air Force and by far it is more of a 9 to 5 job if there ever was a Military job to have. So if I had to do it all over again, I'd have joined the Air Force before any other branch of the Service...Pride and Honor has nothing to do with it, getting an education and learning a skill that will help you out in the real world is what's most important in making a decision on what to do when you sign up. Now if you make a full time career out of the Military, think about your choice as well...Because even after retirement, you'll still need to get another type of job afterwards to help supplement your income to make it in life..

So think long and think a while longer before you decide on which one to join...Take care and good luck on whatever choice you do decide on....

[Lil Gsp]

If you're still in college you really should think about looking at Senior ROTC programs. The guy my dad talked to you told me that it would be easier because you would be coming out an enlisted officer already making more money than an NCO plus your college will be paid for and while in college you can get the full ride scholarship which pays for everything and gives you an extra bonus just to have. The requirements are not hard either, just gotta do push-ups, sit-ups and run 2 miles. Really think about that.

[Pugs]

All the benefits for the different branches are not the same! Marines just started giving bonus', I don't know the amount. As for education, the NG has federal and state benefits, the benefits vary from state to state. Just do your homework, and try to find a serviceman to go see the recruiter with you, a subject matter expert will know what questions to ask.

Perhaps I wasn't clear. The education benefits are the same.

Other benefits vary by service including signing and retention bonuses. Certainly going ROTC and coming in as an officer will lead to a better quality of life however do not equate it with it being any easier life. You'll work harder than you ever imagined in most of the services. Certainly each service has paths that are easier than others. I'm a retired Navy Commander (0-5) and I'm very pleased with the path I took which was a non-ROTC scholarship to school then Aviation Officer Candidate School then to flight school and thence the fleet.