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Posted: 2/27/2017 9:29:52 AM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I thought about joining back in 1980 at the tender age of 20. I didn't do authority well and still don't like people telling me what to do so I made a wise decision not to join. I've never read anything like that in one of these threads. Would you have knocked out the Drill Instructor? (In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't join because I didn't want to.) |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 9:30:13 AM EDT
[#2]
You're not too old.........there's still time.
I joined the Army at 29. 19D Cav Scout. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 9:33:15 AM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Look on the bright side. You still have all your limbs. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 9:33:36 AM EDT
[#4]
Not the Marines but I joined the Navy at 19 years old and spent 6 years in. I made E-6 in 5 years and my ship was shocked when I told them I was getting out. I got out to go to college because that was my plan all along.
OP, the only reason you should have any regret is if you pissed away the past 10 years doing nothing constructive. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 9:35:54 AM EDT
[#5]
For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, “It might have been.” – John Greenleaf Whittier.
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Posted: 2/27/2017 9:36:52 AM EDT
[#6]
I have problems, but I don't have this problem.
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Posted: 2/27/2017 9:47:03 AM EDT
[#7]
Life is strange.
Sometimes you take the road that goes left and sometimes you take the one headed right. It's fun at times to do the "what if" game. Reflection, we all do it as we get older. 
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Posted: 2/27/2017 9:49:07 AM EDT
[#8]
I know my Marine buddy did not get what he originally signed up to do.
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Posted: 2/27/2017 9:50:33 AM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I know my Marine buddy did not get what he originally signed up to do. I was guaranteed my MOS. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 9:54:46 AM EDT
[#10]
Hey, you never know... with the advances in stopping age and age reversing, you might get your chance in 20-30 years from now.
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Posted: 2/27/2017 9:59:57 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
The Mrs and I talked to an army recruiter this weekend. And we're both older than OP. Married couples joining never last! |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:02:50 AM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Married couples joining never last! TRUTH! |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:06:30 AM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It's not too late at 29 years old. 28 and I'm at a point in my life that would not fit well with that life. (married and trying for a kid) I have thought about the National Guard though, I wouldn't have to relocate. Sure a deployment is possible, but that would be strongly preferred to relocation of my family. My wife's family is here along with her work, I don't see her moving. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:07:06 AM EDT
[#14]
Quoted:
My senior year of HS, I was debating on joining the Marine Corps after graduation, the recruiter there had just about talked me into joining as an MP, but after awhile I decided against it. Actually I didn't, I just never made up my mind to do it... Anyway, the conversation came up yesterday with a few USMC vets in the family and it had me thinking out of pure curiosity, if I had joined in the summer or early fall of 2006 as an MP, where would I likely have ended up, and what would I have been doing? Knowing myself well enough, I'm sure so would have asked for some type of deployment if the opportunity arose (assuming that I wasn't already) but I admittedly know squat about MPs and I'm glad that I didn't join as one. Armor would have been more my speed looking back. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:07:11 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Well, assuming you weren't a fuck up, you would probably be a Staff Sergeant. That means, you would be assigning a Sergeant or Corporal to oversee a bunch of non-rates to sweep gravel, paint rocks, and shine brass. Before the unit secures for the day, you would mosey on out and pick that shit apart because that's what you do. Until then, you would sit in the office and write bad FitReps while chain smoking and drinking coffee by the gallon while brown nosing Top (Master Sergeant). Once secured for the day, you would go to the Staff Club and drink till it closed and then go home and look back on the day and wonder how you can improve your "being a dick" skill. Welcome to The Suck. This just reinforced my belief that I made the right choice, thanks.
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:07:21 AM EDT
[#16]
Quoted:
it had me thinking out of pure curiosity, if I had joined... I'm glad I will never have that thought. Carpe diem. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:10:57 AM EDT
[#17]
I often wonder the opposite. I wonder where my life may have gone if I didn't enlist in 04. Probably really lame and boring.
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:11:54 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I've never read anything like that in one of these threads. Would you have knocked out the Drill Instructor? (In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't join because I didn't want to.) I doubt it, but he could have just been miserable for four years, never made rank, just said "fuck it" over every assignment, and just counted the days until his enlistment was over. Some people just don't dig the service. Me, I tried grew up in a military family, tried to go the ROTC route, couldn't hack it because of physical problems, and years latter realized the only reason I even tried it was because of unresolved daddy issues. I'm glad I tried, but doubt I would have enjoyed the service life. It's not for everyone and in retrospect I realize just how much I wouldn't have been a fit for the environment. And even if the OP had gone in, or I had gone in, neither of us would be the same man we are today. I'm glad to have had the experiences I ended up having, if for or no other reason, than the bit of self-realization I did end up with. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:24:38 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I was guaranteed my MOS MOS or field? Anywho, maybe OP will come to terms that his younger self was a pussy |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:26:12 AM EDT
[#20]
I never post in these, but you know screw it.
I enlisted in the USAR in 97, drilled with my unit for 6 months, the went to Basic. Has a very good, hard, and personally transformative 5 weeks until they said, "oh sorry you are not medically fit, so peace out" and it cost me a fucked up year of college. I had a plan laid out to go ROTC, had planned to go active, and then poof. I tried again to get in first to the ARNG and then to the USCG and the recuiters tried but once MEPS saw my profile it was nope not worth it. So I went and volunteered the best I could, filled some silly jobs that active guys got the day off, in a small way help train some pretty high speed guys, and did what bit I could. So at least you have the luxury of having an academic "what if". Some of us tried and despite ourselves we will never get to answer the question you asked and could still answer. Not getting to be called Sergeant is the only task I believe I have failed to achieve in life so far. Rant off  
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:27:05 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
MP's are despised in the Marine Corps by other Marines. Every Marine is your brother, except these guys tend to fuck you over. They're like a different tier of buddy fuckers. Not to mention hoorah Lcpl with a badge. Dad DID say they LOVED to fuck with you. He wasn't enamored with them. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:27:24 AM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
MOS or field? Anywho, maybe OP will come to terms that his younger self was a pussy I would call Aviation a field. I was guaranteed Aviation Ordnance. Which is my MOS. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:29:22 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I never post in these, but you know screw it. I enlisted in the USAR in 97, drilled with my unit for 6 months, the went to Basic. Has a very good, hard, and personally transformative 5 weeks until they said, "oh sorry you are not medically fit, so peace out" and it cost me a fucked up year of college. I had a plan laid out to go ROTC, had planned to go active, and then poof. I tried again to get in first to the ARNG and then to the USCG and the recuiters tried but once MEPS saw my profile it was nope not worth it. So I went and volunteered the best I could, filled some silly jobs that active guys got the day off, in a small way help train some pretty high speed guys, and did what bit I could. So at least you have the luxury of having an academic "what if". Some of us tried and despite ourselves we will never get to answer the question you asked and could still answer. Not getting to be called Sargent is the only task I believe I have failed to achieve in life so far. Rant off Luckily you can always become a Sergeant in the local Militia. Sargent's are more rare. 
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:33:34 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I was guaranteed my MOS. Me too. 03 
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:35:12 AM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Meh, I had other things going on and I don't regret it. I have all the respect in the world for our vets and I don't pretend to have been mil. If someone wants to pile on me for that, then let 'em have at it. I'm not going to pile on you, because I have heard the whole "I was going to enlist, but I have flat feet" bullshit a thousand times. It's the excuse people like you use when you are in the company of those that swore an "Oath of Enlistment". I guess it makes people like you think that you are on equal terms, merely because you thought about it once. I don't disparage those that didn't serve, but don't be apologetic because you couldn't pull the trigger. There are other ways to serve your country. No regerts! 
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:37:00 AM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Obviously you do regret it, hence this thread. I'm sure you look at Vets with a little disdain, mostly over your own inability to commit to something bigger than yourself. Come on, man. I didn't see him say anything disparaging about vets. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:40:08 AM EDT
[#27]
Quoted:
My senior year of HS, I was debating on joining the Marine Corps after graduation, the recruiter there had just about talked me into joining as an MP, but after awhile I decided against it. Actually I didn't, I just never made up my mind to do it... Anyway, the conversation came up yesterday with a few USMC vets in the family and it had me thinking out of pure curiosity, if I had joined in the summer or early fall of 2006 as an MP, where would I likely have ended up, and what would I have been doing? Knowing myself well enough, I'm sure so would have asked for some type of deployment if the opportunity arose (assuming that I wasn't already) but I admittedly know squat about MPs and I'm glad that I didn't join as one. Armor would have been more my speed looking back. I would have enlisted into the Army SEALS ParaWeather Raiders, but I wanted to go in as a General, and the recruiter said my ASVAB score was too high. 
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:47:21 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Luckily you can always become a Sergeant in the local Militia. Sargent's are more rare. @ThreeNinesFine Oh shut up with your factual corrections of my phone throne posting.
I did go back and edit it, but I never wanted a fake title, I wanted to earn it. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:50:00 AM EDT
[#29]
I was on my third deployment in 2006. Best fucking decision I ever made was raising my right hand, but I can retire in 3 years and I'm ready.
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:52:39 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Obviously you do regret it, hence this thread. I'm sure you look at Vets with a little disdain, mostly over your own inability to commit to something bigger than yourself. I'm not going to pile on you, because I have heard the whole "I was going to enlist, but I have flat feet" bullshit a thousand times. It's the excuse people like you use when you are in the company of those that swore an "Oath of Enlistment". I guess it makes people like you think that you are on equal terms, merely because you thought about it once. I don't disparage those that didn't serve, but don't be apologetic because you couldn't pull the trigger. There are other ways to serve your country. No regerts! 
You couldn't be any further off the mark. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:53:33 AM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
@ThreeNinesFine Oh shut up with your factual corrections of my phone throne posting.
I did go back and edit it, but I never wanted a fake title, I wanted to earn it. Holy shit the mention thing actually works. I thought that was just a meme.
I understand man. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:53:58 AM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
and even though you didn't pull the trigger, you still aren't an MP I went 11B instead. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 10:59:57 AM EDT
[#33]
You would've got out of it what you put into it. Maybe you would've liked it, maybe not.
No shame in just being a good citizen though. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 11:03:25 AM EDT
[#34]
MP? You have been a POG doing POG things in the PMO office probably thinking you're a badass.
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Posted: 2/27/2017 11:05:08 AM EDT
[#35]
I did my time. I would never have made the money I have made if I had stayed in, even with retirement added in. After seeing it from the inside, there is no way I could possibly have stayed in.
OP, however, chose to stay on the porch, and is wondering what it would have been like to piss on all those trees like the other dogs. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 11:19:53 AM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I would call Aviation a field. I was guaranteed Aviation Ordnance. Which is my MOS. Awesome. They wouldn't gaurantee me MOS. Wanted 2531(I was big into ham and such at the time?, gaurantee db1100, which is comm /electric. Got 2512. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 11:43:09 AM EDT
[#37]
Some of you are reading way too far into this. I don't regret a thing, I feel like I made the correct decision at the time, and I like my life today.
I'm not asking how would my life have changed or anything like that, it's pure curiosity on my part what I would have been doing. I crave useless knowledge for whatever reason and my job has me lost in random thought pretty often. None of this means anything, it was just a passive inquiry. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 11:44:40 AM EDT
[#38]
I'm not sure that in the Navy you can actually choose a rate these days. You go to meps and pick what they have available and after your hitch is over and you want to reenlist there is Cway and that means you might have to change rates completely to stay in.
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Posted: 2/27/2017 11:47:52 AM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Some of you are reading way too far into this. I don't regret a thing, I feel like I made the correct decision at the time, and I like my life today. I'm not asking how would my life have changed or anything like that, it's pure curiosity on my part what I would have been doing. I crave useless knowledge for whatever reason and my job has me lost in random thought pretty often. None of this means anything, it was just a passive inquiry. You would have had brothers forever all over the world if you had been a Marine. We have inner "fighting" amongst ourselves but in the end EVERY good Marine has your back no matter what your MOS is/was. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 11:48:39 AM EDT
[#40]
Good call.
Everyone hates the MPs.
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Posted: 2/27/2017 11:48:42 AM EDT
[#41]
I joined in 2006.
Went to boot in June, left in September. Went to ITB in October, left in December. Went to the Fleet in early January. You won't know where you're going until you're towards to end of your MOS school. Unless your are a nasty reservist. Rule of thumb is, you're going to 29 Palms. So when you get orders from somewhere other than 29 Palms, you'll be much more happier. I went to Hawaii |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 11:49:16 AM EDT
[#42]
Seriously?
You would have been singled out in basic for you spectacular marksmanship skills, fast tracked out of the MP life to a career path of Special Warfare. You would have attended Airborne and Ranger school as a Marine, then sent to and graduated SEAL training with honors. Due to your mastery of all things high speed you would have spent just months on a team before you were tapped to lead it, as you singlehandedly stopped the rise of ISIS. You then would have been brought back to run through a gauntlet of congressional votes to confirm your position as Secretary of War under Trump. So you just go on with your life now, and we as a country will deal with the consequences of your bad decision. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 11:54:14 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
MP's are despised in the Marine Corps by other Marines. Every Marine is your brother, except these guys tend to fuck you over. They're like a different tier of buddy fuckers. Not to mention hoorah Lcpl with a badge. MPs aren't that bad than the faggot MSG Marines hitting the fleet after 3 years in service acting live they've done some real shit because they are an NCO. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 11:54:38 AM EDT
[#44]
Glad I don't have your issue. It is a love / hate relationship.
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Posted: 2/27/2017 11:59:18 AM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It's not too late at 29 years old. How bout 50?
JK, the Corps already decided they don't want my "curves in the wrong plane" spine. Nick |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 11:59:36 AM EDT
[#46]
Thank you for your almost service.
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Posted: 2/27/2017 12:00:46 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thank you for your almost service. HAHA! That right there was funny! |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 12:03:18 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Are you thinking of all the penises that you could have drawn? Fat girls A decade of fat girls |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 12:05:13 PM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I was guaranteed my MOS. lol! i was guaranteed crash fire/rescue. guess what i got to do for 4 1/2 years. |
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Posted: 2/27/2017 12:07:38 PM EDT
[#50]
Bros Before Joes
“We've got guys from all over the spectrum here. Some of our members, they merely thought about joining the Army a few times, or took the ASVAB in high school to get out of first period,” explains BBJ founder Trent Bower. “Other guys though, they got as far as making appointments to go to MEPS [Military Entrance Processing Station], but then something important came up.” A near-Marine himself, Bower recounts his own brush with fate: “I talked with a Marine recruiter a few times in high school, even attended a couple of pool functions at the recruiting office. It got to the point that I was there so often, the recruiters even started calling me 'Boot.' They were practically begging me to enlist, but I always knew I was meant for something more meaningful." Read more: http://www.duffelblog.com/2012/10/halfway-heroes-near-veterans-seek-recognition-for-almost-serving-in-military/#ixzz4Zu0QKQv3 |
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