Posted: 1/9/2008 10:21:05 AM EDT
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I'm trying to familiarize myself a little with the US Armed forces yet I have no clue what a lot of terms mean. There aren't a lot of good websites for dumb civilians like me to read and comprehend. Could someone please explain to me the basic ranking system, the difference between an enlisted soldier and the other kind, along with any other important terms and things that would help me understand better? |
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I actually am contemplating joining. I just got started at my college, and I love it, but I keep feeling the need to join. I'm currently in the research stage of finding out what I might want to do in the armed forces, how long it will take, and dealing with family issues. One thing my family will say is, "You are already 21 years old, and this will take away a good 4 years of your life." How do I deal with that? Also, are there any recommendations on which sector to look into? |
You'll spend that time somehow. |
It will be the best 4 years you have ever invested in. Not to mention that 4 years out of 80 is nothing. Do it for 20 and you can retire while still in your 40's. |
The National Call to Service program may still be open in some branches. 15 months active duty after the completion of your training, with 2 years of active/drilling reserve followed by 4 years inactive reserve. All contracts will be a total of 8 years. However, the NCS program does not provide for the GI Bill. |
HAHAHAHAH!!!!!! Very well put. You can either spend four years convincing feminazis that they should have sex with you because they are in your Poli-Sci class, or have fun/get scared to death/become a man/have sex with women that make most men in college look effiminate plus are hot (although not always). |
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So how exactly does signing up work? From what I've read you go talk to a recruiter, sign on the dotted line, and then take the ASVB test? What happens after that? Do you have to sign up at a certain time of the year or anytime? What else goes into it? ETA: Have any of you folks been in a situation similar to mine where you were already enrolled in school and then decided to join? Did you go back to school once you were finished? |
| On a very basic level, the army and marines depend heavily on the infantry squad. The concept of a squad goes back to cave man days - it is really just a hunting party. It is a nine man team, made up of a leader, and two teams of 4.there are many units that support the infantry, so jobs are as varied from electronic specialists, to supply guys. |
Sign up for the USAR or ARNG and get the Split Option. You go to Basic one summer, AIT the next, and can keep your regular class schedule between. And IM me if you are interested in the USAR and I will get you hooked up with a recruiter 
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No me 1st. don't talk to a recruiter till at least one arfcommer can get the bonus. Seriously, doesn't have to be me, but check out hall of heroes. If the 1st person you talk to isn't a recruiter that dude gets 2K |
They clearly do not understand the military. The four years you spend will not be "taken away from your life". You'll meet more people from diverse backgrounds and likely travel around the world. In my first four years in the military, I experienced three states (SC, GA, AZ) and was stationed in or had the opportunity to visit Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy, and Spain. I went to college after that first tour, and then went back in the Army for another five years, which put me in two new states (WA, HI) and I traveled to Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Kuwait, Kyrgyztan, and Afghanistan. Those years were in no way "taken" from me. I saw a great deal of the world that I never would have otherwise, and made great lifelong friends that I'd never have met if I had stayed close to home and "saved" those years that would have been taken. |
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Although the reserve is an option, I would rather jump right into things and give it 100% of my time and effort. I'm planning on talking to both an Army and Marine recruiter once I get back to campus to find out my options. If there are any Army or Marine people on here who would like to give me some advice on my options and such, please feel free to PM me. |
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It sounds like you've got a lot of genuine interest, if you decide to pursue it... please represent your decision well. It might change your family's perspective a little. Hopefully for the better. Oh, and don't listen to this: "Take away from a good four years of your life" That's fear doing the talking. |
If you keep it in the thread, others will benefit from the shared knowledge. Some things, of course, are best kept private... What do you want to do? Carry a rifle and shoot at things? Become a logistics jedi? Sew people back up? Work on radios that work when they want to? |
Yea that. I'm a petroleum engineering major at school, but only in my 1st year. I kind of figure I have the rest of my life to go to school and then work offshore. |
| If you're already in college, I'd strongly encourage you explore the ROTC program. It would let you finish school, go in as a Second Lieutenant (better pay / benefits), and could help pay for school. One benefit of going in as a Second Lieutenant is that if you decide to get out, you can normally write a better resume than the 'typical' person in your degree field. |