All right guys & gals, I need some advice.  Here is my situation. I’m 25 (be 26 in July), my wife wants a divorce.  There is no changing her mind about this and the only option I have is to go on.  I’m not sure what I want to do with my life now as a soon-to-be-single man.  This is what I’m currently considering:

1) US Border Patrol.  I’ve already passed the test and am waiting for an invitation to take the personal interview.

2) Armed Forces.  I’ve got a college degree so I can go in as an officer but I’m not sure if I want to do that.  If I go enlisted I get to choose my field.  

Army: I’m currently leaning to US Army medic/nurse (they just combined them).  I’d like to have a skill that will last me the rest of my life and it would be to have that skill-set in a SHTF situation.  I could always try for a PA once in and that sounds pretty good to me. I’m also interested in other fields but I’m just not sure what I want to do; I just want to do something.

USMC: If I go this route I’ll probably go through OCS.  I’m leaning towards Ground Intelligence, Signal Intelligence, or ???

USAF: Enlisted: Para-rescue
Officer: Security Forces, Communication (CIS), Space & Missile Command

I’m 6’-3” and weigh 242 lbs.  I’ve already lost 71 lbs. And my goal is to be 215 lbs. within 3 months. So if I want to go through any OCS/OTS I’ll have to wait until I loose the rest of the weight.  I can get into the Army now, but again, I’m not sure what I want to do.  

I’m living with my parents now which is good because it saves me money but I would like this to be as short term as possible.  I can’t find a job here that pays over $8/hour and I’m DESPERATLY short on cash.  I guess this is a way of venting for me but I would like to hear from some people with their ideas & reasoning of any suggestions they may have.  

Well I’m open to suggestions and appreciate any & all ideas.

[b][red][i]Libertas an Mortis![/b][/red][/i]

I was looking at the armed forces for when I graduated from college, but then I got married.  If I were ever single again, that is probably the route I would go.  You can actually put away some money when you are a single officer on active duty.  Then, if you got tired of that, the border patrol would probably be even more interested in hiring you since you have military experience.  If you did border patrol and then decided to be in the military, you might not have as much clout as you would by being in the military first.  Just my.02.  Good luck with whatever you decide.  I hope things work out for you.

25 is a little old to be going into the service. Not a killer but something you want to keep in mind.  If you are mature and ready to get on in life I would advise you to consider going to college.  You can get a part time job and go to the local community college for the first two years.  Get loans or financial assistance for the last two years.  Consider teaching, health care or anything technical.

A lot of baby boomers will be leaving the workforce in the next few years.  There will be a shortage of technical skills.  Health care will be a great field to be in.

My advise would be:

1.  College
2.  Border guard
3.  Military

I would go the nurse/medic route.  Its a good profession and there are always jobs. Registries are paying $48.00/hr in my area and it will probably go higher since California wants to set nurse to patient ratios for all areas not just critical care.

What kinda oddball degree only yields a job paying $8.00 /hour?

Sounds like you are twisting in the wind and need to achieve more focus on what you want.  A major life decision during a time of stress such as a divorce is a big mistake!  Particularly when that decision is a 4 year contract.

i would advise that you read his post.  [:D]  just razzing ya.  he said he already had the college degree.  

my advice:  you don't want my advice.  i'm a college educated woman with TWO degrees and i can't find a job that doesn't require telemarketing or an "open mind" (hint: the job paid $1,000-3,000 a WEEK.  wonder what that would be. hmmmmm?????????)  i'm obviously a prime example of success. [rolleyes]

think about what you would LIKE to do.  and by like i mean what would make you want to get up in the morning.  just make sure that whatever you do makes you happy!  i'm living the awful reality of the opposite.  but then, who would be happy unemployed!!!!!  

Funny how the steriotype is always the guy humps a blonde at the office or runs off, yet the reality these days seems to be that it's the wife that wants the "upgrade".  

If she wants out, kiss her on the cheek, say it's been great, and head on.  

Lose the weight, join the marines, and go OCS.  You may have troubles, so have a back-up plan if it doesn't work out.

-Lazy

In some parts of NC, practically any degree.  Great area, lousy pay scales.

Don't know what the degree is in, but if it's one that actually should be a moneymaker, why not just move somewhere where you can make a living with it, instead of signing your life away?  Go West, young man.  Californy is the place you oughta be -- cement ponds, movie stars. . . .  Or Oregon, or Texas, or Arizona.

If you really want to go into the military, definitely go the OCS route.  Plus, it will give you time to reflect after having such a major life change.  At 25, you are more mature than most that enlist right out of high school.  You might find that life as an enlisted man does not agree with you.  You did not indicate how long you were married, but enjoy your freedom and don't rush into anything.

A lot of divorces on ar15.com lately.

My advice is the French Foreign Legion.  You are forbidden to marry, no diversity multiculti or feminism bullshit.  Only brutal discipline.

Hey, if you can turn the nurse/medic thing into being a PA, that would be a sweet gig.  I have friend who is a PA.  Came out of her two year program making 80K and a couple years later is making over 100k.  She has loans to pay but the PA program is only two years so the loans aren't so bad.  You don't make as much as the M.D.s but you also don't have all the responsibilities.

Just some info if it helps.

My sister's boyfriend is a PA and is on call 24 hrs a day, for the most bullshit stuff.  He quit his job and does not miss it a bit.

You need to go Officer.
You will be 25 years old, if you go enlisted you will be surrounded by people who are younger than you who have a higher rank than you do who have less education than you do.

Most of the services have an accelerated advancement for college graduates (the Navy calls them "rent-a-crows"), but then that puts you in a position of having someone who is a recent college graduate (your peer group) who makes 3 times as much money as you do, who has 2 times less responsibility and who works half as much as you do.

If you want to join the Military then I suggest you do it as an Officer.

You can't go wrong with the Air Farce or the United States Marine Corps.

I was Army Enlisted. If you go that route make sure you have NO backup plan. Weighs too much on the mind when the going gets tough. But remember it's not a job change, it's a life change. You will NOT be the same person as you went in. Start running now, if your cardiovascular is good when you go in everything else will be cake. But make sure you go enlisted. There is nothing more resented in the army as a 20-something Leutenant. As an enlisted you have the option later to go officer. You don't want to have a command where the enlisted personnel know your job better than you. Also, with the recent influx of new recruits, in 3 year you are going to have a lot of pissed of 21 year olds wishing they had though better of their choice when they enlisted due to the enevitable reality check they will recieve. Take time and make damn sure this is what you want to want to do for a while, because 3 years looks awfully long when you are unhappy.

Thanks for all the responses everyone.  I’m actually in FL (Melbourne area) now and my education is this:

AAS Mechanical Drafting & Design
BS Industrial Technology/Drafting & Design w/ a minor in CIS
Graduate Certificate (18 semester hours @ the graduate level) in CIS

Can’t find entry level CIS work, too many laid off with experience looking for work.  Can’t find any drafting work, everything down here is civil and I’m a mechanical/architectural man.  

I’m too strapped on cash to try to move anywhere right now until the house sells & I get my half.  I’d LOVE to go West.  I don’t have any debt but I also don’t have any cash.  I won’t have to worry about alimony or child support (no kids).  She just wants to go splitzy.  I just want to get on with my life.

Everyone has made some good points and I’m still undecided at the moment.  Oh and ARlady, I don’t the ability to do, ughhhh… the same type of work that some females do that make them that much money [:)]

BTW We were married for 3 ½ years and knew each other for over 8 years. Any other ideas or suggestions?


[b][red][i]Libertas an Mortis![/b][/red][/i]

Ok, I'll take a shot. You outline two choices you are "considering". You are 25. You don't say how long you were married. In your user name you call yourself a "patriot" (a word with several meanings). I'm going to assume you are NOT a 911 "patriot". I'm going to assume you know what is going on in the world, and in your country. That rules OUT the military. First things first. If you don't have God in your life, you need Him now! Get into prayer. HEAVY! Find out God's will for your life! [B]DON'T ALLOW CIRCUMSTANCE TO FORCE YOU TO MAKE A HASTY DECISION![/B] You are probably in a lot of pain. Know that this too shall pass. Only when we truly seek (and do) God's will for us can we have real contentment. If you want, e-mail me, we can chat by phone. God Bless and keep you Patriot.....

Avoid the Border Patrol. There's a very good reason the first billion applications for the Air Marshal program were all from the Border Patrol. It's that bad (well, at least on the Tex/Mex border).

At your age, without any attachments, I'd do something that let me go see the world.  Do some traveling while you can.

The armed services are one way to do that, but there are other options as well.

At your age and physical stature, you can rule out Air Force para-rescue. Not a flame but just an honest evaluation.

Those guys are the best of the best physically (and mentally), plus...they're all less than 6 foot and solid muscle. None of this "losing 71 pounds".