16 year old, who has questions about the Military, and needs help figuring out his future....

reply to post by Rastus3663


Insulting? How? Offtopic? How?

reply to post by LandonFromKY


Dear LandonFromKY

Thank you for asking.

Listen to this song very, very carefully. Listen to it like your life depends on it. There are many more that say the same thing but I think this is the best.

www.youtube.com...

If you don't mind selling your soul for money, killing innocent people and doing the bidding of the NWO to ultimately destroy everyone's freedom, sign right up. If you have a conscience of any kind, I would avoid it.

reply to post by TKDRL


Bringing your personal religious views into a secular conversation and stating that those of us that have killed are going to hell.

reply to post by fleabit


I never said you can't do other jobs in the military. Some people may argue that participating in any part of the military makes you a part of the war machine - open to interpretation I guess. Just spoke about my personal experience.

I am currently Enlisted with the Canadian Forces, I have been in for about a year, and no I have not done any OVERSEAS tours or deployments as of yet but they are coming, with the heat in korea and libya things are bound to get tense.

I would like to tell you from my own personal experience at 23 years old, the military can offer you things no one else can, they can offer you strength both physically and most importantly mentally. They can offer you pride, pride like nothing else on this planet can. They can offer you challanges, some of the toughest things you will ever experience. And they can offer you adventure, everything I have done in the military just adds one thing to my list of skills... From first aid, weapons handling, team building, mental toughness, respect and loyalty.

You will go through things that will challange and even scare you, but when the day comes to an end and you can look back and have pride knowing you made a difference. Many people will disagree with me when it comes to serving, many say that we are only supporting TPTB in there evil plot. That may be true but regardless, the military places a crucial role in the stability of our countries and without dedicated people to support that force we would have absolutely nothing.

If you are thinking about joining I would recommend you think long and hard about this decision because as soon as you sign that dotted line you are property of the government for as long as your contract date. Single life in the military is a breeze, you get to travel, explore, and expand your life skills and survival skills at the same time. You have very little to worry about, they will take care of it all, your housing, your food, your health care... etc.

Although each element is completely different and you need to think about the pro's and cons with all of them, when it comes to combat trades I would think twice about picking one, your basically a pawn in the game of chess we call war. I had applied for infanty and artillery when i first applied but ended up going into a combat trade that didnt involve me being a front line soldier, and I actually really like my current trade.

I think it would be a great career path for you to take or even a career path to explore, you arent commiting your entire life towards it, rather a small portion and in return your gaining alot of very valuable skills.

Feel free to msg me with any question you have and I will gladly answer anything you are curious about.

It is a different lifestyle but it is full of excitement, some people can handle it, some people cant.

Originally posted by LandonFromKY
Well anyways, i have been thinking about this for years, and years. My grandfather, my great grandfather, and my great great grandfather all were in the military and where in a war. My grandfather was in the korean war, earned the MOH, and Purple Heart, among others. So as the time for me to enlist creeps closer and closer, i was wondering if it would be worth it to Join the Military. Most likely the Army, or the Marines. I have always wanted to go in the Military and every time i play Call of Duty, or watch Jarhead, or a War movie it makes me want to go over there even more. I know it is no ones decision but mine, but i want to get some first hand experiences from guys, or girls who have served. I wanna know what it would be like and stuff. I know it would be nice to join and have my College paid for, not only that but the respect i would get from others, and the satisfaction of serving my country, and keeping my country and family free..

So if you have been in the Military or are currently enlisted, please post on here with your experiences, and whatever else you would like to add!

Thanks!

If you must join the military go the ROTC route. That way you can still have your college paid for and when you graduate from college you’ll enter the military as an officer. I would also suggest that you get a degree and a position within the military that has marketable ability once you get out. I know some Army and Marine vets that have had a tough time locating employment because their only skill is shooting an M16. I was in the Air Force for four years and met plenty of people who would have a tough time locating a job, including myself. I don’t regret joining as I got to travel the world and meet some great people and see some beautiful places.

I don’t know what part of KY you’re from but I would locate a real estate investor and work for him/her part time and learn from them. I wish I would have started investing earlier. I’m only thirty now but wish I would have started ten years ago. You could start now by learning and networking with successful people in your area. After you turn eighteen you will already have experience and contacts to help you buy properties. You can make a very nice living investing in real estate without putting your life on the line.

Good luck in whichever direction you choose to go. Please don’t let the movies make your decision for you. Real life isn’t the movies.

Originally posted by Beavers
yeah man, go sign up for TPTB and bomb civilians

ooorah!

Oooorah!!

To each their own at the end of the day bud. I am from a similar kilt as you, and understand the forces that compel you to serve and honor your country as well as your family. With that said, if you have a question in your mind then there is a reason for that. Life is a journey and you will certainly find a much different answer behind door one than you will door 2. No one can tell you what path to choose besides yourself. Remember that. People will attempt to disuade you in one direction, or propel you in another. But it is not the right path unless you have chosen it for yourself.
That is the best bit of information you can get on an Internet forum. Your only 16!!! Let the journey begin....

reply to post by Sinny


No, he should join the army. Because you know what? If all the cannon fodder are good honest people, they'll stop themselves from being cannon fodder.

When the time comes, good people will be needed in the army to pick the right side to fight for.

reply to post by DerekJR321


Aw just cause you couldn't fly? You could've been a aircraft crew chief (specially if you got selected to be a flying crew chief where you go with the aircraft) or a maintenance production scheduler (as I was) and still help keep em flying. Oh well, *shrug*

Yeah seriously, topdog30 has the right idea, go the ROTC route and after that you can enter the af or other military branch as a butter bar (lieutenant or equivalent) or if you don't to go rotc you can at least get your associates first and go in with stripes then after you get your bachelors using tuition assistance (they'll pay for your college while you in too, leaving your gi bill intact for future) and then prepare your package for Officer Training School and then off you go. Enlisted to Officer makes for better officers in my opinion cause they know how it is to be an enlisted pleb.

But whatever you do, whichever branch you choose, have a plan, don't let the recruiter railroad you into something, you'll get screwed.


- four year enlistee 05-09 air force.

Personally Ive always considered joinign the military since I was young. My father was a army officer and served in Korea, proud of it so that I was raised with the concept that any good american serves in the military. I wanted to join after 9/11, but my father strongly adivsed me not to for serveral reasons (I was a wet in the ears teenager like you with dreams of conquest). One of the few times ive really listend to him (and my mother sobbing after hearing about it) and I don't regret it. While in the prime time to join, with the possibility at hand, I observed how the Irak War unfolded and I really lost passion for it. I felt somewhat disenchanted by the idea and what was being done.

But you cant beat being rased with war relics, guns, old war movies and a healthy doses of GI Joe....its a thorn in my head, and Im still considered joining in something more helpful and constructive, which is the Coast Guard or something along the lines on the other branches. After a few years on my belt and more balanced hormone levels im too rational and hard headed for the more hardcore stuff.

Going to the point, just remember why you REALLY want to join and are you willing to pay the ultimate price(s), it's ain't like COD, but who am I to tell you not to

PS (a good few exercises that also helped me further bring the idea down to earth and chill:
- find a local air soft team, and play a few simulation rounds bare chested and just the face mask, and think that every hit could be a bullet
- Try some martial arts like Kickboxing or BJJ to vent of some of the excess testosterone and level the main office)

Having a pension if you serve long enough is nice. Health care, nice (except for if you get injured. A lot of Vets are Very Unhappy with their treatment after severe injuries, just ask some), education money, good, thinking its all fun and games and blasting enemies, not realistic, the chance of serving in a war that is somewhat pointless.... lately, high. Respect from others... from some, yes, from others, not. The chance of PTSD, depends on your service but having nightmares the rest of your life is certainly possible. Following in your family's footsteps, place your own value on that but trying to please others is one thing, figuring out if it will please you or not is another. Serously, it's NOT like the video games. By the way, you might look up the link between the military and video game makers. The military is trying to brainwash kids into wanting to join up and HAVE SOME FUN! Ha! Yes, you may make lifelong friendships, and yes, you may watch friends die painfully or be wounded permanently, or never be the same. Afghanistan will be almost exactly the same as it was for hundreds of years in only a few short years. We didn't change their culture and their culture IS the problem. Pointless war. We kicked Taliban butt early on, Guerrilla warfare with the civilians not being very helpful never ends. Fighting for a corrupt government is rarely a good idea. The cost for that and Iraq is in the trillions. Can you say deficit spending? And what have we gotten in return? you tell me.

Originally posted by Sinny
Dont join the infantry!

If you really want to join, go into admin or intelligence...the rest are cattle fodder!

Make your time there worth while.

Cattle fodder!!!!

They feed them to cows!!

That's harsh.

Ha brother, its like this, the military is not the military anymore its team America world police.....F@!K YA

Whether you want to join or not, I fear conscription may just be around the corner where you really wont have a choice. Thats what selective service is all about after all.




Just dont forget that your fighting for..............money..........ha ha ha ha




I also hear that its much easier to get in with a criminal record.........then they dont have to train to kill as much.


Seriously....20 years ago? Yea join up and do your bit....but now? Be certain that you have loose morals if you do.

Join and serve with honour. Uphold your oath and protect your homeland and its people. Yes, the military often gets the dirty end of the stick and you will be lambasted for supporting TPTB. But remember this, it is a soldier's duty to protect the weak, not to go around and victimise the population. Also, the ariticles of war and, in UK anyway, the Queen's Regulations quite specifically state that you are entitled to refuse an order that you truly consider to be illegal or immoral. Remember this one, it is important.

Now, what to consider when joining. You will not be in the military forever, so you must think ahead and work out what skills you want to bring into civiy street. Apply for every training course that is offered. Gain knowledge and experience that can be transferrred to civilian life in years to come. Joning the Armed Services is a big step, so give it plenty of thought.

One last thing. PLease, please, please remember. It is the Armed Services, the key word is service. Serve your Country and its people and remember who you are fighting for and treat people how you would want a soldier to treat you.

May your God guide you in your choice

Originally posted by LandonFromKY


So if you have been in the Military or are currently enlisted, please post on here with your experiences, and whatever else you would like to add!

Thanks!

Become a constructive force, not a destructive force in your life.
The fact that so many of your family members have been in the military should tell you something is deeply wrong in a country that wasnt supposed to have a standing army, and wasnt supposed to meddle in foreign affairs.

I'm a former Army guy who honorably discharged & now use my post 9-11 G.I. Bill for better opportunities.

Most of my entlistment years were spent with USASFC's 3d SFG(A) out of Fort Bragg, NC; moreover, I campaigned in OIF I and campaigned twice in AFG thereafter in such places as Tagab, Pech River Valley, Panjwai down south and so on.

If you're going to get in with the military, be smart about it. Tradition, ceremony, pomp and so on has its place, but some organizations will eat you up and spit you back out less a reach-around. If that doesn't occur then, I don't know, you could find yourself absent an arm, leg, genitalia or even your life (of course nothing matters when you're dead, except to those you've left behind). So what I mean by "be smart" is this: go with a branch that is lax, such as the Air Force or the Coast Guard. Additionally, it is advisable that you try and become trained in a field that is both technical and extends or transfers to the civilian sector. Last, you absolutely "should" take advantage of the military's civilian education opportunities. It can be tasking & require that you not always go out with friends & enjoy young adult nightlife (most young adults' first taste of independence), but I am apt to encourage young adults with an eye to the military to consider what they would like to do "after" the military & to try & meet the credential requirements of that plan while they are "in" the military. Furthermore, if you complete 3 years of active service, you'll be entitled to use the post 9-11 G.I. Bill at the 100% rate.

If you want firsthand account/experience, then I suggest you visit an American Legion and/or VFW center local to you. Of course each vet is different and may regard your inquiry with suspect, but if you're sincere then I'm confident a vet or two will provide insight such that you seek.

If you want to become a part of an organization that engages enemy combatants, then that is of course one option as well. It is certainly not all fun and games, but you'd be likely to develop a comradre with other men that will remain unchanged for the rest of your life. That is just ... difficult to articulate. Notwithstanding combat arms, I think you'd do well to join the Air Force and try and specialize in avionics or medicine. One field I know of that is technical is that of medical laboratory analysis (I think its training requirements is on order of 12 to 14 months). Then there is a medical equipment maintenance field as well, & I think that training is something like 10 to 12 months long. Maybe an intelligence field would be good to--specialize in Mandarin at Monterey (no idea how long that school would be, but probably at "least" 12 months). So you go to these long schools and receive expensive & technical training, graduate, then spend the remaining 2 to 4 years (depending on your enlistment contract) going to school on the side "and" getting work experience.

The military can be easy, but you have to make it work for you rather than allow it to work you over.

Good luck, whatever choice you make of your future.

Ok just some quick background info on me. Im about to be 26 years old and ive been in the U.S. Army Infantry for six years. Im a squad leader (e-6, SSG position) even though my rank dont reflect it, thats a different story though. I am airborne qualified and have attened SFAS (special forces assesment and selection) where i was a non-select for certain security clearance reasons. I am currently in Iraq on my third tour. I got four kids and a wife at home. Alot of people have said not to join the infantry and its true there are alot of other more beneficial mos's out there. But i would not trade the experiences I have had in the Infantry for anything else in the Army. Being in the Infantry is a complete different experience than being in other support mos's in the Army. Be careful though there is just as many good experiences as bad, it is not for someone who is "thin skinned". Now with that said I restate that i have served in the Infantry for six years I am now up for re-enlistment and I will be reclassing (changing my mos) to something in the military intelligence side of the Army. The Infantry is great but if you dont want the experience of it or you are looking for something to do for a couple of years and get out then choose something else. I chose Infantry and to reclass later to a skill that will carry over easier into the civilian world. Dont look for an Mos where you can easily "sham", see not work at all. Look for something you will enjoy and will get you a job in the outside world. Rotary wing (helicopter) repair is a great MOS. I have alot of buddies that got out and now work for bell helicopter making 4 times what they did in the Army. But they couldnt of done it without the Amry. Military Intelligence is a big field if you are looking to stay in a goverment job after the Army.

Now some warnings. GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING IN YOUR ORIGINAL CONTRACT THAT THEY PROMISE YOU. TAKE NO ONE AT THIER WORD GET IT IN WRITING!!!!! I cant stress that enough. Ive seen many guys say but sarge they told me i could, sorry guy if they didnt sing it with you it dont count. And be careful if you take an 18x contract or a ranger contract or anything and you do not pass the school or are not selected after SFAS then you did not meet the terms of your contract and your bonuses are forfiet and you will be given a job via needs of the army. That is important. If you want to do special Forces get a regular MOS that you wouldnt mind doing and then complete AIT. You will recieve your bonus after that no matter what. And every post has a SF recruiting station and NO ONE short of a general officer can stop you from going to SFAS if you want to. And there is no risk if you get hurt or dont get selected (cause its a tryout) then you will go back to your normal post and job and have not lost anything.

Thats all I can think of for now i just made this account to help you out with this. I recomended the military if you want to do it. Without it I wouldnt have my wife, kids, house, or cars. It has done good for me a guy with only a high school education and now almost an associates degree. Oh thats the other thing take advantage of the Tuition Assistance program on your post. It is 6-12 free credit hours of college at your convience free. Ask your first line supervisior about it when you get there.

Like i said decision is yours but its not a bad one. Sorry I cant help with the other services have never been in them.

I'm going to try to be respectful of others opinions and choices as I answer this....but, I really have to say - as somebody who's clearly aware of what's going in the world (I mean, you're on ATS), why would anybody pick this moment in time to join the military?

I understand the family ties and that some people feel this sense of duty, but given the recent history of your government (although, my own, in Canda, is quickly catching up, thanks to Harper) - ie: lying us into a war in Iraq, chasing WMD they KNEW didn't exist and killing 100,000+ innocent civilians in the process and devastating a formerly modern country , chasing our tails in Afghanistan, again with countless civilian causalities, trying to bring "democracy" to a region that neither knows what it even means nor wants it. We're bombing Libya at will, in a mad rush to kill Gaddafi and support another one of the CIA's "revolutions". The list goes on...and on...and on.

Military life is not a video game. It's very real. It can be very brutal and, imho, at this point in history, the military is a tool being used to bring us to the brink of annihilation. I would not want the blood of what world governments are doing on my hands.

Simple as that.

There are other ways to honor and serve your country that don't involve the kind of slaughter that you're asked to do - all in the name of making the rich richer and accumulating power. These aren't the days of WWII when things were much more cut and dry.

My 2 cents.