Military Service

[Matt Young 0]

I've been contacted by pretty much every branch of the military since graduating high school in 2002. I never wanted to serve, save for the fall of 2004 when I was at a crossroads and considered going into the Army after a recruiter stopped me on the street one day. I'm not the slightest bit patriotic, nor am I too fond of being yelled at a lot, so I never gave it serious consideration aside from that time.

 

Recently, I have begun to consider my options once again. I'm not very well off financially, and the main reason I am considering this as a possibility is to get money for college. I am incredibly intelligent and gifted academically (although I sometimes lack common sense) and I desperately want to attend college or university. I know I can succeed if given an opportunity.

 

The Navy seems to be the branch that would be best for me, for a variety of reasons. At first, I thought about serving full time, since I love to travel. I talked to my stepdad about it after the fact. He served for 4 years. He said he had a lot of fun and it was constant partying. I'm sure he was exaggerating a bit, but he says he had a good time. Then again, he is also an uptight asshole who I have nothing in common with.

 

I decided that, if I am to join, the Reserves would be best for me. I'd go through basic, maybe tech school,and then be able to live my life however I choose for the most part, which is what I really want.

 

The problem is, I keep changing my mind. One minute, I'm gung-ho about enlisting... The next, I think it would be suicide. I honestly don't know what I want to do. A recruiter came by today (I don't know why he didn't just call me) and set up an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. I hope to learn more then, but I know firsthand that recruiters can and often do lie and sugarcoat things in order to get people to join.

 

How many of you have been in the military and/or the reserves, and would like to share information and stories to better prepare me to make the right decision?

[Guest Princess Leena]

Go to community college if you don't have much money. There's a bunch of them out there in Cali.

 

If you're not sure on joining the military, I don't think it would be a good idea. They own you after that.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

From what I read of your posts, I don't think you'd adjust well to miltary life. Don't ask why; it's just a hunch.

 

So go ahead and enlist. It'll be fun.

[Matt Young 0]

I don't think I would adjust well, either, which is why I'm undecided.

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

From what little I've seen of your posts here, I have one small request: stay out of my Navy, please.

 

And not to be contentious or anything, but if you're so smart and gifted or whatever, why didn't you get a scholarship somewhere?

[Matt Young 0]

From what little I've seen of your posts here, I have one small request: stay out of my Navy, please.

 

And not to be contentious or anything, but if you're so smart and gifted or whatever, why didn't you get a scholarship somewhere?

 

Thanks for the encouragement, LOL. Like I said, I am academically gifted, but I realize I often lack common sense and say/do stupid things. Oh well. As for the scholarship, I simply didn't live up to my potential. I slacked off at times to entertain myself with other interests, and I had few extracurricular activities to put on my applications.

 

EDIT: I never took the actual ASVAB test when I was talking to theArmy recruiters, but I did take the practice test, and according to that recruiter, not only did I complete it more quickly than anyone else he had given it to, but I also got the highest score he had ever seen. That would open up many more opportunities if I were to enlist, which is another factor that must be taken into consideration.

[MrRant 0]

You can get a college loan you know.

[Failed Bridge 0]

Matt, I'm not trying to be a prick here when I say this but you'd never make it.

 

I don't think you have the ability to just shut yourself down emotionaly, and you basically have to be able to do that if you find yourself in battle. Do you think you could seriously take the life of another human being? If you could get yourself to do so then do you think you could live with the fact you took another human's life, especially if it turned out to be a woman or child. I don't think you could.

 

If you want money for college then it would be better for you to look for alterior means.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Join the Air Force, they're the easiest of the branches.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I got kicked out of the ASVAB for reading a book after I was finished.

 

Were I to ever enlist, it'd be with the Marines just for the opportunity to kill with impunity.

[MrRant 0]

I figure you'd rather drop high explosives on people.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Matt, go get a job and save your money by all means possible. Find your girlfriend's hidden stash of coke and heroin, sell it, and then get more money by any and all means.

 

...then go to community college, and drop out halfway through the semester because you slept through all of the classes since you're working so hard. THEN enlist in the Marines after your girlfriend dumps you, because you have nothing else to live for anyway so you should go die doing SOMETHING that's slightly respectable.

[theintensifier 0]

Don't join the military.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Matt, go get a job and save your money by all means possible. Find your girlfriend's hidden stash of coke and heroin, sell it, and then get more money by any and all means.

 

...then go to community college, and drop out halfway through the semester because you slept through all of the classes since you're working so hard. THEN enlist in the Marines after your girlfriend dumps you, because you have nothing else to live for anyway so you should go die doing SOMETHING that's slightly respectable.

^^ wins

 

 

Seriously though Matt, if the intention for you joining the military is for college money, that's a sign you're going to hate it. Noone should ever join the armed services for college. It's one thing or the other, no matter how your recruiter might lay it out to you.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Don't join the military.

 

Are you saying this because you don't like Matt, or you really don't think he'd hack it? As one of the few in this thread that has experience on the field, I'd imagine that you might offer up some real advice.

[Guest CWMwasmurdered]

Jesus, how desperate is the US military for fresh bodies?

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

Don't join the military.

Are you saying this because you don't like Matt, or you really don't think he'd hack it?

Well, I can't speak for theintensifier, but my point of view was that I don't think he can hack it, judging by what little I know about him, based (of course) on his TSM persona. I also am inclined to believe that, were he to join the Navy, that he's the type of person that would take umbrage at being told what to do in a less-than-cuddly fashion, would balk at hard work, and would cause his shipmates to have to work harder to take up his slack... hence my request that he stay out of my Navy.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Again, I'll suggest community college.

 

Especially since I'm guessing your parents aren't helping you financially. I was in the same boat, and didn't have to pay a dime for a few semesters because of financial aid, scholarships, grants, etc...

[Failed Bridge 0]

etc means handjobs.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

I was thinking she worked as a bull's eye a bukkake party, but alas.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Don't join the military.

Are you saying this because you don't like Matt, or you really don't think he'd hack it?

Well, I can't speak for theintensifier, but my point of view was that I don't think he can hack it, judging by what little I know about him, based (of course) on his TSM persona. I also am inclined to believe that, were he to join the Navy, that he's the type of person that would take umbrage at being told what to do in a less-than-cuddly fashion, would balk at hard work, and would cause his shipmates to have to work harder to take up his slack... hence my request that he stay out of my Navy.

 

My buddy Dustin was the same way in high school, aside from taking care of his body decently well, and having a work ethic. Guy was goofier than fuck and a total smartass. He joined the Navy soon after school, and flourished. He's a JO on the Nimitz now.

 

I figure you'd rather drop high explosives on people.

 

I hate to fly. I'd join the army in a heartbeat if I could be promised operating a flamethrower.

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

My buddy Dustin was the same way in high school, aside from taking care of his body decently well, and having a work ethic. Guy was goofier than fuck and a total smartass. He joined the Navy soon after school, and flourished. He's a JO on the Nimitz now.

Yeah, a work ethic and a clean uniform will take you far in the Navy; in fact, about the only beef I ever had about serving in the Navy is that a clean uniform has often taken some people further than hard work has taken others...

 

As far as being a smartass, it depends on your chain of command; my first command, I was a smartass, but I knew my job, which my COC valued more, and my career flourished. My second command, I was still a smartass, but still knew my job; unfortunately for me, my COC was more concerned about the smartass part, and my career stalled. My third command was more like the first, and my career took off again... after that, I was high enough on the food chain (for my purposes) to not be overly concerned about what my boss thought about my attitude...

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

What's your position in the navy? I tend to be associated with all sorts in that branch of the service. My woman's brother is a BM2, I just mentioned that friend of mine, and my grandpa shot at kamikazes on the Cowpens.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

There are hundreds upon hundreds of colleges out there, Matt. Community college is obviously one option, but there are a shit-ton of public universities that don't cost a whole lot. You're not going to go to Berkeley for free, but maybe you'll find something at, I don't know, Southeast Missouri State.

 

All of the people I know who joined the military because they didn't know what they wanted to do or had no other options loved it for the first few months, and then started the countdown till they could get out. If it's not what you want to do, you're not gonna like it.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Mr. Citrus, it sounds like you are done in the Navy -- what are you doing now?

[LJSexay 0]

if youre serious about going to college... then go to college.

 

many of us here have scholarships, and let me just say, there is a scholarship for EVERYONE out there. No joke. I can't stand when people complain about not b eing able to pay for college. Scholarships range anywhere from $100 to over $10,000.

 

also - we all work AND go to school, and I go to a UC! Granted, life is easier when someone helps you out. When that option is not available, not all your doors close. So just APPLY to a college, APPLY for scholarships, and yeah..

 

just do it.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Matt, you're about as appropriate for military service as I am. You're drowning in community colleges out there, do that for two years to get the gen-eds out of the way, and transfer after that. I think the success rate of "I'm gonna join the military to get money for college" falls awfully close to "I'm gonna take a year off to you know find myself."

[SuperJerk 0]

The Navy is awesome unless you let them bully you into a field you have no interest in.

 

For instance, I tested really well on the ASVAB but was offered only two choices: nuclear power or store-keeper. Basically, they were lying to me, because if you test well enough to be considered for nuke, then you've pretty much qualified to do anything. I went ahead and signed up for nuke, even though I had zero interest in it, because they told me I could go to Electronics Technician or Electrician's Mate school as part of my training. Of course, after I got out of boot camp (which was one of the most positive experiences in my life, as it did wonders for my self-esteem), they sent me to the Machinists Mate's A-School where I studied the fine art of valves, hoses, wrenches, and algebra (this was nuclear training command, after all). I fucking hated MM school, and didn't last very long. If I'd picked another field to go into, I might've stayed in longer.