I am going to join the Military.

[Taun]

Without being disrespectful, I think Knight of Shadows' posts bring up an important point. It doesn't matter how much research you do about into going into the Military, some people are cut out for that kind of life and others aren't. By all means, seek out jobs and prospects, as you would in any type of employment, but you must always bear in mind that (in the British Military at least, and I suspect - most other Nations) you are a soldier/sailor/airman first and 'tradesman' second, therefore subject to Military Law and discipline and, unlike 'Civvy Street' you're not going to be able to say "Sorry mate, that ain't my job!" You may be a top technician or some other kind of wizz-kid, but there just might come a time when you're ordered to burn the contents of latrine cans in the field, and unless you want to inhabit 'a world of ****' you'd better just get on and do it! Some people just can't handle that, and they're going to have a very unhappy time of it in the Armed Forces!

Early in my units deployment to Iraq, we drew "Poo Burning" duty... My section were all technicians (Signal Corps attached to Engineer HQs unit) and so of course the Unit Commander picked my section first... I was the Master Sgt (E8) In charge of the section and so I detailed myself on the first crew to "burn poo"... None of my crew could legitimately complain if I did it first... (Plus I had done it years before in VietNam when I was a 'youngun' - so I had experience)... But what eald says is 100% true... You are a Soldier first / technician second...

To be honest though, I've seen people have just as much problem with civilian authority as I have with military... That's one reason you hear about people changing jobs every 6 months or so... Some people just are not cut out to take orders (or follow advice of any kind)...

Edited May 12, 2013 by Taun

[SereneScene]

Early in my units deployment to Iraq, we drew "Poo Burning" duty... My section were all technicians (Signal Corps attached to Engineer HQs unit) and so of course the Unit Commander picked my section first... I was the Master Sgt (E8) In charge of the section and so I detailed myself on the first crew to "burn poo"... None of my crew could legitimately complain if I did it first... (Plus I had done it years before in VietNam when I was a 'youngun' - so I had experience)... But what eald says is 100% true... You are a Soldier first / technician second...

To be honest though, I've seen people have just as much problem with civilian authority as I have with military... That's one reason you hear about people changing jobs every 6 months or so... Some people just are not cut out to take orders (or follow advice of any kind)...

Heh since I been at this job about like 5 or 6 have come and gone for not doing work/coming late etc, and when they were there they ridiculously lazy and complaied. There are still some that complain but at least they gut it out.

Sometimes I work ***** hours or get a day I wasnt supposed to work but eh what the hell, more money in my pocket. Always a positive way of seeing things. I try not to complain much, a huge majority of us dont realize just how good we have it; and no the world does not owe you ****. lol

[aquatus1]

Do you think its wise to talk to all the recruiters or should you already know based on your personality?

Your recruiters are probably going to lose patience with you after about the third time you walk in without looking like you are going to sign papers. Don't waste their time; they won't know your personality any better than you do.

Ask people who are around you on a regular basis about your personality.

[aquatus1]

can i vote to " none " ?

i hate military i hate anything with superiors i have to respect

i would rather work in garbage rather than saying one more " yes sir "

As a fresh young recently graduated recruit, I was walking around the San Diego Bay area, and stopped at a small deli for lunch. The young man behind the counter and I struck up a conversation, and before long, the subject turned to his opinion on my new job.

"Yeah, you can keep all that military "Yes SIR! No SIR!" bs. There's no way I would let that sort of thing happen to me." He confidently stated, emphasizing his point with a thumb proudly aimed at his chest.

Moments later, his boss's voice echoed through the near empty deli: "ARNOLD! GET THIS TRASH OUT TO THE DUMPSTERS, LAZY ASS!" With an embarrased grin, he promptly rushed out back.

Myself, I have found the Navy to be generally the most respectful place I have ever worked (not counting chiefs, because...well, chiefs have their own category).

to any half bald man who happen to be high ranking officer who is not worth crap

if i wasn't for the high ranking he have on his shoulders .. it's worthless

Yeah, heck, if you had just been there a bit earlier in the raffle, you would have gotten that ranking yourself...

Or wait...they don't actually have to have qualifications, abilities, knowledge, skills, and experience, or anything like that, to become officers in the military, do they? Is that how it works?

i served nearly two years in army .. and will never ever go there by choice ever again

once you're in military you're not your own man

unless you're ok with taking orders from people then military is last choice

sorry to be loud .. or negative this is my opinion

Nothing wrong with having an opinion. My own opinion is that taking orders from others has little to do being your own man (to be frank, it is pretty much something you will have to be doing all your life), while refusing to acknowledge the superiority of anyone based solely on the belief that no one deserves to be superior to yourself indicates a certain level of insecurity.

i hit a high ranking officer while i was in army a lieutenant .. i was mere recruit

You were a lieutenant...recruit?

i was lucky enough the general didn't send me to court

The general...didn't send you to court...after you...a recruit...struck him...

Did he tell your instructors to not take any action either?

but if i had to go over it again i would do exactly the same

the jerk thought he could raise his hands on me .. it brings the beast out of me

he was just like a round snowball and thought he was so big

Are you sure this happened, and wasn't just something you saw on tv or something?

the sitback in army is you have to do " orders " regardless of your opinion

i had problem with that . i do what i think is right .. even in simple jobs

but comes some shortcake called ranking officer want you to do what " He " think is right

it ain't gonna cut it for me

Definitely not cut out for the military. Hell, I wouldn't hire you to mop my floor.

SereneScene, some people get the job done, some worry more about how they look and feel. Some people are willing to learn from others, some feel they know all there is to know. Some consider knowledge and experience to be valuable, some consider it a quality worthy of derision. Unfortunately, both types of people exist in the military.

It is a simple truism: You will be judged by the company you keep. Make sure the people you hang out with are the kind of people you want to associated with.

[SereneScene]

Thank You, I have already learned that very very true lesson in life, got myself into some trouble because of the wrong crowd, valuable lesson indeed.

And yes I was curious about KOS's post as well, you hit a GENERAL??

[SereneScene]

Your recruiters are probably going to lose patience with you after about the third time you walk in without looking like you are going to sign papers. Don't waste their time; they won't know your personality any better than you do.

Ask people who are around you on a regular basis about your personality.

Oh no, Im not looking to keep on coming in and asking questions over various times, thats why Im researching a lot now so when the time comes I csn talk to a recruiter from at least 2 branches that interest me.

Also as far as personality? Im the cool, calm quit guy, pretty laid back over all (in personality no work ethic), pretty easy to talk to. Biggest things I get are "you are quiet" and "you are a pretty smart guy!".

As far as me on the inside I tend to think a lot and perhaps a bit of a worrier, I am an extremly neat and organized person, in fact maybe a bit of ocd.

While I love electronics and technology I love nature and physxial work even more, I will generally always pick the outside work over being inside. I have never been a troublemaker but I did have my fare share of fights when younger, while a quiet person and extremly nice I love anything to do with combat, boxing, martial arts, I love it!

So yea, overall a very introverted person but not awkward with people, just need my alone time so I can "recharge", hard worker, does not complain much, pretty simple guy overall.

Not sure where that fits the best.

[aquatus1]

Self-analysis is fine and all, but face it; you are in possibly the worst position to view yourself objectively.

Research yourself the same way you research everything else. Get other people's opinions, and see what supports it.

[Knight Of Shadows]

Thank You, I have already learned that very very true lesson in life, got myself into some trouble because of the wrong crowd, valuable lesson indeed.

And yes I was curious about KOS's post as well, you hit a GENERAL??

i was a recruit doing my 2 years compulsory service when a lieutenant who keep hitting recurits and thinking

because he have high rank it's fine to do that

so he hit me and i hit him back pushed him to the floor till sergants broke us off

i wasn't sent to court though by the " general " who runs that places

because he had short number of people to fill my place and i was actually damn good at what i do

so he overlooked it .. after few rolling arounds on dirt and few punshments

it wasn't all bad we and other recruits had fun

but i don't like it when some one treats you down just because he got a rank

i've got bad temper

Edited May 13, 2013 by Knight Of Shadows

[Knight Of Shadows]

As a fresh young recently graduated recruit, I was walking around the San Diego Bay area, and stopped at a small deli for lunch. The young man behind the counter and I struck up a conversation, and before long, the subject turned to his opinion on my new job.

"Yeah, you can keep all that military "Yes SIR! No SIR!" bs. There's no way I would let that sort of thing happen to me." He confidently stated, emphasizing his point with a thumb proudly aimed at his chest.

Moments later, his boss's voice echoed through the near empty deli: "ARNOLD! GET THIS TRASH OUT TO THE DUMPSTERS, LAZY ASS!" With an embarrased grin, he promptly rushed out back.

Myself, I have found the Navy to be generally the most respectful place I have ever worked (not counting chiefs, because...well, chiefs have their own category).

Yeah, heck, if you had just been there a bit earlier in the raffle, you would have gotten that ranking yourself...

Or wait...they don't actually have to have qualifications, abilities, knowledge, skills, and experience, or anything like that, to become officers in the military, do they? Is that how it works?

Nothing wrong with having an opinion. My own opinion is that taking orders from others has little to do being your own man (to be frank, it is pretty much something you will have to be doing all your life), while refusing to acknowledge the superiority of anyone based solely on the belief that no one deserves to be superior to yourself indicates a certain level of insecurity.

You were a lieutenant...recruit?

The general...didn't send you to court...after you...a recruit...struck him...

Did he tell your instructors to not take any action either?

Are you sure this happened, and wasn't just something you saw on tv or something?

Definitely not cut out for the military. Hell, I wouldn't hire you to mop my floor.

SereneScene, some people get the job done, some worry more about how they look and feel. Some people are willing to learn from others, some feel they know all there is to know. Some consider knowledge and experience to be valuable, some consider it a quality worthy of derision. Unfortunately, both types of people exist in the military.

It is a simple truism: You will be judged by the company you keep. Make sure the people you hang out with are the kind of people you want to associated with.

i was giving my opinion the same way you give your opinion so take your nagging other place

to some therapy if possible for all i know i don't care

however i do have problem with your personal bickering .. this isn't your military post eh

not that i'd respect you better if it was .. life bites when you don't get some one to see your way right ?

too bad

and the insecurity part .. that's called pride .. as shocking as it is some people actually have that

Edited May 13, 2013 by Knight Of Shadows

[aquatus1]

Not even to mop.

[SereneScene]

Self-analysis is fine and all, but face it; you are in possibly the worst position to view yourself objectively.

Research yourself the same way you research everything else. Get other people's opinions, and see what supports it.

Maybe a funny question but how do I go about that? Just ask the people Im around the most what they think of me?

Also I wanted to ask; are Air Force and Army similar to the descriptions you have of the Navy and Marines? For instance, the Marines and Navy are one way then it seems that Army and Air Force are their lesser counterparts, and no I dont mean lesser as in worse or not as good but not as "military".

What I mean is take Marines and Army, they both are more "military" than the Navy and Air Force but the Marines seems a bit tougher in terms of training and lifestyle (living conditions according to people), and the Navy and Air Force are more technical rather than being so combat oriented but according to everyone the Air Force have it much better than everyone, so people of a certain personality fit well into either Air Force or Navy?

Hope that makes sense.

Funny cause I told my Marine friend that Im taking the asvab he said good and what not; once he started talking about the branches he said "if you want almost a 9-5 job go to the AF, The Navy js good as well, especially if you dont want combat or anything as Navy is more support" then he started to talk about the Marines and there is this weird (whats the word for it...contradiction?) whenever I hear him talk about the Marines he talks about in an almost negative way, about how hard it was, how you are giving THEM your 4 years and just various stuff about how hard it is, at the same time he said that he never regretted it and in fact wanted to stay and make a career but he dad passed and had to come back as he is an only child. Thats why I was looking for a word, sorta like a love-hate relationship.

I want to talk to him more when I see him though.

Edited May 13, 2013 by SereneScene

[aquatus1]

Maybe a funny question but how do I go about that? Just ask the people Im around the most what they think of me?

Well, yes, but make it clear that you are determining, as objectively as possible, future lifestyles or careers for yourself. If you just ask people to tell you what they think of you, they tend to start thinking emotionally, whereas if you tell them what the practical outcome you are looking for is, they tend to be more logical and frank about it.

Also I wanted to ask; are Air Force and Army similar to the descriptions you have of the Navy and Marines? For instance, the Marines and Navy are one way then it seems that Army and Air Force are their lesser counterparts, and no I dont mean lesser as in worse or not as good but not as "military".

Ahh...okay, I'm biased, you know I'm former Navy. To us, the Marines are the big palookas, the Army are the guys who set up and man bases, and the Air Force...is kind of there, doing something, probably. Navy, well, we sail in ships larger than some countries we pass by, we shoot pilots into the air who are so good we had to decomission "Top Gun" because the fight is over before plane are within dogfight range, and we dance on tables with Ginger Rogers. I tend to think of the Navy as the classy ones (in reputation, at least).

What I mean is take Marines and Army, they both are more "military" than the Navy and Air Force but the Marines seems a bit tougher in terms of training and lifestyle (living conditions according to people), and the Navy and Air Force are more technical rather than being so combat oriented but according to everyone the Air Force have it much better than everyone, so people of a certain personality fit well into either Air Force or Navy?

Hmm...there's an old joke:

If you tell the military to "Secure the Building",

-The Army will post guards around the place,

-The Navy will turn out the lights and lock the door,

-The Marines will kill everyone inside and set up an HQ,

-The Air Force will take out a 5-year lease with an option to buy.

Kind of depends which group you want to be in.

Funny cause I told my Marine friend that Im taking the asvab he said good and what not; once he started talking about the branches he said "if you want almost a 9-5 job go to the AF, The Navy js good as well, especially if you dont want combat or anything as Navy is more support" then he started to talk about the Marines and there is this weird (whats the word for it...contradiction?) whenever I hear him talk about the Marines he talks about in an almost negative way, about how hard it was, how you are giving THEM your 4 years and just various stuff about how hard it is, at the same time he said that he never regretted it and in fact wanted to stay and make a career but he dad passed and had to come back as he is an only child. Thats why I was looking for a word, sorta like a love-hate relationship.

Air Force is pretty much a 9-5 job. I won't comment on it much more because I am pretty limited in my experience with them. Navy is definitely a support role, which means there will be the occasional long hours and lousy conditions (Unless you are an IT guy. Then you get the only air conditioned room on the ship). The Navy is pretty predictable, though. It is easier to plan ahead. Marines, yeah, they thrive on challenge, so it's only natural they focus only on the challenging parts in their recollections.

Have you considered something closer to home? Maybe the Coast Guard, or the National Guard?

[Taun]

I dont know what state you live in Serene.. .but several states (Oklahoma is one - at least I think it still is) offer college scholarships to Army National Guard troops... Yes, there is a continued National Guard commitment following graduation, but still, it takes a huge bite out of college costs...

Something to consider...

[SereneScene]

I live in New York and honestly I want to travel, I have always wanted to go places so I actually want to get away from home lol

Again I realize the travel is not going to be like a cruise but if Im in California, Japan, Philippines, does not matter where, as long as I just get to see part of it and see a few things even breifly, Im happy.

So yea I'd actually be bummed if I get stationed close by lol

[Contract Killer Romeo]

Been in the Navy 7 years and counting. As a single E-5, its good pay. Never had to worry about bills or anything. Had good and bad..but that's everything. Speaking as a recruiter, please make an educated decision, you DO NOT have to go to boot camp until you are on the transportation to boot camp. Your recruiter may lie, I don't personally..than again, I am not a quota hunter.. 1 and done for me.

[SereneScene]

Been in the Navy 7 years and counting. As a single E-5, its good pay. Never had to worry about bills or anything. Had good and bad..but that's everything. Speaking as a recruiter, please make an educated decision, you DO NOT have to go to boot camp until you are on the transportation to boot camp. Your recruiter may lie, I don't personally..than again, I am not a quota hunter.. 1 and done for me.

Are there any particular ratings that you recommend or just whatever you feel fits you best? From what I have been reading it seems that you can have mostly any job in the military and still get your schooling, it just depends on YOU and what you do with your time off. Man I wont lie, part of me finds Marine life and even infantry really interesting but I feel like the Navy might offer more opportunities and overall a less stressful life and possibly more travel (it seems to me the Marines travel their fare share too) but the whole cramped boat thing kills me, as I said before I like the outside, the sun, the air and being on a boat for 6-12 months makes me a bit uneasy, maybe its not THAT bad though.

[RaptorBites]

Early in my units deployment to Iraq, we drew "Poo Burning" duty... My section were all technicians (Signal Corps attached to Engineer HQs unit) and so of course the Unit Commander picked my section first... I was the Master Sgt (E8) In charge of the section and so I detailed myself on the first crew to "burn poo"... None of my crew could legitimately complain if I did it first... (Plus I had done it years before in VietNam when I was a 'youngun' - so I had experience)... But what eald says is 100% true... You are a Soldier first / technician second...

To be honest though, I've seen people have just as much problem with civilian authority as I have with military... That's one reason you hear about people changing jobs every 6 months or so... Some people just are not cut out to take orders (or follow advice of any kind)...

A senior NCO I would have given the respect due. I too also would never assign duties to those under me that I would not do myself either, its a leadership quality that seems to be rare now a days.

[SereneScene]

A nice little documentary on Navy ship life:

A nice perspective, lets just say Im considering the Marines a lot more now...

[SereneScene]

Another one on the Marines.

[Contract Killer Romeo]

Marines go on ships also, and not all Navy jobs are on ships, Seabees for example. Explore all your options...I have put in plenty of prior service Marines...just saying. lol

[SereneScene]

Romeo, do you any thoughts on the Arrmy and Air Force?

[SereneScene]

A nice little documentary on Navy ship life:

[media=]

[/media]

A nice perspective, lets just say Im considering the Marines a lot more now...

By the way the reason I said that was because the thought of being on a ship for SO long just....yea.

[coldethyl]

I was an Air Force spouse for 12 years. My ex travelled and went in with a couple of stripes just because he had some college and no degree.

He was a crew chief on C17's. Then a flying crew chief so he went to tons of places all over the world. (Crew chief is basically a mechanic). We lived over seas and he will be up for retirement in just a few years and will still be young. Imagine being able to retire at age 43 if you join now.

He's currently using his gi bill and going to school so he will have another career when he does retire.

We knew a lot of people who had what we called 'super secret squirell jobs' that they couldn't talk about where they went on missions etc.

Air Force usually do have better accomidations and IMO only Marines are not nice. Not all, but in groups.

Anyway, I voted USAF.

[SereneScene]

I was an Air Force spouse for 12 years. My ex travelled and went in with a couple of stripes just because he had some college and no degree.

He was a crew chief on C17's. Then a flying crew chief so he went to tons of places all over the world. (Crew chief is basically a mechanic). We lived over seas and he will be up for retirement in just a few years and will still be young. Imagine being able to retire at age 43 if you join now.

He's currently using his gi bill and going to school so he will have another career when he does retire.

We knew a lot of people who had what we called 'super secret squirell jobs' that they couldn't talk about where they went on missions etc.

Air Force usually do have better accomidations and IMO only Marines are not nice. Not all, but in groups.

Anyway, I voted USAF.

Marines are not nice? Im sure there are asshats in all branches, cant generalize Marines as a whole.

[coldethyl]

Marines are not nice? Im sure there are asshats in all branches, cant generalize Marines as a whole.

I can if it's my opinion. My natural father was one and on the encounters I've had from personal experiences that is my opinion.

My friend was in the Army and a group of them got in an elevator with him and beat him severely just because he was Army.

If that's all you took from my post then ok though.