Quit trucking for the ARMY?

Well get ready for school if your wanting WO or CO. doable but be ready to busy your butt for it. It's a political game in the service. Keep your nose clean and do your job you'll be fine. 3-4 years between deployments? Depends on MOS. you may go a year then back for 6 months then back out again. Depends on what uncle Sam needs at the time. If your religious pray hard and long on this. If your not then think long and hard in it. No one needs to make this decision but you. You need to consider your wife and kids. How they will handle your being gone in a dangerous area for a year or more at a time. Your friend can help with general insight into
Military life but the marines are a totally different animal from the Army. Different mentality and politics. Just be aware.

I thank you for even considering serving no mater your final decision. It is a tough but rewarding career. Don't let them pigeon hole you into driving trucks since you have a CDL. They will try. The recruiter will sugar coat everything. Be careful. If its not in writing don't believe it.


Sent from somewhere out there on the road.

 

to get a commission you will need to have a 4 year college degree nowadays.

Can't say joining the army would be a bad think, but I have told my own kids I'd tell them not to if they started to look at joining. I retired army guard too.

 

There are so many positives to the military. They will make a man out of you. You can retire early and work on a 2nd retirement.
You always have a home and medical care for your family. No layoffs. Can see all parts of the world.......++++++++++

Chose your MOS wisely. Something that you love and that will benefit you when you get out. Don't let the recruiter suck you into something. Just like trucking!

 

Dad retired from the FAA working Avionics.

You will REALLY want to do your research on your career whatever you do. Aviation industry is not big right now, nor do they pay the greatest. The ones that do, are far and few and you had best be THE best in the business.

Green to Gold is the Army ROTC program. So yeah, you get school paid for, can you cut it in College? It goes back to your GED thing. It pays your tuition and such. You are still responsible for your living expenses.

Just remember, if it SOUNDS too good to be true, it probably is. Especially with the Army. You can't compare the army rotations with the Air Force. Two seperate entities with different requirements. AF won't always send an entire unit, the army will.


And for the record,....
I have a GED, a BS as well as an AAS and retired Army Guard. I also tried the ROTC thing. It wasn't my bag.

If you want to focus on something that WILL help you in the future, get at least an AAS in business management. Then seriously look at being an O/O. Freight will always have to be hauled.

 

My brother worked on the avionics in helicopters. I'm not sure, it might of been 94L? He retired after 28 years and now works for a gov't contractor teaching the military to use some kind of helicopter maintenance software.

After 6 tours in Iraq, military and contractor, everything he own's is paid for and then some.

I'd say go for it.

 

Well good for you. The service is almost never a bad thing. I guess I did it backwards as I'm a retired Marine, and now I drive!

As far as school goes, make sure u use ALL your benifits. It's only a benift if you use it!

While your active duty it is free using the TAP 'Tuition Assistance Program' and when you get out you'll have the GIBill. The biggest thing for a new troop is to stay focused. It is easy to just do your job and forget what your goal is. No one is going to tell you to take classes at the education center on base, or at the CC out the gate. You must pursue this on your own. BTW any school works... ie .. online while your deployed etc. Corrospondant courses also. Make the base education center a priority visit once you get settled!

As far as an MOS, this will depend on your asvab score. You may not have a choice if your score is marginal. Don't let that hold you back if your looking for a career.

College isn't required for WO in the Corps, but you need to be in an MOS that has WO's. Usually you need at least 8yrs, or be an E6 (Staff Sergeant) before you can get in the WO program.

The military is going throu a very big draw down at this time. Meaning they are not going to allow folks to re-enlist, and are probably offering early retirements to those with over 10 or 15yrs in. What this means to you is, if your going to do this then do it now, as the opportunity (recruiter quota) is going to drop!

As a single guy (didn't notice if your married) you can do ok $ wise. Remember that your pay is ALL YOURS, rent paid, food paid, medical and dental paid...

Basic pay for an E-3 is $1729 a month. It might not sound like much, but thats you pocket money! Not alot of 20somethings that have that left over AFTER all the bills are paid.

Best of luck,
Semper Fi
GySgt
USMC (RET)

 

None taken, after all thats why were ' The Few '

LOL...So I guess 20yrs, 2 wars isn't experienced enough...

Again, best wishes