Considering the Army.
 

I'm considering joining the Army. I'm looking to get some feedback from any current active duty or retirees. One of my main reasons for considering is due to the fact that im tired of working two dead end jobs and need to start thinking about my future. I'm thinking that I can enlist for 6 years get some training AND hands on experience in a technical field that will possibly benefit me on my return to civilian life, assuming of course I don't re-enlist. Any thoughts or comments are appreciated.

Have you graduated college?

yea you could go to a technical school or a trade school that works in trimesters and get a 4 year degree in like 2.5 years.

its not a bad option...the ability to travel and training/discipline are worth it alone my .02 just a thought I was AD Airforce

Army has great retirement benefits after 20 years

I've not graduated college, but did attend a technical school for one semester many years ago. Wasn't a good experience and i'd rather not jump back into having student loans again. The potential to travel and experience different things I have to admit does appeal to me.

I enlisted in 1988, but was honorably discharged a month into basic training because of an unforeseen medical condition. I've told my two boys, now ages 15 and 16, that had I been able to stay in, I would have retired last year at 38 years old. My oldest is looking at the Navy and my youngest is considering the Coast Guard. I would encourage you to do it. The benefits are just too great to ignore.

Consider joining the Airforce, for one you might be less likely to get shot, but there are alot of tech fields that would benifit you when you come out. For example you might have an easier time getting a job in computers if you were a radar operator, then if you drove a truck. No matter what branch you go with I don't think you'll regret it.

Pretty similar situation here....enlisted in the AF in '89 and reinlisted again at my 3 year mark for 4 more year. About a year later had a seizure on active duty. I would have retired last year.....20 years goes/went fast.....in or out of the military, I swear!

Why do these always turn into a "Oh man, join my branch" thread? The guy said hes considering joining the ARMY, and would like to know about it, not the navy, not the Air Force, not the Marines.

I've been a soldier for the last 8 years of my life, and I rose through the ranks pretty quickly. At 25 years old, I make 60k+ and enjoy free medical/dental/college benefits (family qualifies for these too), I'd say i'm much further along than many of my peers in life.

All I can say is, dont join a specific branch because you want to collect a paycheck and not have to see combat, thats the pansy way out. If you want to get paid while serving your nation admirably while getting excellent college benefits, you cant go wrong. If anything, i'd say try your damndest to get on a deployment, quick and easy way to come back with 40K+ sitting in your bank account and knock out an associates degree. I've seen it plenty of times, hell I got 19 year old privates driving 7 series BMW's and a Staff Sergeant like myself driving a GT-R. Dont let others sway your decision on your branch based on "if you dont wanna get shot at" or "you'll find more technical fields in this branch" type of comments, the Army has just the same or better opportunities believe me. PM me if you have any questions man. Did I mention that i'll be retiring at 37 years old and collecting a $3,000 paycheck for the rest of my life for sitting on my ass?

My Advice: Go to the recruiter knowing what you want. DO NOT budge from the job you wanna do, if they give you some BS like "we dont have any openings in that field", it is just that, BS. Some jobs have a specific amount of slots that need filled and if there is a shortage in one certain area, they are nudged, if you will, to present you those MOS's and say thats all thats available and thats not true at all. If they claim they cant give you the job that you want, stand up and walk right out, I GUARANTEE they'll call you the next day and some how mysteriously, a job opening has appeared.

Next, make sure you get the duty assignment of your choosing, dont let them stick you in some shyt town in the middle of kansas without you having some say about it. You can have Germany, Hawaii, Italy, Japan, all included in your contract, depending on the job you choose. Pick one and stick to your guns. You can also have things like Airborne school, Ranger, etc. included in the contract as well.

And lastly, GET PAID. Pick a job that you're comfortable with and make sure it includes a bonus, nothing like joining the military with a nice fat $20,000 enlistment bonus coming along with it. Oh and you said you want to do 6 years, NEVER sign up that long for your first enlistment, you may decide that military life isnt for you and be stuck waiting out 2 or 3 years longer than you want. Do 4 years max the first time. And for the love of god, ask your recruiter what you can do to come in with some rank! You can come in as an E4 depending on your civilian education/accomplishments, crazy as it sounds, if you ever attained the "Eagle Scout" ranking in the scouts, you can come in as a specialist, crazy huh?

^ They wanted to give me like a $40,000 bonus for special forces haha

shyt man, they are offering SF guys 70K+ just to reenlist in the warzone, insanity.

I hear Afghanistan is very pretty this time of the year!

Staff Sergeant top pay after 6(six)years is 32 thousand. How are you making 60K+?

How much of a bonus do they pay you if you get zentropy to enlist?


GoArmy.com > Benefits > Money > Basic Pay: Active Duty Soldiers

I guess it all depends on what you like to do, what would your ideal job be in the military? Then let that determine what branch you would want to go in. If you wanna fly helicopters...well, the Army is your best bet. If you wanna be on the front lines w/ a rifle in your hands, then go for the Marines. If you want to work with computers, or fly the latest cutting edge fighters, go for the Air Force, Etc Etc Etc. Don't listen to the clowns that say "your not a man unless you are a grunt." That is complete and utter horse****. Not everyone enjoys the sound of bullets flying over their head, me included. I've been in the Air Force for 12 years now and assembling the bombs, missiles, and loading bullets for the F-16 in the rear with the gear is fine by me. Make fun of me all you want, but I love my job just fine.

Worst thing you can do is going into something like this, enlist in a certain service and job and hate it for 4-6 years. Think long and hard about what YOU want to do now and in the future, cause chances are, if your job carries over into the private sector, you can also make good money doing the same thing you liked doing on the inside.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Your doing you duty, and that is what counts!:tiphat:
But damn, we missed out on retiring at age 37, and getting $3,000.00 a month for life!:bowrofl:

I know everyone is partial to their service, myself included, but you can't honestly say the Army has the same technical opportunities the Air Force does. The last time I checked, most of the stuff you guys get already says "Property of U.S. Air Force" on it. That and look at the Aviation aspect of it, I know the helicopters are pretty maintenance intense, and have a lot of good tech on them, but look at our jets and their weapons systems...no comparison. I'm not trying to start an Army vs Chair Force thread, (pun intended) I just don't agree with you telling him the Army has the same technical opportunities as the other branches, it's just not true and that isn't fair to him for the making of a very important decision!

With that being said all this goes to pot if the OP has no interest in a technical career field, so I'll shut up and let this get back on track.

I appreciate everyone's responses thus far. Its an important to decision and i'm not taking it lightly. I was originally only interested in hearing about the Army in specific but because i'd like something more technical I am considering the Air Force as well. My dad is retired USAF and so I am familiar with the retiring at 38 idea. Please keep your comments coming.

I got out of the military after about 6 years. Honestly, it was the best decision I ever made in my life.

Now that I'm out, I'm 27, fully trained in Networking / Information Technology, and making great money. Not only that, but the values you live while in the military, should you take them seriously, follow you for life....and people notice.

As Red said, pick your job and stick to your guns. Score high enough on the ASVAB, and you shouldn't have a problem getting the job you want.

Go in knowing that Basic and AIT are going to be more mental than physical, and learn to listen well and pay attention to details.

If you end up retiring, lucky you. I work with nearly all retirees, and seeing how well-off they are with a retirement check, VA benefits, AND a huge contracting paycheck makes me so jealous. I was medically chaptered, so I didn't really get the option to stay in for 20.

Good luck. It'll change your life.

Red370 said a lot of the advise I tell my soldiers. Main thing treat it like buying a car. Research it, don't just listen to the recruiter (salesman). Know your goals going into it. Different goals could be 20 yrs and retire to 4 yrs for the GI Bill for college. Some jobs are more marketable in the civilian world than others, but they all teach yu work ethics and leadership. If you do enlist don't enlist for long periods. Things in your life may change but also reenlistments give you chances to move, go to school, or get another bonus. Always remember military service is a life style not a job. When you're in the military it's 24/7.

Retired U.S. Army with over 20 yrs of Active Duty.

First, the Army or the Armed Forces is not for everyone. For sure after Basic and Advanced Training you will be go to Iraq or Afganistan. then if you are lucky Korea.

However, you get a lot of benefits for the Army. GI Bill, TSP, Medical, Dental, 100% Tuiton Assistance while in Active Duty and a lot more benefits

Try to get a job that you will have a future in the civilian field, for example IT, Aviation, etc. Don't let the recruiter suck yoi in to one of those need it MOSs.

Last, even that you sign for 4 or 6 yrs you are committed for 8yrs. Read the small prints!!

My life is worth more than 70k. However I got a buddy that is fl_lcked up in the head from being in war. Well two buddies, and the acohol flows everytime I see them. They pay one of them 2k a month as long as he goes and sees a shrink once a month. I guess its not a bad deal if you dont have to go to war and stay away from bad habbits that are brought on by boardom and other physical and mental hurdles. Also if you like the ladys good luck meeting them on the daily, well unless you like going the cyber route.
Its for some, and if you dont have it in you to take another route to sucsess or stability than it might be an option worth looking into. Whatever you do buddy I wish you luck.

Thats base pay fella, you must be a military expert, I respect my elders but you have ZERO clue what you're talking about. My base pay is 44k with an additional $1400 a month for housing allowance and $350 more a month for additional duty pay. If you're not in the military or have been within the last 15 years, then please keep your comments to yourself.

:icon18:Actually my warrant packet recently got accepted, i'll be retiring as a W3 minimum, YES, I will be collecting 3k a month for sitting on my ass or more, man you guys are experts here. None of you know me or my life, I gave the guy info on what he can accomplish with his career, thanks for the advice. And as far as the Army not having technical careers...Military Intelligence comes with a top secret clearance, and there are countless jobs in that field. You could also be a topographic surveyor... there are tons of communications jobs, satellite communications, fiber optic repair, etc. Flight Officer of an Apache helicopter (no air force stamp on that buddy), the possibilities are endless, dont listen to the AF or Navy BS when it comes to technical jobs, being an in flight fueler just SCREAMS technical to me... Oh, maybe you can be an F16 mechanic or a load master! lmao.

Yeh and that isn't even adding in the medical care and other bennifits of military service.

How about this. With 10 yrs of service I make more base pay than SGM with 20 yrs of service.

Yeah ok, WHATEVER!!!!!!!!! :rolleyes:


Please, give me a break! Now from retirement pay the topic change to basic pay.

Anyone can go to the military pay chart and see what the active duty get pay, plus all the incentives.

So don't try to insult people here, ok! Especially those who served in the military and deserved the same respect as you do!

You're sooooooooooooooo good at looking up military pay charts. Then look this up O3 with 10 yrs of service and E9 with 20 yrs of service. My base pay works out to $178.50 more a month. That's $2142 a year more.

And you soooooooooo sensitive, must be a Captain! :D

BTW, that E9 is the one that is going to teach you everything you will ever know in the military. ;)

First you posted you made 60k+! Now it's 44k , plus now you're including housing allowance, and duty pay!

well all i know is i make 20K a month in oil and gas and only work 4 weeks out of every 10. plus i don't have to go to war.

sorry but this thread was off topic enough

Come on Shumby we all know Canada has no military haha

He's just bitter he has to sleep in the dirt. Give me a break, Army Intelligence...I'll pass, I know Military Intelligence as a whole is a complete misnomer, but come on. Like I said earlier, if someone wants to fly Helicopters...it's pretty cut and dry what service you go into. Have you ever been in an F-16 cockpit, that's late 50's and early 60's tech with progressive upgrades, if you saw the glass cockpit in an F-35 your jaw would drop. Then when they told you to repair the avionics, you'd look like a monkey trying to F*** a football. I'm not saying I lack any respect for what you do Red370, but everytime you try to come over the top with this "information" about how much better the Army is I seriously LOL. I make 60K a year too, as a WG-10 step 3 but I have never had to step foot into the sandbox or anywhere near there, but the difference is whenever I go on a deployment, I get to double dip, and that is on top of my 60K. Does that make one of us better than the other? I feel like you are trying to make this into a contest, when all the OP needs is FACTUAL information. I will never understand trying to pump yourself up on a forum...who the f*** cares. I'm done with bantering back and forth as it doesn't help the OP with his decision. Lateron.

Papo first off I'm not sensitive. I was just answering your attack on my comment. Second you are the one who seems to be sensitive. You came into the thread attack red370 and then me when neither of us were even talking to you. Why? Are you that desparate for attention which I'm feeding now by even answering you twice?

To anyone else who is questioning red370. Housing allowance is added to your check by month so is any special pay. So times the BAH and special pay by 12 and add to the base pay. That over 60K. Simple math!

what do you do?

Go Navy! Beat Army!! :tup: haha

Academy football is a laugh. Just watch what happens when they play real colleges.

Navy: 10-4 record and stomped Missou in the Texas bowl...i guess missou's not a real team? or how about Notre Dame?

Systems Eng. on an off shore platform. GO oil and gas the military can suck it. :roflpuke2: