Daughter considering military - input please

[clt46910]

I spend 12 years in the Air Force before getting out to go to work for Lockheed. Like most have already said. Better living, great training, good opportunities and mostly outstanding people that will become good friends.

They have about every job that you can get in the civilian market as well. So you can get great training and good experience in a job that can be transfered to the civilian market if you decide not to make it a career. Also easier to change careers in the Air Force if you decide too later in your career.

Let her read all the comments on here. Might be the best way to let her make her own decision.

[P Starr]

I come from a long & proud Army tradition.

However, of all of the females I've know in all of the branches of the military, I'd say that the Air Force is the way to go. They have great assignments and are less sexist (LESS, not totally UN sexist). Especially for the prettier girls (which is the group she of course falls into).

I wish her the best with her decision. May she be proud no matter what she chooses.

[Indy_Guy_77]

Is your daughter a "heady" type person?

Not at all a disparagement on the Army or Marines, but it seems to ME (as someone wholly separated from the armed services way of life) that the Air Force and Navy have more "heady" type jobs than Army or Marines.

If I were counseling my kid as you are yours, I'd try to steer towards the Air Force first, Coast Guard 2nd, Navy 3rd, Marines 4th, Army 5th.

Don't forget about the Coast Guard!

-J-

[IndyGunworks]

Originally Posted by Joe Williams

The military was very good to me. It delivered everything it promised, but that's largely because even at 17 I was smart enough to heed the advice (just about the only advice I was smart enough to listen to) not to let them promise me much!!! READ THE CONTRACT!!! Read how long the term of enlistment actually is for Remember the folks who were suddenly not allowed out? They signed their name to that.

Tell her to pick her job, don't let the recruiter talk her into going open general. Use the recruiter to find out what jobs are available, find out what they are, and get a "guaranteed" job. Remember the read the contract part? "Guaranteed" really isn't, they still get to change it if they want or need to, but I don't know many folks that happened to. Actually I can't remember any off the top of my head, but it has been a while.

Tell her the benefits can indeed be very good. The training is topnotch, the opportunity for responsibility and authority can be unequaled in the civilian world for an 18 year old with a high school education (the Air Force is particularly good in this regard for enlisted folks), the opportunities for college are very real. You really can "see the world," and experience things that most folks can only dream of.

Perhaps the biggest perk is the people. For whatever reason, the caliber of people you will deal with simply aren't matched in the civilian world. They are just kids. When I got out at 28, I was an "old man." But, they are mission driven, on the ball, high quality people for the most part. They are only people, and they are only kids, so there are mistakes made, but she'll never work and live with better people in all her life. I've been out for almost 14 years, and still miss the people and the life.

There is a drawback, though. She CAN be sent to war, be captured, be raped, and/or be killed. She may have to kill someone personally. If she doesn't, she'll be helping to do so. She may load a bomb that kills kids, and have to do it again the next day. The military is about force, power, and killing, and she cannot go into the committment blind to that. It's not a welfare ride to see the world and go to college, those are simply the fringe benefits to a job that is hard, sometimes lonely, sometimes fatal.

If she joins, though, no matter what else she does for the rest of her life, she'll have mattered. She'll have counted. She'll have helped make history of one sort or another. I loved the military and I love that I went to war and played a tiny part in helping free Kuwait. In that, I did a good thing. I saw the evil the Iraqis did in Kuwait, and I helped stop that. I helped destroy Communism, an evil that enslaved and killed. A microscopic part, you'll never read about me or my friends in history books, but when the Berlin Wall came down, I helped that happen. If she joins, she'll face different enemies and challenges, but she'll count.

This... i have not read all the other posts.. their are so many, but i as well reccomend the airforce or the navy.... and try to get a job that will equate to something at home as well for when she gets out... ie nursing computer programing military police ecetera....

i as well have done my small part to end genocide prevent the social colapse of new orleans and free the iraqi people... i have done my part and my accomplishments will stick with me for the rest of my life... but so will the baggage that i carry around everyday because of my service... this baggage cannot be seen by even the closest people to me but its there and its very real... and sometimes is hard to deal with.

[infantrylife]

Im glad i joined at 17 right out of high school because i was headed down the wrong road being a indy punk wannabe. Now im almost 30 with 13 years of service as a Infantryman with not much of a job opportunity when i get out.

I'd tell her to go the Air Force just like everyone else for the same reasons. They always have better food. We always got into there chow hall, some way, to eat.

[HICKMAN]

I guess all of you Army guys recommending the Air Force don't realize the promotions in the USAF are SLOW....

The Army is the biggest and most rounded of all the branches. They have every kind of job imaginable. My cousin is a MAJ in Afghanistan and flies Blackhawks, I'm pretty sure he's not in a tent. His wife just made MAJ, she's an Army Veterinarian, she's been to both Afghanistan and Iraq, wasn't sleeping in a tent...

As her what job she wants to do, she most likely won't be sleeping in a tent...

Fuggin Army guys recommending Air Force... have some pride people! There are plenty of jobs the Army has that prep you for civilian work.

I finished my career in the Signal Corps and went to work for Lilly as a systems analyst ten years ago... and that was without a degree. My wife works for St Francis after being an Army Medic for 8 years.

Seems to me they are just calling the Air Force "girly", so that's where she should go...

The Army also has the Army Reserve and National Guard, if she wants to pursue her military career after any active duty she serves, much larger that then Air Guard, so more options.

[HICKMAN]

Originally Posted by infantrylife

Im glad i joined at 17 right out of high school because i was headed down the wrong road being a indy punk wannabe. Now im almost 30 with 13 years of service as a Infantryman with not much of a job opportunity when i get out.

You are right, all those years in the Infantry won't prep you for a civilian job.

So I'll ask, how many college courses have you taken in those 13 years? All those free services while you are in, are you taking advantage of them? The education centers are there, what are you doing to improve yourself?

What other MOS's have you looked in to? It might be cool to retire as an Infantryman, but it's really not practical. You've earned your badges, get the Army to train you in something useful from now until you retire

[jennybird]

Thanks guys for all your input. I really do appreciate it. Unfortunately, her boyfriend will be her biggest influence and I don't think he'll be thrilled about her joining. I hope to God she doesn't base a life decision on his selfishness. We'll see. She really is giving it some serious consideration. Keep your fingers crossed!

[HICKMAN]

Originally Posted by 22lr

Ive seen way to many friend go Army, out of highschool and end up working Law enforcement, construction, or landscaping. Which is all fine if you like that work (and it does pay halfway decent). But at the same time I know a lot of Airforce guys who got really good jobs once they got out with no problem. The Airforce tends to attract the higher SAT scoreing individuals, and I think private companies are seeing that.

That is laziness on their own part, not taking advantage of the education centers at every Army base. I know many guys who completed at least an Associates degree and some a Bachelors before they ever got out to use their GI Bill.

The Army just doesn't equal infantry. I guess I was lucky enough to have a father who served in the Army as well an advised me to take advantage of ALL the perks available, not just the GI bill when I got out...

[HICKMAN]

Originally Posted by jennybird

Thanks guys for all your input. I really do appreciate it. Unfortunately, her boyfriend will be her biggest influence and I don't think he'll be thrilled about her joining. I hope to God she doesn't base a life decision on his selfishness. We'll see. She really is giving it some serious consideration. Keep your fingers crossed!

Heh, he's just worried that once she gets a taste of life in the real world, she won't have any use for him.

Has she thought about the National Guard or Air Guard to "test the waters"? You can always put in to go Active Duty if you like it. That's how I got started.