Which Military branch?

[kcconnie]

My 22 year old son took the ASVAB today and scored an 85. With that score, which branch of the military do you suggest and why? His highest scores were in Electrical, Nuclear Ops, and Operations Specialists while he is most interested in Aviation. He is currently talking to an Army recruiter but wants to have as much information as possible before making a final decision. Thanks in advance for your help!

[KurtCobain]

I hear blowin shit up is fun.

[GESteve]

I blew up your mom last night

[Saulbadguy]

Navy. You get to sail the seven seas.

[FAX]

I suggest the Electrical Branch.

FAX

[pr_capone]

I scored an 86 on my ASVAB. I went Army and I loved it. HMMV though.

If he is most interested in Aviation, then the Navy and/or the Air Force would seem like the obvious choice. That is unless he enjoys whirlybirds. If so, then Army becomes an option as well.

[LiveSteam]

I hear blowin shit up is fun.

Combat Engineers

[rocknrolla]

USMC. Serve with the best. Thank your son for serving.

[FAX]

Whirlybirds is a great word.

Whirlybirds. Whirlybirds.

I think I'm going to write a short story about Whirlybirds. Maybe about how all the birds in the world are made dizzy on account of changes in the Earth's magnetic field or something. Where they can no longer navigate properly and go all whirly and bang into stuff like trees or people or that giant cow statue in Wisconsin made out of meatloaf.

FAX

[Frazod]

I spent six years in the Navy. Saw a lot of the world, got to eat, sleep and bathe regularly, and nobody ever shot at me. The flip side is cramped quarters and the potential for being out at sea for months on end.

Air Force tends to treat their enlisted people better, but there's always the chance he'd get stationed in some godforsaken shithole like Minot, and be stuck there for two-three years. Of course, the flipside is being stationed somewhere awesome like Germany.

Army and Marines means Iraq or Afghanistan at some point. It is what it is.

[listopencil]

Tell him to go Air Force.

[HonestChieffan]

AF has the hottest females

[Brock]

USCG is an often overlooked option.

[Mizzou_8541]

My 22 year old son took the ASVAB today and scored an 85. With that score, which branch of the military do you suggest and why? His highest scores were in Electrical, Nuclear Ops, and Operations Specialists while he is most interested in Aviation. He is currently talking to an Army recruiter but wants to have as much information as possible before making a final decision. Thanks in advance for your help!

USMC infantry. He will have opportunities to gain intangible skills that cannot be easily obtained in college, or a post high school job.

Infantry doesn't really prepare you for a specific job outside the military except possibly law enforcement. That being said, he has the rest of his life to go to college and learn tangible skills. USMC infantry was the most rewarding experience of my life, and I highly encourage anyone interested to at least consider it. Plus, the term "dumb grunt" doesn't really apply anymore. Some of the smartest guys I have ever met were infantry guys.

[big nasty kcnut]

Navy do it. do it.

[MIAdragon]

Air force and it's not even close, this is coming from a former Navy guy.

[pr_capone]

USMC infantry. He will have opportunities to gain intangible skills that cannot be easily obtained in college, or a post high school job.

Like how to be a bullet sponge.

No thanks.

[Phobia]

Depends on why he wants to join. Does he want to see the world? Is he joining for the G.I. Bill? Does he fancy himself elite? Is he a family man?

[FAX]

I'm impressed by the number of Planeteers who have served in the military.

I'm proud of you guys.

FAX

[Mizzou_8541]

Like how to be a bullet sponge.

No thanks.

No, you are actually trained very well on how to not get shot. I did two tours and didn't get hit. Good training and leadership mitigate your chances of getting hit.

[kcconnie]

Depends on why he wants to join. Does he want to see the world? Is he joining for the G.I. Bill? Does he fancy himself elite? Is he a family man?

He says he wants to see the world and get a college education while getting paid for it. He's 22, still living at home with Mom & Dad and hasn't done a damn thing since graduating, except to bless me with a beautiful 2 year old granddaughter. I'm just glad he is finally starting to plan for his future and that of his daughter.

[pr_capone]

No, you are actually trained very well on how to not get shot. I did two tours and didn't get hit. Good training and leadership mitigate your chances of getting hit.

There is no amount of training that will teach you how to not get shot. There is training on how to use cover and concealment, how to lessen your exposure and reduce vulnerability. Unless they are using Matrix style training now ... no way to be taught how not to get shot.

I get what you are saying... but the people who have the greatest chance of acquiring an unwanted hole in their body are USMC infantrymen.

[kcconnie]

I'm impressed by the number of Planeteers who have served in the military.

I'm proud of you guys.

FAX

Amen! Most of my family has served. Anyone who has been a member of our military has my utmost respect! Thank you!

[Spicy McHaggis]

Air Force for my vote, although I'm somewhat biased.

[Brock]

There is no amount of training that will teach you how to not get shot. There is training on how to use cover and concealment, how to lessen your exposure and reduce vulnerability. Unless they are using Matrix style training now ... no way to be taught how not to get shot.

I get what you are saying... but the people who have the greatest chance of acquiring an unwanted hole in their body are USMC infantrymen.

In Iraq, Marines made up 10 percent of the force and suffered 25 percent of the casualties (deaths), the Army made up 50 percent of the force and suffered 70 percent of the casualties. Neither stat looks too good to me.

[Bowser]

Air force and it's not even close, this is coming from a former Navy guy.

Air Force for my vote, although I'm somewhat biased.

Air Force. He can have his own room as an E-2 while Army and Marine sergeants are still living 4 to a room.

With his credentials, he could score a pretty sweet job in the AF.

[Mizzou_8541]

He says he wants to see the world and get a college education while getting paid for it. He's 22, still living at home with Mom & Dad and hasn't done a damn thing since graduating, except to bless me with a beautiful 2 year old granddaughter. I'm just glad he is finally starting to plan for his future and that of his daughter.

I was on the same track. I wasn't living at home, I was at college and making a mess of my life. I knew something had to change or I was going to end up in rehab or worse. Anyway, I told myself that if I was going to join the military, I would need to go to the branch that is going to challenge me the most. I was 21 at the time. 8 years later, I got out as a Staff Sergeant, combat decorated scout/sniper....and VERY proud of my service, my team members' service, and all military men and women.

After the Marine Corps, I went back to school and graduated in two years by taking 21-24 hours per semester (I did have some credits prior to my service...but I digress). I now have a very nice job in KC, and it seems like I draw upon my military/combat experience daily to help me succeed.

[Bowser]

and it seems like I draw upon my military/combat experience daily to help me succeed.

Competitors dropping like flies, eh?

:)

[Mizzou_8541]

There is no amount of training that will teach you how to not get shot. There is training on how to use cover and concealment, how to lessen your exposure and reduce vulnerability. Unless they are using Matrix style training now ... no way to be taught how not to get shot.

I get what you are saying... but the people who have the greatest chance of acquiring an unwanted hole in their body are USMC infantrymen.

I hear ya...and no I wasn't talking about Matrix stuff. Like you mention, cover and concealment, proper protolling and use of natural terrain, accurate fire, proper bounding and movement, use of indirect fire weapons, etc. All of the stuff will contribute to someone making it back home alive and without more holes than when they left.

IED's are a different story, but they don't really care if you are USMC infantry or Air Force admin.

[Mizzou_8541]

Competitors dropping like flies, eh?

:)

LMAO...more like the intangible skills I was referring to earlier.

[Phobia]

Air Force. He can have his own room as an E-2 while Army and Marine sergeants are still living 4 to a room.

With his credentials, he could score a pretty sweet job in the AF.

I won't deny Air Force guys have more posh living conditions but I was living in my own room as a Sgt and only shared with one guy as a Corporal.

[Bowser]

I won't deny Air Force guys have more posh living conditions but I was living in my own room as a Sgt and only shared with one guy as a Corporal.

Yeah, but we had ladies that would come in, clean our rooms, do our laundry, and shine our boots for ten bucks a week. Few extra dollars and they'd go pick up dinner for us.

[Bowser]

Yeah, but we had ladies that would come in, clean our rooms, do our laundry, and shine our boots for ten bucks a week. Few extra dollars and they'd go pick up dinner for us.

Ok, that's just bullshit. All I know is that the Marines in Okinawa freaking HATED us.

[Phobia]

It's really a personal decision for the kid. He'll see the world in each of them and get good education benefits as well. I believe the Army has roughly twice the education opportunities of the other branches. I enjoyed my 5 years in the USMC and I'm proud of my service but had I known then what I know now I might have joined the Air Force and done 20. The Marine Corps is definitely more difficult and a more tighter knit group. I stay in touch with most the guys with whom I served in GW1 20 years later. If I were ever in need of something I'm confident any one of them would rise to the call.

It really just depends on his goals and objectives. The USMC is not for everybody. Find a good fit for him, commit to it and give it his best. If he decides he doesn't like a specific branch he can actually change branches - it's not unheard of. Not in the middle of a contract, of course but if he does 4 years in the navy, wants to stay employed by Uncle Sam but in another branch he can enlist in another branch, retain his rank, and time in service.

[Phobia]

Yeah, but we had ladies that would come in, clean our rooms, do our laundry, and shine our boots for ten bucks a week. Few extra dollars and they'd go pick up dinner for us.

We had mamasans too.

[Bugeater]

He says he wants to see the world and get a college education while getting paid for it. He's 22, still living at home with Mom & Dad and hasn't done a damn thing since graduating, except to bless me with a beautiful 2 year old granddaughter. I'm just glad he is finally starting to plan for his future and that of his daughter.
You should've booted his ass out when he turned 18.

[Bowser]

What Phobia said. And there are days I'm irked at myself for not making the Air FOrce a career, but to be fair, I've known guys from all branches that could tell you the same thing. It will all come down to what he's comfortable with.

[Mizzou_8541]

Ok, that's just bullshit. All I know is that the Marines in Okinawa freaking HATED us.

I did a 7 month deployment in Oki and I don't recall even seeing AF except on Gate 2 street. I was on Camp Hansen though. IIRC, it was a long way to the AF base...relative to the size of the island.

[Bowser]

I did a 7 month deployment in Oki and I don't recall even seeing AF except on Gate 2 street. I was on Camp Hansen though. IIRC, it was a long way to the AF base...relative to the size of the island.

Yeah, you were at the end of the island. What was the big Marine base with the movie theater/mall? Camp Foster? We'd get fucked with pretty regularly if we went there with out AF BDU's on.

[kcconnie]

You should've booted his ass out when he turned 18.

Did that! He came back 3 years later with a girlfriend and a baby! Little fuckers can multiply like rabbits!

[Mizzou_8541]

Yeah, you were at the end of the island. What was the big Marine base with the movie theater/mall? Camp Foster? We'd get ****ed with pretty regularly if we went there with out AF BDU's on.

I don't doubt it. It's one thing to have esprit de corps, it's another to think that graduating boot camp and wearing a uniform suddenly makes you a badass. For every good Marine I knew, I knew an idiot Marine that made me question how they made it to 18, let alone into the USMC.

Camp Foster had a big NCO/Enlisted club. Lots of different services would go there. The best thing about that club was watching all the dudes hit on the same three nasty females that would show up every weekend.

[MIAdragon]

Did that! He came back 3 years later with a girlfriend and a baby! Little ****ers can multiply like rabbits!

If the kid has a kid and fam the last thing he needs to to take a round tonthe skull or a 6 mo deployment. iMO the AF gives him he best chance of staying state side and safe.

[TODD]

Air Force, 20 years of it...Aircraft Pneudraulics systems..

I went everywhere, and enjoyed it..no matter if it was a Sh** Hole or where..

Today with some aircraft, you dont have to leave the state if they drop bombs in Iraq...
And for the most part when we deploy...Hotels brother...

[LiveSteam]

Did that! He came back 3 years later with a girlfriend and a baby! Little fuckers can multiply like rabbits!

hahahahaahahahahaaha This has to scare the shit out of Bugs , gramps LMAO

[Bugeater]

hahahahaahahahahaaha This has to scare the shit out of Bugs , gramps LMAO
Little fucker can multiply all he wants, all I know is he ain't bringing any kids into my house. I'm way done with that shit.

[Phobia]

I did a 7 month deployment in Oki and I don't recall even seeing AF except on Gate 2 street. I was on Camp Hansen though. IIRC, it was a long way to the AF base...relative to the size of the island.

You missed out. We'd go down to Kadina every chance we got for lunch. Of course I was never more than one or two camps away.

[TrebMaxx]

It's really a personal decision for the kid. He'll see the world in each of them and get good education benefits as well. I believe the Army has roughly twice the education opportunities of the other branches. I enjoyed my 5 years in the USMC and I'm proud of my service but had I known then what I know now I might have joined the Air Force and done 20. The Marine Corps is definitely more difficult and a more tighter knit group. I stay in touch with most the guys with whom I served in GW1 20 years later. If I were ever in need of something I'm confident any one of them would rise to the call.

It really just depends on his goals and objectives. The USMC is not for everybody. Find a good fit for him, commit to it and give it his best. If he decides he doesn't like a specific branch he can actually change branches - it's not unheard of. Not in the middle of a contract, of course but if he does 4 years in the navy, wants to stay employed by Uncle Sam but in another branch he can enlist in another branch, retain his rank, and time in service.

This is very good advice. I was in the Army and I did get to travel around Europe while stationed in Germany and loved it. But then again that was in the early to mid 80's and I never saw combat. My recommendation would be the Air Force or the Coast Guard. I say the Coast Guard only because I see them cruising around the Caribbean every time we go and I think to myself "Why the hell did I join the Army when I could of been here".

[Bowser]

You missed out. We'd go down to Kadina every chance we got for lunch. Of course I was never more than one or two camps away.

To this day, the USO at Kadena had some of the best fried chicken I've ever had in my life.

[Phobia]

I really miss Yakisoba Okinawa style.

[boogblaster]

AF or Navy

[Bowser]

I really miss Yakisoba Okinawa style.

Indeed. I try to explain Yakisoba to my daughter, and she just thinks I'm talking about Hy-Vee's lo mein.

Come to think of it, I don't think I had much to eat over there that I didn't not like. There was a Japaneese steakhouse place right off base that was just barely over a hole in the wall, and was pure awesome. We would buy the chef a beer, and he would feed us like kings.

[Over-Head]

I suggest the Electrical Branch.

FAX THIS, have a friend who went in, came out and is making a killing working as a linesman

[Cheater5]

Tangibles and intangibles, really. Does he want to learn a trade and perhaps a technical skill? Or does he want adventure, to learn about himself, and walk down some potentially dangerous paths that not too many others do?

Seems to be two camps here; some people's experience was focused on the technical/support aspect of the military- serve your country/wear the uniform, but more centered around 'hardware' (nuke reactors, helicopter engines, joint-nodal network repair).

The other side joined to walk the line, so to speak. I am not glorifying combat here- but you'll never have a stronger bond, learn more about values (honor, integrity, courage, committment, loyalty, etc), and how to follow, and how to lead than you would in a combat arms MOS. Yeah, being shot at puts you in a category where not too many things in civilian life are worth getting all that worked up about. Just sayin'...

Every service and every MOS is important in the military and it's an argument for 12 year olds to say one is better than the other. But one is better than the other for your son.

Ask him to define why he wants to go into the service.

[JohninGpt]

To this day, the USO at Kadena had some of the best fried chicken I've ever had in my life.

Their chicken yakiniku was pretty damn good too.

[Amnorix]

You should definitely tell him to consider the Air Force, Air Force, Navy, or Air Force.

That said, I never served, so what do I know.

I know he should go in the Air Force if he's smart

[Old Dog]

I did almost 23 years in the Army and trained on numerous occasions with most of the other branches (only once however that I can recall with the Coast Guard). As others have said, it's really going to depend on what he is really looking to get out of it as different branches will offer different things.
Here's my "in a nutshell" take on the four largest (I don't know enough about Coast Guard to offer an opinion) but take it with a grain of salt, as it's only one opinion.

The Air Force seems to take better care of their people, but if he's looking for something long term promotions come much more slowly than in the Army or Marines. This would be one of two possible branches if I were steering most any of my family toward one.

Marines are generally a more close knit group, but have earned the reputation of "glorified pop-up targets" for a reason. If a kid needed "straightening out", this may be the place, but it's not for most folks who can think for themselves.

Navy has some of the more technical jobs, but the idea of spending 1/3 to 1/2 of your career, often in cramped quarters doesn't appeal to me. Promotions are quicker than those of the Air Force, but slower than the other two.

Army is the other possibility if I were to steer someone toward a branch. It's not generally as "intense" as the Marines, but certainly not as "easy going" as the Air Force either. Promotions come realtively quickly. The biggest downside here is that many kids with 6-7 years in right now are looking at their second or third 12-month deployment in either Iraq or Afghanistan. While it's not normally as bad over there as it looks on TV, it's still not something most of us want our kid doing.


Also bear in mind that most of the stuff above can and will vary from unit to unit.

The Army and Air Force have bases in more locations, but that also leads to the possibility of being stuck in Cannon AFB or Ft. Drum

[Dayze]

I'd say Navy or AF. I scored and 84, and had my pick of jobs in the Navy.
I chose Intelligence Specialist, and wound up getting stationed with a F/A-18 Hornet Squadron in Lemoore CA; we deployed on the USS Carl Vinson.

My other 'jobs' to choose (if I remember correctly) were Fire Control Technician, Operations Speciliast (couldn't picked whatever job, but only wanted to be presented with thop 3-5 jobs).

Navy was cool; I was able to see a lot of cool places. I spent a month at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska while our pilots played with their toys int he sky. Air Force Bases are generally really nice; nice facilities etc. I went to another 30 day detatchment at Nellis AFB in Vegas, and it was nice as well.

I think with Both AF and Navy, there are chances to get some really good duty assignments too. My first and second choices for duty nearing completion of 'A-School' was Naples, Italy, and Molesworth England; both were Joint Analysis Commands (JACs) with intel personnel fro multiple branches.

Re-enlistment bonuses are also probalby still very high for select ratings. My bonus to re-up for 6 years when I got out was $36k. I turned it down because I couldn't get the shore duty I wanted - which was the JAC in England.

Also, if he leans towards Navy, look at the sea/shore rotation of a particular rate. My rating had a sea/shore rotation of 4/6. 4 years 'sea' duty, and 6 years shore. Although, I didnt' live on a ship - only when we deployed the aircraft to the carrier. the rest of the time I was on 'shore' in Lemoore. so, sometimes 'sea' duty is more like 'deployable' duty. However, I had other guys from my Intel school go straight to ships; and when you're low ranking, you basically liveon the ship even when the ship is in port. So in that regard, it's sort of a crap shoot.

if you have any questions, shoot me a PM; I'll give you the straight pro/con of the Navy....the Non-recruiter version.

[MOhillbilly]

Army still have guaranteed MOS?

[Old Dog]

Yep. Of course if you fail out of whatever your guaranteed MOS was, then you become needs of the Army and end up driving a truck (used to be a cook or a grunt, but times have changed).

[tmax63]

I was a Pharmacy Tech in the Army for 12 years. Was promoted to E-7 in 9.5 years. Had 9 moves in those 12 years, twice to Germany. Work on a AF installation now as a civilian. AF seems to have more but shorter (3-6 month) deployments than the Army's standard 1 yr trips. AF seems a little more laid back but they don't move s much. Most of the military I know they stay in the same place for 5-8 years minimum. The AF saves money on moves that way and it's great if you get a good place but can be hell if stuck in "Why Not Minot" as mentioned earlier. AF and Army would be my 1st two choices but the biggest thing I'd reccommend is talk to both but don't pick one while the recruiter is there selling. Wait until they're given you the info and gone then make up your mind and go back to who you pick. And get everything promised in writing before signing. If it isn't written it isn't happening and don't give in to pressure sales tactics.

[Dayze]

^ +1 for the Navy. guaranteed until you fail out/screw up etc. then you'll go to the fleet undesignated. Ie - deck ape / turd shirt / galley cook.

[MOhillbilly]

If you go Army FA prepare to be stuck at Ft. Sill. West Ok is hell on earth.

[Dayze]

Something to keep in mind is concept of 'getting an education while you serve' can be a little overly optimistic. Depending on where you get stationed/what y our job is.....you might have little time for school.

first year of my 4 year stint were bootcamp and A-school, and getting orders to my squadron.
I arrived at my squadron at a point where they were getting ready for 'work-ups' (getting ready to go out for a six month deployment). For a year and a half, it consissted of several 30, 45 day detachments to either AF bases to play war, or small sea detachments for 30 days etc to get pilots carrier qual'd, among other things. THEN, there's the 6 month deployment.
It wasn't until I got back off deployment that things calmed down a bit, but by that point I only had like 11 months until I got out.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he could get some school knocked out, but depdning on the timing/job/location etc it will be very hard. I went in thinking I was going to nearly finish a degree. Not even close. There was simply no time, even when I wasn't at sea/detached. 10 hour days (at least), duty every 4 days, duty weekend every third weekend.
Having said that......a shore duty would be the perfect scenario. If I had re-enlisted, I would've had 6 years to knock out a bunch fo school w/out worry about being deployed. Still would've been hard simply due to the number of hours you work in a week even on shore, but more 'doable'.

Again, though, he could wind up with sweet duty right out of the gate.
At minimum, though, the GI bill will be very nice to have. I didn't take as much advantage of it as I should have.

[morphius]

Air Force has always generally treated their people better, had the best facilities, etc.

[MOhillbilly]

If you wanted to just blow shit up and/or be a maniac what branch/mos?

[Otter]

I'm saying Coast Guard just because no one ever says Coast Guard.

[Dayze]

Another factor to consider is, what does he think he wants to do when he gets out?
If he thinks its' something in aviation, then he should definitely lean heavily towards an aviation rating. I know several guys from my squadron that are doing very well now working at Boeing, Lockheed, or even working as civilian consultants etc on bases. All seem to be doing very well.

Most of them had ratings of Avionics Tehcnicians (AT), Aviation Electrician (AT), Parachute Rigger (which covers survival systems, egress/ejection seat, etc) or Aviation Orandanceman (AO) - the first 2 being the primary ratings of guys who transferred those skills to civilian jobs.

From a Navy perspective, if he's interested in Aviation after the miliary, I would defintely not choose anything that is considered a 'black shoe' rate - ie seaman rate (jobs typically fall under categories 'airman', 'seaman', or 'fireman').

[Old Dog]

If you wanted to just blow shit up and/or be a maniac what branch/mos?

89D (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) is probably the closest but 21B (Combat Engineer) would be another way to go

[MOhillbilly]

I'm saying Coast Guard just because no one ever says Coast Guard.

My step dad did coast guard after two tours w/ the 503rd/173rd.

[jiveturkey]

Navy - they have the best locations.

The Air Force is usually in the middle of no where but is an easier gig from what I understand.

Navy is also more exciting. If he winds up in aviation he'll likely be working on an aircraft carrier. Doesn't get much cooler than that.

[Dayze]

Navy - they have the best locations.

The Air Force is usually in the middle of no where but is an easier gig from what I understand.

Navy is also more exciting. If he winds up in aviation he'll likely be working on an aircraft carrier. Doesn't get much cooler than that.

and if you're in Aviation in the Navy, you'll most assuredly be assigned to a squadron. so even though you're on 'sea duty', you're not on the carrier/out at sea/cramped quarters, unless the planes are on the ship as well.

the rest of the time, you're on the beach/land, living in a dorm-room environment (unless you're married, kid etc...). I think my 'sea counter' for days at sea (it's listed on your pay stub each time) was like 375 days or thereabouts. So, in the 3 years after bootcamp and A-school, that's the number of days I was on a ship.

[Frazod]

Navy - they have the best locations.

The Air Force is usually in the middle of no where but is an easier gig from what I understand.

Navy is also more exciting. If he winds up in aviation he'll likely be working on an aircraft carrier. Doesn't get much cooler than that.

Being stationed on a carrier sucks, especially if you're lower level enlisted. They can stay out to sea for months on end, and when they do pull into port somewhere, because they're so goddamn big in many places they're too big to dock and will have to anchor and run liberty boats to and from shore. This means you're standing in line with a few thousand people waiting for a ride, and those who outrank you will get to cut.

I was on a supply ship. It wasn't glamorous or cool, but the good thing about it was that once you ran out of supplies you had to back and get more supplies. Hell on earth if you're in the supply department, but if you're not, it means you're in port half the time you're deployed, and unless you have duty you're basically working 8 to 5 and get to go ashore and do whatever you want at night.

One of the main reasons I got out was because I didn't want to get stationed onboard a carrier after my three years of shore duty was up, and that was pretty much the only option for me because of my rating.

[bevischief]

Go Air Force.

[jiveturkey]

and if you're in Aviation in the Navy, you'll most assuredly be assigned to a squadron. so even though you're on 'sea duty', you're not on the carrier/out at sea/cramped quarters, unless the planes are on the ship as well.

the rest of the time, you're on the beach/land, living in a dorm-room environment (unless you're married, kid etc...). I think my 'sea counter' for days at sea (it's listed on your pay stub each time) was like 375 days or thereabouts. So, in the 3 years after bootcamp and A-school, that's the number of days I was on a ship.Exactly why it's awesome.

I was stationed in San Diego with a squadron and didn't have to live on the boat (except when we were deployed).

I had a friend who went Airforce shortly after I went Navy and he wound up at Tinker in Oklahoma City. I won!

[Dayze]

Being stationed on a carrier sucks, especially if you're lower level enlisted. They can stay out to sea for months on end, and when they do pull into port somewhere, because they're so goddamn big in many places they're too big to dock and will have to anchor and run liberty boats to and from shore. This means you're standing in line with a few thousand people waiting for a ride, and those who outrank you will get to cut.
.

Only speaking from the standpoint on the Vinson (maybe other carriers were different), but they would anchor and announce liberty call; then call out liberty by rank/groups. LIke Officers first (obviously), then like E9 thru E-7; E-6 thru E4, then E-3 and below. So, we'd just hang out in the berthing compartment, shooting the sh*t until we heard our rank group etc. Wasn't too bad. They were pretty efficient with the liberty boats; and typically they wouldn't announce the next group until most of the previous group was off, so the line wasn't 'too' bad'. No different than waiting for chow, so we were used to waiting for damn near anything lol.

But yeah...lots of people though. I think i would typically wait about and hour to hour 15 after liberty call before I would actually get off ship. so, not too bad I suppose.

[jiveturkey]

true, to a degree. Only speaking from the standpoint on the Vinson (maybe other carriers were different), but they would anchor and announce liberty call; then call out liberty by rank/groups. LIke Officers first (obviously), then like E9 thru E-7; E-6 thru E4, then E-4 and below. So, we'd just hang out in the berthing compartment, shooting the sh*t until we heard our rank group etc. Wasn't too bad.

But yeah...lots of people though. I think i would typically wait about 45minutes -hour after liberty call before I would actually get off ship. so, not too bad I suppose.
It was similar on the Lincoln. I didn't go to sea duty until after I was an E-4 so I don't remember having to wait that long. I just knew that you wanted to get to a bar before the E-3's and below.

[Dayze]

It was similar on the Lincoln. I didn't go to sea duty until after I was an E-4 so I don't remember having to wait that long. I just knew that you wanted to get to a bar before the E-3's and below.

lol. no joke.
lots of d-bags that don't know how to drink.

we'd usually get off the boat; grab a cab, and go 'somewhere else' that wasn't in the immediate vicinity of port primiarly to avoid all the E3s and below, as well as all the people you want to get away from in general lol.

[Mizzou_8541]

If you wanted to just blow shit up and/or be a maniac what branch/mos?

If you simply wanted to blow up as much stuff as possible, EOD is the way to go. However, IIRC, you can't become EOD until your second enlistment. As least that is how it was in the USMC. Or maybe you had to be an E-5. Anway, any infantry (03 in the USMC) MOS will give you plenty of things to blow up and give you a safe(ish) outlet for your maniacal tendencies.

[Old Dog]

However, IIRC, you can't become EOD until your second enlistment. As least that is how it was in the USMC.

In the Army it's an option for an initial enlistment if you meet these criteria:
(Love #10)

Physical demands rating and qualifications for initial award of MOS. The explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) specialist must possess the following qualifications:
(1) Physical Demands Rating: very heavy
(2) Physical Profile: 111121
(3) Normal color vision.
(4) Minimum score of 105 in aptitude area GM.
(5) A security clearance of SECRET.
(6) Eligibility for assignment to a critical nuclear duty position.
(7) Eligibility for assignment to a Category II Presidential Support position per AR 380-67.
(8) Mandatory formal training. The following training must be completed prior to award of MOS 89D.
(a) Non-prior service soldiers must complete the MOS 89B course and successfully complete the MOS 89D training.
(b) In-service soldiers, with and MOS, may attend the explosive ordnance disposal specialist course and must complete all phases of training. Attendance of MOS 89B course is not required.
(9) Be an explosive ordnance disposal duty volunteer.
(10) Be non-allergic to explosives.
(11) Be able to wear M3 type protective clothing while performing mission related functions.
(12) Be a U.S. citizen.
(13) Must possess a valid state motor vehicle operator license.

It also currently carries Enlistment Bonus
4YR $5K
5YR $7K
6YR $8K

[durtyrute]

Navy

[SDChiefs]

Navy, hands down.

[Dayze]

if you have Netflix KCConnie, look up 'Carrier'; it's like a 10 part series that was on like Discover/Nat Geo or something. It offers a fairly realistic snapshot of carrier life; and shows alot of aviation jobs on board. The interviews with the crew is not watered down; if they interview a guy who hates the Navy, he tells it like it is and vice versa. Gives a good glimpse of all the gung-ho Maverick Top Gun pilots (about 80% of the pilots I worked with were world class A-holes; arrogant, but probalby rightfully so); good glimpse of the 'lifers' (guys who have been enslited/officer for 20+ years, or want to be in for 20+ years), and naive/immature kids who probably made a dumb decision by enlisting in the first place.

i think each show is around 50 minutes.

[whoman69]

Air Force thinks sitting on the tarmac is going out to the field. They carry umbrellas during PT tests. Their facilities on base are better than everyone else. The Army built their training areas first and ran out of money. Congress said they had to make due. The Air Force built their facilities first then said they needed money for runways and the tower so Congress poured the money into those.

If you want it cushy go into the Air Force.

[Old Dog]

Navy, hands down.

and asses up






*joking, joking........it's the same damn fight, some of us just get there in a different way.

[seclark]

big brother spent 26 years in the navy before he retired and went to work for the dod. enlisted before his senior year in high school. he still says if it wasn't for joining the navy, he'd probably spent his adult life in jail. now he owns a house in maryland, and another on the beach in fla.

son is in his 7th year in the air force. just got back from his 3rd deployment to the middle east, and will probably go back in 6 months. he's pretty much decided to stay in for life. met his wife in boot camp, and she just got out about a year ago and is about to finish up her masters. they seem to have made it work pretty well.

sec

[MOhillbilly]

If you simply wanted to blow up as much stuff as possible, EOD is the way to go. However, IIRC, you can't become EOD until your second enlistment. As least that is how it was in the USMC. Or maybe you had to be an E-5. Anway, any infantry (03 in the USMC) MOS will give you plenty of things to blow up and give you a safe(ish) outlet for your maniacal tendencies.


what if you wanna set cows on fire and shoot them out of trebuchets? And be super shitfaced while doin it. What mos would that be?

[seclark]

what if you wanna set cows on fire and shoot them out of trebuchets? And be super shitfaced while doin it. What mos would that be?

in!
sec

[Iowanian]

Ultimately, he has to make the choice, but you should be proud that he's looking that direction.

You don't buy the first car you drive at a dealership....don't join with the first recruiter he talks to. He should take a look at the options all have to offer and see what he likes best, and then by all accounts, he should assume that half of what he signs is bullshit and will be doing what they want him to do anyway.

Good luck to him in his decision.

[Mizzou_8541]

what if you wanna set cows on fire and shoot them out of trebuchets? And be super shitfaced while doin it. What mos would that be?

Artillery, perhaps?

[bobbymitch]

Back in the day when my draft number was getting close to being called, I had a choice between Air Force and Navy. My ole man steered me away from the AF, but then he was a waist gunner on a B-17 flying mainly over Germany, so he was a bit against flying. He said Navy as they always had hot meals and a dry bunk. But he didn't realize that they could be moving up and down and side to side at the same time.

I wanted to have some kind of skill after I got out, so I went Navy nuclear power. It was a 6 year hitch but I had two and half years worth of schooling, and at the time making rate was very good. I made E-6 in four years (EM 1st Class). Granted sea duty was hard as most of it was 3 section duty, but as the Navy claimed I saw a huge section of the world.

That said, chose carefully and realize, unless things have changed, once in the service, he is at their mercy if he can't make the grades to stay in his field of interest.

Personally, I was ready to make it a career as I had options to become a Chief or go NESEP and become an officer. But the Bosslady had other plans and said "Do what you want and when back in port you can visit me and kids in KC."

[Lbedrock1]

He says he wants to see the world and get a college education while getting paid for it. He's 22, still living at home with Mom & Dad and hasn't done a damn thing since graduating, except to bless me with a beautiful 2 year old granddaughter. I'm just glad he is finally starting to plan for his future and that of his daughter.

Since he is interested in Aviation he should go into the Air Force. I serve in the AF as a Jet Mechanic. He would be able to go to school and get his degree. When he come out of Basic Training and Tech School he would have already earned up to 45 college Credits that he can use towards his major. He will have the chance to travel if he chooses. If he decides to get married, I think it will be the easiest for a family. He will also have the opportunity to become a commissioned officer if he wants that path. If he stays interested in Aviation, they have a degree for that as well as ways to get his A&P license. Once he has mastered his trade he can switch to another AFSC working with another part of the plane. Sounds like he would want to be in the AF to me.

[Easy 6]

Air Force has the best pay, chow & living quarters, hands down.

He can go techie of course or if he wants to be hard he can go out for their spec-ops/pilot rescue unit.

[Old Dog]

Air Force has the best pay

Wrong. Military pay tables are set by pay grade, not which service you're in. A E-4 in the Air Force will make the same $$ as one in any other branch if all other things are equal (BAH, seperate rations, etc).

[Easy 6]

Wrong. Military pay tables are set by pay grade, not which service you're in. A E-4 in the Air Force will make the same $$ as one in any other branch if all other things are equal (BAH, seperate rations, etc).

I could've swore they were better paid, from all i've ever heard. Is that something thats changed somewhat recently?

At any rate, i'm certain the food & housing is better. AF is where i tried to steer my kid, but of course he didnt listen.

[Old Dog]

There are incentive pays such as Submarine duty, hazardous duty, imminent danger, flight deck, jump pay and a host of others as well as cost of living allowances in some locations and clothing allowances, but these are not dependant of which branch one is in.

[Phobia]

I could've swore they were better paid, from all i've ever heard. Is that something thats changed somewhat recently?

At any rate, i'm certain the food & housing is better. AF is where i tried to steer my kid, but of course he didnt listen.

No, pay grades are the same across every branch. Promotions are based on which field you're in. If a lot of people in your same MOS are staying in the service you won't promote as fast. But if the turnover is quick you'll get promoted reasonably quickly - it's all field dependent, not necessarily branch related. I won't dispute AF has better chow and housing. We went to AF bases every chance we got because we ate for free anyway.

[Easy 6]

No, pay grades are the same across every branch. Promotions are based on which field you're in. If a lot of people in your same MOS are staying in the service you won't promote as fast. But if the turnover is quick you'll get promoted reasonably quickly - it's all field dependent, not necessarily branch related. I won't dispute AF has better chow and housing. We went to AF bases every chance we got because we ate for free anyway.

Cant believe i'm wrong on this, thats never happened before...

Yeah, the grumbling was always intense anytime we got to eat in a AF mess... 'these guys are living like Kings!'

[Old Dog]

I could've swore they were better paid, from all i've ever heard. Is that something thats changed somewhat recently?

At any rate, i'm certain the food & housing is better. AF is where i tried to steer my kid, but of course he didnt listen.

I can't speak much for the food honestly. I rarely ate in dining facilities other than when I was deployed (then eating in a DFAC was a luxury), and then it was pretty much all the same (or so it seemed to me).
Housing certainly was better in the Air Force for those who resided in barracks and to my knowledge there has been no huge change to that. For those living in government quarters on bases though, the Army has improved drastically in the past 10 years or so, and I would say they're about the same.

[MOhillbilly]

Since hes in NOLA has he looked into the local G.G.M.C.?

[Dayze]

ate at a few chow halls in the AF; they were well kept etc, food was good.

Navy chow was good. but, depending on the meal, was very bland. In fact, the manner in which they prepared most of the meals in general resulting in a bland taste. Just needed some salt and pepper and were good to go. Food on the ship was surprisingly not that bad, considering how many people had to be fed. Sure, a few meals you'd eat and say "man...that sucked". But overall, not bad.

I think each branch will have it's gems, and boogers as far as facilities/bases go. I remember thinking Elmendorf AFB in Alasaka was a great base; as well as Nellis AFB in Vegas. I remember thinking Bremerton washington seemed (from what little I saw of it) to be somewhat of a below-average base in terms of conditions. I might be compeltely wwrong on that thoug since I didn't see a whole lot. San Diego was nice. Norfolk struck me as a bit narlly/old/haggard - but again, didn't get much exposure to it. NSAWC in Fallon NV was pretty nic on some parts of the base, but haggard in others.....and, it was in Fallon, so that sucked. lol

[Frazod]

No, pay grades are the same across every branch. Promotions are based on which field you're in. If a lot of people in your same MOS are staying in the service you won't promote as fast. But if the turnover is quick you'll get promoted reasonably quickly - it's all field dependent, not necessarily branch related. I won't dispute AF has better chow and housing. We went to AF bases every chance we got because we ate for free anyway.

My best friend and I went in roughly at the same time - he went Air Force, I went Navy. He was briefly stationed at Hampton AFB while I was on my ship in Norfolk, and I gave him a tour. He was horrified by the cramped conditions. In his barracks, he either had large room (either to himself or with a single roommate). A space that large on the ship would have probably housed 18 people. You'd have to be at least a junior officer to get a stateroom with a single roommate, and at least a department head to rate a room to yourself.

[Dayze]

My best friend and I went in roughly at the same time - he went Air Force, I went Navy. He was briefly stationed at Hampton AFB while I was on my ship in Norfolk, and I gave him a tour. He was horrified by the cramped conditions. In his barracks, he either had large room (either to himself or with a single roommate). A space that large on the ship would have probably housed 18 people. You'd have to be at least a junior officer to get a stateroom with a single roommate, and at least a department head to rate a room to yourself.

we had 2 man rooms in Lemoore, CA when we weren't deployed.
had a bathroom/shower etc, and little kitchenette thing with fride, microwave, cabinets; 2 huge closets; bed/desk. down the hal there was a big TV room; billiards room, nice laundry facility.


I think a lot of it is if a person is a blackshoe - non-aviation rate - they have a completely different perspective of the Navy, from that of a brown shoe. I was a brown shoe, and I can't imagine having a shipboard/seaman rate and having to live ON the ship while docked/not underway. I had a few friends from A-school who were actually stationed on the ship my air wing was attached to. They said it sucked lol.

Of course, the trade off is, the blackshoes get the respect, and it's why eveyone on the ship hates brownshoes.lol.

[JohninGpt]

we had 2 man rooms in Lemoore, CA when we weren't deployed.
had a bathroom/shower etc, and little kitchenette thing with fride, microwave, cabinets; 2 huge closets; bed/desk. down the hal there was a big TV room; billiards room, nice laundry facility.


I think a lot of it is if a person is a blackshoe - non-aviation rate - they have a completely different perspective of the Navy, from that of a brown shoe. I was a brown shoe, and I can't imagine having a shipboard/seaman rate and having to live ON the ship while docked/not underway. I had a few friends from A-school who were actually stationed on the ship my air wing was attached to. They said it sucked lol.

Of course, the trade off is, the blackshoes get the respect, and it's why eveyone on the ship hates brownshoes.lol.

I never envied anyone on a ship. I lived in barracks most places we deployed, unless of course I was living in a tent.
I would have never joined the Navy if I had to go on ships.

[The Franchise]

Air Force.

[driver2]

USMC infantry. He will have opportunities to gain intangible skills that cannot be easily obtained in college, or a post high school job.

Infantry doesn't really prepare you for a specific job outside the military except possibly law enforcement. That being said, he has the rest of his life to go to college and learn tangible skills. USMC infantry was the most rewarding experience of my life, and I highly encourage anyone interested to at least consider it. Plus, the term "dumb grunt" doesn't really apply anymore. Some of the smartest guys I have ever met were infantry guys.

Can't argue with this post. Some recon boys are fairly intelligent.
Any branch with combat arms training is the way to go. All the others are just truck drivers, the man with the rifle is the one that makes "the difference".USA ranger school, if he makes it he'll matter.:thumb:

[kcchiefsus]

If you go Army FA prepare to be stuck at Ft. Sill. West Ok is hell on earth.

Isn't that in Lawton? I had a friend stationed there, he hated it.

[Valiant]

Merchant Marines??

[Paniero]

Air Force. Served, and spent time assigned to Army units and on Navy ships for four or five days on occasion, and I wouldn't have changed if I had the chance.

I was also a recruiter, so PM me if you'd like or anything.

[joesomebody]

Something to keep in mind is concept of 'getting an education while you serve' can be a little overly optimistic. Depending on where you get stationed/what y our job is.....you might have little time for school.

first year of my 4 year stint were bootcamp and A-school, and getting orders to my squadron.
I arrived at my squadron at a point where they were getting ready for 'work-ups' (getting ready to go out for a six month deployment). For a year and a half, it consissted of several 30, 45 day detachments to either AF bases to play war, or small sea detachments for 30 days etc to get pilots carrier qual'd, among other things. THEN, there's the 6 month deployment.
It wasn't until I got back off deployment that things calmed down a bit, but by that point I only had like 11 months until I got out.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he could get some school knocked out, but depdning on the timing/job/location etc it will be very hard. I went in thinking I was going to nearly finish a degree. Not even close. There was simply no time, even when I wasn't at sea/detached. 10 hour days (at least), duty every 4 days, duty weekend every third weekend.
Having said that......a shore duty would be the perfect scenario. If I had re-enlisted, I would've had 6 years to knock out a bunch fo school w/out worry about being deployed. Still would've been hard simply due to the number of hours you work in a week even on shore, but more 'doable'.

Again, though, he could wind up with sweet duty right out of the gate.
At minimum, though, the GI bill will be very nice to have. I didn't take as much advantage of it as I should have.This is incredibly accurate. I was Air Force, and yes the living conditions were great. Generally better than even college dorms, and in one case I had, much better. Typical work weeks for me though were 10 hour days 5 days a week and weekends at least twice a month.

During Combat exercises, which were usually about 8 weeks a year, you could expect 14-16 hour days 7 days straight, sometimes with 1 day off then 7 more days like that.

It's cushy in the AF compared to some of the other branches, but it's still not like some resort where they pay you to go to college. I was able to finish my associates degree by taking classes during my lunch breaks and taking CLEP tests. Not many schools accept CLEP tests though, so my Associates didn't help at all when I went to get my bachelors after getting out of the AF.

Good luck, he scored well on the ASVAB, and will generally have his pick of jobs. I scored a 96, but had piss poor hearing. My hearing limited me from about 80% of the jobs in the Air Force.

There will probably be a waiting list to get into the Air Force, and with the economy the way it is, I'm sure the Air Force has no problem whatsoever meeting recruitment goals right now. The fact that he has a child won't make it any easier/faster for him to get into the AF. Sorry, but it's true.

I would try to be something like a radiologist or legal aide if I was doing it over. If he does decide Air Force, he should try to avoid the Maintenance group if he wants life to be as easy as possible. Maintenance group folk in the Air Force work their asses off. Also stay away from security forces.

[joesomebody]

Food seemed pretty similar across branches to me. It's quite good really. You get sick of it like any cafeteria style food, but it's again, at least as good as most college cafeterias. I would say that barracks living is the best in the Air Force, but base housing (which is where he'll be living after Basic Training if he brings his son) is probably very similar to the other branches.

You only live in the Barracks for your first 3 years or so. There are no guarantees to when you get to move out, but most bases move you out at 3 years or when you hit E-4.

I've been out now for 5 years, so things may have changed some.

[demonhero]

1. Air Force life is good..food from boot to MOS is good. PT is a joke. Florida sound nice?

2. Navy* has its ups and downs and the women on the ships are weeee weee

3. Marines* -were so backed up its not even funny. He'll be in the depth for a year unless somebody drops a MOS. 3 pulls is mandatory in boot.. Aviation goes to Florida and you get to watch the other branches PT.

4. Army -average makeup.. some guys are just wtf others are great soldiers

5. Coast Guard -Lets face it here not generally the go to branch if you want to fight.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N_TlXlo1YUQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Good Times^

[Red Dawg]

I am in the AF now for 19 years. I have been around all services and if you want your son to live and get treated decently it's the AF. If he wants to get treated like crap then join one of the other 3.

[Easy 6]

1. Air Force life is good..food from boot to MOS is good. PT is a joke. Florida sound nice?

2. Navy* has its ups and downs and the women on the ships are weeee weee

3. Marines* -were so backed up its not even funny. He'll be in the depth for a year unless somebody drops a MOS. 3 pulls is mandatory in boot.. Aviation goes to Florida and you get to watch the other branches PT.

4. Army -average makeup.. some guys are just wtf others are great soldiers

5. Coast Guard -Lets face it here not generally the go to branch if you want to fight.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N_TlXlo1YUQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Good Times^

Funny stuff, from the look & sound of it the Army has really gotten soft down at Leonard Wood, that was not my experience down there in 91... 'you will be treated with dignity & respect' lmao.

[kcconnie]

Ultimately, he has to make the choice, but you should be proud that he's looking that direction.

You don't buy the first car you drive at a dealership....don't join with the first recruiter he talks to. He should take a look at the options all have to offer and see what he likes best, and then by all accounts, he should assume that half of what he signs is bullshit and will be doing what they want him to do anyway.

Good luck to him in his decision.

You are absolutely right! He has had a few days to think about things and has opted to sit down and talk with the Air Force and Navy recruiters with his dad and I present. Regardless of what branch or job he chooses I will be the proudest mom around and will be there to support him 100%!

[tsyou606]

Isn't that in Lawton? I had a friend stationed there, he hated it.

Yes, I am here now. I think it is like the armpit of America.

[chiefscoalition]

does your son plan on getting married? there are some issues dealing with eligibility as a single parent. he might not be eligible for the air force, if he's a single parent, but might be for the army if the jag review is approved.

[Mizzou_8541]

You are absolutely right! He has had a few days to think about things and has opted to sit down and talk with the Air Force and Navy recruiters with his dad and I present. Regardless of what branch or job he chooses I will be the proudest mom around and will be there to support him 100%!

This is a good idea. While I was an idiot at the time I enlisted, I wasn't some fresh-faced 17 year-old kid full of piss and vinegar, I was 21 and at least had a bit of common sense. The recruiters will often try to sell you on the high profile, sexy jobs with an extremely high attrition rate (SEAL, Recon, PJ, Sniper, etc) and then, when the kid fails (which the often do in those type of jobs), the end up with the most shitty job that service has to offer...like cook, for example.

No disrepect intended toward military cooks, but it isn't for everyone and, from what I could tell, it was a shitty, shitty job.

[kcconnie]

does your son plan on getting married? there are some issues dealing with eligibility as a single parent. he might not be eligible for the air force, if he's a single parent, but might be for the army if the jag review is approved.

No plans of marriage. While he and the baby's mom were together when she was born, they are no longer a couple. While they get along well and agree on most things when it comes to their daughter, they have no agreement or custodial arrangements filed with the courts. Not sure how this will play out with the Air Force. I am hoping that it will be to his benefit and he will still be able to have AF as an option.

[chiefscoalition]

No plans of marriage. While he and the baby's mom were together when she was born, they are no longer a couple. While they get along well and agree on most things when it comes to their daughter, they have no agreement or custodial arrangements filed with the courts. Not sure how this will play out with the Air Force. I am hoping that it will be to his benefit and he will still be able to have AF as an option.

i hope things work out for him.

[Wickedson2.0]

Air Force = smart

Army = poor

Marines = tough

Navy = paycheck

Choose wisely my friend

[demonhero]

Make sure he doesn't sign for "open contract" Look out for hygiene specialist and cook unless you want to do culinary school.

[Dunit35]

Yes, I am here now. I think it is like the armpit of America.

My wife drills at mustang, says it's not too bad.

She's a specialist, messes with communications...and yes it turns me on.

[Radar Chief]

Funny stuff, from the look & sound of it the Army has really gotten soft down at Leonard Wood, that was not my experience down there in 91... 'you will be treated with dignity & respect' lmao.

Yea, that’s not exactly how we got treated at Ft. Bliss in ’88 either.

[Rausch]

This is a good idea. While I was an idiot at the time I enlisted, I wasn't some fresh-faced 17 year-old kid full of piss and vinegar, I was 21 and at least had a bit of common sense. The recruiters will often try to sell you on the high profile, sexy jobs with an extremely high attrition rate (SEAL, Recon, PJ, Sniper, etc) and then, when the kid fails (which the often do in those type of jobs), the end up with the most shitty job that service has to offer...like cook, for example.

No disrepect intended toward military cooks, but it isn't for everyone and, from what I could tell, it was a shitty, shitty job.

I'm friends with a guy who was a cook in the NAVY.

He was right where he needed to be...

[Frazod]

Air Force = smart

Army = poor

Marines = tough

Navy = paycheck

Choose wisely my friend

How the fuck would you know, idiot?

Perhaps you should stick with things you actually have a clue about. Oh wait, then you'd never be able to post.

[stevieray]

Don't know if it's been mentioned...but if I were a young man again.. I think the Coast Guard is where I'd go for twenty years.

[MOhillbilly]

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GDwvy9PzAIc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

fairly mild CG vid.

[Frazod]

Don't know if it's been mentioned...but if I were a young man again.. I think the Coast Guard is where I'd go for twenty years.

One thing most people don't realize about the Coast Guard is that anybody E-4 and above is actually a law enforcement officer and carries a badge.

[kcconnie]

Air Force is a no go because he has a child and is not married, regardless of the custodial agreement. He's got a call into the Navy recruiter now. Looks like its narrowed down to Army or Navy.

[Rausch]

One thing most people don't realize about the Coast Guard is that anybody E-4 and above is actually a law enforcement officer and carries a badge.

Sweet.

Pretty soon I'll have my degree and I'll be a 53 year old E4!

[Misplaced_Chiefs_Fan]

Yea, that’s not exactly how we got treated at Ft. Bliss in ’88 either.

Dude, you were at Bliss in 88? *sigh*

I was 66 MI CO, 3/3 ACR at Bliss back in 86-87. I can't necessarily remember the names of the roads, but I'll bet I could still find my way from the company to the motor pool after all this time.

Lived out on Biggs Army Airfield down by the SGM Academy back then.

[Frazod]

Air Force is a no go because he has a child and is not married, regardless of the custodial agreement. He's got a call into the Navy recruiter now. Looks like its narrowed down to Army or Navy.

With the economy in the shitter the military can afford to be picky. When the economy is good, they'll waive stuff like that in a heartbeat.

I went to high school with a guy was so dumb that he missed the minimum score on his ASVAB and had to get a waiver to get in.

Of course the Marines took him. LMAO

[Radar Chief]

Dude, you were at Bliss in 88? *sigh*

I was 66 MI CO, 3/3 ACR at Bliss back in 86-87. I can't necessarily remember the names of the roads, but I'll bet I could still find my way from the company to the motor pool after all this time.

Lived out on Biggs Army Airfield down by the SGM Academy back then.

Yes but I spent all my time on “the Hill”, a.k.a. Logan Heights, in training from Oct. ’88 to Nov. ’89.
Biggs was cool. It was right behind my AIT barracks so I got to see the space shuttle riding piggy back on a 777 land there and got a good view of the Blue Angles when they put on an air show there.

[chiefscoalition]

Air Force is a no go because he has a child and is not married, regardless of the custodial agreement. He's got a call into the Navy recruiter now. Looks like its narrowed down to Army or Navy.

altho i was an air force recruiter over 20 years ago, i knew that would be a problem. i put more folks in the army than i did into the air force due to different eligibilty standards. those army guys were always buying me lunch.

your son shouldn't be discouraged, still some very good options for him, especially with his asvab score.

god bless him and your family, takes stones to enlist today.

[ClearmontChief]

Sorry to hear the Air Force was a no go. That would have been my suggestion. I spent 20 years in the Air Force, retired, and now work as a contractor for the Air Force. Really, really glad I stumbled into such a good deal.

I've worked at Joint Commands for quite a bit of my working career, 20-25 years which has put me in contact with many of all branches. Gotta say, I'm biased to Air Force. But, secondly the Navy seems to be a group of excellent people. The Marines, while A'd up and many very sharp...many are not. The Army just seems like a bunch of average Joe's working hard...but, aren't well taken care of.

One thing that I'd recommend more than anything. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT push them towards "Reserve" or "Guard" elements of any branch. A weekend a month and a couple weeks in the summer my a$$!!! These are the poor folks who get deployed most often. The Active Duty guys have their normal active duy jobs in the times of war...the Guard and Reserves are called up and sent in the middle of it.

[DeepPurple]

I was in the Army was 1970 - '73, so a lot has changed but one thing probably hasn't, and that was my job. I was an Air Traffic Controller, MOS 93H. When I was in, there was almost 2 million soldiers in the Army due to the Vietnam but yet only 1,500 had this MOS.

It's a field that no one else in the Army knows anything about and won't mess with you. When I was overseas in Korea we had our own barracks and never attended formations, role call, guard duty, anything that resembled Army Life. In the states at Hunter AAF in Savannah the company first sergeant never messed with us because our tower chief was the same rank, an E-8.

After graduating from ATC school at Fort Rucker, Alabama I was promoted to an E-4 in six months and an E-5 in 16 months. Also received pro-pay of a $100 a month and separate rations of $45 a month because of our shift work (today rates would be much higher).

Had I re-enlisted there was a $10,000 bonus, but I didn't, I went into the FAA instead. With the FAA I was making $40,000 a year by 1979. Had I not been fired in 1981 for striking I would of retired in 1998 at $100,000 a year in Pensacola, Florida. There is a big shortage in the FAA because all of the controllers hired to replace us strikers are now retiring themselves.

If he likes airports, aviation, reads flying magazine, likes to be around airports, it's the greatest job in the world.

[driver2]

My 22 year old son took the ASVAB today and scored an 85. With that score, which branch of the military do you suggest and why? His highest scores were in Electrical, Nuclear Ops, and Operations Specialists while he is most interested in Aviation. He is currently talking to an Army recruiter but wants to have as much information as possible before making a final decision. Thanks in advance for your help!

He might want to test for the Army's WO flight training program.

[Mizzou_8541]

He might want to test for the Army's WO flight training program.

Wouldn't he need to be a WO first? That takes like 12 years in the USMC.

[DeepPurple]

Wouldn't he need to be a WO first? That takes like 12 years in the USMC.

The program is called WOFT (Warrant Officer Flight Training School), when you get your wings you become a Warrant Officer. It use to last 36 weeks but you were required to solo in 16 hours. Since no college was required to enter the program it's open to all enlisted men. However, since flying a helicopter is somewhat elite, they make you a Warrant Officer. That's how during Vietnam they got tens of thousands of Army Helicopter pilots. I originally enlisted for that but since there was a year's wait, I then switched to ATC school.

[38yrsfan]

If he is looking at a career and wants a family - Air Force, otherwise something he has an interest in and is kicka$$ exciting. After getting out I did a few jobs that were on the risky side but nothing like what you get involved in with the military. It's a whole 'nother world. The stuff you deal with every day most people never even see or have any idea .......

Lots of pros and cons ....... best of luck

IMO

I did something unusual and started Army (2yr) and ended Air Force (4yr) and grew up on military bases 18 yrs before that.

[Nightfyre]

Wouldn't he need to be a WO first? That takes like 12 years in the USMC.

The army has a high school to flight school program.