Hey guys, for years ive wanted to be a part of the armed forces of America , ever since I was little I wanted to be a G.I. Joe and being in time of war (technically) i still feel the big urge to be a part of it some way and some how. this everyday nonesense just gets me down. i want to get in shape and learn crazy things that the govt has to teach. My brother is a US Marine and just got backfrom Iraq now he showed me all this video he took and pics he took. as much as it wouldnt apeal to some people I actually was excited about it.

what branches of reserves do you think are the best?

so far im thinking air national guard. the reason I say reserves is the fact I have a good band that is going somewhere and I dont want to ruin that.

chair force.  the odds of you actually having to do anything are almost nil.

lol yea ive herd that too. my friend is in it and he fixes the jets that come into sandston.

Our local Army National Guard unit just got back from a year in Iraq, and I think a Reservist was activated from this board (JamesG in Georgia, I think).  If I were to join, I would fully expect to be sent there...  You sound like you want to serve and I respect that additude, but be prepared for the worst.

Yeah James was sent overseas for 1-1/2 years. He is a tank gunner in the Army reserves.

Quote from: Susuki_Jahas much as it wouldnt apeal to some people I actually was excited about it.

so far im thinking air national guard. the reason I say reserves is the fact I have a good band that is going somewhere and I dont want to ruin that.

Oh, it's "fun" allright.  Right up until there's shaZam! cracking over your head, the wall behind you is exploding in little pockmarks, you have nowhere to run, and you just watched your best friend's head splatter.  Great fun...

Joining the reserves will get you over to Iraq just as fast as joining the regulars these days.  Keep your band and make something of yourself.  Don't get shot up in some shithole just for an adrenaline high.

Be looking for 'ya on MTV.   :mrgreen:  

well....here's a bit different opinion.....don't do the reserves or guard....I spent 6 yrs as a wheeled vehicle mechanic in the Army.....stationed @ Ft. Bliss TX, S. Korea, and Ft. Story VA.....

....best time was in the mech infantry in S. Korea.....those guys really knew how to soldier.....

....got out in 02 to go to school (only 1 more year till grad!!)....joined the local Guard unit in Tucson.....those guys were ate up......I couldn't stand working with em.....I got transfered to another unit which basically disbanded and I was sent home early.....

....the weekend warriors seemed to try too hard to be hard core.....funny thing is hard core types only act that way when shaZam! hits the fan.....the guardies acted like little punks all weekend....I couldn't stand it.....

...so my recommendation is this....if you're gonna do, dammit do it....be a full-timer.....find a job that you like.....do it for a couple years.....get a nice kicker for that GI Bill (I'm pulling $1300 mo to go to school)......

....lastly.....I'll probably go back in the service when I get done with school.....so don't think I'm bashing the military at all......but I'll never....ever....go back into the guard......f$%^ck that.....

air force.
when you get out you can fly commercial planes and make $$. I have a few friends that did that and they make 6 figure salaries for 10 days a month of work.

you know the Marines are only doing 2 year contracs now , they said they need people. but the airforce I think would help me alot in the job field . I would be going into intelagents and I might just do it full time.

my brother is a full time Marine . he loves it but at the same time sais they run every moment of his life

yeah they try to, anyway it's a good learning experience. blaw blaw blaw, grow some balls go active duty, at least you will have a chance of staying in the states.

A know a "kid" who joined the Marines and absolutely loves it.  He went to Iraq in the very beginning of the war and had one thing to say...

"This is MUCH better than deer hunting"

It's all what you're into...  He's a crazy bastard who loves "hunting" the bad guys.  He gets off on the search and destroy thing.

Of course you must remember that your "prey" is hunting you too.

This war is about protecting the oil.  Nothing more, nothing less.  That oil over there is THE most important thing on earth.  We must keep it safe.  We must keep the oil flowing.

well for most people the war is more than for oil .

war is a big part of our country, I just didnt want to lose my band thats all. because when you request to stay close to home in the military they ship you off to the farthest point. I dont care if I were to go over seas , doesnt bother me one bit. i wouldnt be afraid to go to war. the problem with active duty is you have to serve before you can really go back to school. the reserves offer four years of paid school and one weekend of pay a month. which is pretty cool. and yes i know that being in the reserves will probly get me a faster ticket to iraq.

I took the aptitude test for the navy.  The recruiters told me that I'd received the highest score that they'd ever seen.  Sales pitch?  Anyway they were suggesting that I go into the nuke program and had I entered, according to a few people I have talked to since,  would probably have been on a sub with all the other nerds and afterward would have been able to get a job at a nuclear power plant pulling 250k/year.  Drats.

yeah, it was a sales pitch, but hey sub duty thats the place to be......if your ghey

aww....woulda....coulda.....shoulda.....yeah....army wanted me to be an emergency rescue helicopter crew member......part mechanic....part chopper pilot......part emt......if i could go back, i'd do it in a heart beat.....instead of being a regular wheeled vehicle mechanic....

....why didn't I do it then, you might ask......2 months BCT.....1 yr (at least) AIT - school learning everything about the chopper (including how to fly).....emt school....airborne....air assualt.....came to over 2 years in schooling.....

....heck....I'd just got out of high school.....I wanted to do something right away.....if I'd done that, I'd be making 6 figs easy working for hospitals.....

.....coulda......woulda.....shoulda.....

.....who knows.....in a year.....I'll be looking for a new job....maybe the army will take care of me.....maybe.....

If you really want to see some action you should get a job driving a humvee thru Baghdad for Haliburton.  Or maybe as a mercenary aka civilian contractor.  They are in alot of cases better outfitted than the military...well at least they have bulletproof vests.  That's the thing about the army or marines...you'll have to buy your own.  Cheap bastards.

Quote from: DomIf you really want to see some action you should get a job driving a humvee thru Baghdad for Haliburton.  Or maybe as a mercenary aka civilian contractor.  They are in alot of cases better outfitted than the military...well at least they have bulletproof vests.  That's the thing about the army or marines...you'll have to buy your own.  Cheap bastards.

everything my brother was supplied with including his kevlar. was given to him by the marines he didnt have to pay for anything

definetly go Air Force! i've been in 9 yrs. i'm currently an instructor. if you want the best of everything(compared to other braches), then the air force is your choice. i've worked at joint assignments(army,navy,marines,even foreign military) for the past 6 years. so, i've seen how the other services do things.

but what is your goal? i know you have that sense of duty calling you but what exacty do you want to do? decide which job you want and tell the recruiter thats what you want and nothing else. sometimes they lie just to get you in and you end up in a job you didn't want. thats all services. you may have to wait. get it all on paper in your contract.

there are some jobs that pay a sign-on bonus. and some jobs that pay a bonus for re-newing your contract for several years. up to 60Gs. i've personally earned 45 grand in bonuses. they're the jobs in high demand.

Quotechair force. the odds of you actually having to do anything are almost nil.

haha! we get that alot. but when i was an F-15 crewchief we worked  our asses off. 12 hour shifts everyday out in the heat or cold or rain! you didn't leave till it was fixed or the next shift came to replace you. there's no such thing as a lunch break. i can go on on.....BTW, there are no chairs on the flightline. i do have a pretty cushy job now compared to that but i've payed my dues. =)

we do get deployed. in fact the major i work directly under just returned from Baghdad. there's a regular rotation and its just a matter of time till u picked to go.

another question is do you want to be an officer or just go in enlisted? if you want to be an officer you'll have to apply for the academy if you don't already have a bachelors degree. you'd only go to a 13 week boot camp if you had a degree instead of 4 years at the academy.

you can go to school if you get a regular 9-5 job. the air force pays 100% tuition if you wanted to take classes. everyone i work with has a degree.

in general the air force is kinda layed back compared to the other services.  the marines are pretty strict when it comes to following protocol.
for example, i call my boss/supervisor by his 1st name. that doesn't fly in some services. but it also depends on the person.

don't end up asking yourself what coulda happened for the rest of your life. go find out for yourself. i love the air force and being in the military. hoorahh Air Force! i know i sound like a recruiter but i only wanted to share my experience with you. let us know what you decide. good luck!

I would definetly say air force.  And go for something on the flight line (where you fix the jets).  I am a Comm/Nav troop up in Grand Forks AFB, ND.  Sucks up here but the job is great.  I wouldn't get too excited about getting a lot of school done while working ehre though, unless you go in finance or some other personel related job field.

Mondo:  We have chairs on our flight line, you should look into getting yourself some.  Oh, nevermind, you went the instructor route.  Are you teaching Tech school at sheppard?  I'm sorry if you are.

Very important:  Recruitors are trained liars.  They will tell you all sorts of great things that you can do, etc.  But remember that their job (and their EPRs (report cards)) depend on convinceing people to join up.

But over all I do enjoy my job, it is very laid back.  As long as you get your work done nobody really hassels you.  Well, you will be mopping and doing FOD walks (everyone in a line walks across the flightline looking for little stones, screws, cigarette butts, etc.).

Oh, and we are the best drinkers of them all.

blawwww, son when you start sobering up on beer, come drink with the big boys