[OT] I'm Going To Enlist In The Navy

[Nifft]

A couple of the smartest people I know got their Ph.D.s via one branch of the military or the other.

May our nation prove worthy of the honor of your service.

-- Nifft

 

[Taren Nighteyes]

I'm thinking about the military route as well.

I almost decided to join the Navy out of high school, but decided to do the college thing on my own.

I've been working in the private sector for almost 3 years now, but the idea of joining the Navy still appeals to me. (Besides, I think I would get a pretty good bonus after a perfect ASVAB score a few months ago )

Good luck on your decision. As long as you feel good about it, then do it!

Taren Nighteyes

 

[Sixchan]

Hmm...you know, now that I think about it a non-combat job in the Armed Forces doesn't sound so bad...maybe I'll join the RAF...

Yeah AT, by all means go for it! Keep us updaded if you can, and I might end up joining something...

 

[alsih2o]

May our nation prove worthy of the honor of your service.

-- Nifft

our "tasteful post of the day" award goes to......*drumroll* nifft

the military will hold different difficulties and rewards for different kinds of people.

i believe you are going to be able to find or easily convert gamers in any branch of the military.

as another career suggestion, look into air traffic contraol in any branch. last i heard there were severe time limitations on how many hours in a row they could work, as well as how many hours a week.

good luck no matter what you choose

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I think the value(assuming your lookng for college money) depends on the school your going to. For example when I was going to a state school here in CA, it would gain me very little, my tuition was a little over 1000 a semester, now when I went to law school and it was over 10,000 a semester I wish I had joined. Unfortunately they don't do retroactive payments for college, even if you agree to enlist for X years.

 

[Psion]

as another career suggestion, look into air traffic contraol in any branch. last i heard there were severe time limitations on how many hours in a row they could work, as well as how many hours a week.

Not to mention the perk of possibly basking in my presence and using my handiwork, as I work for a company that builds and certifies ATC systems for the navy.

 

[Sir Edgar]

From what I hear, a lot of people in the armed forces play D&D, which I find quite surprising and yet it kind of makes sense, too. This may be a good opportunity for you if you get a lot of time to play D&D, get paid, and know that you're doing a service for the country. I wouldn't go to Iraq if I were you though, but Bosnia sounds pretty nice as there's a group of soldiers who got a bunch of stuff donated from WoTC recently. You should join that group!

 

[CTD]

join as an E-2. f that, good SAT, no criminal record, no After 6 months of training I'd be an E-3, and then go try the Nuke Program which is where the $ is at.

I'm assuming that they'll try to get me the best offer possible

Stop. Immediately. Consider the following:

Do not trust your recruiter, or assume they will do anything in your best interest. They will tell you all kinds of things, but they have no ability to actually grant you anything. When you are good to go, you will be sent to a processing center, one that serves all branches of the armed forces. You will strip down to your underwear, and be given a physical.

Once that is done, you will sit down with a member of the service you intend to join. They will have the contract that you sign. That contract dictates what training you get, where you go for training, when you go for training, and any other optional packages that you are going to have. If that document does not say "Nuclear school after 6 months of service" you are not going to go to Nuclear school after 6 months of service. You are going to be a cook in the galley, or scrubbing the decks, or whatever job you agreed to perform "until I'm ready for nuke school". You may be ready after 6 months, but you will be assigned to a unit, and at the mercy of that unit's commander for further training options. They have the right to say "no". Don't give them that chance.

I'm getting wordy. I apologise. My basic point is this: Military service is a great thing. I salute you for considering it. My back was destroyed in a car accident, so I can't go back and serve again or I'd be in the Middle East right now...

Do not expect that recruiter to take care of you though. Their motivation, paycheck, and promotion is tied directly to getting you to sign up to do any job that they currently need. Which does not have to be the job you wanted.

When you are at the point where it's contract signing time, take your time to be sure you know exactly what you are signing up to do. You are going to be pushed for speed. You are going to be told that the Navy does not need nuke techs, they need radar operators. Do not let them push you into a life changing decision that you will not be happy with. I've seen more than one miserable solider who just signed and ended up cooking eggs or cleaning toilets. Don't be that soldier.

If you are told that they don't need you to do nuke, tell them you don't need the Navy and would like a ride home. One of two things will happen: They will take you home, or they will suddenly find room for you in the nuke program. The second is the more probable result.

I'm not just sounding off either. Every generation of my family has served since WWII. Both grandfathers. My father, three uncles, four cousins, and myself. None were officers. Some were drafted. All were willing.

Every one of us who were not drafted (and therefore were volunteers) was told that the job the recruiter promised us was not there. Each of us took our fathers advice and said "fine, take me home". Suddenly the jobs we wanted were open.

Learn from that.

Also, one last bit of advice... you are in college. Find a school with Naval ROTC and beome a nuclear officer. You'll get paid a lot better and have a better experience. That's the one thing I would have done different (I dropped out of college to go enlisted, I should have done ROTC and had a degree and some rank).

I hope this helps.

 

[alsih2o]

Do not trust your recruiter

every military mans favorite joke is "how can you tell when a recruiter is lying? his lips are moving"

i am not experienced with such things, but you do hear this a lot.

remember, this is a contract, no different than a loan or employment offer.

 

[Azure Trance]

Gah.