Off to see the Army recruiter today...

[ghuns]

I am a little old to sign up, but I won't let my kid go alone. I can still remember talking to them when I was his age and I always left feeling like someone had been trying to sell me a used car.

I can't say that the prospect of having a child in the military(with the current state of our civilian leadership) excites me, but it is ultimately his decision.

He will be a senior in high school this fall, a honor student and athlete, so he is not without options. Not that only kids without options join the military.

I have several friends who have left the military in recent years, a couple after 20 careers, and they all say, talk him out of it.

It didn't come up from outta the blue. He has expressed some interest over the last few years. I think he's just feeling the pressure of being a senior in HS and not really knowing what he wants to do. He knows several kids that he plays baseball with that will be going to college this fall to play ball. He is better than some of them, but he doesn't have a dad who will pay $40K/year to send him to a small, private college just so he can say he played college ball.

I think my biggest fear will be what to do with the wife if he goes through with it. She will be a wreck.

 

[hornadylnl]

When I was getting out, I think they said around 5% actually get a degree with their GI Bill. It's one of the scare tactics they use to get you to stay in.

 

[flatlander]

Tell him to get a MOS he can use on the outside. He doesn't have to spend a20 years. Free training them he goes to school. I'd hire somebody with experience and schooling over either by themselves.

Bob

 

[BE Mike]

One has to cut the apron strings sometime. An average 18 year old can make up his own mind. Going into the military can help or hurt his long-term career planning/ education, depending on his attitude. It helped me gain some valuable skills and training, and although the GI Bill wasn't what was available to WWII vets, it enabled me to get a BS degree. Night school is widely available. If your son is a self-starter, the military may be for him. As for the danger, well there is risk in everything.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I can't imagine how scary you guys must be. But Thanks! to you son. Godspeed to him and I wish him success!

 

[engineerpower]

I was active duty for 3.5 years, then went National Guard for the past 1.5 years. I left AD because I was sick of toxic "leaders" and hostile administration that made life a pain. My transition job fell through, and after 4 months without a job, I joined the NG just to get Tricare coverage for my family. A week after I signed on, I got a job at the VA, which doesn't allow me to carry Tricare, so my entire reason for joining was moot. If we didn't need the money, I'd drop the Guard like it were hot. Nothing but Fraud, Waste, and Abuse.

The Army was not my first career; I have a BSME and was a civilian engineer before enlisting and was one of the older guys in my classes. You feel like Billy Madison when you're surrounded by Joes younger and less mature than yourself. Older guys do better because they don't have the discipline issues and they have more experience, but you get stuck being lumped in with the 18 year-old troublemakers who can't find their asses with both hands and a map.

During the war years, everything was about getting the job done; now that we're moving back to a "peacetime" garrison Army, everything is getting stupid. The Military is purposely making life harder for everyone to get them to get out on theirown and reduce the force-size. Not many perks or benefits left, and everything has become "needs of the Army". Many of the good guys have gotten sick of the BS and left; I only know a couple guys I served with that are still doing it.

In today's job economy, many/most employers don't apply any valuation to military service or training that isn't in their exact field. Don't expect 10 years as an Infantry squad leader to get you anywhere. You get a lot out of serving, but it's from the guys to your left and right, not the losers above you.

Don't enlist with him thinking you'll be stationed together. Guys get promised the world when they're sitting in the recruiters office, and it often simply isn't so.

 

[looney2ns]

Navy is a much better choice. Play your cards right and spend most of the time going to school.

 

[ghuns]

Don't enlist with him thinking you'll be stationed together. Guys get promised the world when they're sitting in the recruiters office, and it often simply isn't so.

Ha, I see how you got that after I re-read my OP. But no, I am just going to see the recruiter with him. I doubt Uncle Sam is desperate enough to be signing up 40 year olds, no matter how well I hide my age.

Thanks to all for your service and advice. I am just going along because I know that recruiters can play fast-n-loose with the truth sometimes. And 18 year olds aren't good at reading the fine print.

 

[Bonkers4Bacon]

Best of luck to him and your family! I've had friends/family that have experienced both ends of the spectrum. Some love it and want to have a career in the military, others hate every second of it because they went in with the wrong outlook. Just make sure he has the right mindset and he will be fine!

 

[herby31]

Tell him to learn a trade in the service! Then even if he hates that trade he can use the gi Bill to learn another after he is out. Nobody worth working for needs a machinegunner or the like. And yes, the 31 in my username denotes 0331, infantry machinegunner in the usmc, so I know that of which I speak.

 

[zombieglock]

I am a little old to sign up, but I won't let my kid go alone. I can still remember talking to them when I was his age and I always left feeling like someone had been trying to sell me a used car.

I can't say that the prospect of having a child in the military(with the current state of our civilian leadership) excites me, but it is ultimately his decision.

He will be a senior in high school this fall, a honor student and athlete, so he is not without options. Not that only kids without options join the military.

I have several friends who have left the military in recent years, a couple after 20 careers, and they all say, talk him out of it.

It didn't come up from outta the blue. He has expressed some interest over the last few years. I think he's just feeling the pressure of being a senior in HS and not really knowing what he wants to do. He knows several kids that he plays baseball with that will be going to college this fall to play ball. He is better than some of them, but he doesn't have a dad who will pay $40K/year to send him to a small, private college just so he can say he played college ball.

I think my biggest fear will be what to do with the wife if he goes through with it. She will be a wreck.

When I was 18 (23 now) I talked to a Marine Corp recruiter and was all ready to sign up. I then told me father, who told the rest of my family. We all talked about it and they hated the idea of it. They ultimately told me it was my choice and I chose family over the military. I'd just suggest you and your wife sit down and talk to him about it, the good and bad. Tell him how you feel, but don't be too pushy. Im grateful my family talked me out of it. Good luck.

 

[BE Mike]

Ha, I see how you got that after I re-read my OP. But no, I am just going to see the recruiter with him. I doubt Uncle Sam is desperate enough to be signing up 40 year olds, no matter how well I hide my age.

Thanks to all for your service and advice. I am just going along because I know that recruiters can play fast-n-loose with the truth sometimes. And 18 year olds aren't good at reading the fine print.

When I enlisted (the dark ages) I wanted to be a rough tough airborne snake eater. The draft was still going on and I had no chance of going to college (no money). I got excellent advice from my recruiter. I was also lucky that one fellow soldier took me under his wing, like an older brother. I had some old vets, one a former POW, try to talk me out of enlisting. Enlisting turned out to be one of the best big decisions of my life. Not all of my experiences were good, but the overall outcome was. All that being said, the military isn't for everyone, and no doubt that there is a lot more Mickey Mouse outside of combat zones.

 

[fundy87]

I wish that there was someone or something to tell him all he could expect in his service, that sure would make things a little easier huh?
Unfortunately, all we could do is share knowledge and hope that it is taken into consideration. My service had its ups and downs and I am proud to say that I was a part of history. There are things I will miss....things I will never forget.... And things I wish I could.
My choices made me the man I am today, and ultimately I feel that I am a better man for it.
I say let him make the most educated decision he can, and don't let the recruiter pressure him into signing up for anything else but what he decides.

 

[drillsgt]

There's been some good advice here. If he really wants to join push for the shortest initial enlistment possible in case he doesn't like it. If he does a short enlistment than something like Infantry is okay and he'll have some fun. But it would be wiser to choose something that offers a more civilian equivalent skill set or better yet a certification like some of the medical MOS's. If college is a goal the current GI bill is great. Remember if there is something in particular he wants like airborne school/ranger etc. make sure you get it in the contract, don't believe that he can get a slot during basic, it happens but maybe only 1 or 2 per company. As mentioned earlier with the drawdowns etc. we are going back to a garrison mentality and I saw this happening in Benning two years ago. We are already forgetting the lessons learned over the last ten years. Now these BS garrison CSM's are crawling out of the woodwork ready to start measuring the height of the grass and checking to see if the hair is touching your ears etc.

 

[Hookeye]

Stepson chose Navy. Did the aircraft electronics gig while in (short timer). Got a field service job for a machine company when he got out (recruited vets). Did that 2 yrs or so and then went with a totally different company (not related) and is field engineer (no degree). Makes a nice salary, likes his job.

 

[PistolBob]

If your son has good grades and scores high on the ASVAB, then he might want to shop his skills around to the Air Force and the Navy as well. Both offer some pretty good technical education opportunities.

 

[Hawkeye]

If your son is considering college, then look into ROTC. It sounds like he might be competitive for a national scholarship. Get his college education fully or partially paid, then serve as an officer...

 

[atvdave]

Navy is a much better choice. Play your cards right and spend most of the time going to school.

 

[ghuns]

If your son has good grades and scores high on the ASVAB, then he might want to shop his skills around to the Air Force and the Navy as well. Both offer some pretty good technical education opportunities.

He has had to bust his arse to maintain a 3.3GPA, but he has taken college credit classes in chemistry, history, and Spanish and his school doesn't weigh GPA for college classes like many do. This year should be pretty easy for him, so hopefully he can get his GPA up into 3.5 territory.

If your son is considering college, then look into ROTC. It sounds like he might be competitive for a national scholarship. Get his college education fully or partially paid, then serve as an officer...

Their ROTC guy was not in the office yesterday so we will have to see him another time.

You can definitely tell that the army is not in a period of growth. They didn't even try to get him to sign up on the spot. Need paperwork from docs from when he had his appendix removed, his elbow broken, his wisdom teeth out, his orthodontist. He was diagnosed with asthma when he was little, and even though he has run cross country and hasn't used an inhaler in years, he still writes down that he has asthma on any form that asks. So now he needs a letter from the doctor saying he doesn't have asthma.

 

[Jeepster48439]

Was wondering how the visit with the recruiter went...