Armed Services, chime in!

[slippp]

Hey guys!

I'm 22 years old, in good shape, and am thinking about joining the army as an 11b. I know it's far fethched for someone my age, but I'm also thinking about enlisting with an option 40 or an 18x contract.

I just wanted to know for all the infantrymen people on here...what were your experiences? How did you like it?

I just really want to hear some stories about your time serving our country, and maybe any tips going into the service.

Thanks!

[Sarge]

I was a 19D Recon Scout. There is a Scout platoon in every armor or infantry battalion as well as all of the Cavalry units in the Army(both heavy and light). I loved the MOS because the assignments were always a little different. It was the best of all worlds really as far as combat arms was concerned. Scouts serve in all the elite forces as well. Unless you are just plain settled on 11bush you might look at it as an option.

22 is nowhere near "old" dude. If you feel the calling I say go for it as there is nothing more rewarding than serving in our country's military. Even today, more than ten years after retiring, I still have some very fond memories. You will see places and do things that the vast majority of people never get to experience.

I salute you for just thinking about joining!

[Joe4d]

I was 11M,, I think everything is back to 11B,,, Combat Arms is great to start, But like the above poster 19D gets you the hardcore huah stuff without alot of the BS from being in a line unit, other cool jobs would be forward observer, and Tankers .

[DHTampa]

Sign up for an Airborne Ranger contract. No matter which Ranger Battalion you go to you'll get great training, plenty of operational experience and if you want to migrate to other Special Operations Forces you will have all of the critical basic skills to excel.

[DMS42]

If you like to shoot, there is always my old MOS from the 60s--11B4H--Infantry, Light Weapons, Instructor. I didn't get to shoot as much as I wanted, but I did get to do lots of shooting. Of course I also got to train others in various weapons. I had a good time whether I was being trained on on weapons systems or doing the training. And I got to wear the cool DI hat.

[juan]

The Marine Corps is a option

all this Army talk gives me a headache

[slippp]

I was a 19D Recon Scout. There is a Scout platoon in every armor or infantry battalion as well as all of the Cavalry units in the Army(both heavy and light). I loved the MOS because the assignments were always a little different. It was the best of all worlds really as far as combat arms was concerned. Scouts serve in all the elite forces as well. Unless you are just plain settled on 11bush you might look at it as an option.

22 is nowhere near "old" dude. If you feel the calling I say go for it as there is nothing more rewarding than serving in our country's military. Even today, more than ten years after retiring, I still have some very fond memories. You will see places and do things that the vast majority of people never get to experience.

I salute you for just thinking about joining!

I looked into 19D, and it didn't seem like something I would be interested in. I'm more of a hands-on kind of guy, and scouting really isn't my thing.

I only said 22 is old because most people that join the service join early at 18 because they know it's something they want to do. I kind of just started thinking about it like 6-8 months ago and the more in shape I get, the more serious I start becoming about the service.

I was 11M,, I think everything is back to 11B,,, Combat Arms is great to start, But like the above poster 19D gets you the hardcore huah stuff without alot of the BS from being in a line unit, other cool jobs would be forward observer, and Tankers .

Thanks!

Sign up for an Airborne Ranger contract. No matter which Ranger Battalion you go to you'll get great training, plenty of operational experience and if you want to migrate to other Special Operations Forces you will have all of the critical basic skills to excel.

That's what I was thinking about... I'm sure it being my first term I probably won't get into SF unless like I'm really cut out for it....but I don't know. The only thing really holding me back is the running part, which is like 80% of it. lol.

If you like to shoot, there is always my old MOS from the 60s--11B4H--Infantry, Light Weapons, Instructor. I didn't get to shoot as much as I wanted, but I did get to do lots of shooting. Of course I also got to train others in various weapons. I had a good time whether I was being trained on on weapons systems or doing the training. And I got to wear the cool DI hat.

I love to shoot. I want whatever it is I do to involve a lot of shooting. Being an instructor would be awesome too!

The Marine Corps is a option

all this Army talk gives me a headache

lol. I thought about it, but I just don't have the calling for the marines. You know like .... when you ask yourself "Why should I join the Marines?" after thinking about it? Yeah, that's me. It should be the other way around; "Why should the Marines let you join?" I mean, it's always an option, but honestly, sign on bonuses are very enticing

[Joe4d]

There are three age groups of men that probably make up 90% of recruits, 17-18 just out of high school, 21-22 ish who figured they would go to college and magically get rich and famous, then reality sets in, and 33-34 yo's recently divorced who married young and thought about joining after highschool but let no x wife talk em out of it. So 22 isnt old. But honestly that Combat Arms stuff is a hard life, it will get really old in about 2 years, then you will start getting rank but have no marketable skills so will be stuck. A tech field with some civilian demand will serve you better in the long run.

[slippp]

There are three age groups of men that probably make up 90% of recruits, 17-18 just out of high school, 21-22 ish who figured they would go to college and magically get rich and famous, then reality sets in, and 33-34 yo's recently divorced who married young and thought about joining after highschool but let no x wife talk em out of it. So 22 isnt old. But honestly that Combat Arms stuff is a hard life, it will get really old in about 2 years, then you will start getting rank but have no marketable skills so will be stuck. A tech field with some civilian demand will serve you better in the long run.

Well, plans after the service will probably be law enforcement with a long term goal of SWAT. But who knows, I may just end up liking the army so much that I'll stay in it longer..

[Bridge]

Now days you go in as 11X and they put you where they want. If you are good at PT and want to be high speed get an Airborne/Ranger contract as mentioned earlier. I went in at 25 y/o and it was very easy. I got assigned as an 11H who ended up wishing he would have been a 19D, it's plenty hands on. Good experience overall, glad I did it.

Good luck in whatever way you choose to follow the warrior's path.

Bridge

[slippp]

Now days you go in as 11X and they put you where they want. If you are good at PT and want to be high speed get an Airborne/Ranger contract as mentioned earlier. I went in at 25 y/o and it was very easy. I got assigned as an 11H who ended up wishing he would have been a 19D, it's plenty hands on. Good experience overall, glad I did it.

Good luck in whatever way you choose to follow the warrior's path.

Bridge

Thanks! Welcome to the boards by the way!

[Graham Smith]

Well, I wasn't Infantry (I was Medical - 20yrs worth) but I would never tell someone not to join the Infantry IF that's what they really wanted to do. But Army Combat Arms covers a hell of a lot of MOS's with all different kinds of skill sets and training.

If you are serious, go see an Army Recruiter and arrange to take an entrance exam. This will give you and the recruiter an idea of what fields you qualify for - you might even qualify for OCS which could open up a lot of options for you.

As to age, 22 is a good age to consider joining because you've gotten some of the dew out of your eyes and have a much better idea what you want to do with your life.

[Chills1994]

Just to give you a head's up, I noticed your location is listed as Illinois. Illinois has a really good deal going on with veterans. If you are a resident of this state, join the military long enough to get veteran's status, and then get honorably discharged, then you qualify for the Illinois Veteran's Grant (IVG) program. Basically, you get 120 credit hours paid for at any state school...Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, U of I, ISU, Eastern Illinois University, etc. You can also qualify for the IVG by joining the Illinois Guard, and possibly the Reserves as well, so you can "serve" and go to school at the same time, as well as earning GI Bill benefits simultaneously.

Sooo....basically you can get your four year Bachelor's degree paid for at any Illinois state school, for free without ever having to touch your GI Bill benefits.

I already have my Bachelor's, so a few years ago when I was going for a Master's/PhD. in psychology about the only thing I had to pay for were my books and maybe some miscellaneous athletic fee???

Now, this is just my personal opinion...butttt...I think you need something that will be way, way more marketable in the civilian sector once you get out. When I was in the Air Force, man-oh-man!, I wish I had either done something with computers or something medical.

If you think you are high speed, I hope you have gills, because you're going to need to swim like a fish. Yes, even in the Army. IIRC, the Army still has its scuba school down in Key West. I think that is where the Air Force PJ's and CCT's went for scuba training.

I am ASSuming the military still relies heavily on the ASVAB test, right? Not to get too preachey here, but in my opinion your ASVAB scores are your only leverage with the recruiter. Go to your local library and find an ASVAB prep book and/or CD/DVD-ROM, or go to Border's and Barnes and Noble and just buy it. Get the best/highest ASVAB scores that you can. It can/will open a lot of doors for you, and have the recruiters knocking on your door...trying to track you down.

Edited December 20, 2010 by Chills1994

[slippp]

Well, I wasn't Infantry (I was Medical - 20yrs worth) but I would never tell someone not to join the Infantry IF that's what they really wanted to do. But Army Combat Arms covers a hell of a lot of MOS's with all different kinds of skill sets and training.

If you are serious, go see an Army Recruiter and arrange to take an entrance exam. This will give you and the recruiter an idea of what fields you qualify for - you might even qualify for OCS which could open up a lot of options for you.

As to age, 22 is a good age to consider joining because you've gotten some of the dew out of your eyes and have a much better idea what you want to do with your life.

Thanks. I will be checking with a recruiter some time tomorrow. Probably morning. I'll look more into the Combat Arms.

Just to give you a head's up, I noticed your location is listed as Illinois. Illinois has a really good deal going on with veterans. If you are a resident of this state, join the military long enough to get veteran's status, and then get honorably discharged, then you qualify for the Illinois Veteran's Grant (IVG) program. Basically, you get 120 credit hours paid for at any state school...Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, U of I, ISU, Eastern Illinois University, etc. You can also qualify for the IVG by joining the Illinois Guard, and possibly the Reserves as well, so you can "serve" and go to school at the same time, as well as earning GI Bill benefits simultaneously.

Sooo....basically you can get your four year Bachelor's degree paid for at any Illinois state school, for free without ever having to touch your GI Bill benefits.

I already have my Bachelor's, so a few years ago when I was going for a Master's/PhD. in psychology about the only thing I had to pay for were my books and maybe some miscellaneous athletic fee???

Now, this is just my personal opinion...butttt...I think you need something that will be way, way more marketable in the civilian sector once you get out. When I was in the Air Force, man-oh-man!, I wish I had either done something with computers or something medical.

If you think you are high speed, I hope you have gills, because you're going to need to swim like a fish. Yes, even in the Army. IIRC, the Army still has its scuba school down in Key West. I think that is where the Air Force PJ's and CCT's went for scuba training.

I am ASSuming the military still relies heavily on the ASVAB test, right? Not to get too preachey here, but in my opinion your ASVAB scores are your only leverage with the recruiter. Go to your local library and find an ASVAB prep book and/or CD/DVD-ROM, or go to Border's and Barnes and Noble and just buy it. Get the best/highest ASVAB scores that you can. It can/will open a lot of doors for you, and have the recruiters knocking on your door...trying to track you down.

I'm not really interested in going to school right now, but I'm sure later down the road I will be..

I already took my asvab. I really only need to take my physical before I actually sign any contracts.

I am also starting to practice holding my breath for longer than 1 minute+. My breath capacity kind of sucks, as it's only at like ~30-40 seconds.

I'm still unsure of what I want to do after the service, so that's why I'm kind of playing everything by ear as it comes along. I'm not sure if I want to be in the civilian sector after the service, but things may change....

Thanks again everyone for your feedback and comments! Keep them coming!

[Chills1994]

ASSuming that you joined tomorrow and made the Army a 20 year career, you would still be getting out at 42.

What's the retirement age now...65???

So you theoretically have a good 23 years left of civilian-ness after the Army...a civilian life where I am ASSuming that an Army pension is not going to be good enough to provide for a wife and kids, especially their college education(s?).

I thought I was going to be a fighter pilot myself, too, at 18. Walked up the Bring Me Men ramp( http://www.usafaclasses.org/1989/call/images/bringmemenramp1.png ) on 29 JUN 90, only to have a Democrat elected president in 1992 and the military budgets and subsequent Undergraduate Pilot Training slots get cut to about a third of what they once were.

I still made the walk across the graduation stage on 01 JUN 94 ( http://www.timmybx.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Air-Force-Academy-Graduation.jpg )

(I placed higher in my class than McCain did at his Annapolis class, by the way)

There are no guarantees...not of pilot slots ...and definitely not of 20 to 30 year careers.

[slippp]

So you theoretically have a good 23 years left of civilian-ness after the Army...a civilian life where I am ASSuming that an Army pension is not going to be good enough to provide for a wife and kids, especially their college education(s?).

I thought I was going to be a fighter pilot myself, too, at 18. Walked up the Bring Me Men ramp( http://www.usafaclasses.org/1989/call/images/bringmemenramp1.png ) on 29 JUN 90, only to have a Democrat elected president in 1992 and the military budgets and subsequent Undergraduate Pilot Training slots get cut to about a third of what they once were.

I still made the walk across the graduation stage on 01 JUN 94 ( http://www.timmybx.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Air-Force-Academy-Graduation.jpg )

(I placed higher in my class than McCain did at his Annapolis class, by the way)

There are no guarantees...not of pilot slots ...and definitely not of 20 to 30 year careers.

This is a good point regarding the civilian life after the army. I still don't know what I'd like to do.

I'm also not really too interested in being a pilot....that would make me nauseous. lol. I'm hoping I could get some nice sign on bonuses somewhere.

[Graham Smith]

If I could only give a soldier one piece of advice, it would be this - to a very large degree, you can control your own destiny in the military - far more than most people would believe.

Find a field that offers a challenge, that you find interesting, and go for it - balls to the wall. Take every opportunity you can find to advance yourself. Every chance you get to show your leadership skills, do it. And don't wait for the chances to come to you - go out and find them. There are a hundred opportunities for a go-getter and anyone who doesn't take advantage of them is wasting their time.

[M ammo]

I was a 13F Fire Support Specialist (Forward Observer) I got to do some cool stuff.

We all look on the other side of the fence and say,, hey I want to do your cool stuff too!

Scout/Sniper, EOD

Are other jobs to look at that do cool stuff. I did the 20 and am now retired, working in my second career. Not bad re-starting at 40-42 years old, with Mil retirement, (I consider it back pay for overtime)

A little joke,, for those guys who know what I mean.

You will have plenty of “this sucks time too”

With the real Combat arms jobs you get to be Cold, Wet and Hungry, it is part of the deal.

And will give you perspective, when you see folks out at a 3 gun match in bad weather thinking they are being hard corp., for not having the correct gear for the weather. You just smile.

[slippp]

If I could only give a soldier one piece of advice, it would be this - to a very large degree, you can control your own destiny in the military - far more than most people would believe.

Find a field that offers a challenge, that you find interesting, and go for it - balls to the wall. Take every opportunity you can find to advance yourself. Every chance you get to show your leadership skills, do it. And don't wait for the chances to come to you - go out and find them. There are a hundred opportunities for a go-getter and anyone who doesn't take advantage of them is wasting their time.

Thanks! Where are some places I can look for to find any and all applicable sign on bonuses? I don't want to sign any contracts without proper research. The last time I did that was for my car. I totally came in unprepared and signed a contract for a loan of 18 thousand dollars at a 13 percent interest rate. lol. I f*#ked up but that's all gone and paid off now!

I was a 13F Fire Support Specialist (Forward Observer) I got to do some cool stuff.

We all look on the other side of the fence and say,, hey I want to do your cool stuff too!

Scout/Sniper, EOD

Are other jobs to look at that do cool stuff. I did the 20 and am now retired, working in my second career. Not bad re-starting at 40-42 years old, with Mil retirement, (I consider it back pay for overtime)

A little joke,, for those guys who know what I mean.

You will have plenty of “this sucks time too”

With the real Combat arms jobs you get to be Cold, Wet and Hungry, it is part of the deal.

And will give you perspective, when you see folks out at a 3 gun match in bad weather thinking they are being hard corp., for not having the correct gear for the weather. You just smile.

Thanks! I'm training myself mentally to not be dependent on others and only on myself. I don't know if this is a good thing at the moment, but I'm sure I will find some sort of benefit from it.

[hitman]

I was SF and loved it.

Seems like we were always doing something new, got to do things most people only dream about.

Wouldnt trade the experiance for anything but I wouldnt do it again (too old ).

Keep in mind you can sign you up for any of the high speed low drag stuff, SF, Ranger ect. but if you quit or they wash you out you are theirs to do with as they see fit.

If you hope to go into Law Enforcment have you considered the Military Police?

Good luck.

[slippp]

I was SF and loved it.

Seems like we were always doing something new, got to do things most people only dream about.

Wouldnt trade the experiance for anything but I wouldnt do it again (too old ).

Keep in mind you can sign you up for any of the high speed low drag stuff, SF, Ranger ect. but if you quit or they wash you out you are theirs to do with as they see fit.

If you hope to go into Law Enforcment have you considered the Military Police?

Good luck.

How hard was the SFSAS? Any tips for me?

Also, it was to my understanding that if you enlisted with 11B and an 18X contract, and you didn't make the SFSAS, then you just go into infantry?

What do you mean by high speed low drag?

And yes I read about MP, and I've read that everyone that did MP hated it....

[hitman]

In my day (early 80s) Special Operations (Ranger, Airborne, SF, Seals ect.) were called high speed low drag, think it came out of the Airborne somehow.

Phisical fitness and mindset.

You dont have both you wont make it and even if you do you still might not make it.

When I went you applied and were accepted or rejected for pre-qualification testing, pass that and the real work (or punishment, depending on how you look at it) begins.

You can quit anytime you want and they encourage you to quit. Sometimes while waving a hot cheesburger in your face!

You will be cold, wet, hungry, sleep deprived, dirty, hurting everywhere and still be expected to function on a high level.

It was the hardest thing I have ever done or will ever do in my life but that piece of green felt was what the most important thing I desired in life at the time.

Mindset, you have to want it above all else.

[want2race]

I was 11b2V, spent 5 at 2/75. Great place to start out (any Ranger Batt that is). Don't worry about the running. They'll teach you how to run. You get used to it. I hated running, still do. But it was necessary. LOL. Jumping was fun. Well, exiting the aircraft was fun, standing waiting for the winds to miraculously drop below 15knots while wearing full kit wasn't so much fun but it too was necessary. You'll shoot plenty of ammo. Each Ranger battalion gets about as much ammo per year as the entire Marine Corps.

SFAS will be cake after being in a Ranger battalion for a while, it was for me. Basically the same shhhtuff I had been doing for the previous 5 years. You'll need broken in feet for SFAS, i.e., feet that have seen MANY MANY miles of rucking before you go. Oh yeah, you'll need to have it in your heart to "want it". I saw so many guys that were pretty tough, loose the heart for it. Then they quit.

Besides, then you'll have cool stories to tell for the rest of your life. I've peed on every drop zone I landed on. Foreign and domestic.

Edited for hitman: When I went through it was Taco Bell or Doughnuts. "Whooooo's gonna quit for some hot fresh Doughnuts....?" I always laughed at that. Then one guy did.

Edited December 20, 2010 by want2race

[Joe4d]

Army bonuses will be based on your Asvab score, job selected, duty station selected, education level, and moral/or medical waivers, probably a few others. You'll spend the money quick, but the job you select will be with you a long long time, dont select a job basedon money.

[Chills1994]

if you are still thinking Army Green Berets and/or Rangers, then you might want to watch this Discovery channel documentary called "Two Weeks In Hell".

this should be the link to the first of 9 videos on YouTube:

if that link doesn't work, then just do a google search for "Two Weeks In Hell".

FWIW...I completed the Army's Air Assault school, Ft. Carson's/USAFA's RECONDO school, the Zoo's free fall parachuting program, and Air Force S.E.R.E ....so I have been out there in the sticks in the middle of the night in miserable weather with just a map and compass and a pace count getting from point A to point B in one night...then holing up during the day only to repeat it the next night....then the next night...then the next night.

sorry to inject my own Air Force biases here, but as far as high speed units, there are the Combat Contol Teams:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force_Combat_Control_Team?wasRedirected=true

and Air Force Pararescue:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki?search=air+force+pararescue

some of the pararescue guys go onto work with the Special Tactics Squadrons, like the 24th:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki?search=24th+special+tactics+squadron

they are the guys who get to grow their hair long and wear civilian clothes to work.

I don't know if the Army has a program like the Air Force's Palace Chase:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki?search=palace+chase

My current "doc" was prior enlisted in the Air Force and IIRC through Palace Chase he was able to get into the Air Force's Physician's Assistant program. He got his commission in the process. He is now a civilian Physician's Assistant...with no student loans to have to pay back.

I had one neighbor who was prior enlisted in the Air Force. He was in weather and flew on the hurricane hunter C-130's, IIRC. Near the end of his 20 year career he got into computers and information technology. Within 5 years after leaving active duty, he had been hired on with a defense contractor. He had tripled his active duty pay...plus he was drawing his military pension.

As far as the law enforcement route goes, the age cutoff for Federal Special Agent positions is 37. And they require their applicants to have a minimum of a bachelor's degree. Soooo....if you do 20 years and get out at 42, you're 5 years past the age cutoff. Suppopsedly, now, the Feds are offering age waivers to former active duty military personnel....supposedly.

anywhooo....I hope I am not innudating you with too much info.

Long story short, if you are one squared away dude regardless of branch your superiors will bend over backwards to get you to the best schools/training programs.

If you're just a slug, then they'll hope you won't re-enlist or that you will get transferred and become someone else's problem child then.