Wanna join but..

[s1ckn3s]

So im 21 year's old no kids no wife i have a full time job right now 7-4 i make pretty much the same as an E-1 in basic from what i saw, an all i do is sit infront of a computer monitor all day alot less stressful an dangerous i have a car note about 385$ plus insurance 50$=435$ plus my cell phone an ISP which im canceling here pretty soon im 6'1 130lbs dont weigh much.

Now in my current situation i have two choices an people have been callin me crazy or stupid so i still live with my mommy :) but im no mamas boy by any means i just help her with the bill's so i dropd out of high school when i was 17 sophmore tried to finish at an alternative school but didnt work out,so i said **** it an went an took the GED test which i passed first try thing is freak easy could of passed that in the 7th grade anyway so i can enroll an take some college classes an probably get financial aid my sister said i could use one of her kids too lol :).

Or join the army wake up at the crack of dawn work my *** to death an get paid the same amount of money so in my opnion my life isnt worth 1200$ a month but my job is so boring an im bored i need somthing to do,an call me crazy but the army sounds like fun i look forward to running,climbing,pushups,sit ups,getting yelled at by a DS an competing with the others in my group.

Ima pretty athletic guy i play alot of basketball i have a 45" vert anyway enough about that my brother in law is in the army he's like a counselor or somthing you know, listens to the guy's with personal problems suicide,family etc an he's been wanting me to join forever so he's gonna help me out since the recruters here are pretty shady an dont give a **** about you,but like other people im at a crossroad an dont know which way to turn.

i have friend's who work at the same place as me an they went to the army earlier in life one is 24 he was in the navy an all he has to show for it is a rice burner honda civic with rims on it the other has a chevy cavalier freakin chick car,so if all im gonna get is enough money to finish paying off my car while putting my life on the line i dont think it's worth it am i right?

[Exo1]

Great story man... and the answer to your question varies from person to person.... From reading your story, I can identify personally with your situation, I was getting more money then the Irish Military had to offer, but I always had a patriotic streek in me, and getting to blow stuff up sounded like fun.... So I went into it... now out after a few years, I am earning 4 times my leaving salary, and back to being bored again.... However, in the years I spend in the Army, I gain a completely new perspective on life, and a hardened sense of motivation that has allowed me to excel when I left the Army..... I got qualified on the Army buck on 3 years active service, and if I could I would turn back time to the end of my training.... cos that was the best time for real.... I would not be half the man I am today without the Army, and would not have that focus thats needed to make it in the "Civvi World"...


Its a long winded way of saying, its a make or break experience, and those whom didnt make it through training seemed to see Civvi life as a second chance for success.... So its winwin from my perspective... Look into yourself and see if you have the will to make training and do well in your entry tests, you will have all sorts of cool MOSs open to you.... Whilst the basic may not be much at first, the fact is that bonus's and paygrades are geared to those who want to exel in the US Military, if your one of those people, then get going.... your at the best age for enlistment.... Whatever your decision, best of luck bro!!...

Exo1..

[tkxxa]

I'm 30 and going to enlist with a wife and kids...hell I wish I joined when I was 21 heh

[Exo1]

I'm 30 and going to enlist with a wife and kids...hell I wish I joined when I was 21 heh

Yea, I know what youre saying, I was in late teens when I signed up first, and am out now, but when I joined, some of the lads were in their late twenties and one was in his early 30s, I admired those "old lads" who stuck out the training, their maturity was very noticable when they went operational.... the more experienced soldiers were more at ease with them... we kids had to prove ourselves first.... Good luck in your career bro...

[Nightflyer]

I'm 30 and going to enlist with a wife and kids...hell I wish I joined when I was 21 heh

I had three guys under me (I was asked to be unit first Sgt.) they where 30 or older and they were great. Alot of guy's are married with kids and it's pretty cool.
I was asked to go into a special unit (Of hell training) where our cycle went from nine weeks to seven. I don't see them as much but I still see them around. When we get back... Im done Jan 14th they have to stay till feb.Lol.

[Exo1]

I had three guys under me (I was asked to be unit first Sgt.) they where 30 or older and they were great. Alot of guy's are married with kids and it's pretty cool.
I was asked to go into a special unit (Of hell training) where our cycle went from nine weeks to seven. I don't see them as much but I still see them around. When we get back... Im done Jan 14th they have to stay till feb.Lol.

Nightflyer... whats the story with the breaking up of your platoon??... seems like a strange thing to me to take a portion of ye away onto a seperate class... I was trained old school.. you know "we train togther, we fight together, we die together".... so am confused as to why ye were broken up.... would this direct entry for SFs be the answer to this??....

[Nightflyer]

Nightflyer... whats the story with the breaking up of your platoon??... seems like a strange thing to me to take a portion of ye away onto a seperate class... I was trained old school.. you know "we train togther, we fight together, we die together".... so am confused as to why ye were broken up.... would this direct entry for SFs be the answer to this??....


They seperated the platoon into units.. Alpha.. brovo.. charlie..Deta.. foxtrot ect...There was so many recruits there we didn't know what the hell was going on.

They took the best PT scores and combined us to our own unit the first three days we were there. Alpha unit was made up for this purpose. You can finish first and cheer others on for only so long. They push everyone but....others who can take more are given the chance. Some wash out back to a nine week cycle unit while rest of us moved on. Alpha unit.. it's hell but has it's rewards....Seven week cycle instead of nine. We go back for two more weeks and were ready for graduation on Jan 17 instead of Feb. "We train together, and fight together, and die together"...only some of us at a faster rate...:D

[Exo1]

They seperated the platoon into units.. Alpha.. brovo.. charlie..Deta.. foxtrot ect...There was so many recruits there we didn't know what the hell was going on.

They took the best PT scores and combined us to our own unit the first three days we were there. Alpha unit was made up for this purpose. You can finish first and cheer others on for only so long. They push everyone but....others who can take more are given the chance. Some wash out back to a nine week cycle unit while rest of us moved on. Alpha unit.. it's hell but has it's rewards....Seven week cycle instead of nine. We go back for two more weeks and were ready for graduation on Jan 17 instead of Feb. "We train together, and fight together, and die together"...only some of us at a faster rate...:D

Aha, gotchya, it thought it was a section of men that were taken from platoon... thats the impression I got from your post, but platoons divided that way... fair enough... Im sure you will be No1 heading out into Flight school... good luck bro...

[85_305]

So im 21 year's old no kids no wife i have a full time job right now 7-4 i make pretty much the same as an E-1 in basic from what i saw, an all i do is sit infront of a computer monitor all day alot less stressful an dangerous i have a car note about 385$ plus insurance 50$=435$ plus my cell phone an ISP which im canceling here pretty soon im 6'1 130lbs dont weigh much.

Ok lets put things into perspective here, assuming it's not too late.
First of all, if you go in as an E1, chances are after Basic and AIT you will come out as an E2 or possibly an E3.
Ok but lets pretend you mythologically stay E1. 1200$/month.

That's 1200$ take home. You dont pay for food. You dont pay for clothes. You dont pay rent/mortgage. And you dont NEED a vehicle. Ok.. so um.. a cellphone? 70$/month.. ok you are left with $1130. What else? Hmm.. you really want a vehicle? Ok. Another 100$/month for insurance. $1030 left. What else could you possible buy or spend money on? Well either way, you are banking HUNDREDS, if not THOUSANDS per month over a civilian job making the same per month. And that's only E1. And lets not forget, once you get married or hit E5 and live offbase, and get BAH and food money, etc.. you are banking big time.