hello all, I'm 17 years old and I was thinking about joining the army. There was a few questions I was wondering. One, what're the Pro's to being in the army? Two, what happens right after Basic Training?, Three, how long until you have to go to Iraq/Afghanistan, if at all?

Thanks in advance for the reads and replies, sorry for all the questins

1. The pro's are all individually based, one one would consider a pro another might consider a con. But some basic pro's in my opinion, job security, good benefits (medical, dental, life insurance), a sense of discipline and a sense of pride I feel very few careers offer these days.

2. Right after basic training you go to Advanced Individual Training where you become qualified in your job you chose. The length is dependent on your job choice. After that you get assigned to your permanent duty station.

3. Depends on different installations and the rotation cycle.

Good luck!

__________________
Armygirl4ever,
Proud Army Veteran 1993-2004
Now Proudly Serving in the Silent (okay, maybe not always so silent) Ranks

thanks Armygirl.

I was also wondering, how long do you have to stay in the Army? and does the time start when you first go to basic training or once you're stationed? And what is the "reserves"?

All military enlistments carry an obligation of 8 years. If you serve on active duty for 4 years you'll be in the Army Reserves subject to recall to active duty as an individual for the remaider of your 8 year obligation. If you join a reserve unit you will attend drills usually one weekend a month & 2 weeks a year will be spent on annual training.

The active duty enlistments are for 6 years, 4 years, 3 years & 2 years. The 2 year enlistment begins after your training is complete. All the other active duty times start the day you arrive at Basic Combat Training (BCT).

You have the option of enlisting in the Army National Guard or the Army Reserve. After BCT & training for your MOS called Advanced Individual Training (AIT) you'll return to your unit 7 attend training assemblies one weekend a month & spend 2 weeks a year on annual training until your 8 year obligation is satisfied. Your unit is subject to be called to active duty & deployed to a combat area.

The Army National Guard is a reserve component of the Army but it's run by the state & can be called to active duty by the Governor for various reasons such as hurricanes, floods & other weather related events. The Guard is also called up for riot control & other civil disobediences. The Guard can also be called up by the Congress & the President to be deployed to a combat area just like the Army Reserve.

In my son's service he enlisted in the Army as an Army Ranger for 4 years & 16 weeks. He just recently completed that & voluntarily joined a Reserve unit where he's an instructor. He had a long weekend drill, Sat. through Tues. where his unit went to Ft. McCoy, WI for range fire, the PT test & other training in the field.

When a Reservist is on active duty he gets paid the same as any other soldier at his rank & time in service. When he attends Reserve Drills he gets compensated on the basis of one day's pay for a four hour block of time. For a standard weekend drill he gets paid just as if he was in the Active Army for 4 days plus he gets awarded 4 retirement points. 48 retirement points are required for that year to count towards retirement. Also there is one retirement point granted for each day of active duty. At the successful completion of 20 years he can retire from the Army Reserve or Guard but unlike retiring from 20 years of active duty the retired Reservist doesn't collect his retirement pay until age 60. His retirement pay is based on rank, time in service & the amount of retirement points he has. This may all change in the near future.

__________________
Proud Dad of a US Army Ranger SSG-Former 3/75 Rangers, 2/334-95 USAR at present
US Navy 1960-1966 Submarine Service, Navy Diver-UDT 21
US Army 1980-2001 Airborne Infantry,G3, Army Instructor, Commo Instructor Company 1SG
Retired 1SG/MSG
I was a Soldier. I am a Soldier. I will always be a Soldier.

thanks for the thorough and informative post, glenn. The past month the thought of joining the army has crossed my mind for when i turn 18. Im currently a boxer and part of being one requires mental toughness, just as much as physical ttoughness/fitness and i was thinking of joining to be a tougher/better man. I was tthinking about an infantryman

Talk with the online recruiter they will give you information like right now