I've decided.....
 

That right after highschool (I have one year to go after this), I'm enlisting in the Army. Does anyone have any stories? Advice? Anything?

Advice: Don't do such a stupid thing?!

INTERROBANG!

You picked a great time, that's for sure.

Join the peace corp you fag.

Ask someone else who is or was enlisted, there are a few of 'em on here.

Last time I tried to talk someone on this forum out of enlisting I made a huge idiot out of myself and most of what I was told beforehand I later learned was of QUESTIONABLE VALIDITY anyway.

But I still wonder how recruiters can talk anyone into this line of work.

Oh, I haven't even talked to recruiters, I've been talking to my brother in law, who's training to be a ranger right now. I know it's not gonna be easy, a lot of people don't support the army, and there's a very uninspired war going on, but it's worth it. To me, anyways.

Hardly anyone except for an aimless idiot is on the fence in regards to the army.

If you're smart, go in as an officer. You'll be glad you did.

Also, this is a good read, regardless of your political stance: http://www.hoo-ah.net/

If only the government was one of those. :(


$439.3 billion? >:



Maybe a larger portion of that can go to a sensible cost of living wage for the soldiers. :rolleyes

Honestly, this is a good attitude to have if you intend on joining the military. I know too many people in the Air Force who cry and whine about their recruiter "lying" to them about whatever. I can only imagine how many Army folk like that are out there.

Do it for yourself, not because of what some quota hungry Army recruiter says.

As far as going in as an officer, I recommend spending a few years as an enlisted troop while you get your bachelor's. After that you can apply to OTS and if accepted, BAM! You emerge as a prior-enlisted officer, who gets a shit ton more respect than your butter bar wearing 2nd LT fresh out of the academy. You'll be glad you did.

Hey, the barracks here are extremely well off. They're entire furnished apartments. My grandfather was in the military and he refers to modern-day soldiers as "wussies."

Cost of living used to include the price of the cot you slept on and the hole in the ground you shit in.

Thanks, WhiteRat, it's good to hear some support from more than one person. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shit scared,though. It'll take some getting used to, for certain...

Where does this magical barracks exist?

I think Fathom has confused barracks with Club Med.

or rehab

Join the peace corp. at least you'll be doing something of value.

Yeah, but it'd be a lot harder setting up a living with the peace corps. If I retire out of the military, I get pension the rest of my life. That's damned useful. Plus, they'll take care of food and shelter. And if I do happen to get fragged in combat, at least my family will get the money. So it wouldn't go to waste, it'd help dad's medical bills.

$450,000 baby!

Magic land, aka Ft. Sill.

Been inside one of them. It's lovely. Buncha douchebags and their PS3s. That's all soldiers do around here, play video games.

I would never in a million years willingly enlist in the army/navy/anything

Magic land is right. Feast your peepers on oh i don't know, maybe every other barracks/dorm in the military. Granted, the room I lived in when I was at Kadena AB was decent (if you take out the horrible roach and ceiling mold problem) but christ, the Air Force dorms at Kunsan AB in Korea are infested with roaches, high levels of mold, and are currently scheduled for demolition. Same goes for the dorms at Sheppard AFB. Not to mention that most single housing rooms in the military are tiny as shit. I don't have exact figures, but some that i've seen can't be any bigger than a storage closet. You have a bed, a tiny dresser, a tiny shelf/desk thing and that's about it.

Thankfully, the housing concerns are addressed when you reach enough rank to move off base, which I recently did. Even with the extra cheddar I still live in a shitty low income housing apt complex.

As far as fully furnished is concerned, I don't think you've lived in military housing long enough to appreciate the "high quality" government furniture.

Well, again, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shit scared. But, hell, at the very LEAST I'll have some kick ass stories to tell my kids/nephews/nieces/grandkids/ you get the point.

I misspoke, I meant housing, i.e. single soldier quarters. Barracks are a bit more rugged. My grandpa didn't have none of that fanciness in regards to housing in his day.

I mean, I think this is rather lovely. https://onestop.army.mil/Sill/web/html/UPH-Overview.htm

Fort Sill is %100 representative of all military housing. I withdraw all previous comments as I've come to the crushing realization that I have no idea what i'm talking about.

edit: oh, and when I say barracks or dorms, i am referring to single soldier quarters. They are one in the same.

I'm sorry, I've got no frame of reference here in regards to housing, barracks, or anything relating to the military.

You're more qualified than I am to give advice to this lad, and I mean that.

Just don't have a meltdown during basic training and start calling your family at 3AM, sobbing, and threating suicide.

God, I hate my brother.