In the Army Now

[DeadKennedys]

Seriously, f*ck Pauly Shore

The other day I took the plunge (one might say) and joined my college's ROTC. So, for the next few years, I'll wake up at 5 every morning for PT, go to military classes and all that good stuff before I emerge as a soldier of the free world/towel-head killer in 2 years. I'm still a cadet, so if guys at boot camp are maggots I'm whatever is more lowly and pathetic than that: you can call me Cadet Zeldasbiggestfan.

I debated this for a long time, and my reasons for joining are highly personal (<3). I'm not a killing machine and I'm not doing it for the money. Guess I don't see anywhere else for me to go, and working at fast food jobs really showed me how depressing disposable income is. I went and spoke with a few branches to be sure I got the best deal. The navy recruiting office it was... interesting, to say the least. They had comfy chairs, pictures of sailors all around the world grinning with hot women, a mini fridge, and I swear to god, the place smelled like cinnamon. Cinnamon. Either someone lit some incense or a guy at too many cinnabons. The air force looks far too easy. The Marines was my first choice but we don't have their rotc and I'm not enlisting.

I was originally gonna go for special forces, counter terrorism and training insurgents sounded interesting. But the more people I spoke with, it seems like most of em spent time pulling teeth and vaccinating iraqi kids. So, I think I'll do rangers.

The funny thing is to go jogging in my gear, and be laughed at and heckled by frat boys in their trendy cars. I enjoy the irony of being labeled a conformist when it's they who are the cookie-cutter college stereotype, who've become what everyone else wants them to be. And when I come back home, whenever that will be, they'll be the ones waiting on me at Taco Bell.

[Grislygus]

One of my friends is in the army. He's the most successful one of us so far, so it seems like a fairly rewarding career choice.

[WhiteRat]

Congrats on the career choice.

I guess the only advice I could a new officer as enlisted man would be to learn from your NCOs. Too many butter bars, at least in the Air Force, come in to the operational world with a heavy hammer and a glimmer in their eye, when in reality they really don't know shit about their job. Your senior NCOs, the ones with 20+ years in, are your source for knowledge and advice. Sit back, learn from them, and the early years of your career should go smooth. I'm sure things are a bit different for Ranger officers, but this seems to be a common thing for freshly commissioned officers in the military.

It's highly unlikely but maybe someday i'll be at the BX or out in the field and i'll have to salute a fellow Mocker. INSANITY.

[DeadKennedys]

Hell yeah boy

I know what you mean about the NCOs. I have hella respect for them. They're gonna be like bape to us noobs, cause that's essentially what I'll be. I think alot of people look down on them as the "blue-collars" (I don't care who you are that's funny) but they're the ones who've been in the shit and know what it's all about. I bet alot of lieutenants fresh outta officer school walk in like they own the place, I think of that westpoint kid from Band of Brothers... I don't wanna be that guy

When I looked at the air force officer school, I watched a video and they all had fancy dorms, their training looked like high school PE, and I got the impression they were the rich boys of the military. Maybe I'm wrong

If you don't mind me asking, what's your MOS? For lack of a better word, do you enjoy it all?

[WhiteRat]

It's true, the Air Force has the best standard of living. For instance, I have my own room with a shitter and shower while the Army barracks across the street (patriot operators) has 2 to a room and the rooms are a lot smaller. Things are changing now. With so much money being tied up in the war, mainly the Army and Marines, the AF is getting shafted on funding. It's not pretty. The AF is trying to cut 40,000 or so airmen from the ranks entirely. Lieutenants and some captains are also getting forced out. Right now the junior officer tier is incredibly bloated and the AF is trying to save money. Also, the hot rumor these days is that they are suspending all 2007 PSC moves. So instead of me PSCing back to to the states in October, i've now got another year tacked onto originally what was supposed to be a 2 year tour.

My AFSC (MOS) is Munitions Systems Journeyman.
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airfo...afjob2w0x1.htm

I'm fairly satisfied with the job overall. It's interesting, you get to work around all different types of munitions such as GBUs, CBUs, JDAMs, JASMs, AIM-9s, and so on. It's a maintenance job and it's pretty blue collar. We're outside working, busting our ass clearing out storage structures and hauling munitions across the Bomb Dump only to stuff them all back in another building.

It's also satisfying knowing that we play a major role in acomplishing the overall AF mission, which is to put jets in the air and blow shit up.

[DuFresne]

Materiel

Is that how the military spells "material," or something? Sorry if that's a noob question. :/

[Jixby Phillips]

Originally Posted by Grislygus

One of my friends is in the army. He's the most successful one of us so far, so it seems like a fairly rewarding career choice.

When he visits back home does he approach you all while you sit on the stoop talking about video games and watch him have a flashback when you go "computers? couldn't you have learned that at home?"

I didnt read the first post its too long the army is stupid and so are you america sucks i hate it thumbs down to the army and thumsb down to you getoffmybone

[Jixby Phillips]

america sucks frace rules

[WhiteRat]

Originally Posted by DuFresne

Is that how the military spells "material," or something? Sorry if that's a noob question. :/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materiel

When I first got here I couldn't figure out why it was spelled that way either.

[Jixby Phillips]

WHITE RAT I WANST TALKING ABOUT YOU SO STOP FREAKING OUT ON ME, JESUS

[RaNkeri]

Ranger's lead the way, eh?

Anyway, just wanted to ask, how "elite" are rangers novadays? Because it seems like they're novadays just normal grunts with parachute training :/

[GADZOOKS]

Originally Posted by Jixby Phillips

america sucks frace rules

Don't let Mike here you say that, he will call you a pussy

[DeadKennedys]

Originally Posted by RaNkeri

Ranger's lead the way, eh?

Anyway, just wanted to ask, how "elite" are rangers novadays? Because it seems like they're novadays just normal grunts with parachute training :/

From what I understand, they're very light shock troops, which allows them to deploy anywhere in the world in 18 hours or less. So we'll be seizing airfields while the other guys are still getting their pants on.

And in my limited understanding, grunts are told where to go and how to do it, and people like Rangers (but not limited to that) figure it out on their own.

[DeadKennedys]

Originally Posted by RaNkeri

Ranger's lead the way, eh?

Anyway, just wanted to ask, how "elite" are rangers novadays? Because it seems like they're novadays just normal grunts with parachute training :/

From what I understand, they're very light shock troops, which allows them to deploy anywhere in the world in 18 hours or less. So we'll be seizing airfields while the other guys are still getting their pants on.

And in my limited understanding, grunts are told where to go and how to do it, and people like Rangers (but not limited to that) figure it out on their own.

[Black Flag]

man it'd be funny if i just like copy and pasted what you said and started a whole big THING

[Black Flag]

should i do it i don't know?

[ArrowX]

Have fun during mass parachute drops, that's gotta be one of the most awesome experiences you can possibly have.

[Archduke Tips]

DeadKennedys, I'm thinking about joining the Army myself. Unlike you, I have no remorse for the fools who fight against our countrymen and I would gladly kill them. I want to bring the terror back to them. I am not a pussy liberal bitch who makes rules to protect the enemy. My only goal is to pile their corpses until they realize that I will not cater to their whiney muslim-extremism.

DEATH TO THE ENEMY!

[kahljorn]

and you're the one who will probably end up not joining

[Archduke Tips]

Yeah, I probably won't, but that might be a good thing.

[ArrowX]

He'll get drafted in the next 5 years and die on the front lines.

[DeadKennedys]

Originally Posted by RussoNWM

DeadKennedys, I'm thinking about joining the Army myself. Unlike you, I have no remorse for the fools who fight against our countrymen and I would gladly kill them. I want to bring the terror back to them. I am not a pussy liberal bitch who makes rules to protect the enemy. My only goal is to pile their corpses until they realize that I will not cater to their whiney muslim-extremism.

DEATH TO THE ENEMY!

Sweet, lovin the sarcasm. You're probably one of the trendy college guys who wears shirts with ak-47's and bullets on em because it's ironic. The funny thing is, while you see me as a single-minded, idealistic redneck, I have no such illusions about my job. Yes, I'm being paid to kill, people we may not have business fighting, but there's the chance I may be doing something good, and the chance neither you nor I see the whole picture, even though we'd like to think we do.

[Archduke Tips]

Sorry, DeadKennedys, that wasn't sarcasm and I didn't mean to make it seem like a personal attack on you.

All the best of luck to you in the Army. And I believe we do have business fighting them. If I was out there, I would definetly have your back.