Joining the ARMY?

DeathBeforeDismount said:

Coast guard is without a doubt the HARDEST branch to get into as enlisted, and a magnitude higher for officers. Many are transfers from other branches.

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So? I still got in! LOL! With retention and failure to meet enlistment goals.....It'll be easier. They require a higher caliber of men and women to wear the uniform. I don't see that as a problem, that's a very good thing! It separates the wheat from the chaff.

Illinois you say?

Smokeshot said:

Because of USSERA, my employee will continue to pay me while I’m on military leave. Initial 30 days, full pay and then differential. Then the 1 weekend per month and 2-4 weeks summer is full pay. My family won’t struggle financially.

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That is not USSERA required - your employee may choose to pay a reservist who is away on duty but that is not a legal requirement. Your civilian employer must give you unpaid leave while you are away on military duty but they do not have to pay you. I have seen companies pay nothing, I have seen some provide 100% pay and benefits even during extended deployments and I have seen some that pay the differential (you make $x at civilian job but only $y at military job so employer pays the difference). If gone for a month or so, have seen employers drop the family medical coverage. USSERA requires them to give you your job back upon return EXCEPT if the job was eliminated.

PS - at a big company, the CEO may think you're a hero but your first line supervisor hates you as he/she has to pick up the slack while you are gone.

OP-

I stand by my previous comments but let me approach this a different way... if you do end up talking to a recruiter (at your age & credentials)

(1) If the recruiter brings up the concept of 'honor', ask them about the bronze star award specifically. Ask them why officers at a certain level automatically are 'awarded' one for being there and then ask what lower enlisted have to do to get "their" bronze star. The recruiter might mention something about a "V" device and that standing for Valor. You'd do well to understand what "valor" equates to in earning that medal.

(2) Regardless of what MOS you're looking at- I'd suggest you ask what the divorce rate is for that job. If the recruiter tells you they don't know, they're either misinformed or lying to you. The data is there, ask for it.

(3) You might hear something about a "wish list" of where you'll end up being stationed, I won't even share my experience here, ask anyone else how much weight that list holds

(4) Understand that you might be trained in a particular MOS/job but that doesn't mean your experience will remotely mirror that training. Ask your recruiter how many tankers were deployed without a tank and spent their deployment pulling guard duty.

(5) You might hear the expression "three hots & a cot" implying you'll be fed well and have a place to sleep. Others may have different experiences but I can't even count the number of times I was thrown an MRE (and often times something godawful like the 'veggie omelette') and that's all I saw for food. Never came across a moment to canabalize that MRE and eat what little was edible. And a 'cot' equated to a helmet as a pillow to keep my head out of the mud. And no- this wasn't exclusive to being in a combat environment, this was during training but a result of poor leadership factoring in basics like their soldiers needed to eat or a place to crash. Going full circle now- they also were 'awarded' bronze stars and I can only assure you that in my personal experience, it only got worse outside of a training environment.

I'll stop there- you do you by all means but ask your recruiter these kind of questions and place them here. At least you'll get honest commentary on the topic from those that have "been there, done that".

As for me- I was "smart" enough to enlist not once but twice. So I may have a slight bias/be slightly disgruntled (and I'll own that), but I've at least been where you're at twice before so there's still likely a small amount of merit in what I'm trying to share with you.

But man- 29 with a BS, MS, almost 8 years of career experience, AND a wife & toddler? Sure you can look into the guard but...frankly I just think you can do better.

-LD

Yeah everyone has a different experience in the military OP. Just take things you read here with a grain of salt, and sure as hell don’t listen to anything a recruiter says. You can do your own research.

Considering your background; I’d try to be an officer. If your wife is onboard, go active duty and see it as an adventure. Seems like you may be the type to regret not doing it later in life, maybe. I dunno but good luck.

I didn't take time to read the 4 pages of comments so far so pardons if I discuss something already covered.

My background: Drafted in the late 60's, sent straight to Vietnam after Basic and AIT. Got out and used GI Bill to pay for last 2 years of college and even 2 years of graduate school. Joined the National Guard (for the retirement) and was a basic weekend warrior for 10 years, then was enjoying it so much that I quit my job as an Industrial Engineer and went full time in the Guard. That job is called AGR (Active Guard Reserve) and the individual is on Title 32 active duty assigned to a Guard unit and work there every day in areas of Personnel, Logistics, Administration/Operations, maintaining unit cohesion and continuity between weekend drills.. Mobilized for Desert Storm in 1991, also spent a year in Iraq in 2004-05 near the end of my active duty. A total of 26 years on active duty.

After retiring from active duty I immediately started working for Army National Guard Recruiting as a contractor, retiring 3 years ago after 14 years service. Currently a volunteer for ESGR (Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve), facilitating USERRA (Uniformed Services Emploment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994) to individuals and employers.

You would be a prime candidate for Army National Guard. Guard goes to the same Basic and AIT as active army. With your background you would probably be able to enlist as an E4. Enlist for one of the cyber security or IT options. On your return from AIT the Officer Recruiting people should beat a path to your door. The fast trac OCS should be your option, rather than the standard one year of drills and two 2-week annual trainings.

Since you are on the Hide, there are shooting advantages to being in the Guard. Don't hesitate to contact me by pm for any additional information.

Don't do it. I did 23 years, active duty and reserves. It was 23 years of beating my head against the wall thinking it would get better.

It didn't.

I do get a pension that the ex-wife can't touch. That's the only saving grace but I worked my ass off and beat my head against the wall dealing with commanders who didn't have enough common sense to pour water out of a bucket even if the instructions were written on the bottom.

You got a good education and a good job. It sounds like your family still loves you.

Don't jeopardize that by working weekends and spending your vacation time on summer camps. If you get deployed, you will really put a stress on your family life.

If you don't think about anything else think about this:

YOUR KIDS ARE ONLY YOUNG ONCE! YOU WILL BE MISSING OUT ON A LOT BY SERVING WEEKENDS AND TAKING TIME AWAY DURING THE SUMMERS WHEN THEY ARE OUT OF SCHOOL.

ANY MEMORIES YOU WILL HAVE FROM BEING IN UNIFORM WILL NOT COMPARE TO THE MEMORIES YOU WILL MISS WITH YOUR WIFE AND KIDS.

DO NOT DO IT!

I served 22+ years in the Army.

The one thing I'm thankful for was they sent me to school (undergrad thru postgrad) and I have a good career without any debt.

Went around the world a handful of times. Visited cool places and made lifelong friends.

With that said and with what you have going on.

Don't do it. Family only comes once. Those moments with your children cannot be replaced (I have a few myself).

I appreciate that your had the thought around your head to serve but there are other ways to better serve: help in your local community.

Longshot231 said:

Don't do it. I did 23 years, active duty and reserves. It was 23 years of beating my head against the wall thinking it would get better.

It didn't.

I do get a pension that the ex-wife can't touch. That's the only saving grace but I worked my ass off and beat my head against the wall dealing with commanders who didn't have enough common sense to pour water out of a bucket even if the instructions were written on the bottom.

You got a good education and a good job. It sounds like your family still loves you.

Don't jeopardize that by working weekends and spending your vacation time on summer camps. If you get deployed, you will really put a stress on your family life.

If you don't think about anything else think about this:

YOUR KIDS ARE ONLY YOUNG ONCE! YOU WILL BE MISSING OUT ON A LOT BY SERVING WEEKENDS AND TAKING TIME AWAY DURING THE SUMMERS WHEN THEY ARE OUT OF SCHOOL.

ANY MEMORIES YOU WILL HAVE FROM BEING IN UNIFORM WILL NOT COMPARE TO THE MEMORIES YOU WILL MISS WITH YOUR WIFE AND KIDS.

DO NOT DO IT!

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This man speaks the truth.

Recruiting hit a 12 year high in December, the first month following the election. Recruiting hit a 15 year high in January.

Also, young men are now minority Democrat, reversing a trend that has been happening since the 60s. Just look at 2016 until 2023.