Joining the ARMY?

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Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Oct 8, 2024
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Illinois
I work for a state agency building web applications for public services. I am married and we have a toddler. Wife is a stay at home mom and my job pays well.

America has given me everything and I’ve always wanted and still want to join the Army and serve. It sounds selfish but I want to keep my current job to support my family but serve at the same time. I am 29 years old and would like to get some input from the Hide, before I talk to a recruiter. What can or should I do to stay with my family and continue my full time job and serve at the same time?

Not sure if this will help anything if I join the Army, but I have a master’s in computer science, bachelor’s in electronics and communication engineering. 7.5 years of experience in information technology.

Thanks
 
I have a brother in law and two other friends that were in the guard. They did a tour in Iraq. They all had full time jobs and those jobs were available to them when they got home. Most employers are pretty supportive of the guard since it’s just one weekend per month and then a couple weeks of summer camp each year. Good on you for wanting to serve.
 
They all had full time jobs and those jobs were available to them when they got home. Most employers are pretty supportive of the guard since it’s just one weekend per month and then a couple weeks of summer camp each year.
USERRA is a federal law protecting their job status. It has nothing to do with employees being supportive(although most are very supportive), they have to be, or the DOL can make life suck.
 
I work for a state agency building web applications for public services. I am married and we have a toddler. Wife is a stay at home mom and my job pays well.

America has given me everything and I’ve always wanted and still want to join the Army and serve. It sounds selfish but I want to keep my current job to support my family but serve at the same time. I am 29 years old and would like to get some input from the Hide, before I talk to a recruiter. What can or should I do to stay with my family and continue my full time job and serve at the same time?

Not sure if this will help anything if I join the Army, but I have a master’s in computer science, bachelor’s in electronics and communication engineering. 7.5 years of experience in information technology.

Thanks

I was regular army for 8 years between 2005-2013. Hear me when I say, DO NOT DO IT. I saw what I would call the lasts breaths of the "old army"... when the BDU's went away, shortly after it all went from often stupid but I get it to..... WTF are you serious? It's also not near as professional as I expected it to be. You have a ton of kids that have never been out of state before, going buck wild half the time on the weekends especially.... Now I'm not saying I didn't have fun, or that I regret my service, I don't. I am saying I wish I had either joined the Marines, Navy or chAir Force. ;)

That was then... if I could step into a chamber right now and go back to my younger peek physical self and join a branch of my choosing and MOS of my choosing now, I still wouldn't do it. Things got really stupid with the woke kinder gentler garbage and that was then (see dates above) I don't imagine it got any better sense.... be grateful for what you have, enjoy your wife and child. (They really do take a hit from their spouse serving as well, don't do that to them, especially with the world as stupid as it is right now)

P.S. the Nasty Girls (National Guard) are a joke from what I saw... I thought we RA (Regular Army) guys were eh.... it's, literally not even funny how much more professional we were than they....just getting them all in the same and correct uniform was an accomplishment.
 
My sister was "Guard." She had a similar family/marriage/kids background. She stayed in for roughly 23 years and retired an O-6 with full benefits.

The only problem being, this was during the "gulf war." And yes, they did activate and deploy her to Iraq for one year. It was the scariest year of our lives as a family. She ended up stationed at what was, at the time, FOB Speicher, about 50 miles north of Tikrit. Thankfully, we were able to Zoom call with her for quite a bit of the time. She came home after 1 year with a "Bronze Star." But, to this day, she won't discuss the details of how she earned it (some kind of fire fight I understand). She was an O-4 at the time and had her own command. Furthermore, today, she won't allow weapons in her house, which was a tad problematic for me as I wanted to mentor her her kids (my niece/nephew). Both now live elsewhere so we can begin that process.

Point being, you can serve in the Guard, but you must be ready to accept that risk of being activated/deployed.

That said, if it were me, I'd want to "go big," and go into the Marine Corps. 🇺🇲 🤠
 
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My sister was "Guard." She had a similar family/marriage/kids background. She stayed in for roughly 23 years and retired an O-6 with full benefits.

The only problem being, this was during the "gulf war." And yes, they did activate and deploy her to Iraq for one year. It was the scariest year of our family's life. She ended up stationed at what was, at the time, FOB Speicher, about 50 miles north of Tikrit. Thankfully, we were able to Zoom call with her for quite a bit of the time. She came home after 1 year with a "Bronze Star." But, to this day, she won't discuss the details of how she earned it (some kind of fire fight I understand). She was an O-4 at the time. Furthermore, she won't allow weapons in her house, which was a tad problematic for me as I wanted to mentor her her kids (my niece/nephew). Both now live elsewhere so we can begin that process.

Point being, you can serve in the Guard, but you must be ready to accept that risk of being activated/deployed.

That said, if it were me, I'd want to "go big," and go into the Marine Corps. 🇺🇲 🤠
I know that FOB well...
 
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My sister was "Guard." She had a similar family/marriage/kids background. She stayed in for roughly 23 years and retired an O-6 with full benefits.

The only problem being, this was during the "gulf war." And yes, they did activate and deploy her to Iraq for one year. It was the scariest year of our lives as a family. She ended up stationed at what was, at the time, FOB Speicher, about 50 miles north of Tikrit. Thankfully, we were able to Zoom call with her for quite a bit of the time. She came home after 1 year with a "Bronze Star." But, to this day, she won't discuss the details of how she earned it (some kind of fire fight I understand). She was an O-4 at the time and had her own command. Furthermore, today, she won't allow weapons in her house, which was a tad problematic for me as I wanted to mentor her her kids (my niece/nephew). Both now live elsewhere so we can begin that process.

Point being, you can serve in the Guard, but you must be ready to accept that risk of being activated/deployed.

That said, if it were me, I'd want to "go big," and go into the Marine Corps. 🇺🇲 🤠

Bronze Star or Bronze Star with V device? Big difference.
 
Joining the armed forces in any capacity does not mean you are helping your country. It means you are joining the enforcement gang of the world’s largest corporations, all of whom hate you(ref: https://www.heritage-history.com/site/hclass/secret_societies/ebooks/pdf/butler_racket.pdf ). Joining the national guard is only slightly less bad also. Some states are sending their national guard overseas to “help”(ref: the Defend The Guard act).

If you want to do the most good for the country start homeschooling your kids, strengthen your marriage, & strengthen the safety of your community with the people you are closest to and live nearest to
 
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I served active Army including in armor during Desert Storm, 9 years of National Guard and 4 years of Army Reserves with a deployment 2003-04. Given our ongoing uncertainty as a nation I would advise to really think about whether service for the sake of service is worth the risk given your current situation/family and job? I do admire the fact that you wish to serve, as that is a valid and patriotic ambition. With that said, no telling what we as a nation are going to get into the next few years? Are you ready for a deployment(s) and extended time away from your family? In harms ways?
In my opinion, serving active duty is preferred as you only have one job, you get the best equipment, best training and better prepared. National Guard would be option 2 as you will have some certainty in deploying as a unit if you were to deploy. Reserves would be option 3 in my opinion. This means you could (like me) get involuntarily cross-attached to another unfamiliar unit to fill it out and deploy with them. Depending on what MOS you may have, you may have to go reserves though.
The unit I was cross attached to in 2003 was ate the hell up. The unit commander was incompetent and did not care. For example she had us deploy without magazines for our M16's. They were tucked away in a conex that arrived 2.5 months in country after we did. We were running missions (88M supply missions with 5 ton tractor trailers) in which we had one 20 round magazine of ammo per soldier, per truck. We did not have our crew serve M2's yet either as they were in a conex as well. We did not have any other support. We were lucky that during the early part of the ground offensive, ambushes were not that common. Ultimately we became mission incapable as too many of our 1965 era (prepositioned) trucks broke with no parts to repair. We then went to using M25 5 ton trucks and running convoy security for other units.
 
You are having an "early midlife crisis". You have come to the realization that you are not a kid anymore, you are darn near 30. I once worked with a bunch of "kids", and I saw the same thing time and time again. I saw it hit a guy in his mid 40's.

I can promise you one thing, your marriage will NEVER be the same again.....if it even exists going forward. No matter what she says now, time will show here that you abandoned her. She may not understand what is in store for her, and because of that she may support you. She could also support you because she is putting you above herself, those women do exist and they are VERY few and far between. If you have one of those, and it is easy to tell don't fuck that up.

If she talks to other women of people in the military, I will bet you that their men are already in the military when they met. They knew what they are getting.

DO NOT DO IT!.........

Unless you want out of your current life, as it will end. A new one will start, and it will not be what you think it will be.

One guy talked about the old Army, I know what it was like in the 90's. Had a buddy that was a LTC in the army, left about 8 years ago, two terms of Obummer had destroyed the military, and IMHO it is worse then it was then. You might think Trump will "fix" it. Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
 
I work for a state agency building web applications for public services. I am married and we have a toddler. Wife is a stay at home mom and my job pays well.

America has given me everything and I’ve always wanted and still want to join the Army and serve. It sounds selfish but I want to keep my current job to support my family but serve at the same time. I am 29 years old and would like to get some input from the Hide, before I talk to a recruiter. What can or should I do to stay with my family and continue my full time job and serve at the same time?

Not sure if this will help anything if I join the Army, but I have a master’s in computer science, bachelor’s in electronics and communication engineering. 7.5 years of experience in information technology.

Thanks
I was a recruiter in the Marine Corps. Different branch and many things have changed since I last wore a uniform 19 years ago, but many things are still the same.

You have a Master’s degree, the Army will bring you in at best as a E-4/Specialist with a vaxxed 22 year old who barely graduated high school telling you what to do. Commissioning as an officer is a long process with significant wait list. Believe it or not, but you’re old in their eyes and have dependents, those require waivers. That makes you a less than highly qualified candidate, because the branches want young and single men to indoctrinate and abuse in their favored way without pesky families getting in their way.

You have a wife and young child, a high level of education and experience in a field we really need more in. Serve your country by making babies, honoring your wife and family by being an ever present leader and member, make money and be productive.
 
"I have a master’s in computer science, bachelor’s in electronics and communication engineering" = Signal Officer, Cyber, etc.

I did a true dual career - started Active Duty after college then finished career in Army National Guard. 30+ years total. Infantry officer. Note that since the ARNG switched from "Strategic Reserve" to "Operational Reserve", ARNG combat units mobilize and deploy every 3-4 years now even in "peace". My prior ARNG unit has Soldiers in Sinai, Europe, and "Undisclosed" Central Command. So, plan on being gone from home a year at a time every 3 years. Make sure wife and kids (and your boss) is ready for that. If a leader, plan on multiple weekends per month and multiple weeks per year (not just 2 weeks in summer).

If serious, reach out to me and I can answer more questions. With your education and experience, I suggest contacting ARNG (or Air Force NG) recruiters and seek OCS (officer candidate school) opportunity to use your education/career in Signal, Intel, or Cyber.
 
THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It only took the howler monkeys until reply #9 to get here. LOL.
But the White House isn’t a sure thing. I joined under HW Bush, looked pretty sure he’d stay in but Perot and a recession happened so it became the Clinton Corps policing the whole fucking world. Squeaked by with a few hundred hanging chads from having to serve under Gore. Then W went from pretty good to retarded monkey “Hey, let’s go to war by ourselves.” There like one rule in going to war and he said fuck that, let’s invade someone solo under false pretenses and then try to nation build folks mentally stuck in 879 AD.

Enlistments are four to six year commitments, even if someone swears in today they’ll serve under a different President eventually.
 
With your education, you would be doing yourself a dis-service if you did not take a hard look at commissioning programs. Times 10 if you currently have supervisory or leadership responsibilities.

Are you absolutely stuck on the Army? My understanding especially with tech stuff is that the services differ widely. Can't hurt to shop around.

Agree with checking out guard and reserves.

Good luck and keep us posted on what you decide.
 
You are having an "early midlife crisis".

This is exactly what I came here to post.

I work for a state agency building web applications for public services. I am married and we have a toddler. Wife is a stay at home mom and my job pays well.

America has given me everything and I’ve always wanted and still want to join the Army and serve. It sounds selfish but I want to keep my current job to support my family but serve at the same time. I am 29 years old and would like to get some input from the Hide, before I talk to a recruiter. What can or should I do to stay with my family and continue my full time job and serve at the same time?

Not sure if this will help anything if I join the Army, but I have a master’s in computer science, bachelor’s in electronics and communication engineering. 7.5 years of experience in information technology.

Thanks

What do you want to DO in the Army??

The Army has everything from doctors to water purifiers to guys who drive tanks... and all of them perform janitorial services at one time or another.

Do you want to be a door-kicking ninja, applying controlled violence upon our adversaries, in support of our objectives?

Do you want to be a Software Developer, who gets handed a crappy application with a critical purpose... written decades ago on a monochrome monitor... and creates a new one- then hooks it in to a MASSIVE historical repository of data and seamlessly cuts over with zero downtime?

And wait... you're married with a small child- are you taling about joining the Army, or joining the Guard or Reserve? There is a HUGE difference.

Since you said "keep your job," I assume you're thinking about part-timing. You should know that when that job goes "full time" you will have a very long and painful ramp up with- not taking a shot at our Weekend Warriors- less motivated, less competent folks (on average) just to get to the party... and then serve the same year or year+ in theater followed by 90-day stabilization.

On the plus side for you, the State will hold your job while you are away under USERRA and offer it when you get back at the same rate. For private companies- especially small ones- it greatly complicates operations to have a person who is in... then out.

They will play games with you, and being in the Guard or Reserve will effect your ability to hold roles of higher importance/ responsibility and will effect your ability to get selected with new private companies. Nobody is allowed to admit to this, but it is true... and like I said- there are all kinds of games they can play.

You asked "what can I do to stay with my family" but that's on you to figure out. You will need to have a solid family care plan. If your wife has a career of her own- that's a big complicating factor. If your wife is social, attractive, and has hobbies? Gooooood luck, and I'm sure she's great, honest-and-true, but you know what I'm saying.

You also have that part at the end about all of your quals... this might make you nuts, but.. no joke- the Army flat out does not care.

If you are an intelligent person, you will almost always be led by less intelligent people. You will come across adjacent people in higher positions (not in your chain of command) who are also far less qualified in something-you-know-about. This is the normal way of things. It might drive you nuts, but moving up is all based on doing time.
 
This is exactly what I came here to post.



What do you want to DO in the Army??

The Army has everything from doctors to water purifiers to guys who drive tanks... and all of them perform janitorial services at one time or another.

Do you want to be a door-kicking ninja, applying controlled violence upon our adversaries, in support of our objectives?

Do you want to be a Software Developer, who gets handed a crappy application with a critical purpose... written decades ago on a monochrome monitor... and creates a new one- then hooks it in to a MASSIVE historical repository of data and seamlessly cuts over with zero downtime?

And wait... you're married with a small child- are you taling about joining the Army, or joining the Guard or Reserve? There is a HUGE difference.

Since you said "keep your job," I assume you're thinking about part-timing. You should know that when that job goes "full time" you will have a very long and painful ramp up with- not taking a shot at our Weekend Warriors- less motivated, less competent folks (on average) just to get to the party... and then serve the same year or year+ in theater followed by 90-day stabilization.

On the plus side for you, the State will hold your job while you are away under USERRA and offer it when you get back at the same rate. For private companies- especially small ones- it greatly complicates operations to have a person who is in... then out.

They will play games with you, and being in the Guard or Reserve will effect your ability to hold roles of higher importance/ responsibility and will effect your ability to get selected with new private companies. Nobody is allowed to admit to this, but it is true... and like I said- there are all kinds of games they can play.

You asked "what can I do to stay with my family" but that's on you to figure out. You will need to have a solid family care plan. If your wife has a career of her own- that's a big complicating factor. If your wife is social, attractive, and has hobbies? Gooooood luck, and I'm sure she's great, honest-and-true, but you know what I'm saying.

You also have that part at the end about all of your quals... this might make you nuts, but.. no joke- the Army flat out does not care.

If you are an intelligent person, you will almost always be led by less intelligent people. You will come across adjacent people in higher positions (not in your chain of command) who are also far less qualified in something-you-know-about. This is the normal way of things. It might drive you nuts, but moving up is all based on doing time.
What did you do in the Army?
 
join the USCG reserves, they have a lot of positions that would work well with your computer background, they actually just created a new rate (Cyber Mission Specialist)that might go along with your background


Also decide if you want to go
Enlisted
Or
Officer

 
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What was done in the time you weren’t Infantry?

Other cool stuff.

I never did anything lame the whole time I was in... and steering things back on track to the OPs question:

If you are going to practice the discipline, commit your time, make the sacrifice, and walk the path- you better make DAMN sure that you love doing it, you're having fun, and it's cool to you.

In your travels and in the course of handling business, you will come across not-a-small-nubmer of folks in uniform who are just hating life.

They will say, "What the hell am I DOING here? What is the POINT of this? Everyone is stupid! Everything sucks!"

Run, run, run away from those folks. Let them vent, but you won't have an answer for them. "What are you doing here? Good fucking question!"

You might love software development, and perhaps you start with a 25-series job and later become an officer or warrant officer. You will have to LOVE working on critical applications where moving a button on the UI/ designing the UX will yield greater-or-lesser friendly-or-enemy losses (I'm not even kidding). And your commitment will be tested!

Not very many folks enjoy Maintenance. I know a Maintenace Warrant who loved to order crazy shit in ULLS-G and cobble it together into James-Bond-Q-type stuff and other helpful inventions. Now... this guy was the best Maintenance Warrant in the United States Army and everything else was wired tight before he embarked on side-quests, but that's the kind of dude you have to be... for whatever it is you do.

If you find yourself stuck in a lame place- better start looking for cool shit to do before things start to suck.

(As a plus- there are actually some very cool places that exist in the guard and reserve, or ADOS opportunities that only they have access to)

Service to country is an honor, and doesn't need to be "worth your time and effort." At the very same time, you only get one life...
 
join the USCG reserves, they have a lot of positions that would work well with your computer background, they actually just created a new rate (Cyber Mission Specialist)that might go along with your background


Also decide if you want to go
Enlisted
Or
Officer

My grandpa was navy during Korea and Nam. He always told all of us grandkids to join the coast guard since they wouldn’t get deployed overseas, at least not until it got exceptionally bad.
 
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Not just no, but FUCK no. I was Active Army from '10-'16. Split between convential, SOF, and SMU units in direct support roles. It was under Obummer and after seeing a lot of dead fucking people, a lot of drug use, murders on post, rapes on post, I finally realized all politicians are the same and the military only draws out the worst in your and everyone else.

You're turning 30 man, you already have made it since you got a wife and kid. The military life, no matter how dedicated your wife is, is a real ass kicker. It's a reason our divorce rates are so damn high.

You won't be helping the country. Whatever you do will hardly make a difference, you're just one little cog in a neoimperialist machine.

I love this country but our military is just the enforcement wing for lobbyists and the military contractors. There isn't any honor in it. You'd be better off serving it building ports and bridges.

Get the idea out of your head, and save yourself. This Administration is putting us on a collision path with Russia and China. We were getting our butts kicked with supremacy in every area against our former clientele (Taliban, Al-Qaeda, ISIS). Fighting the deadliest military in the world (Russia) and the most ideologically motivated with a vast surplus in men that the State needs to rid themselves of (China), is a great way to have some other man raise your kid.
 
Holy crap Kev, I agree with both of those posts.

So are you done talking bullshit, or did you want to comment POOP or FAG to the OP?

Probably one of our resident Pinkos will be along to tell him that the United States Army is "woke" and he should join up with the neo-Soviet forces... and become part of the daily yield of RUS_KIA.

:devilish:
 
direct support roles
...
You won't be helping the country. Whatever you do will hardly make a difference, you're just one little cog in a neoimperialist machine.
...
I love this country but our military is just the enforcement wing for lobbyists and the military contractors. There isn't any honor in it.
...

HAHAHAHAHAAHahahaha... RIGHT... ON.... fuuuuuuuuuuuuuucking cue!!!

(I swear I did not pay this person, or collaborate with them to make their post)

:ROFLMAO:
 
So are you done talking bullshit, or did you want to comment POOP or FAG to the OP?

Probably one of our resident Pinkos will be along to tell him that the United States Army is "woke" and he should join up with the neo-Soviet forces... and become part of the daily yield of RUS_KIA.

:devilish:

Not done talking bullshit. Not ever.😁

OP doesn't sound poop or fag, just misguided, or as pointed out above, maybe an early mid-life crisis.

Your advice to him was solid. Just pointing it out to those who are oblivious, and (heaven help me) paying you a compliment.

I can't believe I just said that.
 
The military will be nothing you thought it would be and everything you thought it largely wasn’t. It can be a trial by fire and rewarding or a sinking disappointment.

Just like every other endeavor in life.

In the end it’s about what your expectations, objectives, and goals are. But it’s ultimately about what your willing to sacrifice to achieve them.

I don’t care if it’s active duty or NG. Depending on how committed you are to the mission, it could cost you everything you’ve built in your life up to this point. That’s a lot to think about, but it’s the cold hard truth. It isn’t easy, it’s stressful on you, and especially your family. They will worry about you while you’re gone. You will try not to worry about them in order to accomplish the mission. It takes a certain kind of metal and mind frame to do that, especially in your situation.

There are many ways to serve your country, even in civilian military service. Look at your options, understand the risks and sacrifices. Choose wisely. YMMV
 
The dream of 1 weekend a month 2 weeks out of the year is a complete lie. In 15 years, my unit has been deployed 3 times, I’ve spent countless days weeks months away from my family on top of that, doing different types of training and schooling. Then, as you go up in rank, the more you are required to do things on your own time while not getting paid. And this doesn’t even take into account basic and AIT. Also the 1 weekend a month, that’s all predicated on 48 MUTA’s, you get paid 2 days worth of pay for 1 day worth of work while in a drilling status. Well, what happens is every month, you’re not doing a MUTA 4 Saturday/ Sunday drill. There’s months where you’ll do MUTA 5’s, 6’s, 8’s, 10’s. Well guess what, those cut into your work week. If you have a good paying job, you’re losing money on those days. That doesn’t even take into account, if your armory isn’t within close commuting distance and you have to stay over night. Yeah, you might be put up in a hotel, depending on your state and funding, but you still have to pay for breakfast and dinner out on the local economy while there. That’s another expense cutting into your paycheck, more so if you’re a lower rank.

Here’s a scenario you can regularly expect to encounter: Hey everyone, we need volunteers for a mission coming up, let me know if you’re interested.

Ok, I’m interested, where is it? Don’t know
When will it start? Don’t know
How long will it go on for? Don’t know
What pay status will I be in? Don’t know

And USERRA is a joke. Businesses know they can’t blatantly discriminate against you due to your military service, but rest assured, they can make your job a living hell. I know many that have experienced it, and the employers make your job so miserable, you just leave. I don’t blame some of them, if you’re a small business and every time you turn around, the employee is leaving for some type of training, it makes it hard on them. Even better when you get a shortfall training/ school and leave within a week or so.
 
But the White House isn’t a sure thing. I joined under HW Bush, looked pretty sure he’d stay in but Perot and a recession happened so it became the Clinton Corps policing the whole fucking world. Squeaked by with a few hundred hanging chads from having to serve under Gore. Then W went from pretty good to retarded monkey “Hey, let’s go to war by ourselves.” There like one rule in going to war and he said fuck that, let’s invade someone solo under false pretenses and then try to nation build folks mentally stuck in 879 AD.

Enlistments are four to six year commitments, even if someone swears in today they’ll serve under a different President eventually.

Furthermore google "stop loss" and you'll see that the service can keep anyone until they're done with them.