Advice and Experiences please

[Lobo_79]

For what it's worth: I spent 25 years in the USAF; half as an enlisted electronics technician and half as a commissioned officer. I spent two tours of duty in Vietnam and numerous other deployments that stressed my family to the max. In retrospect I can identify with the comments from every one who has posted a response to you.

Would I do it again? You bet I would. In my case my AF experience was invaluable to my career progression, and it defined who I was to become in life. I started off my career as a 17 year old high school graduate and earned a master's degree in electrical engineering all through sponsored education programs. Today I am the director of engineering for the company I work for.

A military career is good choice as long as you recognize you have an unlimited liability clause to deal with. You won't get a choice in many of the things that will happen to you but you will always get a choice in how you react to them. You'll make a lot of friends and you'll endure a lot of hardships. You'll learn a lot about leadership and commitment. In short you'll live more.

[zarcher]

Thank you.
That is positive that I have been looking for. There are a lot of people that will tell you, you are better off doing the civilian thing. It is to hard on the family, and a whole slue of other excuse for not enlisting.

How hard was it to go from enlisted to officer?

[Lobo_79]

The transition was a challenge because opportunities to get a commission are strictly based on the needs of the service at the time. In my case the Vietnam war was over and the officer requirements were pretty slim. But fortunately the AF always needed engineers so I lucked out.

After being enlisted for all those years starting over as a 2nd LT was tough. I was 10 years older than my contemporaries but the age difference helped me get better jobs within the military.

[havoc1]

Don't believe all the gloom and doom. I think the best statement here is that service will amplify the defining characteristics of your marriage. There's a quote I'm fond of, and it applies here. Inner Steel: the soul's ally, forged in the fires of adversity. If the steel is bad to begin with, (i.e. you don't trust her or she doesn't trust you), it'll be over before you know it. If she's wont to stray, it'll end badly (as my first did). However, if the steel is good (you guys love and trust each other and the marriage is solid), it will only get stronger through the challenges and hardships of military life.

To be certain, you need a special kind of lady to make this life work. I personally don't know how my wife does it. I don't know if I'd have the mental fortitude as a recent immigrant to the US to juggle 3 kids under the age of 5 while Daddy's out doing his thing for god and country. She amazes me continuously--she's stronger than most any woman I know. And she has to be. This is no eight to five. Even when I'm home, she deals my with 12-14 hour work days, being cranky because I haven't slept, or limping around because I've gone and written a check that my body couldn't cash again.

I did 6.5 years in the AF and then crossed over to live the Airborne Ranger life in the Army because I wanted more. I can't think of anything I'd rather do--it just keeps getting better. The brotherhood of shared hardship is something few men truly experience in their lives, and they're poorer for it in my opinion. Even though Reagan was talking about the Marines (post-Beirut) when he made that famous quote, I too will never have to go through life wondering if I made a difference.

[cwjeep]

Spent 21 years in the US Army, married for all but for 1st year in Viet Nam. Your spouse had better be tough as you are. She has to raise the kids, pay bills, manage the familiy and support you. MY wife got a retirement certificate when I retired and she deserved it and more.

It was rough being alone alot of the time, one thing that will kill your marriage faster then anything is distrust or your infidelity. So dont go there.

I had a great career, yes career, it was not a job. I have a job now.
I made good money more then my civie friends. I made many good memories and stories to tell my grandkids, more then I set at a desk or built something for 3o years.

I would do it agian in a minute, but it takes special people to make it, not everyone can. Just like not everyone can fly or dive or shoot well or what ever. You have to be and think you're good at what you do or you won't.

Well just my two cents, think it over before you dive in.

PS: I was enlisted and an officer. Officers make more money and actually work less.

[munkee]

Hey Zarcher, I was 26 and married with one child when I joined the National Guard, and I am thinking it would be a perfect fit for you. You have a leg up on me with being so near a degree, so the 4 years of tuition won't probably be much of an incentive, but they do have student loan repayment. I'm in until they kick me out. The benefits are great, (the tuition, access to insurance, a little extra retirement, free rounds at the range, firing the .50 cal,......). I could go on but I'll just say that the Army fits me like a glove. If I had known that fact right out of high school, I would be half way to retirement by now. You definitely have to have the wife on board because it is something that effects her too, but thats what a marriage is all about. It sounds like you have a good grasp on that though. If you go Guard, you will also be able to put that degree to use, and if you want to, you can go active anytime you want. (I'm pretty sure anyway, but check with a recruiter to be sure.) If you go active, your stuck with military payscales, and if you don't like it, your stuck until your contract is out. You also go where they send you. With the Guard you can join a unit near where you live, and typically transfer to another unit if you wanted to move. I started in a transportation unit from Sioux Falls, SD and moved to an Aviation unit in Helena, MT. Also, I'm not sure how hard it is to change your MOS on the active side but it is relatively easy to do in the guard. I went in as an 88M (transportation specialist) and will be adding 15T crew chief (black hawk mechanic) this summer.

Anyway, I don't have anything against the active side, but I think the Guard would be just right for you. If you go in on the enlisted side, you should be able to go in with some rank once you have a degree. You should also be able to check out the unit you are considering joining. We have guys come in and hang out on drill weekends all the time just to see what it's like. The Army needs you so make the most of that to get the best deal you can going in.

[Boanerge]

Originally Posted by zarcher

Thank you.
I'm currently a full-time student gettingmy degree in business managment.
Are there any MOSes that will corrspond with this degree?

Try officer candidate school