Looking for some info on the military.

Dmn0166

Dmn0166

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A few years ago I was very close to joining the Army right out of highschool. For whatever reason I didn't and at times have regretted it. These days I'm told to wait to graduate then enlist as an officer. First off, does a college degree make me an officer?

I'm sure most of my questions can be answered by a recruiter but I find they are often pushy and pursuasive. I'm looking for some unbiased and casual answers.

I'm curious that If i were to join the Army after I graduated college, what do I expect within the next couple of years? What would my general schedule be like?

These days do I have any say in what job I'd like or for the first few years are they going to throw me a rifle and send me out on the field? I've often thought about being a mechanic or something along those lines.

What are the main differences between whether I joined the Army, Marines, or National guard? What could I expect to be different between them?

Thank you for your time, any info or opinions you may have will be appreciated.

Derek.
 
I cant speak for the Army or the Marines. Having a degree does not guarantee you will be selected for Officer Candidate School. And if you are selected it could take awhile before you actually go to school.

As for a career field, you can tell them what your interested in and if they have an opening in it and your qualified there is a good shot, but it all comes down to the need of the service.

I imagine the Army and National Guard are pretty similar.
 
A 4 yr degree is a requirement to be a commissioned officer, you would still have to pass the Officer Basic Course and the branch (job field) specific course. There is a big difference between going Regular Army and National Guard/Army Resrve, it depends on how much you want to serve. Do you want this to be a full time experience or just part time with probability for occasional full time adventures. I originally went full time for 2 enlistments and those were the best years of my life, but, with age I've enjoyed my part time status and several overseas deployments. I can't tell you how they select the branches for the officers. As an officer it is very unlikely that you'll ever turn a wrench.
 
Thank you for the info so far. If I were to become an officer, what do most officers do compared to those of lesser ranks?
 
Derek33 said:
Thank you for the info so far. If I were to become an officer, what do most officers do compared to those of lesser ranks?
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"Lesser ranks" is a term used by the Brits and other feudal societies, but not by Americans. What you should be asking is do you have what it takes to be meet the solemn responsibility and honor of leading American soldiers? As an officer you may be called on to issue orders that leads to their deaths.

Every Army officer learns the following: some live and breath it:

The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more likely to destroy than to make an army.

It is possible to impart instruction and to give commands in such a manner and such a tone of voice to inspire the soldier no feeling but an intense desire to obey, while the opposite manner and tone of voice cannot fail to excite strong resentment and a desire to disobey.

The one mode or the other dealing with subordinates springs from the corresponding spirit in the breast of the commander. He who feels the respect which is due to others cannot fail to inspire in them regard for himself, while he who feels and hence manifests disrespect toward others, especially his inferiors, cannot fail to inspire hatred against himself.
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I enlisted as an EM in the Army, then later went to OCS and a lot of other training. With the breadth of your questions, I'd look at a site like military.com for answers.

For one thing, you could sign up for an ROTC program or the USMC PLC and have a summer job and be commissioned upon graduation.

It's good that you are asking the question now. There are a lot of men my age who avoided military service, and spend their lives wondering if they had what it takes to be a good soldier, NCO or officer.

No matter what role, branch or service, the nation will benefit: and so will you.
 
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Derek33 said:
Thank you for the info so far. If I were to become an officer, what do most officers do compared to those of lesser ranks?
Click to expand...

That depends upon who you ask. The officers or the "lesser ranks".

Just a personal comment here, referring to enlisted personnel as "lesser ranks" is perhaps not the best way to look at it. These are the men and women who can make you look good (fairly or unfairly).

Maybe it was an innocent if unwise choice of words that does not convey how you would think of and treat these military members. If so, my apologies.

Just remember tho that everyone is a part of the team and should be treated with respect.
 
I didn’t mean "lesser ranks" as any form of personal comment towards the individuals in any derogative way. I'm very unfamiliar with ranks and accepted terms and couldn’t find a word to describe those who are not officers.

I’m curious of other jobs in the military that are on base. I’ve visited my brother on a few different air force bases and have been curious about making a career out of being an MP. What are your opinions on that? What are some other common jobs that I could look into?

It appears I still have alot of research to do, depending on branch, job, fulltime/part time, etc.

Garandman, I will look into ROTC and USMC PLC programs. I wish I had started with ROTC freshman year of college like my brother. I am now a Senior.
 
Derek33 said:
I didn’t mean "lesser ranks" as any form of personal comment towards the individuals in any derogative way. I'm very unfamiliar with ranks and accepted terms and couldn’t find a word to describe those who are not officers.
Click to expand...

Enlisted
 
Thank you. I was unaware that it was either enlisted or officer.

I was on the military website asking for some magazines to be sent to my house but I couldn't get passed having a recruiter contact me which I dont want. I am easily pursuaded and I'm sure any good recruiter could get me in a uniform tomorrow doing a job I didnt agree on.

In realistic terms, if I didn't make it to officer school, how often do enlisted soldiers get the opportunity to be a mechanic. I would love to work on the hummers and trucks and such. Would they expect me to have gone to an automotive school or would the military expect to train me?

Thanks
 
If you really have your heart set on being a mechanic enlisted is the way to go. Like a previous poster said, you will not see an officer turning a wrench.

All services have mechanics (maybe not the CG, not really sure). In the Navy a MOS is a rating. Our mechanic rating is a CM, Construction Mechanic. In order to qualify for a paticular rating or MOS you would need to take the ASVAB. This is an exam that will dictate what you qualify for.
 
www.goarmy.com You may find a wealth of knowledge there. Just an idea, this thing, Google is an AWESOME tool too. Talk to a recruiter dude, if their too pushy for you the military may not be for you.
 
i was a small engine mechanic for my first enlistment in the Army.

MOS 63J - for the most part, worked alongside the generator mechanics and fuel and oil handlers in our section. The section next door was the mechanics. 63B - "light wheel vehicle" mechanic, they worked on hummers, 5-tons, trailers and limited hands on with the newer LMTV's.

note: as an "entry" level mechanic, you will gain a wealth of knowledge... but you will for the most perform "parts exchanges" [rofl] no welding, fabrication, engine or tranny swaps...

"services" and routine maintenance for the most part....

IMO - if you are almost done w / school, look into aviation, infantry, MP, military intelligence, signal or medical corps....

http://states.ng.mil/sites/MA/careers/becomeanofficer/default.aspx - any of those contacts are good people...
 
Derek33 said:
I was on the military website asking for some magazines to be sent to my house but I couldn't get passed having a recruiter contact me which I dont want. I am easily pursuaded and I'm sure any good recruiter could get me in a uniform tomorrow doing a job I didnt agree on.
Click to expand...

Well, you sure sound like every Platoon Leader I've had to try and retrain.[rolleyes]
 
i am glad you want enlisted great thing to do you will not be sorry by any means where ever you go, go try the marines imho.
 
FPrice said:
That depends upon who you ask. The officers or the "lesser ranks".

Just a personal comment here, referring to enlisted personnel as "lesser ranks" is perhaps not the best way to look at it. These are the men and women who can make you look good (fairly or unfairly).

Maybe it was an innocent if unwise choice of words that does not convey how you would think of and treat these military members. If so, my apologies.

Just remember tho that everyone is a part of the team and should be treated with respect.
Click to expand...

I'd say with that attitude he wouldn't be a good officer. Sounds like he isn't going to take any advise from his Sgt's etc so could make for an interesting career.[laugh]
The best officers I served with were the ones who actually cared about their lower enlisted, and those that had been enlisted before becoming an O.[thinking]
Really bad choice of wording on his part.
 
chetD said:
i was a small engine mechanic for my first enlistment in the Army.

MOS 63J - for the most part, worked alongside the generator mechanics and fuel and oil handlers in our section. The section next door was the mechanics. 63B - "light wheel vehicle" mechanic, they worked on hummers, 5-tons, trailers and limited hands on with the newer LMTV's.

note: as an "entry" level mechanic, you will gain a wealth of knowledge... but you will for the most perform "parts exchanges" [rofl] no welding, fabrication, engine or tranny swaps...

"services" and routine maintenance for the most part....

IMO - if you are almost done w / school, look into aviation, infantry, MP, military intelligence, signal or medical corps....

http://states.ng.mil/sites/MA/careers/becomeanofficer/default.aspx - any of those contacts are good people...
Click to expand...

Don't steer him to MI, too many O's with his attitude and they couldn't pull their heads out of the arses.[laugh]
 
Derek33 said:
I am easily pursuaded and I'm sure any good recruiter could get me in a uniform tomorrow doing a job I didnt agree on.
Click to expand...

You are a smart man, when I was in Recruiters were the least trusted, least respected guys in the Army.

Respectfully,
jkelly
 
A couple questions I have comparing the branches... If I decided to go infantry....

1. what would be my main differences between if I were an enlisted infantry or an officer in infantry.

2. If I was infantry in marines, army, or national guard, what would I be doing differently in each branch?
 
Derek
I was an officer in the Army. I was in the logistics field (Ordnance Corps). I ran a maintenance shop in Germany. I led men and women in repairing hummers tanks etc.. I was also responsible to keep my soldiers proficient in their military skills as well.

With your maintenance skills, you may want to look at the Ordnance Corps. As Garandman has said, This is not a job. It is an honor for you to serve your country and an opportunity to lead the finest soliders in the world . If you look at it that way you will do all right.
If you are a senior you may want to look at grad school. ROTC used to have a program where you go away for the summer and you start as a 3rd year candidate.
You could look at doing that. you would finish your masters program and get commissioned at the same time. Officers staying long term need graduate degrees anyway.
Go to an ROTC office at any major college and talk to them. They are officers (and still recruiters) but gave me all the information I needed at 18 to sign on
 
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Derek33 said:
I'm sure most of my questions can be answered by a recruiter but I find they are often pushy and pursuasive. I'm looking for some unbiased and casual answers.



Derek.
Click to expand...

And often they are not. Most answers you get will be biased, as most people are only familiar with one or two branches. Additionally, any information you get that isn't from a recruiter, unless general in nature, will be dated.
 
Derek33 said:
. I would love to work on the hummers and trucks and such. Would they expect me to have gone to an automotive school or would the military expect to train me?

Thanks
Click to expand...

My MOS was 3521 in Marine Corps lingo which was a mechanic,if you really are intrested in this field I will give you my take on it.
 
Originally Posted by Derek33
. I would love to work on the hummers and trucks and such. Would they expect me to have gone to an automotive school or would the military expect to train me?

Thanks

I was a Construction Mechanic in the Navy SeaBees, Extremely wide variety of equipment to repair!
 
Here some casual advice from a Former Enlisted Military member and some things to consider before making your choice

1. Make sure you know what it is you want to do for a career both During and Post Military Service ( would suck to do 4 - 20 Years and get out only to realize you wanted to do something else)

2. Realize Army and Marines are a hell of lot more Physical during Boot and will require a lot from you physically and mentally and with the current state of the world your not gonna get dibs on the job want and this goes for all branches you go where they need you to go and if they fulfill your wants then great if not suck it up.

3. Also look at your long term goals in terms of military service nobody knows right from the start if they want it as a career .. if you think you want it for a Career go in as an Officer if you think your going to be a short timer then go enlisted. Youll have a lot better resume if you do 10 - 20 years as an Officer in corporate America if that is your choice.

4. Lastly whatever you decide just remember that you are committing to your country and you are sacrificing a minimum of 4 years. There are no do overs... I quits .. or Timeouts. Dont get to boot camp and decide that its not for you. Make sure whatever uniform you wear your on the same team as the other uniforms and no one single branch of service is better than the other you all need one another whether you like it or not.
 

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