Which Branch To Choose?

[old navy]

I can only realy speak of the Navy.

Travel is the number one benny of being in the Navy. I got paid to go places people save thier entire lives for just to see one of them.

There are a vast range of jobs (rates) that he can do. Also if he's unsure, he can sign up as a "Striker". this give you the chance to look into an array of rates before you pcik one. I don't fully recommend it, b/c strikers get used and abused until they pick something.

Ask how quickly rates promote. Some are full and advance slowly, some are in high demand in the civilian world, so promotions happen quickly.

Remind him that Bootcamp is 8 weeks and 8 weeks only. Navy boot is more of a brain game than a physical one. We don't march around with packs, but we need you to react when the ship is on fire, or flooding.

Being on Subs was part of the best times of my life. A small crew where we knew each other, and relied on each other.

If he wants to meet chicks; Corpman, not yeoman is the way to go. (nurse, not secretary)

PM me if you want more.

What's a corpman?

 

[Two Thumbs]

good point.

silly moi.

You two have something against serving your country in the military?

You have something against the Peace Corps?

No.

I think serving your country is far more important than serving another's country.

 

[Two Thumbs]

I can only realy speak of the Navy.

Travel is the number one benny of being in the Navy. I got paid to go places people save thier entire lives for just to see one of them.

There are a vast range of jobs (rates) that he can do. Also if he's unsure, he can sign up as a "Striker". this give you the chance to look into an array of rates before you pcik one. I don't fully recommend it, b/c strikers get used and abused until they pick something.

Ask how quickly rates promote. Some are full and advance slowly, some are in high demand in the civilian world, so promotions happen quickly.

Remind him that Bootcamp is 8 weeks and 8 weeks only. Navy boot is more of a brain game than a physical one. We don't march around with packs, but we need you to react when the ship is on fire, or flooding.

Being on Subs was part of the best times of my life. A small crew where we knew each other, and relied on each other.

If he wants to meet chicks; Corpman, not yeoman is the way to go. (nurse, not secretary)

PM me if you want more.

What's a corpman?

corpsman. sorry, typo. My computer doesn't have auto spell check.

 

[jillian]

You two have something against serving your country in the military?

You have something against the Peace Corps?

No.

I think serving your country is far more important than serving another's country.

and i'd rather not see my son getting shot at.

for the record, my father and all of my uncles served. and my grandfather whom i never met found in the US Army and was a POW in Germany even though he was an immigrant to this country.

so there ya go.

 

[Two Thumbs]

You have something against the Peace Corps?

No.

I think serving your country is far more important than serving another's country.

and i'd rather not see my son getting shot at.

for the record, my father and all of my uncles served. and my grandfather whom i never met found in the US Army and was a POW in Germany even though he was an immigrant to this country.

so there ya go.

Coast Guard, National Guard.

They won't get shot at, unless some country actually tries to invade. And Peace Corps go into bad areas and have been killed.

 

[jillian]

No.

I think serving your country is far more important than serving another's country.

and i'd rather not see my son getting shot at.

for the record, my father and all of my uncles served. and my grandfather whom i never met found in the US Army and was a POW in Germany even though he was an immigrant to this country.

so there ya go.

Coast Guard, National Guard.

They won't get shot at, unless some country actually tries to invade. And Peace Corps go into bad areas and have been killed.

and i used to work in the world trade center. some things just are. coast guard is fine.. national guard, not so much anymore since they get deployed to iraq/afghanistan. it's not like it was during the vietnam war when national guard never did anything but handle protests here.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Peace Corps

J, we're talking the Cesspit here. Why would she encourage anybody she knows to join a selfless organisation whose sole purpose is to help those less fortunate?

This is a woman (?) who likes using whips and chains for chrissakes...

good point.

silly moi.

You ARE silly . . . to think any child of mine would be stupid enough to want to waste his time and cost his parents money simply to use the people of the third world to pat himself on the back and feel superior, rather than joining the military and doing something that's GENUINELY useful.

I don't raise my kids to be puffed-up narcissists.

 

[Cecilie1200]

unless he plans on making the military a career I'd advise him to learn a trade in the military that can be used in civilian life when he gets out.

Even if he DOES decide to make the military a career, one typically retires from the military with lots of good working years left, so a trade that also applies to civilian life is always a good idea. Fortunately, that's easy enough to do. My father-in-law, for example, was an aircraft mechanic for the Air Force. After he retired from the military, he made an excellent second career working for Lockheed.

 

[Truthmatters]

The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand U.S. culture, and helping Americans understand the cultures of other countries. Generally, the work is related to social and economic development. Each program participant, (aka Peace Corps Volunteer), is an American citizen, typically with a college degree, who works abroad for a period of 24 months after three months of training. Volunteers work with governments, schools, non-profit organizations, non-government organizations, and entrepreneurs in education, hunger, business, information technology, agriculture, and the environment.



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

 

[Cecilie1200]

Cecilie, my son was big on the military at that age. His plan though was to go NROTC with the Marine option and graduate college as an officer. If your son is a good student, he could qualify for Reserve Officer Training, have his college totally paid for....with a monthly stipend and then do four years of military service following graduation. Something to think about. Yes, there are those enlisted men who turn their nose up at the college/officer route, but it is a good and valid option. My experience with family members who went straight into the service without going to college is that they did not earn a degree once they got out, even though money was available. College before service is a good thing.

I tend to prefer a little life before college, but the ROTC option is a good one. My main objection to college right out of high school is that so many people who do that piss away the educational opportunity and don't appreciate it. I think the route you suggest might help to alleviate that problem.

 

[Cecilie1200]

good point.

silly moi.

You two have something against serving your country in the military?

Or a woman who likes whips and chains?

Clearly, they just have no idea how to REALLY be helpful in life.

 

[Cecilie1200]

The peace corps and USPHS require college. Unless the economy improves and the unemployment rate goes down in the next 2-3 years when your son joins, he will be waiting in line to get in with a whole bunch of other people. Ollie gives great advice. He needs to enjoy his teen years and do good on the ASVAB. I recommend any branch that interests him. I spent 26 years as a Navy Corpsman with three tours with the Marines. My son will commission soon in the Marines. All branches combine to make the world's best fighting force. That is the business of the military, to fight, to kill, and to possibly be killed. Therefore, the choice to join is highly personal and should be the sole decision of the recruit.

I don't see researching his choices, particularly when it's something he's getting progressively more excited about, as a barrier to enjoying being a teenager. To the contrary, the farther he has gotten into adolescence, the more he has come to enjoy spending time with the male figures in his life, participating in masculine pursuits and identifying with them in general. I don't pretend to understand it myself, being a woman, but it seems logical to me that it would be an important part of him becoming a man, so . . .

I never said anything about barriers to the enjoyment of being a teenager. You picked that out of the great paragraph I wrote you?

It was the only thing I didn't entirely agree with.

 

[Cecilie1200]

You have something against the Peace Corps?

No.

I think serving your country is far more important than serving another's country.

and i'd rather not see my son getting shot at.

for the record, my father and all of my uncles served. and my grandfather whom i never met found in the US Army and was a POW in Germany even though he was an immigrant to this country.

so there ya go.

Someone watches too many movies. Everyday military life isn't all "Saving Private Ryan".

First of all, I do not view the world or the lives of those around me as being all about me. My son will be a grown man, and what he does with his life is HIS choice, not mine. (Aren't you all about choice, or is that only when he wants to pay for his girlfriend to kill his baby, not when he looks for a career?) I can only help him to make informed choices, and be proud when he chooses something as honorable as serving in the US military.

Second of all, as my son himself has told people who think the military is all about getting shot at, the world is a dangerous place, and you can either live your life, or let your fear live it for you.

 

[Two Thumbs]

No.

I think serving your country is far more important than serving another's country.

and i'd rather not see my son getting shot at.

for the record, my father and all of my uncles served. and my grandfather whom i never met found in the US Army and was a POW in Germany even though he was an immigrant to this country.

so there ya go.

Someone watches too many movies. Everyday military life isn't all "Saving Private Ryan".

First of all, I do not view the world or the lives of those around me as being all about me. My son will be a grown man, and what he does with his life is HIS choice, not mine. (Aren't you all about choice, or is that only when he wants to pay for his girlfriend to kill his baby, not when he looks for a career?) I can only help him to make informed choices, and be proud when he chooses something as honorable as serving in the US military.

Second of all, as my son himself has told people who think the military is all about getting shot at, the world is a dangerous place, and you can either live your life, or let your fear live it for you.

 

[MikeK]

In order to offer useful advice in this matter it is necessary to know the boy and to have some insight into his personality.

My father was in the Army during WW-II. He served in the Pacific. His unit was one of those that relieved the Marines on Guadalcanal and he spoke of them with great respect and admiration. And because I was somewhat of a macho young fellow it was pretty much settled that I would join the Corps, which I did in 1956 -- for four years.

I spent the first half of my time in Japan and Okinawa. As an Engineer (heavy equipment operator) I worked hard but had a lot of fun, too -- some really wild times. Toward the end of that overseas tour I started visiting the Air Force EM Club on Kadena Air Force Base (they were very hospitable to us jungle bunnies) and when I saw how those guys lived (big difference) I started to have some serious thoughts about whether I'd made the right choice.

If I had joined the Air Force instead of the Marines I would not have felt fulfilled. I know that. But for the last two years I spent in the Corps I wished I was in the Air Force instead. So there is a lot to be considered in making this decision.

 

[Cecilie1200]

In order to offer useful advice in this matter it is necessary to know the boy and to have some insight into his personality.

My father was in the Army during WW-II. He served in the Pacific. His unit was one of those that relieved the Marines on Guadalcanal and he spoke of them with great respect and admiration. And because I was somewhat of a macho young fellow it was pretty much settled that I would join the Corps, which I did in 1956 -- for four years.

I spent the first half of my time in Japan and Okinawa. As an Engineer (heavy equipment operator) I worked hard but had a lot of fun, too -- some really wild times. Toward the end of that overseas tour I started visiting the Air Force EM Club on Kadena Air Force Base (they were very hospitable to us jungle bunnies) and when I saw how those guys lived (big difference) I started to have some serious thoughts about whether I'd made the right choice.

If I had joined the Air Force instead of the Marines I would not have felt fulfilled. I know that. But for the last two years I spent in the Corps I wished I was in the Air Force instead. So there is a lot to be considered in making this decision.

True, and I have very little idea what those things to consider would be, since the military was never an option for me. This is why I am asking what input others who know more about it have to offer.

 

[uscitizen]

Always pick a branch that will support your weight is something my grandfather told me.

 

[Anguille]

I don't raise my kids to be puffed-up narcissists.

You don't want them following in your footsteps?

 

[Dr Grump]

J, we're talking the Cesspit here. Why would she encourage anybody she knows to join a selfless organisation whose sole purpose is to help those less fortunate?

This is a woman (?) who likes using whips and chains for chrissakes...

good point.

silly moi.

You ARE silly . . . to think any child of mine would be stupid enough to want to waste his time and cost his parents money simply to use the people of the third world to pat himself on the back and feel superior, rather than joining the military and doing something that's GENUINELY useful.

I don't raise my kids to be puffed-up narcissists.

Yeah, because helping people out is such a bad thing, and the reason they join the Peace Corps is for the reasons you suggested... Projecting again, huh?

And you think people in the military DON'T pat themselves on the back and feel superior? ppppffffftttt

 

[SFC Ollie]

Damn the peace corps. This young man is not interested in the peace corps, he is interested in the military.

Apples / Cattle. ( Further apart than apples / oranges.)

It is not a difficult thing to figure out.