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07/05/2007 12:50:17 AM · #26 |
| I might also have to disagree with the Navy eating the best, unless you are talking about amounts lol. I don't really see much difference in them all and I'm on an Air Force base. Their chow halls are certianly nicer but food seems the same as when I was up on the Marine bases. But what do you expect when your cooking for thousands of people all at once. lol. (not even gonna tough the big bellie comment...even if my retired brother can't see this thread lol, he's got the built in coffee holder lol) |
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07/05/2007 01:03:57 AM · #27 |
No offense to Sabphoto, but avoid that National Call to SErvice Program entirely. that 6 years of Reserve time would be the deal breaker. Look at the units that are constantly being stuck in Iraq....you guessed it the reservists. They get hammered all of the time and do not get the same benefits as those of us on Active Duty.
As an Air Force guy I will tell you straight up, go air Force if you are going to do anything. Our PT program is a joke. Our dorms are better than most. You don't spend six months on a boat. Our bases are usually much nicer than all of the other services. Our duty hours are much better (unless you become a cop which you definately do not want to do.) And it is fairly easy to join.
the benefits outweigh any thing anyone can say bad about the AF.
The medical is 100% coverage.
The housing and food are all provided for free for your first couple of years. After that if you stick around they will pay you to live offbase and give you money for food.
The education is the cake. Free college credits through your training. free credits through CLEP tests (I got my associates without ever setting foot in a college classroom). Our Associate degree is the only degree program for enlisted that is accredited. And now they have a bachelor degree program as well.
The gyms are always nice places to exercise if you choose to beyond our pathetic PT.
The training is top notch.
Couple this with the VA programs when you leave the service and it really makes sense to join. I have been in for over 13 years now and I don't regret it one bit. I am currently in Korea having a great time. I volunteered to come over here both times I have been here. It is awesome to experience different cultures. My gross pay right now is over 7K a month with all of my entitlements I receive. Keep in mind that less then 50% of that pay is taxed. Meaning even though I will clear 84K this year, I will only be taxed on 39K. That really helps out come April.
Whatever you do, talk to all of the recruiters and get the best story. After you talk to a recruiter ask other people what they think. Before you choose a particular job, ask people what they think of it who have knowledge of that job. And don't be a cook. It isn't like you are cooking in a restaurant. Instead you are coking big meals with no flavor.
Of course this is all just my opinion. |
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07/05/2007 01:12:06 AM · #28 |
Mathematic Reasoning is a great cooking skill to learn and there is a niche for cooking for the masses just to let you know. A chef that can follow a set recipe with no personality do it fast and on a large scale has his place.
That said thats only part of the job and i dont have a clue what the other part is. ALot of asking todo lol which is why i started here. The Navy recruiter i talked to 3 years ago... BS just flying out of his mouth. I think if any more shit came out id still be covered in it!
Id to electronics technician. But i have a real temper with equipment that doesnt work. Its usually destroyed with great satisfaction. My keyboard is missing chunks and the case is missing paint. I have killed an HDD by punching it. Ive cracked SD cards in half last week i smashed a boom box that refused to play a CD.
Message edited by author 2007-07-05 01:14:50. |
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07/05/2007 01:23:03 AM · #29 |
Originally posted by BHuseman:
As an Air Force guy I will tell you straight up, go air Force if you are going to do anything. |
No, he said he wants to join the military, not the Air Force!
Originally posted by BHuseman:
The gyms are always nice places to exercise. |
He's right about that; Air Force gyms are great because the Air Force somehow manages to get lot's more money than the other services, so they buy really nice equipment. It also helps that their gyms are always empty!
Seriously, much of what he says is true, but I'd much rather join the Coast Guard than the Air Force; and you get all the same benefits.
Message edited by author 2007-07-05 01:23:56. |
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07/05/2007 01:26:53 AM · #30 |
Originally posted by RainMotorsports:
Id to electronics technician. But i have a real temper with equipment that doesnt work. Its usually destroyed with great satisfaction. My keyboard is missing chunks and the case is missing paint. I have killed an HDD by punching it. Ive cracked SD cards in half last week i smashed a boom box that refused to play a CD. |
Ok, it's this aspect of your personality that will get you crushed in the military. This is immaturity and lack of self-discipline. If you can't control yourself, you could get into big trouble and also hate what you're doing (though, you'll probably hate any job because it requires you to subordinate your desires to your boss's and it doesn't sound like you can do that.) |
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07/05/2007 01:29:08 AM · #31 |
It's been a good discussion, but I've got to get going. I'll check back later.
Message edited by author 2007-07-05 04:53:40. |
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07/05/2007 01:40:47 AM · #32 |
Originally posted by OmanOtter:
Originally posted by RainMotorsports:
Id to electronics technician. But i have a real temper with equipment that doesnt work. Its usually destroyed with great satisfaction. My keyboard is missing chunks and the case is missing paint. I have killed an HDD by punching it. Ive cracked SD cards in half last week i smashed a boom box that refused to play a CD. |
Ok, it's this aspect of your personality that will get you crushed in the military. This is immaturity and lack of self-discipline. If you can't control yourself, you could get into big trouble and also hate what you're doing (though, you'll probably hate any job because it requires you to subordinate your desires to your boss's and it doesn't sound like you can do that.) |
This i understand but probably better to avoid the things that cause me problems. Equipment that refuses to function even with repair needs to be replaced. In most industries things don't get replaced until they cease to exist. Hell look at the coast guards fleet.... 38th oldest in the world out of 40!
You cant just go sinking ships to get them replaced, but Nothing pisses me off more then equipment that doesn't work. I also have an issue with equipment that doesn't run within its specifications. Calibration i a must. Which is how I ended up a training consultant for Dunkin Brands, one of the youngest and probably the least experienced.
Thanks for everything so far man!
Message edited by author 2007-07-05 01:41:07. |
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07/05/2007 01:51:15 AM · #33 |
You know why I hate the military now? Probably because I saw a side not many see, or choose to ignore. Flash back to boot camp may, 1995, Great Lakes, Ill. Remember the heat wave that killed couple hundred people in chicago that year? Well, like always someone was a dipshit and got us cycled. Hot showers going, windows all closed, floors literally sweating and slippery as hell. Jumping jacks for the 5th time, guy next to me puked on the 3rd set, so by now on the wet floor its running all over the place. It streaked by my feet and that + jumping jacks = a mean split that felt like I tore every muscle that actually meant anything. Spent weeks going back and forth to doctors and because of a pain in my nut area that they couldn't diagnose. Well finally they found a hernia, went to surgery but the doctor said he couldn't find it. So they said the pain was in my head and went on with training and beyond. Even lost my SEAL guarantee because of it.
Fast forward a year, and I'm still having the pain, and doctors are still playing games, telling me its in my head, its this, its that, blah blah blah. I talked to a friend in legal and he pulled some strings, and I got out on a general discharge.
Few years later I'm driving a truck and one of my stops is Lakehurst Naval base. After a few months, one of the guys at the base tells me about his wife going thru the same problem, turned out to be an internal hernia, gives me the doctors name and voila, i'm not in his office for 5 minutes and I'm scheduled for surgery. 3 years later, the claim goes thru and now I get a check every month for the rest of my life, and i'm on a medical discharge with 10% disability.
You might get 100% medical coverage, but be assured that they will test things on you if they're not sure what you have. I went thru so many different medications and procedures while I was going thru that, and not one bit of it helped. And instead of taking a look at what could help the pain, they just were happy to say that it was in my head and nothing was wrong with me. I never once asked to be sent home, and I still trained just as hard as anyone else, even passing the SEAL physical exam while in pain, yet they still wanted to treat me like what you are in the military, property.
Good luck if you decide to join. I'll be the first to congratulate you and wish you the best, but i will never make that mistake again hehe. |
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07/05/2007 01:58:59 AM · #34 |
| People do have their experiences, however doctors are the same way. On one hand id say Experimental medicine with the military at one time was a scary thing on the other hand sometimes you'd rather have their coverage. Anyone ever see the video when the British gave a unit LSD and didn't tell them until it was over? Long Long time ago though. |
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07/05/2007 03:14:00 AM · #35 |
Originally posted by wsl:
You know why I hate the military now? Probably because I saw a side not many see, or choose to ignore. Flash back to boot camp may, 1995, Great Lakes, Ill. Remember the heat wave that killed couple hundred people in chicago that year? Well, like always someone was a dipshit and got us cycled. Hot showers going, windows all closed, floors literally sweating and slippery as hell. Jumping jacks for the 5th time, guy next to me puked on the 3rd set, so by now on the wet floor its running all over the place. It streaked by my feet and that + jumping jacks = a mean split that felt like I tore every muscle that actually meant anything. Spent weeks going back and forth to doctors and because of a pain in my nut area that they couldn't diagnose. Well finally they found a hernia, went to surgery but the doctor said he couldn't find it. So they said the pain was in my head and went on with training and beyond. Even lost my SEAL guarantee because of it.
Fast forward a year, and I'm still having the pain, and doctors are still playing games, telling me its in my head, its this, its that, blah blah blah. I talked to a friend in legal and he pulled some strings, and I got out on a general discharge.
Few years later I'm driving a truck and one of my stops is Lakehurst Naval base. After a few months, one of the guys at the base tells me about his wife going thru the same problem, turned out to be an internal hernia, gives me the doctors name and voila, i'm not in his office for 5 minutes and I'm scheduled for surgery. 3 years later, the claim goes thru and now I get a check every month for the rest of my life, and i'm on a medical discharge with 10% disability.
You might get 100% medical coverage, but be assured that they will test things on you if they're not sure what you have. I went thru so many different medications and procedures while I was going thru that, and not one bit of it helped. And instead of taking a look at what could help the pain, they just were happy to say that it was in my head and nothing was wrong with me. I never once asked to be sent home, and I still trained just as hard as anyone else, even passing the SEAL physical exam while in pain, yet they still wanted to treat me like what you are in the military, property.
Good luck if you decide to join. I'll be the first to congratulate you and wish you the best, but i will never make that mistake again hehe. |
I totally remember The Great Mistakes. I went through in the summer of '96. Choice of two climates - Siberia or Hell - as I stayed through the winter for A school. I am happy to be out as well. Sorry to hear about your disability. |
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07/05/2007 03:17:42 AM · #36 |
anything that requiers contract is a big no no. what do you think ?
it greatly restricts my idea of life and "other" related stuff ..
umm does coast guard requires some contract ?
i need coffee.
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07/05/2007 04:48:31 AM · #37 |
Originally posted by goc:
anything that requiers contract is a big no no. what do you think ?
it greatly restricts my idea of life and "other" related stuff ..
umm does coast guard requires some contract ?
i need coffee. |
I need coffee, too.
Yes, in the U.S., the Coast Guard is a pseudo-military service that involves signing a contract to stay in for a few years. You can't just decide to quit.
But, as far as restricting life goes, sure, in a way it does. But it also enhances it. Because of the Marine Corps, I have traveled to Japan (Okinawa and Mainland), Singapore, Thailand (several times), Morocco, Malta, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Cyprus, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Austria, Switzerland, and, best of all -- CALIFORNIA! Moreover, in the not-to-distant future, it appears that I will be sent to Algeria, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Mauritania and Cape Verde. Because of where I am currently stationed, I may take a vacation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives or India sometime over the next 12 months. Last year I went to South Africa.
If I were not in the Marines, I would not have these opportunities. I would probably still be stuck in my hometown working for some business that takes me nowhere for 30 years until I retire, get old and die.
Unless you are independently wealthy, life is restricted by your need to work for money.
The military has its down sides, but it has enhanced my life in many ways.
Message edited by author 2007-07-05 04:49:23. |
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07/05/2007 06:23:05 AM · #38 |
I think the thought of joining the military is a great idea for someone who has lost their sense of direction and is making no progress. That is why I joined and I think it may have been the smartest thing I have ever done in my life. I have actually done it twice. I joined the Navy about 9 years ago. I went through boot camp and due to a contract issue I left right after boot camp. (A contract issue that would have never been there if my recruiters had taken care of things properly). I came home and was in the process of signing with the Navy again. I was walking into the Navy office and an Army recruiter saw me and persuaded me to come talk to him. To make a long story short, instead of going back into the Navy I joined the Army National Guard. Instead of a nuclear engineer, I am an infantry soldier. So it goes.....
I have been where you are in life. Driving without insurance, driving without a license..... A shitty job working for restaurants that see you as tools, because they know that workers like you are a disposable commodity. I joined the military to get ahead. I was not happy with my life and I wanted to make something of myself. Has it worked for me? Yes. Has it been hard? Yes!! Am I glad I made the choices that I did? Yes!!!! Are there things I would have done differently if I knew then what I know now? Yes 1000 times!
There are a lot of options out there when it comes to joining the military. The Navy is different from the Army is different from the Marines(Actually part of the Navy) is different from the Air Force, etc.... One thing that is not different are the recruiters. They are snakes. Some of my close friends were recruiters and they have told me that if you want to be a successful recruiter, you have to be a snake. They were not snakelike enough, so they are back with a line unit. The key to dealing with them is to know what you want, know what you can get and do not be afraid to say know. A good place to start is to go take the ASVAB. Depending on how you do on the ASVAB, you may have many different job options available to you. It seems like you want to be a cook. The requirements for that are not difficult, so you should have no problems. But, look at all of your options before you make a choice. I will tell you now that being a cook in the military is probably not like you imagine it.... In fact, no job in the military is like you imagine it. (note: just got back from chow and I was discussing this thread with some of the guys. They seem to think that cook is no longer offered as an MOS in the military. That seems to be a job that is contracted to private contractors. You would have to talk to one of the recruiters to find out for sure though.)
Do not worry about the Physical part of the military. Basic training can be difficult at times, but if you can get through the entrance screening, you can succeed at the physical part. Basic Training is made to build you up. If you are determined, you will succeed. I have been through Navy basic and Army basic, so I know. I have seen 230 pound guys that are nothing but fat drop 50 pounds and turn in to great soldiers.
I did not read the whole thread, but I did see someone say something about Combat photography. That to me sounds a lot more appealing that it actually would be. That, and I cannot imagine that there are many "Combat" photographers in the military. I have never met one. What I do see a lot of are public affairs people. No lie, it seems like it would be pretty cool. Whenever we are doing cool stuff, they show up, take some pictures, ask some questions and leave before any of the crappy work has to be done.
I also heard someone say that signing a contract is bad..... Well, it certainly has its downsides, but it has its upsides too. Sometimes you need to make sacrifices in life to have the things you want. I am 28 years old. I have not finished college, my girlfriend of five years just left me because I have been deployed for so long, I miss my family and my dog..... sure it sucks at times. On the other hand, I am making a ton of money, I have good benefits, college is taking a long time but have paid next to nothing for it, maybe if my girlfriend left me she was not right for me anyway, I have seen parts of the world I would have never seen(leave for china in a little less than a week), etc....
Joining the military is a big step and it is certainly not to be taken lightly. If you have any questions of me, feel free to PM me. I do not know much about the coast guard, but I do know a bit about the other branches. If I had it all to do over again. I would have:
1) Joined a different branch (Air Force)
2) Taken a different job (Not Infantry)
3) Went active instead of National Guard (The stupid things we do for women)
4) Taken advantage of more of the benefits the military offers (There are more benefits than you can imagine)
5) Been less trusting of my recruiter
If you have any questions PM me, I would be more than happy to help.
Joshua |
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07/05/2007 06:25:24 AM · #39 |
Originally posted by OmanOtter:
...If I were not in the Marines, I would not have these opportunities. I would probably still be stuck in my hometown working for some business that takes me nowhere for 30 years until I retire, get old and die. |
actually this isn't quite true, if you were working on the outside you would only work till about 2 years from retirement then they'd kank your butt to save money. lol
I got to agree that at times it can be restricting and a bummer being from your family (sometimes) but it is totally worth it in so many ways. Like mentioned earlier, it ain't for everyone. A contract isn't all bad. |
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07/05/2007 07:02:24 AM · #40 |
Originally posted by JJWoolls:
The Navy is different from the Army is different from the Marines(Actually part of the Navy) is different from the Air Force, etc.... One thing that is not different are the recruiters. They are snakes. |
The Marines are NOT part of the Navy! We are a co-equal service in the same department. Our Commandant is equal to the CNO and the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. |
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07/05/2007 07:09:14 AM · #41 |
Originally posted by JJWoolls:
They seem to think that cook is no longer offered as an MOS in the military. That seems to be a job that is contracted to private contractors. You would have to talk to one of the recruiters to find out for sure though.)
Do not worry about the Physical part of the military. Basic training can be difficult at times, but if you can get through the entrance screening, you can succeed at the physical part. Basic Training is made to build you up. If you are determined, you will succeed. I have been through Navy basic and Army basic, so I know. I have seen 230 pound guys that are nothing but fat drop 50 pounds and turn in to great soldiers. |
There are fewer cooks than there used to be, but they still need cooks in the Navy and Coast Guard because they don't take contract cooks aboard ship.
As for the physical part, it's true that basic training will build you up; but do yourself a favor and get a head start on that yourself. You'll be miserable enough in basic training without also being out of shape. If you're not dragging behind everyone else at PT, the drill instructors won't give you as much hell. |
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07/05/2007 07:14:32 AM · #42 |
FWIW...
I have a friend, Ubaldo, who came to the US from Peru about 15 years ago with little more than the clothes he was wearing. Left his wife and child back home to make a fresh start here. He worked as a busboy and then a short-order cook, lived in our basement, saved his money. I remember him riding to work in the middle of winter on his little moped, in the snow. After a couple of years he joined the Navy (at the age of 30 or so), and he's making a career of it. Through the Navy he was able to bring his wife and child here, and they have all become naturalized citizens.
Kike likes Navy life. He told me that it was hard at first but he approached it with a positive attitude and a sense of personal discipline. He actually finished first in his group in boot camp (where the other recruits were 10 years younger!).
Jeff, my son is 27 and has no direction in life. Like you he has worked at various dead-end jobs, had big problems with his driving record, etc. I wish he had joined the Navy at your age but he wasn't interested.
Military life is certainly not for everyone. You need to ask yourself if you have the fortitude and commitment to make it work for you. It's a bold move that could prove to be the start of a much better, more satisfying life. The way I see it, if you're up to the challenge then a few years in the Navy could jump-start your life.
Well that's my two cents' worth. |
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07/05/2007 07:32:17 AM · #43 |
| Thank you thank you and thank you lol. This is all great! |
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07/05/2007 09:03:52 AM · #44 |
Originally posted by sabphoto:
Originally posted by OmanOtter:
...If I were not in the Marines, I would not have these opportunities. I would probably still be stuck in my hometown working for some business that takes me nowhere for 30 years until I retire, get old and die. |
actually this isn't quite true, if you were working on the outside you would only work till about 2 years from retirement then they'd kank your butt to save money. lol
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Nah, now they work you for about 5 years, then management decides to outsource your job overseas and you get to spend your last 3 months training your replacement who makes in a year, what you would make in a month. |
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07/05/2007 09:25:02 AM · #45 |
I never served in the military. My older brother came back from serving overseas and said he'd break my neck if I ever enlisted -- not that I would have.
Anyway, I've found this discussion really informative and enjoyable. And by the way, Otter is right -- the Peace Corps is not interested in your idealism, they are interested in your tangible skills. It helps to know a second language, too.
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07/05/2007 09:30:14 AM · #46 |
Whether you go into the Coast Guard or not is a choice only you can make however I will give you a piece of advice....do not join as a food service specialist/cook/mess specialist. Don't do it. I never met a single military cook who was happy with their job. They don't just cook, they run the barracks too on top of a few other things. There are many bad jobs in the military and cook is definitely one of the crappy ones. I hope everything works out for you.
June
PS. As a Navy Corpsman (once a corpsman always a corpsman!) I can tell you that recruits in basic training DO NOT get steroids as part of their shots. Those shots are nothing more than immunizations and you DO NOT get them yearly.
Message edited by author 2007-07-05 09:37:46.
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07/05/2007 11:20:09 AM · #47 |
| Its daytime anyone else have stuff to add? |
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07/05/2007 11:30:08 AM · #48 |
Originally posted by RainMotorsports:
Its daytime anyone else have stuff to add? |
Although you have experience in food service, you shouldn't restrict yourself to that area when joining the military. Look for something that you think will be a challenge, hold your interest and perhaps create a path to a career after the military. The military will train you to do whatever job you get a contract for.
Oh yeah, if your recruiter promises you'll get something, make sure it gets written into your contract otherwise it's just a lot of talk. |
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07/05/2007 11:32:46 AM · #49 |
Why not take the fire test instead? Law enforcement and firefighters go hand in hand. Firefighting requires a high degree of physical fitness, has a better public image, and doesn't require a good driving record since you're not going to be driving the truck without a certification anyway. The only catch may be that depending where you live, they may require an EMT license to even be considered.
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07/05/2007 01:00:15 PM · #50 |
Fire fighter... yeah about that. Drowning versus burning to death... im kidding but yeah drowning sorta sounds better! Im not sure thats exactly what id want todo anyways. God thought though.
As far as spazmo goes...
WHile there are other things in life I can do, Heres a list of what ive done so far: Data Entry, Construction, Web site Design, Programming in Object Pascal, Fast Food, Fast food Management, student mechanic, hourley parts sales.....
Not sure wtf i want todo but due to a lack of anything above basic algebra Im limited in the upper careers of the world. However this would give me the chance to jump from managing a cruddy fast food resteraunt to starting management in a normal resteraunt. However if for some dumb reason id like to go back into Fast food management id go for 3 months of prep and go into the next opening store for the franchise as the store manager.
It also sort of opens up local government career's such as the health department. Not really sure but i think I want to go in. I just want to take the ASVAB again before talking to a recruiter just to make sure the careers id want would be open to some degree. |
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