Army reserve enlistment advice

self

[Dan12180]

My son who is 20 is preparing to enlist in the Army reserve. He has taken the pre-ASVAP and scored 68. He is thinking about a mechanic MOS with a 2 year enlistment. He is a Eagle scout and will take the PFC test for E3. He has two buddies he wants to enlist with.

I fully support the military but as a parent I am cautious. We have told him to have everything put in writting before he signs anything. What next? Any information is helpful.

[konaice]

. We have told him to have everything put in writting before he signs anything.

If he wants an assurance that he will never have to fire a weapon in anger he will have to elist as a concious objector (or choose the airforce).

The armed services always reserve the right to move people into fields where there is a need from other fields, and enlistment "promises" are best efforts only. When foot soliders are in high demand and mechanics are a dime a dozen all bets are off.

[Future Snake Eater]

Not much else to it. With the Guard and Reserves you're pretty limited in your options as far as schools after Basic and duty assignments. The recruiter should already have ensured that there is a slot for him at the unit your son wants to go to. If there isn't then that could mean some headaches for your son later on.

[bnelson44]

With the reserves, you can find out if the unit he wants to go into will be deployed any time soon.

[txnativegop]

If he his going into a mechanic MOS, he will get deployed overseas, and rather quickly i might add. My nephew is in an engineer MOS and deployed to Iraq in March 2003. He was wounded twice and did not come home until Feb 2005. He is due to return to Iraq in the next 60 days for at least a one year deployment.

[Dan12180]

He is comfortable around guns but until you are in the situation you never know. We have lots of family who have served in the military and the experiences have left an impression on them the rest of their lives (not always good).

[Dan12180]

Is the service keeping the soldiers longer than their enlistments?

[ASOC]

Called Stop Loss
They have been doing it for years.

BTW, I was in USAF and carried both a rifle & pistol...was listed by AFSC as a radio guy, did a lot more. So don't assume USAF means no gunplay.

There are NO 'rear areas' or "safe" places these days... a war zone is a war zone.

That said, he will likely get as much out of his time in the service as he puts into it.

Have fun.

[billnaz]

I hope my experience will be of assistance. I served for 26 years, 20 of it on active duty and the rest in the Army Reserve and National Guard.

He needs to realize that he will be a soldier first, and a mechanic second, even in the Army Reserve. He should also be prepared for a basic training cycle that is combat-oriented. For a number of years the army required only M16 qualification in basic, but I understand that basic training now involves familiarization with a number of weapons as well as anti-ambush training. It's about time, by the way.

[glaseatr]

p>Dan,

My advise is that your son picks an MOS that he can use the rest of his life. A lot of people don't use the skills they learned when they get out. However, the life experiences will make him a better man.

As I told my son before he joined the Marines. "I'm proud of you, I know that even though the road you will have to travel is fraught with peril I have no doubt that you will be proud of the man that you'll become."

The hardest thing for me is the dread I feel everyday. What gets me thought it is my profound pride in what my son and 2 nephews are or have done, that's following in the family tradition.

My God give you strength and guidance during this time in both of your lives.

[USAFJeeper]

Yepper, especially now the USAF is moving to a more "warrior like" stance for its recruits. Hopefully the days of a corporate USAF are gone (Thanks Clinton for RIFs and drawdowns) Any person wearing the uniform now of any service can expect to be deployed.

Chances are any job that does not deploy will be converted to a civilian position. I was a computer programmer in the USAF and we were deploying as well. Our comm units especially are heavily deployed the last few years.

That being said, I suggest everyone serve in some facet of the military. While I lean towards the USAF, all have their strong points.

[Larry Lucido]

When I joined the reserves (Michigan National Guard) in 1982, I just assumed I could be called anywhere, anytime, for as long as needed. Tell them to expect nothing in particular except great training and a chance to serve their country. Anything else is icing on the cake.

[Dan12180]

He is excited about going into the service. He loves scuba diving, rapelling, guns - rifles, pistols, shotguns..., helping others, cars. He wants to get involved in something that makes a difference.

[investigateworld]

"It's about time"
And right you are. No one in my basic company ever saw an M-60 machine gun, M-79 grenade launcher, we heard there were such things as Claymore, but never saw a clacker.
After basic I remained at the same post (Ft. Ord) and often met with my basic buddies for cold ones at Stillwell Hall. As late as the week before graduation, the guys in 11B training hadn't fired an M-60.
But in all honesty, we had the shiniest shoes and we could field strip a floor buffer blinded folded.
Dam LBJ, Robt McNamara and all the lifer suck up officers to hell.
No wonder Bush One could stand to be around the "Jeep Driver" Danny Quail, he knew the training was lousy and could blame the boy(s) for taking the coward option... enough rant ... I could go all night!!!!!!!!!

[Dan12180]

Thank you. We've had the discussion you mentioned. My concern is he lives to help others and this may get him killed.

I am always so proud of him and I have told him many times how important he is to us.

[Taylor42]

See if any jobs in the intelligence area are available. You get to do interesting stuff. Other than that, GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING...

USMC 1977

[conshack]

If he wants an assurance that he will never have to fire a weapon in anger he will have to elist as a concious objector (or choose the airforce).

So the Air Force doesn't have to shoot huh? Which Air Force are you referring to?

[conshack]

At this time, it's almost better to join the regular Army since many units are being activated and spend almost as much time on AD as the regular Army guys do.

[ArmyTeach]

Please have ivies your son to do some more studying and re-take the ASVAB. It's a very serious test and will determine his future and his career field in the Army. There are good study guides published, available in most book stores. If he does enlist in the Army, whether active duty or reserve, he would look good going in with a GT of 100 or so as was well as a solid mechanical line score in the same range to get into a mechanical MOS. He might have to wait for a period of time to re-take the ASVAB, and his recruiter will give him good advice, I'm sure. He can also retake the test to improve his scores after he joins the Reserves.
Best of luck to him. We need fine young men like him serving our country.

[Kitanis]

Hopefully your son gets a MOS that he can enjoy and benefit from. I would not recommend the Infantry or the military police.. that would be by far the worse.

I am active duty USAF and have deployed once to the Area of Responisibility. Like the previous posters have said.. No area in the rear is totally safe.. so tell him to just be careful if he depoys out there.

Of course he has to go through basic trainining and whatever technical and advanced infantry training first.. so it will be at least four to five months before he could in theroy be deployed.

I wish him well in his future in the military