Posted on 03/30/2006 1:37:22 PM PST by GottaLuvAkitas1
My daughter is talking to RECRUITER for military service, and we have someone coming by from the Army tonight.
Can you please help me with questions to ask?
We plan to talk to all branches before she decides. Thank you for any help.
>>>>"The Marine recruiter will ask her what she can do for the Corps, not what the Corps can do for her."<<<<
God I LOVE the Marine Corps!
Coast Guard. Every body counts more there.
Two words: Army.
GET IT ALL IN WRITING! Don't let them sweet talk with the ole "Oh, yeah, that's not a problem!" B.S.
If it's not a problem (or "guaranteed"), then it needs to be in writing.
It might be different now, but back in the day, all bets were off if we were at war. It was in the contract.
Most important question: "Can I get that in writing?"
Every comment advises that you seek a guaranteed MOS/AFSC. That is the abbreviation for Military Occupantional Specialty (Army) or Air Force Specialty Code. It is the exact job or skill each enlistee is trained and qualified for. I was an air traffic controller in the AF, a very desirable career field. Most of the young people who came into the AF to become controllers had to enter through the delayed enlistment program. Basically, what that means, is if you meet all the qualifications for a particular job then you enlist in the inactive reserve. While in the inactive reserve a person doesn't actually do anything military, basically they are waiting for a vacancy in the technical training school where they will go following basic training. For young controllers, the wait was anywhere from 8-10 months.
I can't speak for anything other than the AF, but if your daughter doesn't want to wait that long then she can enlist with a guaranteed job area. The AF breaks all the enlisted skills down into 4 areas; administrative, electronic, mechanical, and general. If she chooses this route then the AF will not guarantee her a specific job but rather they will guarantee her a job the category she choose. If she choose general she will be guaranteed a training in a skill in the general category only. Some good jobs, some bad, depends upon her ASVAB scores. About.com has some very good info on enlisted job skills for all the branches of the military and will list each AF skill in each of the 4 categories.
I strongly recommend that she pick a specific job she wants and enlists for training in that particular skill. And I also strongly recommend she go AF. That's not just because I retired from the AF but a lot of the training is better (I know that statement will upset many) and the living conditions are better. Good Luck!!
Beat me by a second.
Thank God a lot of good men do!
In '69,during BCT,the Army wanted me to go to OCS.I turned it down largely because of the belief that the average life span of a Second Lieutenant in Vietnam was about two days.
Of course,things certainly might have changed since then.
"AN MOS is a military job code. If you want to be a computer tech you need to have the computer tech school guaranteed up front or she could wind up in infantry etc. Recruiters will tell you that people can choose specialties later after boot camp, can and get to are 2 differnt things. Get it in writting up front. Of course you have to qualify for the school based on the ASVAB test. Has she taken this? If not don't sign nothing until you have those scores see waht she qualifies for and then start looking at which service will give her the training she wants. And don't forget the Coast Guard, same pay and benefits but shall we say a different view of the world?"
I didn't realize she could take the ASVAB before she signs anything.
WOW, you guys are good!
Politically correct restatement.
Absolutely! Some people just can't handle the Marine Corps - too tough.
I thought it was just "A Few Good Men"?
"my first question would be "hey RECRUITER, what's with the caps lock?"
LOL, I hear you. I just wanted that word to stand out so you guys would answer me.
That was not a slam on the Marines. I just wouldn't advise my daughter to join the Army or Marines.
Understood!
"Has she already taken all of the tests and gotten back the results?
The results would help to refine the choices and opportunities, there isn't really much to talk about with a Recruiter until you know what is available.
"
She has done nothing we are just talking to the different brabches starting today. I didn't realize until this post that she could take the ASVAB before deciding.
Great to know.
1. Get it in writing.
2. Have the recruiter explain the educational benefits both in-service and post-.
3. Ask the recruiter what duty stations he or she has had and what he or she would have done differently if anything.
4. Find out about guaranteed MOSs (military occupation specialties) or ratings (Navy occupations). Find out about how they go about selecting one for her if she's undecided.
There are personality differences between the services. If she likes bobbing up and down on an air mattress at the enlisted pool between games of golf, try the Air Force. If she likes driving huge, armored vehicles at top speed crushing everything in her way and tearing up the countryside, maybe Army is the way to go. If she likes wandering through exotic foreign ports and getting tattoos that she can't explain later, Navy'll do it. If those tattoos spell out "USMC" and they're done on the forehead with a nailgun, that'd be a Marine... :-)
Again, not a slam on the Marines.
Some people have more to offer their country than sitting on a tank shooting at people. There are other jobs that are just as honorable and needed. Someone, such as myself, had to ensure that air control computer equipment worked so that the Air Force could provide the Marines with air support.
I was in the Air Force but was never a pilot. Does this make me less of a man?
All branches of the military serve a purpose and are honorable.
I think it's great your daughter is interested in learning more about serving, whether or not she decides to join up in the end. I hope you're really proud of her.
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