I am 22 years old, and have accomplished nothing so far. (Should I join the Army?)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Ok guys, first let me introduce myself. You know my name, and I’m also known as “Downhome” at almost everywhere I go on the net. I’m from South Carolina, and I graduated from high school in 1998. Now, let’s continue…

…back in high school, I had it figured out, but then again, didn’t we all? I had a serious relationship, and planned all of my college and overall future for my life, around her. Then, the unexpected expected happened, and she cheated on me, so, just a few days after we graduated I broke up with her. It seemed that my entire future right there went down the crapper. I had no clue what to do about college, a job, or anything all of a sudden. I went on to college, detirmined to try my path of choice, just without her. I went for one semester and went ahead and majored in Business Management, and that went south. I suppose the fact that I was just tired of school, my inspiration to be a success was eliminated, and the fact that she went to the same college. So, after one semester, I decided to change my major…

…I switched over to Radio TV Broadcasting for the second semester, and I did great in the hands on classes, those working in a mock radio and tv studio, but the other sit down classes just wasn’t working out. Again, I had no inspiration to do very well, it was nothing being there for me, I felt I had no reason or rhyme in even going to school. Over both of those semesters, I would skip classes all of the time, fail to do almost any work, and it was down right sad. After the second semester, I had ammased a huge three credits, out of all of the classes I took, and I dropped out of college, and decided to go to work.

Yeah, an 18 year old drop out of college, right out of high school has sooooooooooo many options, I know, but I just knew I’d find something to bring home the dough. Ok, so it didn’t go as planned, lol. I went from fast food joint to working in various stores, and eventually I ended up magicly without a job. So for about two years, I went without work. I eventually found something and it kept me going for about a six months, but a rift with management kept that from going anywhere. That was in Jan. of last year, and it is basicly where I am right now. I have a job now, yeah, but it’s only getting me about 16 hours a week, making $6.50 an hour, so yeah, it’s not exactly going to get me anywhere.

So here I am, no college, no true hopes in any real work, and nothing else really. I have my family, our home, but that’s about it. My thing with my girlfriend in high school caused me to loose all of my friends, she was demanding and made me give them all up for her, and after I lost her after graduation, my old friends basicly just forgot about me, and tossed me aside just as I did them three years earlier…

…I’m the kind of guy, even though it doesn’t sound like it, that wants so bad to live by the moto “if someone wrote a book about YOUR life, would anyone want to read it?”. My problem, is I’m not sure how about I want to go to create a life that would be satisfying for myself.

I truly don’t know what to do now. I have no money to go back to college (my first run was on a scollarship, yeah, I f’d up), and now I don’t know how to go about that. I tried financial aid, but to no avail. As I said, I have no “good” job in my sights, and why shoudl I? I have no experiance in anything specific, and have a crappy work history anyhow. To tell you the truth…

…I’m now leaning towards the option of joining the US Army.

I went and checked it out the other day, talked to a recruiter and all of that good stuff. They asked me what I was interested in, and I said I truly want to make a difference in my life, make it seem as if it truly is worth something to myself and others. I said I wanted to possibly get into law enforcement also, and that I love being creative (I’m an aspiring songwriter and screenwriter by the way). They then said that the Army offers a field of training with a job in law enforcement, called Military Police. They said I must take the ASVAB however and score high on it to qualify for that specific job selection however, and I took the ASVAB…

…lucky for me, I actually scored very high, and am guaranteed a posistion in that field of training and a job in that area now, all I have to do is sign up. I’m thinking about it, and I’m going to take the next year and just work the same ol’ odd jobs, and more than anything else, work out and get into great shape so I can really be on top of my game if I decide to join. If I join, it will not be for about a year.

I don’t know, but that seems like a great option for me, at least from where I stand. The Military Police offers much room for promotion, and it is a job I’m sure would re-instill true faith in myself. If I ended up being a sucess, I would be available for promotions into such agency’s as the FBI, CIA, etc… So here is my question, to you guys…

…do ANY of you have anything you can add, to help me out? Perhaps some words of wisdom, or just general advice? I’m in need of it, so I thought why the heck not just post on here and tell you all my story, and tell you where I am now, and just get some advice from some StraightDopers!

Sincerely,
…Brent “Downhome” Lumkin…

2

If you really want to join and can keep your enthusiasm for the idea for a year then go for it.

Make sure you explore any other options you might be interested in though as rumor has it that creative types don’t always fit in well with the military machine. Speaking as she who is married to a creative type I know from experience that any threat of routine and order will make him run in the other direction. Drives me nuts as I need routine and order in my life.

My SO enrolled at university to do Film and Drama studies and he loves it. Fortunately for us in Australia you can defer payment your Uni fee’s until after you’ve finished studies and then the govt. takes it out of your taxes. Makes study alot more affordable. To pay the bills and put food on the table my SO took a job as a security guard. It was really crappy at first but now he has found a great employer and loves the job - he’s working as a guard in one of our local Hi-Fi stores, so he gets discounts AV equipment and CDs/DVDs etc.

Getting fit is always a great idea as it improves your whole outlook on life and I find my self esteem improved when I could make it up a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing.

One thing that a lot of Aussies do in their 20’s is to take a year off to backpack around the world. They take jobs along the way to help pay for their travels. This is a really good way to find out what your boundaries are. Also you meet great people and see new places. If you can’t afford to go overseas what about trying it in your own country?

Leechbabe

3

Might I add that 22 is not that old so I wouldn’t worry to much about not having direction to your life.

Says she at the old old age of 26
Leechbabe

4

If you are seriously thinking about joining the Army and you eventually want to work for the FBI, CIA, etc. I would suggest you think about other fields in the Army other than just military police. I would suggest you talk to the recruiter again and see if you scored high enough to get into Army intelligence, or something of that nature. You really don’t need to be an MP to get a job in law enforcement. Most law enforcement agencies are nearly begging for people to fill open positions. Going the intelligence route will help you more when you are applying for jobs with the FBI and especially with the CIA. It will also make the book about your life much more interesting.

If you just want to get into law enforcement and decide not to join the Army, then check with law enforcement agencies where you would be interested in working. I’m in Virginia and I would think South Carolina is in about the same position for needing officers. You will have to work a lot harder to make the transition from law enforcement to FBI, CIA, etc.

You will need to get that college degree if you really want that kind of job. Going the Army route could help you with that too. I know what you’re going through, I’m in a very similiar situation. If I can help you anymore just feel free to ask.

5

Good advice, leechbabe!

And I agree. Think about it very carefully for a year. Take some time off for yourself. Twenty two is still really young, when you consider you will probably live to be 75. Taking a year off may be just the thing to rejuvenate you, so to speak.

And you never know what could happen in a year. I decided to come to Japan as an exchange student when I finished high school. I planned to go back to university after that year and study occupational therapy. Well, in that year I fell in love with Japan, the Japanese language and culture, and my husband. The OT degree never happened, and I ended up moving to Japan, getting married at 21 and becoming a mum to three kids.

So take a break, a REAL break, and “find yourself”.

6

But how can you truly go about finding yourself when you have no money, etc…? I would love to go and just travel around by myself on a mission of self discovery, but I have no idea how to even begin. If I begin to sound too pathatic, just let me know, :-p!

7

Brent I know where your coming from on the money thing, I had to put off my voyage of self discovery for that very reason.

God that sounds silly “voyage of self discovery”. :smiley:

Anyways the place to start out is by getting any job you can and working up from there. Sit down and write yourself out some goals eg - 1 year from now I want to go on a silly sounding voyage of self discovery. Then you work out a budget (this bit can be hard if you havn’t done it before). Plan to save a small amount each pay day towards achieving your goal.

If you’ve got a crappy job then while you’re there start training for the next job you want. Leechboy spent one summer working as a manual labourer, he spent the time there memorising Hamlet.

Me I learnt to type, how to write professional looking letters, worked out how to use Microsoft office products inside out and back the front.

This way no matter what you are doing and how much it sucks right now there is hope that you can make it better.

8

[hijack - sorry!]

leechbabe, they take HECS out of your taxes? I didn’t know that! At the moment my parents are paying upfront and getting the 25% discount - would it make more sense to defer payment?

[/hijack - sorry!]

9

[hijack - continued sorry!]

Kayeby yup you can defer your HECS and they will take it out of your taxes but it costs more.

More here about how you can pay your HECS.

Also this from the Tax Office.

[/hijack]

10

I think you’re doing the right thing. The military is a great teacher. If nothing else, it will make clear what you DON’T want, and pay the bills while you figure your life out. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see the world too.
Having said that, I am a professional journalist who covers half a dozen police agencies. I think you will find the military not to your liking, if you enjoyed journalism. (For the love of God, don’t go into broadcasting. Believe it or not, you won’t make much more per hour with a degree in it than you are now). Not only that, but most police agencies are demanding a college degree for new hires these days. Military Police training might give you an edge if you don’t have a college degree.

I can empathize with where you’re at. I’m kind of there myself, and I’m older than you are.

11

Consider the Air Force. We have a law enforcement specialty also (Security Police).

I’ll admit that promotion is slower in the Air Force, but quality of life is generally better. Ive heard a lot of Army personnel say that they wish they’d joined the Air Force. Never vice-versa.

Ask about scholarship programs if there’s any chance you may want to return to college or technical school in the future.

Good luck. Getting more info is a smart move. Committing to military service is not something you should rush into.

12

You most definitely want to consider all the branches of the service. I thought I wanted the Army and ended up with the Navy. The reason was that the Navy’s Journalism program has writing and broadcasting as basic training requirements as where the other services only had writing/or broadcasting. Little differences can have a major impact on the job you choose for the military. Look into everything. Do not just take your recruiter’s word for it. Talk to current members and vets, via this board if nothing else. And, needless to say, get it all in writing.

If you do decide to join you will be highly encouraged (on a service wide level, maybe not by your command) to continue college and develope goals for your future. I started and finished my bachelors in my first enlistment. Not only did the Navy pay for most of it, but the further along I got the more it helped on advancement through the ranks. I.e. I got paid more to go to college.

You will meet all types in the service. From punks to rednecks to gangstas. They are all there. The stereotype of people in the military who couldn’t do anything else is for the most part, wrong. Most of my friends were college graduates wanting to see an aspect of life you couldn’t see in any other way. Some stayed in after the first term, some didn’t. Some hated it, some didn’t. The military was a fine experience for me. I met my wife there, paid off every debt I had, bought a house and got a degree.

Just make sure you don’t make this an impulse decision. That’s why people get in and totally hate it, because they signed up for a job they don’t want to do. Good luck.

13

What about Americorps? It would be another chance to good, make a difference, meet folks, without being quite as life-altering as entering the service. I have a friend who’s been working for Americorps in D.C. for the past two years and she’s absolutely loved it.

14

Y’all are giving some great advice to the young man. deball, truer works are rarely spoken.

I’m a journalist in the Army.

I was in much the same situation as BrentLumkin some years ago, and I went military for all the benefits. As leechbabe mentioned, the military is not a good place for the creative, free-thinking type, and I absolutely hate it.

However, I lucked out in several ways, from my job to my post, so I’m actually about the farthest thing from being really hooah. I wear a uniform and salute, that’s about it.

Looks like I’ll be getting out soon too.

However, let me add that while I’m here, I’m making money, have a house, am continuing my education for next to nothing and getting experience in something I like doing.

I joined late, and now I realize that, hadI not hated the idea so much in high school, sighning up immediately after graduating would have been preferable, since I would have already been done with my tour by now.

Being in the military is shit, of course, but it’s better shit with better benefits than accomplishing nothing in your life.

BTW - I have a dog, a wife and a baby, and we are all very well cared-for medically by the government. Another perc.

15

If you want to check out different work environments, you might want to sign up with a temp agency, or find out if any nearby large corporations, hospitals, etc. have a temp pool. That’s how I got started in the career I now have (data management for pharmaceutical clinical trials). At your age anybody who hires you knows that you don’t have much experience, but if you’re really interested in something and prove that you can learn quickly, you just might do ok. Another thing about temp agencies is that you also learn what you don’t want to do.

I couldn’t agree more about travelling. You should at least travel around the US if at all possible, if not overseas. Maybe you’ll meet an heiress in a campground in Utah. Heck, you can travel on a bicycle if you’re so inclined. People will think you’re suffering and they’ll want to feed you.

I don’t have much to offer about the military. I know a guy who went in the Army and he hated it. I think he did it partly because his father was a colonel. Another guy I know went in the Marines and tried to get ME to join.

16

**I’ll admit that promotion is slower in the Air Force, but quality of life is generally better. Ive heard a lot of Army personnel say that they wish they’d joined the Air Force. Never vice-versa. **

I was in the Army and I agree with this statement. Consider and explore all branches of the military, if that is the way you want to go. I think military service is great. I think it would be a good experience. But… what you think is what is important. You may not be certain of what you want to do, but take the time to determine who you want to be . My experience was one that I value and take pride in. I think the challenge and adventure the military provides is second to none. I think you are doing the right thing in taking the time to get in shape. The Army and Marine Corps are physically demanding. I am not sure about other branches.

Remember, once you are sworn in, there is no turning back. Unlike civillian jobs, you can’t just say…oops, I do not wish to do this anymore. You are going to be there serving your country whether you like it or not.
One option might be Army Reserves. The initial training is the same but once that is over, you become a “weekend warrior”. If you later decided that you want the complete military experience, you could still do that. One thing to consider however, is that the Reserves are used extensively for active duty these days. So, there is a good chance that your Reserve unit could be deployed.

My strongest advice is that you continue to seek advice from others who have military experiences. PLEASE, please, please, talk to military people who are not recruiting you. My experience made me realize that these guys are not exactly truthful. They want you to join. They might have a quota to meet. Some of what I was told was true, but some of it was not at all true. Actually, during basic training the drill sergents joked about this issue. Well,…on second thought, they were never really joking. They don’t joke much. :eek:

You are capable of pusuing many options. I think it is bad business to do something because you have talked yourself into believing that there is no other option. What about a community college or possibly a trade school? BTW, it is not at all a bad idea to take a semester of community college before going into the Army, especially if you will not be shipping out for a year. And… I would not want to go thru basic training during the summer months. Sorry if that sounds lame. Mid February would be ideal. Get your 8 weeks in during spring, not the dead of summer or the dead of winter. My 8 weeks was actually like 11 weeks. We had a zero week, a dead week or hell week or several weird weeks before and after training.

Best of luck to you.

17

Keep in mind that the Army can offer you a specific job, whereas the other branches only guarantee a field (last time I checked anyways). I was where you are at when I was 19. Things didn’t work out as planned I felt like I was running out of options. Dad (retired Army) talked me into seeing an Army recruiter. I enlisted into Air Defense. Not bad, but I spent 4 months out of the year in the field and I have no taste for camping out now. I managed to switch jobs to the Personnel field and had a much better time (this and the medical field is where you’ll find most of the females if you’re not married :slight_smile: ).

You’ll get promoted faster in the combat jobs but they usually have little real world use. No matter what though, the military should boost your confidence that you can do anything that you set your mind too, especially if you get into the combat and combat support fields. I had several friends that were in Infantry that wouldn’t have given that experience up for anything and they all have jobs that are nothing like what they did in the Army. MP is a good way to go too if you are looking for a law enforcement career.

I’ll second jacksen9 on timing your boot camp with spring or fall. I did mine in El Paso Sep-Dec and it was alright weather-wise. Basic Training is not as bad as it used to be in the hazing department (mine was in 1985). I’ve been in Active Army, Army Reserve and National Guard (current). The Reserves and Guard just don’t measure up to being in full-time, living and breathing every second the military way.

Sure, you’ll scrub your fair share of toilets, but that’s more than offset by some of the overseas assignments you can get. Talk to the recruiter and see if you can get your first assignment guaranteed. I might caution that this is where combat jobs (MPs included) can work against you as you can get assigned to some fairly remote posts. My job in Personnel dictated that I had to be assigned to a fairly large post in a personnel unit. This allowed me be assigned to what might be considered the best assignment in the US, the Presidio of San Francisco.

And again, like jacksen9 said, once you raise your hand and swear in, you’re in buddy. You don’t have any felonies do you? :eek: There are ways out but I wouldn’t recommend them. Make sure that you’re the kind of person that can stick something out even if you don’t especially care for it. The military will give back just as much as you put in (corny but true).

Err, I’m rambling I see so I’ll end with: In short, if you’re not tied down right now, don’t get homesick easy, and have nothing better to do, you could do a lot worse than the military. Did I mention they pay college tuition and you can take college courses for practically nothing while you’re in? Go Army!

18

I hate to ask it this way but…you’re young and you’ve had several jobs that didn’t work out. I read “a rift with management kept that from going anywhere” and think that you might either have attitude problems or stick-to-itive issues. In that case, you might find the military, where you’re expected to do as you’re told, no back talk, do it whether you want it, or else, not up your alley. Once you’re in they don’t really care if you’re happy. You’re their meat now. Can you handle that?

StG

19

Ok, allow me to explain that, lol. You see, I worked for a company called Council on Aging. Our main service, was transporting the elderly to where ever they needed to go. If they needed to go to the doctor, they just called us up and they had a free ride. We’d take them anywhere they needed to go really, from Wal-Mart to getting their hair done. Anyhow…

…I was the asistant transportation manager, and I was very close to the manager in terms of being around her frequently. Over the six months I was there, the management over me became horrible. We would take clients to places like dialisis (sp?) and then the management would forget they were there, forcing them to sit at the clinic for up to four hours, just waiting for a job. Now, I don’t know about you, but I know how horrible that going to dialisis is, and I know that it is pure torture for one to have to sit in wait after you have it done, ESPECIALLY if you are 70-100 years old.

It came down to the fact that I didn’t like how they were treating the clients. I couldn’t bare seeing how they could just take them some where, and then just have them sitting in wait for many hours. It was horrible, and I felt so sorry for them. In all of my efforts to improve the way things were done, it all fell by the wayside, and everything I tried was in vain. They promised to improve, but they never did. Well, not while I was there at least. So in the end, I just finally told them that I would rather not be a part of the company, as it wasn’t up my ally if they didn’t care enough about what they were doing, to do it right.

So there you have it. It isn’t I have a horrible attitude problem or anything like that. I actually will do as I am told, and I feel like I could be “prime meat” for the Army. I know I am able to zone out, and just allow them to create me as they need to do. My only thing right now basicly, is getting into top shape. I’m not horrible by any means, but if I do this, I’m going to do it right. I’m going to train independently to get up to par, I’m going to research and learn the basic commands (such as you would learn in ROTC I suppose), etc… just so I could be that far ahead of the game.

I haven’t decided yet, but I’m doing this just in case I do decide to do it. Besides, even if I DON’T decide to join, at least I will have learned a lot about myself, and improved my self living, by getting into such good shape. :wink:

20

I’ve never even heard of that. May I ask what it is, how about you go to get into it, and what the requirements are?