And double-about face, just in case.
Join Bank of America - Military. I’m in as a Federal employee and it’s great.
Just thinking on what my brother did, and this is more long-term, but if you end up stationed overseas for any serious lengths of time (dunno how likely that is with linguistics), consider getting someone you trust authorized with Power of Attorney. Having someone at home who can go directly to the source of whatever problem and act in his name has saved The Guy in the Funny Hat from getting his butt burned more than a few times.
Just good luck, thank you and best wishes.
Good for you! Well, I was there '96 - '97, so we couldn’t possibly have had sex.
Bluesman here. I have to correct my lovely but confused wife…she meant '86-'87.
Off by a decade.
And we DID have sex…LOTS of sex.
Some things never change. 
A couple of things-
I don’t care how much you are excercising now- there is in shape, and then there is “Army shape.” It’s kind of like “football shape” only worse. Ranger candy (ibuprofen) will come in handy, but you may need to hide it!
DLI will be great. Monterey rules.
My brother did a little counter-intel and interrogation in Afghanistan with SF and liked the job. Not that much, of course, but compared to what he COULD have been doing…
Thanks for enlisting. You’re doing a great thing, for people who will never fully appreciate your sacrifices.
Thanks for serving. I now look back on the four years I spent in the Air Force as one of the best time periods of my life. Much better than college, which I did after my enlistment was over.
Here’s a second/third/whatever on the Thrift Savings Plan. If you put 5% of your salary in there, it will be matched by Uncle Sam. Where else can you double your money on the first day you invest it?
Good Luck!
Drake Tungsten, This Bud’s For You.
My Army 1LT brother said there’s a group, mostly retirees, in Dallas that make a point of meeting the military leave flights that use Dallas as a hub. He said it was a good reception on his 6 mo leave from Iraq. He also said that the mood definitely switched on entering California, although he did get a couple people clapping for him at the small field he landed at in CA.
Drake Tungsten, thanks for serving! And something I haven’t seen anyone else here mention yet – you probably want to have someone else on your checking account, at least while you’re in basic. My son put me on his while he was in Air Force basic and that way I could make sure his (few) bills got paid on time without any problem.
Also, something my son has done (or, actually, not done) that has served him well that I would recommend for you, especially since you admitted you’re not great with money management: If you don’t have an actual credit card right now, don’t rush out to get one! My son is now 2.5 years into his enlistment and still using nothing but his debit card – yes, it means if he wants to buy that new must-have electronic toy or finance that trip to Vegas, he has to save for it first, but it also means that his monthly bills are minimal. Wait until you’re sure how your (admittedly paltry) income shakes out in terms of critical priorities – thrift savings, education plans, pizza, etc. – before running up a bunch of bills you might have trouble handling down the road.
Another vote for lots and lots and LOTS of running, pushups, situps, etc. – no matter how good shape you think you might be in before going to basic, they’ll still surprise you!
And wear something very plain when you’re heading off to basic – my son’s recruiter, who was a really good guy, made sure he didn’t show up in a goofy t-shirt that would attract immediate unwanted attention. Not sticking out is a worthy goal for the first week or two, for sure!
Most of all, stay safe and have fun!