After graduating last year with an degree in accounting, I had a couple of unsuccessful job experiences and realized accounting is probably not for me. I’ve been having trouble finding another job that is not accounting/bookkeeping related now and am debating on whether or not to join the army.
Recruiters at different locations are telling me different stuff, when I told them I wanted to become an officer. My test scores certainly did qualify me, but I was told that they’ll stick me to whichever MOS they have need in. Instead, I should enlist as a E4 so I can get any job I want and work up to officer. Another branch told me that officer is pretty much “in for life” and gets called back to duty even after retirement/end of contract if the need is there.
It’d be great if anyone can share some of their personal experience with me they had with army to help me decide if its right for me or not.
They are right that entering as an E4 is an easier way to get a position you want. However, I entered OCS as an E4 18 months after basic, and it sucked. I was great at basic, but I hated OCS, and dropped out. Part of the reason was that they kept on thinking of things for us to spend money on. Any extra money we made over the E4 rank for being OCS candidates, they made sure we spent, and then some, because they were trying to weed out people who were just in OCS for the money. I was going broke.
I didn’t even look into Warrant Officer school, but officers are management, not soldiers. Warrant Officers actually do whatever they’ve been trained to do, just at a very high level.
That is not even to mention that high ranking sergeants actually make some money, and get a lot of respect. Sergeants actually get more respect from the privates than the officers do.
So don’t make up your mind until you have explored the possibility of the Warrant Officer and NCO tracks as well.
Lastly, basic training seems to take forever in the first few weeks, then the pace picks up, and suddenly, it’s over. Don’t despair. In the beginning, you are tired all the time, because you are not yet doing a lot of physical stuff, and are not used to sleeping in barracks, but then you get used to it, and the physically demanding stuff starts, so you fall asleep as soon as you can get to your bunk, and you sleep hard, but wake up rested.
You don’t “work up” to being an officer. It’s not like you get promoted so far and then the next rank is an officer rank. Once you meet the minimum requirements(you already have one of the big ones a college degree) you can put a packet together to either go to OCS or to Warrant Officer Candidate School. Not all branches within the Army have Warrant Officers and each branch has their own prerequisites. OCS is not Branch dependent.
Regardless of if your intention is to eventually go to OCS they don’t put you in whatever MOS they want. The Army has guaranteed contracts and you get to choose what job you want and as long as you have the minimum required test scores you can get that MOS. There is always attrition in every job so there are always some spots available. MOS with big shortages will have signing bonuses and other incentives.
OK, I have no military experience, but “I can’t find a job in my chosen field so I’m just going to enlist in the Army” seems a terrible reason to enlist.
I’m not saying don’t do it. Just don’t do it unless you actually want to join the Army.
I’m not sure how true this is. I’m fairly positive Lance Corporals have the highest casualty rate since they’re typically pointmen, clearing rooms and searching for IEDs and such. Typically platoon commanders are not kicking in doors.
Maybe they have the highest casualty rate in proportion to their population.
But then again are we speaking as an entire fighting force? Or just the infantry in general?
Made an account just for this. Been lurking for a few months, really enjoy this forum.
One of my cousins got a degree in math, and originally planned to get an advanced degree in math but decided that wasn’t his thing so he joined the Air Force. He got a job as a clerk, doing a whole bunch of math. Basically, the last thing he wanted to do. The good thing: it eventually led him into computer programming, and he’s made a good living on that for the last 45 years.
But the morale of the story is, you don’t get to pick where they put you and if you have a skill they think they need they will exploit it, no matter what you think you want to do.
If you’re adamant about a certain MOS, tell the recruiters. They’ll give you some BS on how it’s not open, but be persistent and be flexible. I told them I wanted to be infantry and I wouldn’t accept anything less. I got it. I am in the Marines though so it may be a little different. But if they really want to make their numbers, they’ll work with you.
It’s not technically correct to call the enlistment agreement a “contract”, even though I use that shorthand myself. A contract is binding on both parties, while you may be charged with failure to live up to you end of the agreement, the Army(Navy, Marines, etc.) is not obligated to live up to theirs. Also, remember that while you are “defending the Constitution”, you give up most of your Constitutional rights to do so. You also don’t want to join if you are even considering a family . . . families are the only thing more expendable than soldiers. It was an Army doc that decided that my (late) first wife didn’t “need” to continue her chemotherapy and when I objected, I was threatened with court martial.
I’d say becoming a soldier is like becoming a professional artist, gambler, or what not. The rational answer is “don’t do it”. If you feel such a burning inside you to do it that you just can’t NOT do it, then MAYBE it will work out for you. But, then you probably wouldn’t be asking.
If I had it to do all over again, I’d join the Legion. Granted, it suffers from some of the same faults as our own military-welfare complex, but after five years service you can become a French citizen.
I started out enlisted and became an officer. I sucked as an officer. My primary motivation was the pay scale, not thinking that I’d have to be in charge of people and play all the political games required of officers (at least in my squadron.)
I got a lot out of my 11 years on active duty, but the 26 years as a civilian employee of the Dept of the Navy were much more interesting and rewarding.
And I don’t know how things have changed since the mid-80s, but once I resigned my commission, I was a civilian. Period. I had no obligation to the Navy, no ID card, and no responsibility to let them know where I was or what I was doing. If you retire or stay in the active or inactive reserves, you’re still subject to recall, but when you resign, I’m pretty sure that’s it.
Consider the source. Bear’s public profile says he an NCO. Doesn’t that stand for Not Capable Outside?
; )
In seriousness. Bear may disagree with the opinions or attitudes that I express. But, all factual statements I made are accurate. Before jumping on “free medical care”, or other such “benefits” you may consider that malfeasance on the part of the service leaves you without recourse. Service members cannot sue the military, for malpractice or any other harm. Unless, of course, we were simply told that when it is patently untrue, which itself should give one pause.
After the Army (Signal Corps, I think) my dad joined the Navy as (I think) an E-3. Eight years later he received his commission, and 12 years later, retired as an O-3.
