Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Thinking about the Army...

Am I crazy?

I am 35, married with 4 children ages 14,12,5,15 months.
Prior service Navy 6 years 1992 - 1998.

Talking with a recruiter Saturday...just talking.

Thinking about 68W (medic) with Airborne and Ranger option.

Any thoughts?

Yes - go beat your head on a doorframe until those thoughts go away!!

Just kidding - the choice is yours. My "choice" began when I got that letter declaring "Greetings - You are hereby ordered for induction into the Armed Forces of The United States of America. Report to ---- "

Being in the Army now would be a different experience than I enjoyed.

the concept of an All-Volunteer Force is a good thing. and it's a worthy employment opportunity with many fringe benefits.

but, it can also get you kilt. just like in the real world. logging, fire-fighting, driving down the road, food poisoning, you name it.

it's a tough decision. you've got your wife and children to think about, no matter which branch of the decision-tree you choose.

thankfully, you do have a choice. there's been lots of killing going on, in the past, where no choices were issued whatsoever. good luck in whatever decision you make.

You could probably still hack it physically, although the Ranger part might be a bit of a strain. Medic is a decent choice and could have career benefits if you changed your mind later.

Do you like hanging out with 19-21 year olds? Do you enjoy the latest music and culture? Not so much off duty but you'd spend all day with them. Would you mind having 20 and 21 year old NCO's yelling at you and telling what to do?

Off duty your contemporaries in age will all be E7's and above or if you decide to go OCS (or whatever it's called today) will be Majors and Lt. Colonels. They might not like hanging with a PFC or butterbar.

Duty in Afghanistan would be a real possiblity. How does your family feel about it?

Would never persuade anyone away from a military career, it has a lot of advantages. But they come with a price.

Be careful of what that recruiter is selling you.

"Options"? Yeah, just sign right here and we'll look into that for you.....

All three of your choices listed are a young man's game. Not saying that you're not up to it, but it's gonna be a bear getting through all of those now. You were what, 18 last time you endured that kind of torture? (And Navy basic would be NOTHING compared to what you're looking at now!)

I wholeheartedly support your choice to get back in, and absolutely commend you for it, but be careful on the path you choose.....

Rifles and More---- You spent 6 years serving your country . Thank You. If it were me, my lucky #'s of 14,12,5,and 15 would change my thoughts. -- My opinion. Web

I got one of those letters - shortly after I'd joined the Army Nat Guard, which was about a week after the 1st draft lottery in '70. My body was already owned and my 1st Sgt sent it back with a nice rebuttal.

At that time, basic was 8 weeks, AIT another 8 weeks, then off to war. I can't imagine going into combat with the pathetic training we had then. It was strictly OJT.

At that time, most NG units were at full strength because of returning vets enlisting for the easy money and retirement. An NG battalion of engineers from Idaho had been actived and sent to Nam and had just returned so they were at about 25% strength after the guys all got out. I joined and within a month, they were at full strength with hundreds begging to get in.

But back to the original post....it's a personal decision. Don't let anyone push or pull you in or out. You know your family and they are the only ones who should help you make up your mind. Keep in mind that recruiters work on a quota. As far as I know, they're not bound by any honesty contract.

You have a family and you are in the mid 30's . My advice is stay home with your family

Yes, you are frickin crazy.

sorry, no offense intended. I'm assuming since you listed "medic" you must already have some experience in medical field? EMT maybe? I'd suggest pursuing that interest further in the civilian world, medical profession is needed back home too you know & it is a great service to your fellow country people.

Being a veteran of foreign war myself (USMC), well i just don't think much of it or think very often of it at all.

Certainly nothing to envy.

You are a family man now, raise them kids right (full time) you will be doing your country plenty of a service just by doing that.

yep, those who survived OJT were ETS'd sooner or later.

i was OJT in a medical battalion. no AIT whatsoever. we've come a long ways since then. we've still got a ways to go, but someone has to be pushing the wagon forward.

i've been removed from a strictly military viewpoint for many, many years. but keeping up with the process and advising/sharing opinions with elected representatives is not "time" wasted, imho.

probably Volunteers will see us through the Middle East crisis: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran. the way we failed, in large part, in Vietnam was due to the politicians wanting to force younsters to fight their war for them. how absurd!

Stay with the family. I was a paratrooper (82nd) when I was nineteen. At age 35, I don't think it would be as nearly as much fun.

Especially with a wife and 4 kids on my mind.

Boy, the Marine Corps will take anybody nowadays.... (A joke in reference to Dave)

Best advise and only advise worth listening to.

I was a decent kid when i signed up, look what they did to me!!! Ahhhh!!

The modern Army is much more professional in the true meaning of the word than fourty years ago when I was in. If I was much younger and fit I would consider what you are. My main advice is to not hurry about the airborne decision. Until you are out of advanced training you will get a lot of high preasure salesmanship to "go airborne". What they don't tell you is that you can volunteer for airborne any time even after your sent to an active unit. Airborne is not necessarily the wrong choice, but I advice making it after you get to know the Army better. In the current Army all of our combat units are plenty tough and if you want to see plenty of action it seems like that is very likely no matter what kind of combat unit your in.

I am veteren of the Big One, yep...no applause please.....a huge brawl with bikers at a Po' folks restaurant in Columbus, Ga.

Awarded the purple eye and broke bird finger in that one..

Don't know what your career options are outside of the military, but I'd say not to do it just for your family's sake.

Kids need a dad at home.. and it's not something you get a chance to do over.

If civilian work is scarce or hard to come by, you've got to do what's necessary to take care of the family.

Yep, you are fuggin carzy! Forget about airborne, and Ranger training...you're knees will thank me later.

Also I would without a doubt pick a better friggin job than Medic! It will be next to useless when you get out.

There are so many more technology driven MOS's that would benefit you when you get out......

A water filtration/treatment operator makes good money on the outside...

Keith

+1

The current CIC isn't too worried about you or your family.

yep. seems like you have choices to make. already got six years of worthy credit already. well, then, that changes things, doesn't it? ya wanna retire from the military??

pick an MOS that will help you capture rank, and/or offer good pay in the civilian world. tough choices, but that's the way it is.

Johnson, McNamara and Westmoreland sacrified a lot of un-lived lives in Vietnam. in the current day Middle-East conflagration, American life is valued much more highly.

it comes down to the bottom-line. is the military solution the best possible alternative? what is the second-best alternative?? how much emphasis do you wish to place on a traditional family life, versus, a somewhat non-traditional life?

but, if push comes to shove, what is the very best military option for you?? lot's of questions here, for sure. i mean, seriously, a military outcome is better than welfare, isn't it?

Rifles And More,

The problem you'll have is that you won't fit in..You'll have nothing in common with the other 20 year old recruits, nor the young NCO's..

If you're hell bent on it try the NG or Reserves first...They will typically have more people your age and it there's every chance you'll end up in Afghanistan if you pick the right MOS..

Regards,

Peter