Desire to join the Army - Need Help

@sf2733:

Hmm, interesting. I'll have to look into it. Could be similar to 18X situation, where the Army needed more people. Maybe the Army couldn't get enough qualified NCO's to volunteer during the war?

Who knows? I was always under the impression you had to be a minimum of an E-4 to go(and squared away one at that). But then again, about since '05 they let people outside of combat arms to go. I'm probably too far removed to know whats going on now.

I can't see signing my life over to the federal government and by extension the military industrial complex to be in any way a good idea.

@Bourbon_Warrior, @jacksmedulla: You missed my point entirely, you don't have to join the infantry. You can be a desk jockey in the military and reap the benefits of the GI Bill. Not to mention, while you're in you'll receive full medical and dental for you, your spouse and kids if you have them. There are 9-5 jobs in the military; you run some PT, sit behind a desk for a few hours, then go home and have weekends off. Get free meals, free place to live, medical/dental as previously mentioned. You won't get that good of a deal from any other job out there. You guys have seriously misunderstood the point of my post; I'm trying to tell this kid what to expect if he goes into the infantry, I'm not sugar-coating it like the recruiters will. I'm making sure that he knows exactly what is going to happen, and to be damn certain that this is what he wants. I was also trying to persuade him to get a desk job in the military, thereby avoiding combat entirely and still get the same benefits.

Also, I don't agree with the wars. It was my time in Iraq, working with the Iraqi police and interacting with the civilians that made me realize how fucked up that war really is.

@cid798: 18x is still an enlistment option, what about that?

@madmurdock0311 said:

There is even the chance that you will lose limbs or die, so make absolutely certain that this is what you want.

Hmmm..... I think I DO want that.

Does this thread make anyone else here want to play some Call of Duty? Anyone?

@madmurdock0311: Good point

@RockyRaccoon37 said:

I'd recommend giving it some serious thought-- consider the consequences, it isn't merely a career choice.

Check out this Pulitzer Prize winning photo essay: Welcome Home: The Story of Scott Ostrom

Came here to post this. Please read/look at. Might make no difference to you but it's an example of what can happen.