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Also holy poo poo 17 is way too young to be deciding the path you will walk for the rest of your life. Just do ROTC. If you want to feel operator or whatever there are plenty of civilian contracting companies that will gladly train you for a fee without the military bs.
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Jan 16, 2015 04:56
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| # ? Jun 18, 2024 23:24 |
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I don't know so much about college, I don't have great grades, decent but nothing spectacular, 80% GPA. I also have a copy of the Ranger Handbook that my uncle got me, I'm assuming that would be useful.
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Jan 16, 2015 04:59
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Going into any college (if you can afford it) is better than going into the military, if you can't afford it and cannot get into an ROTC program welp. Also study more. The only person hurting your grades is you. If you can't do that you won't cut it in military schools either. Most tests will be stuff like get 80% or higher or you fail.
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Jan 16, 2015 05:06
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Not as useful as you'd think something called the "Ranger Handbook" would be, although it's a sensitive item IIRC, so go ahead and lose that bitch during the course and see what happens. It's more oriented towards Ranger School and the poo poo you will learn once you're in battalion. There's not much learning in R.A.S.P. Just "here's this stuff that you will be tested on, so yeah. FRONT LEANING REST POSITION, MOVE. THE MOUNTAIN CLIMBER." There's a reason they call it Ranger Selection and not Ranger Training Place.
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Jan 16, 2015 05:10
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Exigent posted:I don't know so much about college, I don't have great grades, decent but nothing spectacular, 80% GPA. I also have a copy of the Ranger Handbook that my uncle got me, I'm assuming that would be useful. Go to college you loving dummy. I cannot stress this enough. 15 years into a career in the Marine Corps and I can tell you that only the last 5 years have been bearable. The military is not like movies and books and stupid people romanticize. There is a reason you are under contract for eight years. Most people here were poors or too stupid to go to college. Everyone who enlists wishes they would have gotten a degree.
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Jan 16, 2015 05:10
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Seriously kid, don't join the military. You're the same age as my nephew and I managed to talk him out of following in my footsteps. Go to college, listen what we're saying. We've been there, it sucked poo poo. Don't make the same mistake we've all made. If things don't go right and you can't get into college, maybe MAYBE think about joining... Like when you're in your twenties.
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Jan 16, 2015 05:10
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Exigent posted:I don't know so much about college, I don't have great grades, decent but nothing spectacular, 80% GPA. I also have a copy of the Ranger Handbook that my uncle got me, I'm assuming that would be useful. Go to college you loving idiot. Just drop this line of thinking. You're 17. Don't start a path that's going to kill the best years of your life.
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Jan 16, 2015 05:11
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The opinions are unanimous. Either listen or don't. Either way you'll probably pretend the grass is greener on the other side...but if you enlist you'll be right.
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Jan 16, 2015 05:12
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counterpoint, student loans are real things for civilians and actually do suck
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Jan 16, 2015 05:14
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ethanol posted:counterpoint, student loans are real things for civilians and actually do suck I've never seen someone get their legs blown off from paying off student loans. Go to a state school and get a degree in something other than liberal arts. It's safer and a wiser course of action than gambling against getting hurt or killed in the military. Ask any one of the less or unemployable veterans hanging around GiP.
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Jan 16, 2015 05:19
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ethanol posted:counterpoint, student loans are real things for civilians and actually do suck The government gives you free money to go to school, if you choose to accept a service agreement in exchange. And community college is cheap. And federal student loans have low interest rates. And FAFSA. And...
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Jan 16, 2015 05:19
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Just so you know, as I feel I've been a bit generous in my description of the Army since I tend to gush about Ranger regiment, I have tinnitus as a result of my time in the infantry. My ears will ring every day for the rest of my life, and I will never get a penny for it. I got off lucky. 76,000 combat veterans were discharged with a general under honorable discharge, and were stripped of benefits so that the government could save money. If we get into a war while you're in, and you get blown up and your head bounces off a wall, and the Army decides it needs to downsize when you come home, congratulations. You have brain damage, and you have no healthcare and no GI bill because a bunch of POG's decided you were a bad soldier since you came into work late after staying up until 2 in the morning because you were afraid of sleep. There's no glamour. No Band of Brothers. Nothing. It's disgusting bullshit, and you will be tossed out like a lovely diaper the second the military finds no more use for you. People will give you generic "Thank you for your service" statements, and you will despise them for it because they don't know a drat thing about how and why your life is so lovely, and they don't care. They're probably not even recruiting in regiment right now anyways. I guarantee you that you can find something better to do with your life than gently caress it all up and set everything up to go downhill for the rest of your life before you're allowed to legally drink.
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Jan 16, 2015 05:24
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Equine Don posted:The government gives you free money to go to school, if you choose to accept a service agreement in exchange. And community college is cheap. And federal student loans have low interest rates. And FAFSA. And... certainly 'the grass is greener' but god drat I wish I had enlisted or done rotc to pay my student loans instead of having to pay them now and see how much I am paying in interest even with 'low interest' federal aid. Then again I got a liberal arts degree and pissed away my college years mostly drunk so my only advice really is go cheap and go for a purpose and if you can't do this, don't loving get the loans and go anyways as the 'default' thing to do after high school. ethanol fucked around with this message at 05:30 on Jan 16, 2015 |
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Jan 16, 2015 05:28
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This is a really conflicting issue. I have the opinions here telling me not to do it, one uncle telling me it's the only thing he's ever regretted (not joining), and my other uncle who loves what he's currently doing. (Airborne, 82nd not sure of his MOS)
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Jan 16, 2015 05:40
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Your one uncle wants to live vicariously through you, and the other uncle is (probably) a douche.
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Jan 16, 2015 05:41
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Exigent posted:This is a really conflicting issue. I have the opinions here telling me not to do it, one uncle telling me it's the only thing he's ever regretted (not joining), and my other uncle who loves what he's currently doing. (Airborne, 82nd not sure of his MOS) Collectively we have all been there and done that. If you want mostly no bullshit advice listen. If you want to ignore it feel free. I would say a good majority of the people here wish they had a resource like this before ever considering enlisting.
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Jan 16, 2015 06:11
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If you're joining for ~adventure~, guess what, unless you are like delta force level, which no matter what you will not be at 18 no matter how great you are, it's peace time. All there is for you is hazing and misery. If you want a job and to grow up a little and get college paid for, maybe look at the navy or coast guard or air force , try to get a skill or clearance out of it if you can, but if you are even thinking about going combat arms you're unbelievably stupid. There is nothing there.
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Jan 16, 2015 06:35
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"Ask us about joining the US military!" Don't loving join the US military. Signed, People who have joined the US loving military and know what the gently caress they are taking about.
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Jan 16, 2015 08:03
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You won't be the first goon to post in this thread, ignore the advice, join, and start posting here a year later that you understand what we meant. Except you won't, yet. At that point all you'll see is the faint glimmer of that understanding, mistaking it for the light at the end of the tunnel.
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Jan 16, 2015 08:04
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I'm gonna have one good go of this. Here's the transferable skill set of being the most high speed combat arms dickhead of them all. - Cleaning windows - Sweeping and mopping floors - Mowing lawns You uncle, if he's in the 82nd, is most likely an insufferable prick that tortures low ranking dudes as much as he wants because "it's the 82nd, and that's how we do things". For reals, if you've got 2 brain cells in your head do anything besides combat arms. You can be a hacker, a linguist, a satellite analyst, goddamn it, something. And also, gently caress the army, look at the air force. Yeah, it's still dumb, but it is nowhere near the amount of army dumb, and you'll most likely not be crippled by the time you are 30. Goddamn dude, I can't stress this enough. You join up as combat arms, especially in peace time, you are gonna have a bad loving time. You are not considered to be worth anything, fuckers are a dime a dozen and there's no consequences for anyone if you get hosed up. Hell, on fort benning, ranger batt and ranger training battalion lead all of post on dude on dude rape. Yes, one of the consequences are getting literally raped in the rear end. Here's some light reading. http://www.scribd.com/doc/239353125/Son-Men-Don-t-Get-Raped Go to school if you can. If you must join, go join the air force and get a cool guy job. Get out and make fat stacks contracting to the government with your mad hacking/translating/satellite skilz and security clearance. Don't be a loving army combat arms idiot like some of us here, and be qualified to push a broom, and that's assuming you can stand up to push that broom around, or you've got the arms to push it.
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Jan 16, 2015 08:09
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I'm in the Navy, and IS is a decent rate, lots of connections to civilian 3 letter agencies and you get a top secret clearance. Besides that, you swab a lot, and put up with duty.
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Jan 16, 2015 08:57
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Seriously, don't join combat arms. I was infantry. I have crippling PTSD from seeing about 16 of my friends get killed in various ways while in Iraq, sometimes uncontrollable raging anger that I barely have a hold of. Somehow I've managed to not drink myself to death or suckstart a shotgun despite all this. Lots of other infantry guys can't go one day without being blackout drunk to dull the pain and anger. I worked minimum wage poo poo jobs once I got out for 2 years until the VA decided to give me my disability rating. I lucked out and got 90%. The vast majority of dudes won't even see half that. That is literally my only saving grace. Even though I can live the rest of my life not doing poo poo because I have Uncle Sam's Disney funbucks, I still have to deal with the pain, the depression, anger, sadness, and destroyed bowels from being exposed to who knows what for the rest of my life as well. Don't loving join.
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Jan 16, 2015 09:01
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Exigent posted:This is a really conflicting issue. I have the opinions here telling me not to do it, one uncle telling me it's the only thing he's ever regretted (not joining), and my other uncle who loves what he's currently doing. (Airborne, 82nd not sure of his MOS) I don't regret enlisting, and I don't regret choosing infantry, BUT I will never ever ever ever ever ever regret NOT enlisting at 18. I hosed up junior college at 18. I can only imagine how badly I would've hosed up in the military, in the infantry, at 18. Do anything else for a few years. ANYTHING. Work lovely jobs, then quit and enlist- it will make you appreciate the fact that you can squeeze some pride out of making a (relatively) decent wage doing something you're (maybe) proud of in the military. Go to school and get lovely grades, then drop out and enlist- it will make you appreciate the free education you get after the military and compel you to work harder at it. Whatever you do: Do not enlist at 18. or 19. 20 is okay if you'll be 21 by the time you're through basic. Do not get anything pregnant. This would be a bigger mistake than enlisting right now. It has nothing to do with the advice you're seeking, but it's worth saying. edit: oh and, USMC INFANTRY 0300 loving DUH, boner. Victor Vermis fucked around with this message at 13:09 on Jan 16, 2015 |
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Jan 16, 2015 13:06
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I guess I'll see where I am at the end of high school and make a decision based on their. Your inputs have really persuaded me into thinking a lot more about this.
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Jan 16, 2015 14:11
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For about 2 minutes I thought Exigent was Vulturesrow and I was really confused.
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Jan 16, 2015 16:33
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Victor Vermis posted:Do not get anything pregnant. This would be a bigger mistake than enlisting right now. It has nothing to do with the advice you're seeking, but it's worth saying. It takes a forum to raise a child.
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Jan 16, 2015 17:33
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Mortabis posted:For about 2 minutes I thought Exigent was Vulturesrow and I was really confused. I didn't even know this avatar was being used by someone on here  I've had this avatar as my steam one for a while and as you can see I recently joined here
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Jan 16, 2015 17:47
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Exigent posted:I guess I'll see where I am at the end of high school and make a decision based on their. Your inputs have really persuaded me into thinking a lot more about this. Keep in mind that a lot of people here did not have a good experience in the military so they're not going to speak very highly of it, but this is definitely something you need to put a lot of thought into. Figure out what you want to get out of the military and if it's possible to do that without joining. Are you looking for adventure? Looking for pride/respect (lol)? Looking for money for college? Looking to set yourself up for a good career? The military is just one option out many others that you probably haven't thought of or seriously considered yet. I enlisted in the army as infantry when I was 17 and I don't regret it. I joined because I hated high school, hated my job at a grocery store, had no money or motivation for college, and saw myself at a dead end. Also, it was 2002 and I wanted to shoot guns and kill Talibans. The army wasn't always kind to me (stoploss, extensions, and an IRR recall), but overall it served it's purpose. It got me away from my hometown that had nothing to offer me and gave me the ability to re-start my life on the opposite side of the country. Regular infantry in (relative) peacetime is probably going to be pretty boring and awful for you. Or you might be a weirdo that likes painting rocks, sweeping dirt parking lots, and listening to NCOs talk about how hard poo poo was back in Iraq/Afghan. You may love it or you may hate it, there's no way to know how it will play out. All you can do is carefully consider all the angles and options and make what you feel is the best choice for you, not your uncles and not anyone here.
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Jan 16, 2015 21:08
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You guys are doing a good job of scaring straight the newbies so only the best and most courageous join up. After you join and serve youll realize why these guys are giving you such a (friendly, joking) hard time: they want you to be tough, so you can be the highest standard of person and something kids look up to and girls want to gently caress. Worst case is you get a little banged up and earn money forever with good va benefits. Best case is you become the badass that you were born to be. Welcome to the exclusive club, soldier! Feel free to pm us or make a thread after you get through basic cause then youll be one of us and know what its like.
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Jan 16, 2015 23:13
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Well the girls wanting to gently caress you part is true in my experience, but they are all hideous, and the one you accidentally knock up will be the one who makes all the other decrepit pieces of nastiness you've been sticking your dick in look like 10's. Then since she's carrying your child, she'll start talking about the FRG and making not so subtle hints about marriage, and you'll think hey, it's free money to do it. I could move out of the barracks into a real house. What's the worst that could happen?
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Jan 16, 2015 23:42
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Don't get me wrong, I don't regret joining the infantry. I don't regret making the friends I did and the job I did. It just comes with a lot of baggage, and of course the not so glamorous parts of being a soldier. Also peacetime army is going to be retarded as gently caress.
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Jan 17, 2015 00:29
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I joined the infantry and was at benning within a week of turning 17. A week after 18, I was in Iraq.
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Jan 17, 2015 00:57
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My BAH is so loving high due to CA so with my house almost payed off my wife can really treat Jody right.
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Jan 17, 2015 01:28
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Master Bateman posted:I joined the infantry and was at benning within a week of turning 17. A week after 18, I was in Iraq. Sounds like a pretty decent intro to a movie
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Jan 17, 2015 01:31
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join the marines and slay dragons, killer
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Jan 17, 2015 02:19
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Is it being over exaggerated when you guys say peacetime infantry does nothing or do they really do nothing?
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Jan 17, 2015 02:21
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Remember what we've written about sweeping floors, painting rocks, being hazed, mowing lawns? Yeah, that wasn't exaggeration or a joke.
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Jan 17, 2015 02:23
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not caring here posted:Remember what we've written about sweeping floors, painting rocks, being hazed, mowing lawns? There would be training occasionally, but even during wartime in garrison we did nothing most of the time. We just sat in the basement, cleaned weapons, hosed with new guys, had classes every now and again. But it was mostly just twiddling our fingers until 5 o'clock except for like once or twice a week when we had something planned. It really depends on your platoon sergeant and sections sergeants, but yeah, the above post has a very high probability of being your life. Especially as POG as poo poo NCO's start working their way back into control since there's no wars to make them become jaded enough to not be stupid AR 670-1 reciting little bitches.
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Jan 17, 2015 02:27
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If you aren't SOF/SOF support or a fighter pilot there's a 95% chance your life will be gay. Some people get lucky and have cool leadership and their unit is rad but most of the time it's pretty gay. The SWCC guy is your idea of how cool being infantry is. The fish is the reality of peacetime military breaking your fingers and knocking the wind out of you while being a braindead retard fish. Alternatively the SWCC guy is you thinking you'll make it through some SOF pipeline. The fish is the thing that is completely out of your control causing you to get dropped. A lot of guys quit because doing 800 flutter kicks loving sucks beyond belief but people also get dropped because their leg was broken and they didn't even realize it until an instructor pulled them. Or the two guys I know that got dropped from SERE/TACP because some instructors didn't like them and just told them to gently caress off. terrez fucked around with this message at 03:51 on Jan 17, 2015 |
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Jan 17, 2015 03:12
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| # ? Jun 18, 2024 23:24 |
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Here's my reason for making GBS threads on posts like these...either the poster's reasons and logic are so awful that he's going to ruin his life or worse, get himself hurt by biting off way too much to chew. The other part isn't really to make sure they know what they're getting into, because I don't believe you can. So much of this stuff, it doesn't matter how much you hear about it, how many pictures or videos or even accurate movies you see, it's just not the same as experiencing it. I knew probably 75% of what goes on at SERE ahead of time, but it's like reading a book on bike riding. Nothing I or anyone else here posts will ever really get the point sunk home effectively. But what I'm hoping to do is set you up so that if you do go through with it, you've at least got your eyes open rather than pinballing through everything from one assraping to the next without getting your feet under you.
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Jan 17, 2015 05:26
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