Joining the armed forces.

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tweek888

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Hello THR,

I'm thinking about enlisting(not sure about which branch).

I talked to a recruiter today for the army; he sounded like the army was just about the best thing in the world, but I guess that is what they're paid for :).

I'm sixteen now I was thinking about joining at 18, giving me about 1.2 years of study as I graduate this April.

I want to join for a few reasons, main reasons being education,training, and well
can't deny the pay looks good :)

I was wondering if I could bring my civilian firearms to my station? Even without a combat job? say some where in fabrication.

Any input is welcome thanks!
 
I was wondering if I could bring my civilian firearms to my station?
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I ain't in the military, but I do know that they pretty much forbid anyone to bring personal weapons onto bases and duty stations. If you live off base, you can usually have whatever the heck you want (provided it's in compliance with local, state and federal laws of course), but that's it. Other than that your issued weapons are all you get.
 
I am Active Duty in the Air Force and you can have all the guns you want off base, but if you are living in the dormitory/barracks, which you will for at least a year or two if your not married, you must declare your firearms at the gate once you come on base and Security Forces will escort you to the armory and hold them there until you take them off base. I have never done this myself since I lmoved off base before buying my first gun, but I believe there are people who live on base housing that store their firearms at the armory with no problem. This is only for the Air Force and I would assume the same is for the Army. This would be if your stationed stateside I'm not sure what the situation is overseas but if you are deployed you will have your issued firearms and will not be able to use your own.

The military has been good to me so far and I have been in almost three years. Keep in mind I'm in the Air Force and have not been deployed in three years and I will be the first to admit we got things easy compared to the Army. Let me know if you want to know anything else.
 
thanks

Thanks for your help
sumpnz and af1acura.

I see no problem keeping them in the armory, I have also considered the USAF; I hear it is fun :)
 
if you live in the barracks (dorms for you zoomies) you may be able to store personal weapons in your unit's arms room. this will depend on your unit and the post you're at mostly. in the air force, it is pretty much standard to store personal weapons with the security forces in their arms room. if you live in post housing (you have to be married) you will probably be allowed to keep one firearm in the house but nobody searches your house. you can not carry a weapon other than your assigned weapon on post and it is pretty near impossible to deploy to combat with a personal weapon, i tried.

on recruiters, they'll tell you pretty much whatever you want to hear but most won't outright lie. some will. after almost eight years in the army guard and 22 months working with the air force as part of the homeland security mission, i'll tell you air force is the way to go. better advancement, better housing, better everything, really. plus, they only do four month deployments compared to our twelve to eighteen month deployments. if you want a combat arms job, you can go pj, eod or security forces. all actually have good employment opportunities on the outside.
 
tweek888 said:
Thanks for your help
sumpnz and af1acura.

I see no problem keeping them in the armory, I have also considered the USAF; I hear it is fun :)
Click to expand...

Think again, my friend. Think again.

I worked in 5 different Arms Rooms in the Army; two of them were mine, meaning I was the Unit Armorer.

This is what happens:

First, you go to Basic and AIT. Don't even THINK about showing up to basic training with ANY type of weapon. Period. There is no leeway and no loophole.

When arriving upon your permanent post, you will declare all firearms to the Provost Marshal's Office. You will be required to register ALL firearms that will be brought onto the military reservation.

When you get to your permanent duty station, you will declare your privately owned firearms upon inprocessing. They will then be transported to the Unit Arms Room, where they will be secured in a separate locker within the Arms Room, under double lock security, secured to the main structure of the room itself.

You will also present your registration card from the Provost Marshal's Office to be filed in the Unit Arms Room.

If you desire to draw your weapon from the Arms Room, you will complete a written request in triplicate. All copies will be forwarded as appropriate through your Chain of Command for endorsement and signature. The request must be approved by the Commander or their designated representative, and must state the time of drawing the firearm from the Arms Room, the purpose of withdrawal, and the time of return of the firearm. Withdrawals over the weekend are usually allowed, however you will furnish the Commander with the location of the firearm, the method of storage, and contact phone numbers for the owner of the property where the firearm is to be stored.

You will keep one copy of the approval to draw the weapon from the Arms Room on your person.

The Orderly Room (clerk) will keep a copy for file.

The Unit Armorer will also have a copy for inventory reconciliation.

By the way, if you have a valid Concealed Firearms License for ANY State or jurisdiction, be advised that it doesn't mean squat on a military reservation. Carrying of privately owned firearms is NOT authorized.

Most Unit Arms Rooms also approve and facilitate the storage of privately owned ammunition. The amount varies.

Also, be advised that at LEAST once per month, a complete, 100% serial number inventory of all firearms and equipment within the arms room is required by regulation. This inventory includes privately owned firearms, which the Unit Armorer has access to at all times.

Guess what that means?

Snap, :what: slam-the-cylinder-closed, :eek: dry-fire that Browning Superposed :uhoh: :what: twirl that single action (ohcrapIdroppedithopetheydon'tnoticethedingonthemuzzle:what: :eek: :what: :uhoh: )

When I took over an Arms Room, my standard procedure was to have all the owners of all POW's in the Arms Room come down and do an inspection of their firearms, BEFORE I signed for the inventory and the hand receipt. BOTH times, the owners hit the roof because their firearms were severely damaged, either mechanically or cosmetically. The outgoing Armorer was NOT a happy camper in those cases.

Now, you know what to expect....

or, you can just avoid all the BS, and store your firearms off post. :D :D
 
I was enlisted in the Air Force from 92-96.

Things I learned:

Go in with some college credits, even if enlisted. You'll start out with an AIC rank instead of Airman Basic. Much better pay, more respect. More responsibility too, but oh well.

Make ABSOLUTELY SURE what you want to do. For example, I wanted to be in the meteorology field, but the recruiter informed me there were no openings at that time, and probably wouldn't be for at least a year. Then he proceeded to sell me on something else to fill his quota, which I ended up hating. Bottom line, if you have to wait for what you want, so be it. You can reserve a career field.

Stay all four years, get your honorable. I'm now 35 and recently almost had a heart attack. I had no health insurance, but the VA hospital basically saved my life with angioplasty. No insurance having to pay that back would have cost untold thousands of dollars.

I got my first house 8 years ago via the VA loan program. No money down so it really helped out. Sure the paperwork jungle was a real PITA but now I have 135k in equity in my second home.

Go see the world. When they ask if you would go overseas on your 'dream sheet', say YEEEESSSS. I didn't, and they stuck me in the midwest for 4 long years.

Base barracks living is no fun. I had to work rotating shifts, so every 3 months I would do the 'graveyard' and have to put up foil on the windows but have to hear a thumping stereo next door. Sharing that tiny room with a roommate was insane. On the plus side, our barracks were 'co-ed'.:p I eventually moved off base.

PS...there's a good reason why they call it the Chair Force.
 
tweek888 said:
Hello THR,

I'm thinking about enlisting(not sure about which branch).

Even without a combat job? say some where in fabrication.

Any input is welcome thanks!
Click to expand...

Your comment about "even without a combat job" concerns me. You're considering the United States Armed Forces, combat can be seen at any time by anyone in the Armed Forces. You also said you're talking to the Army, what is it you think they do in the Army? I'll tell you...Combat.

If your desire is to stay out of combat I would choose another profession or go to college. Each of the United States Armed Services has a mission and that mission in each case is Combat.

You might want to rethink your reasons for exploring military service.

LBTRS
 
I agree with previous posters. Don't join the army if you want to avoid combat. Or any other service, for that matter.

Do your research, make sure you get what you want in your contract (mos, duty station, enlistment bonuses, schools, etc). If they don't have what you want, say "no thanks" and try again in a couple weeks. Take a friend who is a veteran, a recent veteran. No offense to the old timers, but a recent vet or current serviceman will have more up-to-date info. Don't take no for an answer.

Not every young person considers military service these days. Be proud of yourself. Good luck and God bless.
 
(Chris,

Don't whine about the shift work. On Okinawa in the AF Security Service we did three day rotating shifts.)

College time or good test scores can get plush positions.
 
(Chris,

Don't whine about the shift work. On Okinawa in the AF Security Service we did three day rotating shifts.)

College time or good test scores can get plush positions.
 
thanks

I wasn't saying I wouldn't serve combat but it isn't my first choice either.

I was looking into Chemical Operations Specialist(or something fabrication/chemistry/physics related), after serving would go to college and do the extra three years.

I would be going in with a few college credits not many and they're from a community college.

Thanks for the input again,everyone.
 
tweek888 said:
I wasn't saying I wouldn't serve combat but it isn't my first choice either.

I was looking into Chemical Operations Specialist(or something fabrication/chemistry/physics related), after serving would go to college and do the extra three years.
Click to expand...

I would bet that Chemical Operations Specialist is another word for the guy that decides how much chemical exposure has been seen during a NBC attack. If I was a betting man (which I am) I'd say it's a combat position in every sense of the word. The Army and USMC are ground combat organizations, if you're looking to avoid front line ground combat I'd explore the Navy or Air Force.

LBTRS
 
Did the USAF equivalent of the Army chemical ops specialist. I was commander on the USAF side for nearly 10 yrs and we played with the Army guys. If you don't want a combat role then that's not the career field for you. If the balloon goes up, and chem or nukes are dropped or even suspected of being deployed, you're going to be in the thick of it. You're going to be wearing the NBC suit and walking around in that environment testing for what it is the enemy spread, concentrations, and depending on what it is then what it is friendly forces need to do to either avoid it or work in it. Or you could be assigned to a unit to disperse the stuff. That's pretty much front line stuff.
Chems/nukes is a very interesting career field. I learned a lot and got to see a lot but it's nasty stuff.
I did 2 yrs Army and 24.5 yrs USAF and Air Guard. Now that I look back the Army was a fun time but I never would have done my entire 26.5 yrs had I stayed in the Army, particularly after seeing "the Good Life" (read USAF). If you select USAF then depending on your career field you could very easily end up in combat ops or in the rear with the gear. But in today's war theatres "in the rear" can catch some nasty things too with terrorst attacks. You can't assume any place is 100% non-combat safe.
If you look into USAF they may try to steer you towards Security Forces. There's been a shortage of SF and I assume there still is. When I retired I was a SF commander. It's what's sometimes called the Infantry of the Air Force. Depending on the unit you could be out there humping a ruck and living in a hole in the ground doing all the traditional Army things. My unit had a mission of being deployed out away from the base to do outside the wire security. Could be several hundred yards out or a few miles, depending on the terrain. That's what we trained for. Our mission was to be self sufficient for 3 days without supply, do the outside perimeter, and take the first hit if conventional type forces were used. It was live in the dirt type stuff. I often wondered if our training and mission was realistic given what I believed the next wars would be like (I retired in 2000 prior to all the latest unpleasantries). I felt we would most likely face the small bands of attackers from the local populace and not the traditional attacks like from WWII where there were clear cut lines, opfor in distinctive uniforms, and conventional military tactics. I wondered if what we were training for was realistic. Turned out after 9/11 that even tho my unit wasn't tasked with the specific mission of setting up outside perimeter kind of things the skills they used were put to good use. One of my guys has received the Bronze Star with V and another has been put in for the Silver Star but haven't heard if he's getting it. Because they had the skills and some of the contacts we had made my old unit got to play in the war out hunting for bad guys. Sounds like they represented themselves well. And best of all no one got hurt.
Can't comment on the Navy. Worked along side some at Pearl/Hickam and it appeared they treated their people well. I just was not crazy about sitting out in any kind of boat in the middle of anywhere that I couldn't see land.
Got lots of buddies who are former Marines. However, you go Marines it's highly unlikely you won't spend some time somewhere exchanging fire. They're definitely hard chargers and they're going to be thrown in the grinder any time things get nasty.
BTW, Happy Birthday to any of the Marines on here.
 
+1 on all said. I'd also suggest sigining up for the minimum enlistment (4years for Air Force and 2 years for Army) The bonus for the 6 year enlistment sounds nice but your plans may change and you might want to get out.
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one caveat: they are ALL six year contracts. after the active portion (your standard four years or whatever) you are innactive but still bound by contract. i'm not sure how many folks are getting stop lossed or called back from irr on the zoomie side but it's happening ALOT with the army. if you join the army you have to realize that you may be in for a much longer ride than you asked for. once you are in you can be involuntarily extended indefinately. realistically it only means a few extra years but you could become very aquainted with the term "at the needs of the army."

i'm not trying to talk you out of it but i think you did the right thing in seeking out as much info as possible before you join up. it's not something to be taken lightly but if you do decide to join up you will know that you, personally, have taken moral responsibility for the freedom you enjoy in civilian life. do your research, be certain of what you want and GET IT IN WRITING.
 
Guys, for every guy with a rifle, dude with tank, or zoomie heading back home for hot chow, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of guys making sure he has what he needs.

Recruiters don't lie, but they don't tell you everything either. Get EVERYTHING in writing, and watch out for the weasel words and small print.

If you go in at 18, and do 20 years (I know it seems like forever...) you'll be retired at age 38. That's a good thing.
 
Actually, I'm pretty sure they are all 8 year contracts.

Except of course for the officers. Recent policy in the Army is that they have made everyone Regular Army, and I think they went back and changed the status of guys who are out. Makes it much easier for them to keep you or call you back since you must resign. You can't just do your time and go to the farm now. Unless a guy puts in a resignation letter they have him till he hits max age which I think is 60 something.

I think the Army now has a contract as short of 18 months (for certain jobs). However, you must do the other 6 years as an active guard/reserve guy which will more than likely mean more sandbox time.

If you want to go Army PM me when you get close to a decision. Not a recruiter. However, I can give you some insight to a lot of it.

We have welders if you want to fabricate stuff.
 
When I was in, since I lived in the barracks, I had one or two guys on my team who lived off base store my weapons for me. This was much simpler than registering them and storing them in the arms room, and getting them out when I wanted.

Of course many tried to hide their weapons in their rooms, but if caught during a room inspection would have severe consequences.
 
You stated that your main reasons for joining are education, training, and pay. In that case, go to college instead.

If you want to protect and defend the Constitution and the United States, the military needs good infantrymen.
 
Hello.

I ship to Lackland AFB on Tuesday.

Spent a great deal of time with US Army prior to that.

I am 23 years old, and do not stand to benefit if you join the armed forces.

From my experience, pay close attention to recruiters. Most are good people in a tough job, a few are not.

If I could offer one suggestion, talk to more than one branch. Go across the hall and talk to the Air Force Staff Sergeant.

From my experience: Army was under stressful recruiting goals; USAF had very low recruiting goals because they're under orders to cut several thousand personell.

I must strongly suggest that you ignore how readily you can store a firearm when trying to decide on the military.


You have a long life ahead of you. The military has a lot to offer. Many people are not well suited to military service.

Think long and hard about what you want out of life. Military pay sucks. You can easily make double an enlisted man's pay working as junior manager at Home Depot. Don't join for money. You can go to most colleges or universities on someone else's money (subsidised college loans - I still owe just under US$19K for my BA) - repayment ammounts are small.

Don't be in a rush to join. The military will still be there next month.
Feel free to IM or E-mail.
 
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