1) How is length of enlistment determined?
A) The length of your enlistment is based on the MOS (job) you opt for, training options, enlistment bonuses, and other elistment guarantees you sign up for, including, but not limited to station of choice, or Army College Fund. What happens is you sign for an eight year obligation. Part of that will be active duty and the remainder can either National Guard, Enlised Reserves, or Individual Ready Reserves. Or, you can reenlist and continue to serve on active duty.
2) How do college grants work?
A) The Army doesn't call them 'grants' per se, but they do have several options for funding your higher education. There is always the Montgomery GI Bill, in which you contribute $1200, $100/month for 12 months; and the Army reimburses you up to $985/month for up to 36 months of school. The actual amount you get depends on whether or not you are enrolled full time. You can also contribute an additional $600 and recieve up to an extra $150/month. This also depends on your enrollment satus in school. Also, the Army has the Army College Fund, where in lieu of a cash bonus, you recieve up to $50,000 for school. Whether or not you can qualify for this depends on your ASVAB test scores. The higher the score, the more options you qualify for. The Army also has the EArmyU program. Under this program, soldiers recieve a Compaq laptop, printer, internet access, tuition, and books, all paid for by the Army. All you have to do is complete 12 semester hours of school within two years. If you do, you keep the computer. If you don't, you still get to keep the computer, but the Army takes back the money they spent on all of it, currently at the rate of $250/month for 12 months. Twelve semester hours isn't much, but when you're constantly in the field, it can become a daunting task. Also, if you want to take some other classes at the local education center on your post, you can get Tuition Assistance, where you only have to pay a small portion of the tuition cost and buy the books.
3) How much firearms training will I get in boot?
A) First off, the Army calls it Basic Combat Training, or Basic, the Marines call it boot. The amount of firearms training you'll recieve will vary depending on what MOS you are going to be trained as. The companies made up of non-combat arms trainees don't as a rule, spend as much time training with their weapons as say an Infantry company. If you opt for Infantry, you will spend A LOT of time getting to know your new girlfriend. You will undergo BRM, Basic Rifle Marksmanship, and ARM, Advanced Rifle Marksmanship (which is training to shoot moving targets). You will also learn to shoot while wearing a Chemical Protective Suit. You will also recieve familiarization training on the M203, M249 SAW, M240G MG, and M136(AT4) rocket launcher. As an enlisted Infantryman, you can count on recieving NO training on the M9 pistol, unless you are assigned as a gunner on a machinegun team at your duty station. MP's will obviously qualify on the M9, as well as the shotgun.
4) If you could give one piece of advice, what would it be?
A) Use your head at all times. - Don't get caught up in doing stupid stuff simply because your buddies are doing it. Don't allow yourself to get into debt. Don't run your mouth when you should be listening. Always be thinking about what it will take to get your next promotion. Take some correspondence courses, go to the unit Soldier of the Month competitions. Attend as many schools as you can, whether it's Airborne school, Air Assault School, Ranger School, Combat Lifesaver training, or Field Sanitation and Safety class.
5) Is there anything I can do to make military life easier?
A) Do your homework. Don't take the ASVAB test too lightly. A good score on it can affect your career more than you can imagine. Stay out of any kind of trouble with the law. As for exercise, do push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, pull-ups, and other aerobic exercises. Run, but not with boots. You are much better off buying good running shoes, as they will give your ankles the proper support and lessen the impact on your feet, legs and back. Buy a good backpack, such as an Army surplus rucksack, and load it with about 30-40 lbs of stuff and start walking while wearing it. Start out with short distances, such as 1 or 2 miles, then work your way up slowly, until you can do at least 12 miles. You should strive to be able to do those 12 miles in less than 3 hours.
6) Military weapons/CCW
A) Your weapons are owned by the unit, and are assigned to you for the time you are in that unit. They must remain stored in the unit arms room, in accordance with Army Regulations. You are issued them as needed, and only for official duties. You can not take your weapon to the range on personal time. The Army will provide you with ammo, although it never seems like there is enough. You can not transport a military-owned weapon in a privately owned vehicle. You are allowed to own your own weapons, as long as they are legal in the state you are stationed in. If you live in the barracks, they must be stored in the arms room or off-post, if your commander allows, or doesn't know they exist. You may not CCW on a Federal Installation. If you are caught with aweapon in the barracks you can count on a world of hurt unlike any you have ever known. Your unit commander can punish you in ways that will make your parents look like amatuers. The only soldiers who, by Army regs, are allowed to carry privately owned weapons into combat are General Officers.
If you have any other questions that I can help you with, feel free to PM me.
Frank
P.S. As for bleeding for the country, I fully recommend you read a poem entitled "Dolce et Decorum est Pro Patria Mori". GEN Patton said it best when he said that the object is not to die for your country, it's to make that other poor bastard die for his. (My apologies to Art's grammaw. I'm sure she can forgive Ol' Blood and Guts for his language.) If you die, you've failed, it's as simple as that. You can no longer cover your buddies as they continue the fight. For every soldier lost, it's that much tougher to fight the enemy. I'm not saying that those who have lost their lives aren't worth honoring, don't take it that way. What I'm saying is that if a soldiers stated goal is to die for his country, he's got his priorities wrong.
