Military and Guns; or I'm gonna join up and serve! (long)

[striker3]

GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING!

As far as enlisting goes, this is the most important thing that you need to remember. If the recruiter won't put something that he his promosing in writing...it will never exist. Also, make sure that what they put in writing means what you think it means, get as specific as possible. I had some of my fellow Marines ask for a west coast assignment, and some others ask for an overseas billet. They all got sent to Hawaii, which technically falls in both categories.

Never let the recruiter make you think he is doing you a favor. He is doing what he is paid for, nothing more. You have the high hand. You can always go to a different recruiter, whether it is from a diffrent branch of service, or the same one.

If you have friends/relatives who are on, or recently have been on active duty, take them with you. This will show the recruiter that you have someone who has "been there and done that" on your side to sort through the BS. I see that you are in California, I live in North San Diego County, I would be willing to go with you if I'm in your area.

Now after saying all of this, I have to say that not all recruiters are out to get you, my own recruiter was a brutally honest man whom I still have the greatest respect for. Also have an old buddy who is a recruiter in San Diego. But I have seen some people get screwed over.

Now, being a Marine, you know what is coming next...JOIN THE CORPS!!

 

[thefitzvh]

To the person who said do ROTC and go officer, I have a few thoughts.

If you go straight in as an officer, you're gonna spend a lot of time in the beginning of your career as the butterbar that everyone hates. you'll have to deal with that. I THINK (JMHO) that going enlisted first , then off to ROTC or OCS, is the better choice. That's what I'm doing. Just finished my time in the army a year ago, and now I'm an AFROTC cadet.

JMHO tho.

Also, as an officer, you're never truly OUT of the military. Once you serve your 8 enlisted years, you're DONE unless you get drafted. So if you're not sure, enlisting first is also a better idea.


James

 

[4v50 Gary]

Jim Morris's "Fighting Men."

It's in paperback and won't bust the bank. Read Chapter 2 entitled Ranger Dring. It talks about how Dring, who was savvy thanks to a WW II vet, moved ahead quickly. "When I went on active duty with another friend, we showed up with three pairs of faded, slick-sleeved tailored fatigues with spit-shined boots. Anybody can spot issue stuff. We stowed that in the footlockers. The cadre figured we were reenlistees and made us platoon leaders, and the mess sergant told us to go flake out in the storeroom while everybody else went on KP. It wasn't hard, after military school, marching' those guys. Gettin' over like a fat rat at seventeen..."

And it goes on and on and on. Mind you, Dring went to military school and served in the National Guard for a year before enlisting.