I was entertaining the idea of heading over to my local recruiter and seeing what kind of plan they could lay out for me. I just graduated from college so I think I'd be some kind of very low ranking officer. Either way, I was thinking about going in to sit down with them and just see what they would tell me. The thing is, is that you hear some much about them just spouting lies etc. to get you to put your signature on that piece of paper. I had the pleasure of talking about it with a former army ranger of 8 years and he told me to go speak with a specific type of person, not a standard recruiter, to get truer story about what I'd be getting myself into, but I don't remember exactly what he said and unfortunately I will never see him again. Anybody more familiar with the situation than I that could provide me some insight into this? A heads up on things to know when I walk in there or just any other helpful info? Thanks!
Military Recruitment
- Thread starter cbrgator
- Start date
- Status
mlw332
Member
congrats on your decision. i thank you for wanting to join
Treo
member
Get everything in writing, get a career field that translates into a REAL job. Medical, computers they may even be able to teach you a trade (machinist ,welder) . Get everything in writing. If you don't get EXACTLY what you want don't join. Oh and BTW GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING.
lacoochee
Member
Think Air Force!!!
Take it from this former Navy guy, they really do treat their people better.
Oh and as an aside, don't join because you can't think of anything better to do ( I am not saying that you are), join because you truly want too. I saw way to many people throw away years doing something that their heart was not into, you can't walk away from the military if isn't what you thought it would be.
So good luck and happy hunting.
Quick thought for you, by not taking ROTC in College you have kind of taken the hard road on this one. You will likely have to go to basic, buck for a spot in an OCS program and get through that before you can pick up an officers slot.
You may want to think about getting a graduate degree in something useful and taking 2 years of ROTC while doing that, 2 things will happen for you if you do that - they may pay for the graduate degree or even a second bachelors in something like nursing, civil engineering, whatever the military needs and you will be able to apply for entry into the military as an officer without having to go enlist and hope for an OCS spot.
Go talk to your local ROTC unit commander he/she will be able to steer you in the right direction on this. Trust me don't go talk to the recruiter he will tell you anything to get you to sign the dotted line.
*Oh and an additional bonus, the ROTC program will quickly let you know if this is what you truly want to do and you can walk away from that.
Take it from this former Navy guy, they really do treat their people better.
Oh and as an aside, don't join because you can't think of anything better to do ( I am not saying that you are), join because you truly want too. I saw way to many people throw away years doing something that their heart was not into, you can't walk away from the military if isn't what you thought it would be.
So good luck and happy hunting.
Quick thought for you, by not taking ROTC in College you have kind of taken the hard road on this one. You will likely have to go to basic, buck for a spot in an OCS program and get through that before you can pick up an officers slot.
You may want to think about getting a graduate degree in something useful and taking 2 years of ROTC while doing that, 2 things will happen for you if you do that - they may pay for the graduate degree or even a second bachelors in something like nursing, civil engineering, whatever the military needs and you will be able to apply for entry into the military as an officer without having to go enlist and hope for an OCS spot.
Go talk to your local ROTC unit commander he/she will be able to steer you in the right direction on this. Trust me don't go talk to the recruiter he will tell you anything to get you to sign the dotted line.
*Oh and an additional bonus, the ROTC program will quickly let you know if this is what you truly want to do and you can walk away from that.
It's definitely not because I have nothing better to do. I have excellent options for my future (I have been accepted to a top 50 law school). In reality I would probably not join until after that anyway. It is just an idea I have been entertaining and wanted to know the best way to approach it and figured theres plenty of people here who have gone through it.
iheartboost
Member
ok.....
so do you have any ideas about what you would career field you want to enter into? If you graduated from college with a degree in medical/law, you might be able to get a direct commission (no officer candidate school) as a physician/JAG lawyer. Good luck if you want to be an infantry officer(usually goes to military academy grads, good for fast promotions) I'm not to sure about the other combat arms fields. Intel and aviation are good fields, but require alot of security clearance type stuff (I hear they get pretty personal when you go for your Top Secret clearence levels) and aviaton requres alot of paper work and health evaluations. In any case it's hard to go wrong with becoming an officer. They'll probably offer you a bonus and student loan repayment up to a certain amount. Good luck!
so do you have any ideas about what you would career field you want to enter into? If you graduated from college with a degree in medical/law, you might be able to get a direct commission (no officer candidate school) as a physician/JAG lawyer. Good luck if you want to be an infantry officer(usually goes to military academy grads, good for fast promotions) I'm not to sure about the other combat arms fields. Intel and aviation are good fields, but require alot of security clearance type stuff (I hear they get pretty personal when you go for your Top Secret clearence levels) and aviaton requres alot of paper work and health evaluations. In any case it's hard to go wrong with becoming an officer. They'll probably offer you a bonus and student loan repayment up to a certain amount. Good luck!
RoadkingLarry
Member
Can't hurt to go talk to them. Just don't sign anything till you've slept on it and talked it through with smart people that actually care about you.
My bachelors degree is in Accounting. Dont really know how that field can be applied though. I'm sure there is an ROTC program at the law school I am attending so I can probably go talk to them and see how that all works and what I could do through them.
IMO, you need to do a LOT more research before you set foot in a recruiter's office. You need to know EXACTLY what you want, and what they can and can not reasonably promise you before you get anywhere near that door. My father and one of my brothers served in the military, I have been married twice to military men, and have many friends who are active and former military, and I have never met anyone (not even people who went career) who would not happily beat their recruiter to a bloody pulp if they chanced to meet again.
In addition to finding out more about the nuts-and-bolts of what you want to do and what kind of compensation and benefits you can reasonably expect, there are other, major questions you need to answer to your own satisfaction before you sign up, preferably before you even talk to a recruiter. Are you willing to give up your constitutional rights? Are you really willing to submit to the orders of others with whom you may strongly disagree? Are you willing to kill other human beings who may have done you no harm and who may pose no immediate threat to your personal safety? Which service are you contemplating? Why? What do you hope to get out of your service, and what do you hope to be able to give? Are you looking to go career or just do a short stint? A commission is a great responsibility: are you willing to take it on with all that it entails?
If you can't answer these questions with utter certainty and clarity, DON'T SIGN.
(And now, to make the post gun-related...)
There are ranges where you can fire full-auto, and rent military firearms. You don't have to JOIN the military just to fire their guns....
Just my .02
In addition to finding out more about the nuts-and-bolts of what you want to do and what kind of compensation and benefits you can reasonably expect, there are other, major questions you need to answer to your own satisfaction before you sign up, preferably before you even talk to a recruiter. Are you willing to give up your constitutional rights? Are you really willing to submit to the orders of others with whom you may strongly disagree? Are you willing to kill other human beings who may have done you no harm and who may pose no immediate threat to your personal safety? Which service are you contemplating? Why? What do you hope to get out of your service, and what do you hope to be able to give? Are you looking to go career or just do a short stint? A commission is a great responsibility: are you willing to take it on with all that it entails?
If you can't answer these questions with utter certainty and clarity, DON'T SIGN.
(And now, to make the post gun-related...)
There are ranges where you can fire full-auto, and rent military firearms. You don't have to JOIN the military just to fire their guns....
Just my .02
BADSBSNF81
Member
Contrary to popular belief, 99.999999999999999999999999999999999% of all recruiters are professional Soldiers doing thier best. No, I am not, nor never have been, a recruiter.
Having said that, READ EVERY WORD ON EVERY PIECE OF PAPER YOU EVEN THINK YOU MIGHT SIGN BEFORE YOU SIGN IT. Take it home with you and have someone else read it. What don't they understand? What don't you understand? You have questions, write them down and ask them. Do some research before hand.
You want to be an officer? You can go to Officer Candidate School straight out of college. This website will get you started (US Army Human Resources Command)
https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/Active/opdistacc/OCS/OCS_FAQ.htm
GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING.
Have you checked out http://www.goarmy.com/?
If you join, you will make sacrifices.
You don't "give up" your constitutional rights. You do have to obey rules and regulations. Some of these can affect your rights under the 1st and 4th amendment.
BTW, I served for 27+ years.
Having said that, READ EVERY WORD ON EVERY PIECE OF PAPER YOU EVEN THINK YOU MIGHT SIGN BEFORE YOU SIGN IT. Take it home with you and have someone else read it. What don't they understand? What don't you understand? You have questions, write them down and ask them. Do some research before hand.
You want to be an officer? You can go to Officer Candidate School straight out of college. This website will get you started (US Army Human Resources Command)
https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/Active/opdistacc/OCS/OCS_FAQ.htm
GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING.
Have you checked out http://www.goarmy.com/?
If you join, you will make sacrifices.
You don't "give up" your constitutional rights. You do have to obey rules and regulations. Some of these can affect your rights under the 1st and 4th amendment.
BTW, I served for 27+ years.
lacoochee
Member
Ding!!! That was just what I was going to suggest, call them up and talk to them. I did a little googling they may be able to help you. Accounting is also what is known as a useful degree and you may get them to bite on just that especially if you have passed the certification exam already.
Good luck!!!!
Good luck!!!!
lacoochee
Member
Agreed, I was in so way disparaging recruiters, I am just saying they have a job and a lot of them do it well.
CBRGATOR, with a law degree and an interest in going officer right off the boot, go talk to the Navy and even the Coast Gaurd if your super man type of physical condition. Those are the best options for someone who doesnt do ROTC.
Oh yeah, you do realize that military Law is NOT anything like the law youve been studying so far? Just so you understand that.
On a side note, are you ready to do as UNCLE SAM says? The first few lines of your post makes me think "hey what can i get from uncle sam?", its not like that at all.
Oh yeah, you do realize that military Law is NOT anything like the law youve been studying so far? Just so you understand that.
On a side note, are you ready to do as UNCLE SAM says? The first few lines of your post makes me think "hey what can i get from uncle sam?", its not like that at all.
Not every recruiter deserves a good beating. maybe just on the amount of culture shock you experience at basic... maybe im guessing.
Hey, not every recruiter will lie to you. My recruiter is a Cav Scout, did 2 tours in iraq before he got hurt and ended up doing recruiting. He steered me out of some very bad career choices i had been considering.
Hey, not every recruiter will lie to you. My recruiter is a Cav Scout, did 2 tours in iraq before he got hurt and ended up doing recruiting. He steered me out of some very bad career choices i had been considering.
VA27
Member
A hitch in the military is always a good thing, no matter what job you have. You'll build friendships and memories that'll last a lifetime and have the satisfaction of knowing that you 'did your part'.
"...get a career field that translates into a REAL job..."
There's good and bad in that.
You have a degree, that's your fallback job.
Get into a field that you think will be fun, interesting or would make a good hobby, 'cause when you get out all the people in that 'real job' career field that got out before you did will have all the jobs sewed up!
I haven't so much as looked at a jet engine since 1970. The airlines were full up and the Air Guard unit that flew the same plane that I worked on was full up, too!
One of my friends went to A&P school after he got out and wound up building earthmovers for a while before going to work for a city powerplant. Not a bad job, just NOT what he had planned for.
Cop, computers or anything medical are the best bets for a job when you get out. Auto mechanics, heavy equipment operator and related fields are good, too.
Except for pilot, stay away from aircraft. Missiles, nuclear power and such have limited job potential on the civilian market. (Visited a used missile lot recently?)
Besides, if you're an officer you won't actually be DOING anything except paperwork!
(Army, Marine Corps and the odd SEAL here and there excepted!)
"...get a career field that translates into a REAL job..."
There's good and bad in that.
You have a degree, that's your fallback job.
Get into a field that you think will be fun, interesting or would make a good hobby, 'cause when you get out all the people in that 'real job' career field that got out before you did will have all the jobs sewed up!
I haven't so much as looked at a jet engine since 1970. The airlines were full up and the Air Guard unit that flew the same plane that I worked on was full up, too!
One of my friends went to A&P school after he got out and wound up building earthmovers for a while before going to work for a city powerplant. Not a bad job, just NOT what he had planned for.
Cop, computers or anything medical are the best bets for a job when you get out. Auto mechanics, heavy equipment operator and related fields are good, too.
Except for pilot, stay away from aircraft. Missiles, nuclear power and such have limited job potential on the civilian market. (Visited a used missile lot recently?)
Besides, if you're an officer you won't actually be DOING anything except paperwork!
(Army, Marine Corps and the odd SEAL here and there excepted!)Aguila Blanca
Member
Recruiters are sort of like ... people. Some are good, some are not so good, and some are pathalogical liars. Keep in mind that the armed services are having retention problems, so they need new recruits. That puts a lot of pressure on recruiters to meet quotas. The advice given previously is valid: get everything in writing, and then take it home and have it read by an attorney before you sign anything.
There are not direct commissions, AFAIK, so if you want to be an officer you will have to go the OCS (Officer Candidate School) route. Just keep in mind that they do not guarantee you that you'll pass OCS. They'll guarantee you a slot, but you still have to perform or you flunk. I don't know what happens today if you don't pass OCS. When I was in during Vietnam, if you washed out of OCS you reverted to being an enlisted soldier and you served out the unexpired remainder of your term of enlistment (which back then was either two or three years) as an enlisted man.
If at all possible, try to find some OCS graduates and ask them what the experience was like. I'm sure things have changed in the 40 years since I was in, but back then OCS was nothing more than 6 months of fraternity hazing chicken s**t. OCS turned out a few decent officers and a big pile of exceptionally poor officers. Back then it didn't matter, because 1st and 2nd Lieutenants had a short life expectancy in Vietnam and the emphasis was on quantity rather than quality.
Be sure to read the fine print regarding contingencies. I enlisted for Combat Engineer OCS. It wasn't until after I finished training that some genius looked at my records and saw that I have defective color vision (red-green weak -- not "color blind," but some shades of light green and pink sort of disappear). They used that as a technicality to kick me out of the Engineers and reassign me to an Infantry posting. The excuse was that they didn't want anyone with funny color vision hooking up wires to things that go BOOM, but I had already gone through the training without blowing anybody up, and the officers rarely if ever set the charges anyway. So, after getting mind f**ked for 6 months, I also got career f**ked.
Read the fine print. Good luck to you. I'm sure we all here wish you well.
There are not direct commissions, AFAIK, so if you want to be an officer you will have to go the OCS (Officer Candidate School) route. Just keep in mind that they do not guarantee you that you'll pass OCS. They'll guarantee you a slot, but you still have to perform or you flunk. I don't know what happens today if you don't pass OCS. When I was in during Vietnam, if you washed out of OCS you reverted to being an enlisted soldier and you served out the unexpired remainder of your term of enlistment (which back then was either two or three years) as an enlisted man.
If at all possible, try to find some OCS graduates and ask them what the experience was like. I'm sure things have changed in the 40 years since I was in, but back then OCS was nothing more than 6 months of fraternity hazing chicken s**t. OCS turned out a few decent officers and a big pile of exceptionally poor officers. Back then it didn't matter, because 1st and 2nd Lieutenants had a short life expectancy in Vietnam and the emphasis was on quantity rather than quality.
Be sure to read the fine print regarding contingencies. I enlisted for Combat Engineer OCS. It wasn't until after I finished training that some genius looked at my records and saw that I have defective color vision (red-green weak -- not "color blind," but some shades of light green and pink sort of disappear). They used that as a technicality to kick me out of the Engineers and reassign me to an Infantry posting. The excuse was that they didn't want anyone with funny color vision hooking up wires to things that go BOOM, but I had already gone through the training without blowing anybody up, and the officers rarely if ever set the charges anyway. So, after getting mind f**ked for 6 months, I also got career f**ked.
Read the fine print. Good luck to you. I'm sure we all here wish you well.
M47 Dragon
Member
I think of recruiters being very similar to new car salesmen - it's high pressure sales.
You just need act like a buyer with a whole lotta cash in pocket. You call the shots - if the recruiter has what you want, great. If he can't meet your requirements, walk. (Walking may just mean walking down the hall to another branch)
You just need act like a buyer with a whole lotta cash in pocket. You call the shots - if the recruiter has what you want, great. If he can't meet your requirements, walk. (Walking may just mean walking down the hall to another branch)
spaceCADETzoom
Member
whoa hold on one second.
If you want to swing for a commission, you must talk to an OFFICER recruiter. Insist on info regarding OCS/OTS. Otherwise, you may get talked into enlisting. There's no problem with that, but you need to know what you are getting into. Recruiters are after numbers. They want to enlist you.
If you go to the recruiting office and sign on the dotted line, with your college degree you will be an E-4, an enlisted soldier with no official leadership responsibility. You can work your way to become an NCO. An outstanding and rewarding service to the country in a leadership position unmatched in any sector of the work force.
The other side, the dark side, is to work for your commission and become an officer. That route is different. THe process is more involved than your normal interview for a cubicle-farm career. All in all, it's a relatively long process of interviews, tests, etc, in which you should try and put your best foot forward and explain to the govt why exactly you are worthy of accepting and holding appointed office. In the Army, all OCS candidates go through enlisted basic training first, but eventually get to OCS (then BOLCII, then BOLC III). Air Force and Navy (with USMC) has applicants go direct to their commissioning programs (OTS/OCS).
I am broaching completely the differences between the career fields. If you are a lawyer or doctor, for example, the process, route, and end state are different.
If you want to swing for a commission, you must talk to an OFFICER recruiter. Insist on info regarding OCS/OTS. Otherwise, you may get talked into enlisting. There's no problem with that, but you need to know what you are getting into. Recruiters are after numbers. They want to enlist you.
If you go to the recruiting office and sign on the dotted line, with your college degree you will be an E-4, an enlisted soldier with no official leadership responsibility. You can work your way to become an NCO. An outstanding and rewarding service to the country in a leadership position unmatched in any sector of the work force.
The other side, the dark side, is to work for your commission and become an officer. That route is different. THe process is more involved than your normal interview for a cubicle-farm career. All in all, it's a relatively long process of interviews, tests, etc, in which you should try and put your best foot forward and explain to the govt why exactly you are worthy of accepting and holding appointed office. In the Army, all OCS candidates go through enlisted basic training first, but eventually get to OCS (then BOLCII, then BOLC III). Air Force and Navy (with USMC) has applicants go direct to their commissioning programs (OTS/OCS).
I am broaching completely the differences between the career fields. If you are a lawyer or doctor, for example, the process, route, and end state are different.
ylapirrynag
Member
Since this is about military recruiment (and I don't wanna start another topic), how hard will the Army kick my ass when I go infantryman? At the moment I am not real physically fit (skinny though).
sailortoo
Member
cbrgator - I'm long, long, long out of active service, but if you want to be an individual, not a number, consider the Coast Guard. At least inquire. It is the small, humanitarian service, where an individual can shine and advance at your own pace - moreso than in the major services. I did not have a career in the Coast Guard, but treasure my active sea duty in "the life saving service" (it was so far back, it was still under the Treasury Department!). 
sailortoo
sailortoo
Speaking from my own point of view, It's a very mixed type of experience.
I'd generally suggest to anyone thinking about joining the military that they think very long and hard about that decision.
You have to understand when you join that you will be a tool that is used to enforce political decisions and "interests" that may not really be US interests at all.
What I took away from my experience in uniform was an invaluable "education" on how the world works. I was a "kid" when I joined but I wasn't when I left. It certainly did leave a lasting impression on me and I have to credit the Army with helping to shape me into who I am today.
After 9/11 I tried to get back in the Army twice and was told both times that because of an injury I received while in the Army, I could never serve again. That's not to boast; it's just so you know that I understand the patriotic reasons for wanting to serve.
At the same time, I feel that our military is being completely mistreated and misused. The only reason I'd ever consider going back in right now is if someone hatched a plan to evacuate all US service personnel from everywhere that we have no business being in the first place. In that case, I would gladly suit up and cover their retreat. Other than that, I have no interest in being part of whatever mess our "leaders" feel the need to get us into.
The fact that some of my old friends are getting shot at right now also really bothers me. I personally feel that any of their lives are too valuable to risk fighting over someone else's sandbox. Quite frankly, they are all among the finest human beings I've ever known and they deserve better than they're getting. I fear that other people who choose to serve under the current conditions will only find themselves in the same position.
But that's just my opinion and probably an unpopular one at that.
It didn't cost you anything so take it for what it's worth.
One last thing I'd suggest is that you read a book called "The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell."
It was recommended to me by a former coworker who had been severely injured while serving (recently) in the Army.
I'd generally suggest to anyone thinking about joining the military that they think very long and hard about that decision.
You have to understand when you join that you will be a tool that is used to enforce political decisions and "interests" that may not really be US interests at all.
What I took away from my experience in uniform was an invaluable "education" on how the world works. I was a "kid" when I joined but I wasn't when I left. It certainly did leave a lasting impression on me and I have to credit the Army with helping to shape me into who I am today.
After 9/11 I tried to get back in the Army twice and was told both times that because of an injury I received while in the Army, I could never serve again. That's not to boast; it's just so you know that I understand the patriotic reasons for wanting to serve.
At the same time, I feel that our military is being completely mistreated and misused. The only reason I'd ever consider going back in right now is if someone hatched a plan to evacuate all US service personnel from everywhere that we have no business being in the first place. In that case, I would gladly suit up and cover their retreat. Other than that, I have no interest in being part of whatever mess our "leaders" feel the need to get us into.
The fact that some of my old friends are getting shot at right now also really bothers me. I personally feel that any of their lives are too valuable to risk fighting over someone else's sandbox. Quite frankly, they are all among the finest human beings I've ever known and they deserve better than they're getting. I fear that other people who choose to serve under the current conditions will only find themselves in the same position.
But that's just my opinion and probably an unpopular one at that.
It didn't cost you anything so take it for what it's worth.
One last thing I'd suggest is that you read a book called "The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell."
It was recommended to me by a former coworker who had been severely injured while serving (recently) in the Army.
Geronimo45
Member
Seems to be true for some Armed Forces branches, but the Coast Guard has multiple options in that area.
http://www.gocoastguard.com/find-your-fit/officer-opportunities/programs/direct-commission-programs
Army
Member
Go Warrant. All the fun of enlisted, with the command of an officer. Billeting is better too.
MTMilitiaman
Member
As suggested, get everything in writing. What the recruiter says doesn't matter if it isn't in black and white on the contract when you sign it.
Decide what you want from the military before you join. Do you want to kick down doors and bust heads, or are you looking for training that can translate into a better living for you and any potential family in the future?
Remember that this is a legally binding contract. It isn't quite selling your soul to the devil, but if you don't do it right, it ain't far from it. Read everything before you sign it! And once more, MAKE SURE EVERYTHING THAT YOU WERE GUARANTEED IS IN WRITING! This includes your MOS and contract length, any sign on bonuses, terms of entry, ect.
Don't expect to slay the fire dragon and don't be disappointed when you're in the forward leaning rest at 0700 and have already been awake for an hour and a half, and there isn't theme music. It isn't like the advertisements, and this is once more why it helps to have goals.
Decide what you want from the military before you join. Do you want to kick down doors and bust heads, or are you looking for training that can translate into a better living for you and any potential family in the future?
Remember that this is a legally binding contract. It isn't quite selling your soul to the devil, but if you don't do it right, it ain't far from it. Read everything before you sign it! And once more, MAKE SURE EVERYTHING THAT YOU WERE GUARANTEED IS IN WRITING! This includes your MOS and contract length, any sign on bonuses, terms of entry, ect.
Don't expect to slay the fire dragon and don't be disappointed when you're in the forward leaning rest at 0700 and have already been awake for an hour and a half, and there isn't theme music. It isn't like the advertisements, and this is once more why it helps to have goals.
- Status
