You get paid when you sign right?
And when you make it through basic?
And...?
What are the incentives?
I want to travel...I want to meet people...I could do that in the army WHILE getting paid...
I gotta go to Mexico and smoke for a couple years, and trip my nuts off first.
But getting paid to travel and meet people, under my own complete legal protection(with a big gun, and after I've done a couple years of personal travel), seems like a good/fun idea.
Does anyone have any information?
Spent 11yrs adapting to the Army. I was in a nice profession, had the same aspirations in life, and then a few assholes wanted to blow up the trade towers and your neck deep in a big "ashtray" eating two MRE's a day, digging holes for your waste (and burning N0.#2 in 5 gallon drums), and hoping the next day will not be the last gets real fucking old, real fast. This was 2003 when I went to Iraq.
The next two deployments were even more stressful because now I was placed as a supervisor responsible for the lives of 8 other people and worrying about getting my ass out with out dying. Also had two IED's explode in my convoys I was on and a Vehicle Born IED (a car used as a man-made detonator) that rammed into a checkpoint killing 6 other people. I was standing under the blast under the bridge it exploded which was the only reason I survived. The concussive power alone sent my head twirling. Also did my fair share of dodging mortars that would drop randomly every 6 to 8 hours. Not an experience I would like to relive.
From a personal level, it isn't as fun as they make it sound to be. On a professional level, if you have common sense and stand up for yourself to a degree things will generally go smoothly, but just make sure you allow you supervisors their ego trips. If you butt in on their little ego you'll find yourself fucked in your career for months maybe years. Everyone with Senior rank, well almost everyone of them, act elitist and as if they all know everything there is to know about life, love, and making hard decisions. They're the type of people you ignorantly look at in a check out line flipping out on prices at the store with the cashier even though she had nothing to do with the pricing in the first place (yes, I actually saw a Sergeant Major arguing in a grocery store rudely with a cashier about pricing).
A lot of bureaucracy. A lot of sitting around waiting for other people to get their shit together, and a shit ton of bitching about problems from your peers to your supervisors before a decision is finally made. The other thing to be mindful is that your "new Company" which should be leading by example and teaching you fundementals beyond anything you have saw before will become a highschool filled with gossip, rumors, and daily annoyances with people who either are leaches, whiners, or the infamous mooch who makes you pay for everything because he is your broke ass roommate who spent his paycheck on his whacked out girlfriend and a 24 case of beer.
I learned a lot of life lessons when I joined and throughout my career, but every fucking bit of it was stressful; that part is what has caused my mental and physical drain for life. I have been out for about 8 months now and I am a student filmmaker and have found a huge surge of creativity since I have been out. I was even in a profession that makes you mentally look outside the box and was frequently told to reel my analytical side in because they always want you to support everything with some Army field manual that connects tactics or strategy or right with Direct emphasis on your sentences because everything written is formal and should be traditionally dealt with by formal response to something that has been written. If your able to do that and kiss a whole lot of ass along the way...the Army will do you wonders!
I should also mention that Smoking Marijuana and getting caught in the Army is like the equivalent of assault with intent or rape in their "laws". Hell committing adultery and getting caught in a court martial could get you military jail time! DUI's usually get you a loss of rank (may not be so bad initially, but when you been in for a few years, your a leader who is on a roll, one fuck up like that and you loss your rank and your career is on hold for nearly 3 years!) Though if your not deployed, the travel part is awesome. You can even get into the Army with previous use of illegal drugs; just ensure to tell them honestly what you used; as long as your not hot when you enter you'll be accepted.
The benefits I live off of today is from the 11yrs of shit I dealt with...though if your heart is not 100% into being a Soldier or if it just sounds like a good idea when your high...yeah...not a good idea to join unless your dedicated enough. I waned through it to be honest because I joined for a better life for my family. I am patriotic, but have come to terms with the true meaning of "glory" and understand glory and war isn't something to be used in the same sentence after witnessing what I saw with the innocent in Iraq and Afghan that died.
The military will make anybody least 40 percent more stressed and anxiety prone for the rest of your life (no matter if they had combat experience); unless of course you have a passion for it. Anyways, hope that was a bit of perspective. There is plenty of good things and good friends I have meant in the Army as well. I am not a fan of the "good ole' boy club" that some units in the military experience. Also not a fan of the phrase "do as I tell you; not as I do". Or when superiors demand "Army Values" yet don't follow some of the most important aspects after they demand you follow them. Just be mindful if you join.
The principles behind the military and the benefits now and later in life are amazing things for Soldiers (thanks to all those who served before me and their struggles); just like anything though, if your not into it you will fail. For me, I lost interest and inspiration because of the negativity and egotistical, absorbing assholes who were so narrow-minded it made the political forum here look like child's play!
AND GOOD FUCKING LUCK! lol
