Military people come inside.

**Transamws6** · 10-28-2009, 06:55 PM

Yea, i have a few questions about the military, I'm a total noob to it so give me some slack

So if your a high school graduate and you decide to go into the military Can you enter the military and leave and go home everyday or it doesn't work that way?

When you go into the military straight outta high school do they send you to war?

What do you do when you first arrive their?

I wonder if it's like you just drive up their every morning and do some physical labor then come home at 3:00 and repeat until friday, then you have the weekends off.

Just wondering. I'd much rather go to college but, I'm just curious as to how the military works for kids coming out of high school and going straight in.

Thanks.

**SeVeReDiStOrTiOn** · 10-28-2009, 07:00 PM

Depends on the branch and your MOS (your job)...some have close to banker hours some don't. Obviously if you're in the field/training/at war it's a 24/7 thing until you're done.

**Transamws6** · 10-28-2009, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by SeVeReDiStOrTiOn

Depends on the branch and your MOS (your job)...some have close to banker hours some don't. Obviously if you're in the field/training/at war it's a 24/7 thing until you're done.

Wow, that means you'd have to stay in their, that can't be fun.

**infantryws6** · 10-28-2009, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by Transamws6

Yea, i have a few questions about the military, I'm a total noob to it so give me some slack

So if your a high school graduate and you decide to go into the military Can you enter the military and leave and go home everyday or it doesn't work that way?

When you go into the military straight outta high school do they send you to war?

What do you do when you first arrive their?

I wonder if it's like you just drive up their every morning and do some physical labor then come home at 3:00 and repeat until friday, then you have the weekends off.

Just wondering. I'd much rather go to college but, I'm just curious as to how the military works for kids coming out of high school and going straight in.

Thanks.

Once you join you wait until it is time to ship out to basic. In the Army you will do 9 weeks of basic training, you will not go home or have any free time during those 9 weeks. After that you go to your job training. The length of this course depends on the job you do, while there they will let you leave on the weekends at some point during the course. Then you go to your unit, if your unit is deploying then you go to war. If your unit is not deploying you will train and do your job until it is time to go to war unless of course we end this wars then you wait for the next war. While at your unit it is like most jobs 9-5 M-F. The difference is you will get up at around 6:30am for physical training and sometimes you will go to the field for a week or two at a time. Also you can go to college and do the military if that is what you want

**infantryws6** · 10-28-2009, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by Transamws6

Wow, that means you'd have to stay in their, that can't be fun.

depends on your definition of fun. I have done some training with special forces that was awesome and other times I have carried a rucksack in rainstorms for hours in the woods getting no sleep. My current unit stays in air conditioned tents while in the field and it is boring

**Y2K_CAMARO** · 10-28-2009, 07:18 PM

Put it to you this way. I joined the Marines. Went to boot camp, stayed gone for 3 months going going going all day everyday and only communicating with my family by hand writing letters. After graduation day, had 10 days of leave, went home. Then went to MCT (Marine combat training) for roughly a little over 2 weeks, same as boot camp, steady going going going all day everyday. Then no leave time, went straight to my school in Pensacola, Fl. stayed for 5 months, which I could be normal and have a cell phone, eat whenever I wanted, pretty much do what I want within our restrictions and went to my follow on school in Cherry Point, NC. There I did almost whatever I wanted as long as I was in class by my scheduled time, stayed for about 3 1/2 months. At my follow on school I was allowed to drive my car again. After that I went to my first duty station (also called the "fleet") where I began my job withing the Marines. Here is the most normal life you can have, as long as your at work when your supposed to be, you can do what ever you want. The best thing is, if your working or not, on leave, holiday, whatever, you still get paid! I didn't get deployed until I was in the fleet for almost a year. I'm coming up on my 2nd deployment soon

**Z28Thunder** · 10-28-2009, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by infantryws6

Once you join you wait until it is time to ship out to basic. In the Army you will do 9 weeks of basic training, you will not go home or have any free time during those 9 weeks. After that you go to your job training. The length of this course depends on the job you do, while there they will let you leave on the weekends at some point during the course. Then you go to your unit, if your unit is deploying then you go to war. If your unit is not deploying you will train and do your job until it is time to go to war unless of course we end this wars then you wait for the next war. While at your unit it is like most jobs 9-5 M-F. The difference is you will get up at around 6:30am for physical training and sometimes you will go to the field for a week or two at a time. Also you can go to college and do the military if that is what you want

And depends on the Branch.. In the Marines you do the same,once you join you wait until it is time to ship out for Bootcamp. Boot is 13 weeks so 3 months and a week. What happens next depends on MOS. I was Air Wing and got about a 2 week break before A-School. If I recall people with MOS's on the ground side went straight to their A-School. Air Wing work really depends, it can be day night/shift 24/7. Or it can be 7/5 with some weekends off. I wont included my first year in. But the next 4 years we were away from base more than on it. I know we had a 1 1/2 year stretch that had us on base at home for all of 3 months. The 3 months were not back to back. We would be back on base a week or two and then go back out.

**Transamws6** · 10-28-2009, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by infantryws6

Once you join you wait until it is time to ship out to basic. In the Army you will do 9 weeks of basic training, you will not go home or have any free time during those 9 weeks. After that you go to your job training. The length of this course depends on the job you do, while there they will let you leave on the weekends at some point during the course. Then you go to your unit, if your unit is deploying then you go to war. If your unit is not deploying you will train and do your job until it is time to go to war unless of course we end this wars then you wait for the next war. While at your unit it is like most jobs 9-5 M-F. The difference is you will get up at around 6:30am for physical training and sometimes you will go to the field for a week or two at a time. Also you can go to college and do the military if that is what you want

The military is my backup plan if i can't go to college, i probably will end up going to college but I was just wondering what it would be like if I didn't and had to go into the military. It seems pretty rough, I don't know how much i'll love those first 9 weeks, I like my own room, and man if they deploy me into a war i think i'll be ready to jump off of a cliff that has to be one of my worse fears.

Thankyou for the info man, that was very helpful.

**SouthernBornThriller** · 10-28-2009, 07:28 PM

I'll try and shed some light from your perspective since I'm a boot (new guy).

I joined the Marines, infantry. Waited a couple months until I shipped for boot camp. Went and trained all day everyday with just an hour per night and 4 on Sunday to write letters and such.
Graduated, went home for 10 days, then got another 21 because my school was backed up so they assigned me to my recruiter. I then left, went to Camp Pendleton, CA for infantry training. Graduated and just checked into my duty station yesterday at 29 Palms, CA. Apparently my unit is in the field a lot and I'm training for afghanistan, so life isn't going to be very 9-5ish. Talking to the older guys, most complain of having no time for college.

**Transamws6** · 10-28-2009, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by Y2K_CAMARO

Put it to you this way. I joined the Marines. Went to boot camp, stayed gone for 3 months going going going all day everyday and only communicating with my family by hand writing letters. After graduation day, had 10 days of leave, went home. Then went to MCT (Marine combat training) for roughly a little over 2 weeks, same as boot camp, steady going going going all day everyday. Then no leave time, went straight to my school in Pensacola, Fl. stayed for 5 months, which I could be normal and have a cell phone, eat whenever I wanted, pretty much do what I want within our restrictions and went to my follow on school in Cherry Point, NC. There I did almost whatever I wanted as long as I was in class by my scheduled time, stayed for about 3 1/2 months. At my follow on school I was allowed to drive my car again. After that I went to my first duty station (also called the "fleet") where I began my job withing the Marines. Here is the most normal life you can have, as long as your at work when your supposed to be, you can do what ever you want. The best thing is, if your working or not, on leave, holiday, whatever, you still get paid! I didn't get deployed until I was in the fleet for almost a year. I'm coming up on my 2nd deployment soon

Wow, thats pretty wild, just like I said, i think if i couldn't see my family and freinds for 3 months or my freinds, I think I'd go ballistic. But it seems like it goes pretty smoothly after you go through all the traning and stuff.

Now heres my question, did you graduate from high school and walk straight into the marines? because i see your only 22.

And congrats for making it through, and I appreciate the info.

**SeVeReDiStOrTiOn** · 10-28-2009, 07:34 PM

You'll get use to not seeing your parents...it's called being an adult. It'll seem weird now but once you're on your own you'll love it.

**Transamws6** · 10-28-2009, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by SouthernBornThriller

I'll try and shed some light from your perspective since I'm a boot (new guy).

I joined the Marines, infantry. Waited a couple months until I shipped for boot camp. Went and trained all day everyday with just an hour per night and 4 on Sunday to write letters and such.
Graduated, went home for 10 days, then got another 21 because my school was backed up so they assigned me to my recruiter. I then left, went to Camp Pendleton, CA for infantry training. Graduated and just checked into my duty station yesterday at 29 Palms, CA. Apparently my unit is in the field a lot and I'm training for afghanistan, so life isn't going to be very 9-5ish. Talking to the older guys, most complain of having no time for college.

Yea, thats what i'm afraid of, the lack of access to the outside world, and I don't want to go into a war. I think if they assigned me out there I'd be ready to blow my head off.

Good luck with all the traning and try to have some fun man.

**Transamws6** · 10-28-2009, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by SeVeReDiStOrTiOn

You'll get use to not seeing your parents...it's called being an adult. It'll seem weird now but once you're on your own you'll love it.

Yea, I don't know man, that'd be pretty weird. It's not only that but it's also the lack of contact with the outside world, and someone else is always controlling you. I just don't know if I could get used to that. Military is rough man, wow.

**67CamaroRSSS** · 10-28-2009, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by Transamws6

Yea, I don't know man, that'd be pretty weird. It's not only that but it's also the lack of contact with the outside world, and someone else is always controlling you. I just don't know if I could get used to that. Military is rough man, wow.

I survived 4 years of the Army. If I can do it anybody (well, most regular joes) can do it.

This was 35 years ago (when I was actually young).

**Y2K_CAMARO** · 10-28-2009, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by Transamws6

Wow, thats pretty wild, just like I said, i think if i couldn't see my family and freinds for 3 months or my freinds, I think I'd go ballistic. But it seems like it goes pretty smoothly after you go through all the traning and stuff.

Now heres my question, did you graduate from high school and walk straight into the marines? because i see your only 22.

And congrats for making it through, and I appreciate the info.

I'm going to be honest, it was extremely hard to leave my family, and it was all the way up to when I got stationed 2500 miles away from home. But things get easier, and all of this only brings me closer to my family and friends. Especially when I come home from deployment or just on leave for a holiday, they make me feel like I'm on top of the world. It does go by faster as the time goes on. Now that I look back, I had a blast in boot camp and the time is just flying by.

I graduated high school, went to collage for a couple of months. Didn't like it, so I worked for a few months and joined up. I was in the "delayed entry program" for about 2 1/2 months before I went to boot camp. So not right after high school, but close. Thank you for the congrats, your welcome for the info. Just remember, when/if you join, if you dont like it, its not forever. But it will turn you into a man and make you appreciate life a lot more

**MYSCZ06** · 10-29-2009, 07:30 AM

Yea, i have a few questions about the military, I'm a total noob to it so give me some slack

So if your a high school graduate and you decide to go into the military Can you enter the military and leave and go home everyday or it doesn't work that way?

You have to go to Basic and AIT (learn your job) if you join the National Guard or the Reserves then basically you would do a weekend a month and 2 weeks a year..that would be the only way you would still be "home" unless you live very close to a military town. You will/can deploy in a NG or Reserve Unit also

When you go into the military straight outta high school do they send you to war?

You will only go to war if you get assigned to a unit that is scheduled to go or that is already there and needs you to be there.

What do you do when you first arrive their?

Arrive where? At your duty station? You get up go to PT for 1 hour then you have hour 30 min or so to get back to work..you work till lunch 1130 then you go to lunch then come back at 1300 then work till 1700 or so then you go hoome do it again teh next day...

I wonder if it's like you just drive up their every morning and do some physical labor then come home at 3:00 and repeat until friday, then you have the weekends off.

See above yes you have weekends off and all federal holidays will be 4 day holidays...

Just wondering. I'd much rather go to college but, I'm just curious as to how the military works for kids coming out of high school and going straight in.

Theres tons of incentives to join...some states will give 100% tution assistance to NG members. You join the Military you get the GI Bill for 4 yrs and you get IIRC $4500 a yr (approx) to pay for school. While IN the Military you get 100% school paid for..you cant go full time but you can knock out classes online or in class and its all paid for!

Thanks.

***SMWS6TA*** · 10-29-2009, 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by Transamws6

Yea, i have a few questions about the military, I'm a total noob to it so give me some slack

So if your a high school graduate and you decide to go into the military Can you enter the military and leave and go home everyday or it doesn't work that way?

This is based on my Army experience:

Your first 6 months to a yr (depending on your MOS) you 'll be in training. During that time you will have phases that at first you are in total lock down/training 24/7. As you progress in your training you start getting more liberties.

Originally Posted by Transamws6

When you go into the military straight outta high school do they send you to war?

No, this is not Vietnam, You will be assigned to a unit, if that unit is in rotation to go, then yes you will.

Originally Posted by Transamws6

What do you do when you first arrive their?

Can't be to specific for several reasons. 1st and the most important is operations security, other then that it depends on your MOS and units mission

Originally Posted by Transamws6

I wonder if it's like you just drive up their every morning and do some physical labor then come home at 3:00 and repeat until Friday, then you have the weekends off.

This is when you get to a unit; for me PT was @ 0600 till 0730, went home shower, change clothes back @ work by 0900, worked till 1130-1145, then had lunch till 1245, back to work till 1700 - 1730. On occasion have to do a 24 hr baby sit the single soldiers barracks. This is very generic, but understand after I was in 4 yrs I became a NCO and had more responsibilities as I took higher positions and promoted. Also need to add this above is what happens when you are not in the field training. Training can be a day, a week, a couple of weeks, a month, or several weeks. My first 13 months after basic/AIT, I spent 210 days in the field.

Originally Posted by Transamws6

Just wondering. I'd much rather go to college but, I'm just curious as to how the military works for kids coming out of high school and going straight in. Thanks.

{Percentage below is just a rough #, not absolute fact.}
96% become enlisted *
3% are accepted into a ROTC program - That is only if you have super GPA, a scholarship, and test very high on Military Entrance Exams
1% go to Military Academies and become officers

* Most enlisted stay enlisted, however you can become an officer in several ways:

1) Warrant Officers - Mostly are pilots, but some are not, depends on MOS.
2) You take college on your own, get great grades, find a degree path that the Military wants/needs apply for program
3) Do your time, get college while in, complete service. After you earn your degree, come back in as an officer.

Hope this helps.

You will hear horror stories as well as good ones to. Each individual has a different out look on their time while they serve. I had a great time, wish I could still serve. And that is with 3 combat tours and being cripple from a training accident.

**B34M3R** · 10-29-2009, 11:18 AM

Not to much to add to all the stuff above, but there is this, and i gotta throw it out there, because I'm still a private, lol.

When you get out of basic and AIT, you will be the bitch when you get to your first unit for awhile. Some shitty work needs to be done? You are getting picked first. Someone has to get the crappy duty shifts on weekends and such? Its you. You show up 5 minutes late to being 15 minutes early? You're getting fucked up.

Being the new guy sucks. As time passes and you are no longer the new guy, then it gets better. Just do be prepared for a lot of suck the whole first year you are in.

**Sarge** · 10-29-2009, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by Transamws6

Yea, i have a few questions about the military, I'm a total noob to it so give me some slack

So if your a high school graduate and you decide to go into the military Can you enter the military and leave and go home everyday or it doesn't work that way?

When you go into the military straight outta high school do they send you to war?

What do you do when you first arrive their?

I wonder if it's like you just drive up their every morning and do some physical labor then come home at 3:00 and repeat until friday, then you have the weekends off.

Just wondering. I'd much rather go to college but, I'm just curious as to how the military works for kids coming out of high school and going straight in.

Thanks.

When you join they own your ass. Period. Your their bitch. Slavery is back in style. I remember my recruiter guy..." Oh the Navy you will be in the Med....going to Italy and shit".....about 2 months later I was a river rat in Vietnam.....

**tallnick** · 10-29-2009, 11:53 AM

Marine infantry is definitely no way to finish college.. now other jobs in the marines sure they can finish college.. but don't even dream of it in the Corps infantry.. and then once you get out of the Marines your fucked some more because you can't find a decent job besides being a police officer.

Not saying a police officer is a bad job.. its just that 90% of guys i was in the corps with are now Cops.. infantry has limited skills used in the real world.. but man my ego was HUGE while I was in the grunts..