thoughts on army reserve?
Was thinking about joining the reserve ... any thoughts? Pros cons. Anyone in the service on here that can chip in fully appreciated
OR national guard for CA
I was in the Army reserves from '69 to '75. Good memories. I don't know the commitment one make today, but then 6 yrs. wasn't to bad.
Gun Control is using Both Hands
It's the right thing to do.............Geesh!!!
I spent 21 years in the CA Air National Guard and it was a great experience. One of the best things going for it that I didn't realize when I joined when I was 19 was that if you ever get laid off from your civilian job you'll have your military job to fall back on, a great second source of income, especially as an officer. Now when I turn 60 I'll have a part time military retirement and healthcare which is nice because who knows if the airline I fly for will be around in 20 years. PM me with any questions you might have.
My friend is going in the Reserves. He is going to part of the Army Band so it is a good option for him. I rather much be active duty, it is more about what you want and what is best for you.
To get back on this...im still stuck between Nat. Guard and Army Reserves. I like the guard because i get more money for school.....only thing that worries me is CA is in debt thru its !@#. so that leads me to ok what if i dont get that help...
But So far im thinking of enlisting as a 68w(medic). Still have lots more thinking to go through
There are pro's and con's to guard and reserve duty. The pro's are outlined nicely by Rvrrat above. In addition to what he says, it can also be fun doing monthly weekend duty, and summer training camp.
The con's are the disruption of actually being deployed. Since the USA went to an all-volunteer professional force, rather than conscription after Viet Nam, it has been fairly common to have your local unit activated and deployed overseas. That is a huge burden on your employer and on yourself. Extended overseas deployment is also presumed to be the trigger of higher suicide rates overseas as well. There is extreme depression associated with being separated from your family for years at a time, away from your usual stomping grounds and friends as well.
One can never know if another Hussien is going to invade another Kuwait, or if another Bin Laden is going to firebomb another American city from another Afghanistan rat hole, either of which would trigger a full mobilization and deployment of reserves and guard. If you are single and free, you could probably handle deployment. If you are married with kids, then probably not.
Another issue is officer vs enlisted, as Rvrrat also points out. When I was a kid, a colonel once told me, the difference between being an officer vs enlisted is like the difference between wine and dirt. I asked him, don't you mean wine and water? He said, no, wine and dirt.
I respect anyone in the military. Reserve or full time there are a lot of side issues that can make life difficult for most. If you are already in the medical field congrats most of the issues with shift work are the same as the military. My friend is now on his last years with National Guard. He does not like it as it makes any quality long term contracts with his Electrical business impossible. He is up and running fast and the money is good. He is due for Afganistan soon and will be there up to his discharge date or when they can send him home. He also has 2 kids now and has rethought life.
I was USN and enjoyed it until I broke both hips. Once discharged life was unstable and unsure. I enjoyed the military and would still do it again today if I wasn't older than some of the fleet ships. Some people are made for service some are not. Ask the recruiter for a one day base pass to meet other families during drill. You will get a better picture then.
Congrats on the thought and let us know. I will never tell someone the military is bad, but my son is looking at more serious fields and I am not sure I want the enemy looking that close at him. Either way I love and respect him for his choice in the military.
Medical field is good choice if thats what you want in civy life too but check all services for options vs the training you want. Active duty might be a good choice also. In the early 70's I knew a couple of AF active duty med techs that became PAs, then it was a good fast track for advancement. If you're single and looking for some excitement (parachuting/scuba diving) check out USAF Para-Rescue but be advised that could also be a ticket to a war zone. Check it all out the best you can then pray hard for guidance for the right choice. Good luck and God's Blessings.
Thanks for all the advice. So far ive been dieting trying to.get in regs lol. But since my last post ive opened my options to the marine core infantry or officer (Plc). Air force loadmaster. Army medic or infantry. I want to go active duty but idk if i could do that to my fiancée n son. But i do want to join, hardest thing is which branch and job.
Being a family man means a lot more thought. An depending on the base and type of aircraft, an AF loadmaster may see a lot of temp. duty lasting up to a couple of weeks. Some training and real world asignments can last a few months. If your near any type of military base/post you may want to talk to active duty personel about any job your interested in. If you plan to become an officer have you considered being a UAV pilot? You can fly around the world and never leave home. All kidding aside nobody joins or stays in the military for the money; does your fianc'ee plan to work also? I was an E3 when I married, when my wife (also military) became pregnant she didn't have a choice but to get out (now women are allowed to stay in). She wasn't able to get a civy job due to med. problems and taking care of two kids for several years. To make a long story short money was tight and we ate many meals of noodles and butter with few meals of store brand mystery meat patties. Times were very lean with a wife and child for quite a few years. There can be many plusses and minuses to military life depending on your situation so don't take this lightly. I don't want to scare you but you need to know what your family may be in for as well as you.
p304x4, thanks for the advice, and yes my fiance is in school right now along with me, shes almost done, so she plans on working. This has been a topic between the two of us, on and off.
The regular Army is great, but it's not for family men, in my opinion. If a man went through a divorce or his girlfriend married someone else, then that's the time to start thinking about soldiering.
Being shot at is no picnic! I've been there.
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